Fabulous post.Why do people keep asking this?. It's absolutely bizarre, especially in the current climate, that people wouldn't want us to go up at the earliest opportunity. EVERY single player in that squad wants to play in the Premier League at the earliest opportunity so this great atmosphere at the club you talk about takes a beating every time we miss out. Give Wilder two more windows and we would definitely be without the likes of Fry, McNair, Dijksteel, Jones, and Tav and no way would we have the finances, even from their sales, to replace them with better. I think we all agree these players could do a job in the prem so delaying promotion and losing these would mean us having to sign more championship quality players, probably of lesser quality, so would probably take an even bigger investment and squad overall should we go up. And let's be honest, if we are not promoted soonish, would Wilder still be even here?
"I love this division" - I understand the notion that fighting for promotion is much better than fighting relegation but this is what football is all about, it always has been. If you take out that one season in the prem under Karanka, by that I mean the overall length of time we have been in the Championship, how many seasons in this division have actually been enjoyable?
I'm not sure any of the three mentioned will interest teams in the Premier League. Jones on the other hand.My fear is if we don't go up we may lose some key players such as Fry, McNair and Tav to name a few.
That been said I prefer the competitiveness of this league
If we do manage to go up this season then the key thing is to keep our heads. The club in terms of not over spending on Gestede types and the fans not howling for Wilder to be sacked if we are in the bottom 3 all season. Bank the money and then build back stronger in 23/24 should be the idea, with obviously giving it as good a go as possible to stay up next year.
I hate this division. The sooner we’re out of it, the better. These threads only come around when we’re doing well. You don’t hear about people loving this league when we’re F***ing about in 14th under the tutelage of Neil Warnock.I love this division and worry if we where to go up we'd just struggle and it would potentially ruin the great atmosphere at the club. Imagine 2 more Wilder windows and how much better equipped we'd be to mount a realistic attempt of staying in the Premiership.
Yes. And I lay the blame in the main squarely at the door of the soundbite speaking, more than a bit dodgy, clueless whazzock that is Garry Monk.Agree with this.
It felt like last time we just didn't have any sort of plan in place for what we'd do if we were relegated. You don't plan to get relegated obviously, but you have to put contingencies in place as a newly promoted side.
In two season we went from having built a promotion winning side to having to start from scratch.
100% this - you can see from recent seasons that the "best" teams plan for both survival and relegation in parallel. Fulham, West Brom etc - yes they might bounce between divisions but commercially that is a much greater benefit than not getting promoted each season.Agree with this.
It felt like last time we just didn't have any sort of plan in place for what we'd do if we were relegated. You don't plan to get relegated obviously, but you have to put contingencies in place as a newly promoted side.
In two season we went from having built a promotion winning side to having to start from scratch.
You love us being in the 2nd division? Utter madness! The great atmosphere is a result of the fans and it always will be. We haven't won anything finishing outside of the playoffs season after season so I'm not sure what is so great to this division compared to the premier league where it would be much the same.I love this division and worry if we where to go up we'd just struggle and it would potentially ruin the great atmosphere at the club. Imagine 2 more Wilder windows and how much better equipped we'd be to mount a realistic attempt of staying in the Premiership.
This is quite true, you don't hear "I love this league, me" when aimlessly pi$$ing about in the forgotten section of lower mid-table as any realistic prospect of promotion disappears over the hill for another year around the end of February.I hate this division. The sooner we’re out of it, the better. These threads only come around when we’re doing well. You don’t hear about people living this league when we’re F***ing about in 14th under the tutelage of Neil Warnock.
This you can't guarantee that the players will stay or the manager as well, at least if we get relegated from the Prem we have the parachutes.Take a promotion wherever and whenever you can.
You never know what may happen next season.
Invest heavily on quality, don't hold back then spend to try to get back out again. I disagree about plan on relegation. Gibson clearly thought he would spend big enough to march out, then employed an utter tool and let him spend over £50m when we still had Traore, Bamford and Gibson.Agree with this.
It felt like last time we just didn't have any sort of plan in place for what we'd do if we were relegated. You don't plan to get relegated obviously, but you have to put contingencies in place as a newly promoted side.
In two season we went from having built a promotion winning side to having to start from scratch.
I also thought that side played better football than the one that was promoted. There was talent amongst the forward line that wasn't based on being dogged and wearing the opponent down. Bamford, Tomlin and Adomah could have handled the top flight better than those that we tried with, they had the skill. Adding (and using) Traore, Stuani and Negredo to those three would have given us a chance of staying up.Look at the group of players Wilder had pushing for Europe with Sheffield United. I used to be one who thought you could go up ‘too soon’ but it’s probably not true. You need a good coach and a staff with a clear plan, a bit of talent with a good team spirit and a noisy crowd behind them, and clever recruitment. You want a chairman who backs it and backs the manager. Everyone pulling in the same direction. I think we have those things in place.
It’s probably been 5 or 6 years in the making TBH, clearing out from the last time we came down ready to go again. We’re ready now IMO. Let’s just go for it. The plans appear to be in place regarding the medium term but I think there’s something to be said for momentum, for riding the crest of a wave in football. It’s partly why I wished we’d have gone up with Aitor the season before we actually did. I think we were better placed to make a fist of it with that group.
This group would need some help but I don’t see us getting mullered every week if we did do it this year.