Is 24/25 Season Realistically Possible?

[Roe]

33 minutes ago, Midred said:

Do you include the officials in the "variables"?

Of course it all plays a factor. 

People say the table doesn't lie but that doesn't really mean anything

If you played out the same season with the exact same teams, you'd see some huge swings in final position for some teams due to a huge number of different things

[And Its Smith]

Just now, Roe said:

Of course it all plays a factor. 

People say the table doesn't lie but that doesn't really mean anything

If you played out the same season with the exact same teams, you'd see some huge swings in final position for some teams due to a huge number of different things

Absolutely. And every set of fans thinks the officials have it in for them. Obviously that’s nonsense 

[Tomo]

20 minutes ago, ExiledAjax said:

Thoughts come from a few places. 

Firstly, would Pearson want to extend? He's older, he's done his job well, he may want to sail off into the sunset knowing he did want was asked and he did it well. I don't know.

Secondly, I'd quite like us to try changing managers when the club's in a good place, and there's a positive reason for it. We see so often in football that change is reactive, and clubs wait for a crisis to change. Why not try a proactive, positive change? 

Finally, Pearson may have promotion on his CV, but that doesn't in anyway guarantee it happening again. 

I think Pearson will want to stay and if he was offered a 2 year extension, he would take it.... And then probably retire if premier league status wasn't achieved, during his then 5 year reign (assuming he wasn't sacked at any point). 

If he made the premier league dream happen, he would then be offered another contract and would then, inevitably, get sacked at some point during our premier league status.... Oh we can only dream can't we

[1960maaan]

21 minutes ago, Midred said:

The officials had alot to do with turning some of our draws into losses and wins into draws!

I'm still angry about Hull , nearly lost my voice swearing at the Ref. Robbed of 2 or 3 certain Pens and they get given the softest of the lot. That could have changed the momentum, 3 points on day one, maybe we get something from Sunderland game and we are on a run, who knows. Definitely not evened out over this season.

[cidered abroad]

3 hours ago, Tomo said:

Throughout this season, I have maintained my prediction of us finishing between 12th and 14th. Friends and Family in our 'Robins Mad WhatsApp Group' were panicking especially around November and December with some questioning whether Nige should be 'terminated' and a few of the lads had nicknamed him 1 Point Pearson. 

I continued to support Nige. We now sit in 13th position and are safe from relegation. Nige is at 1.3 points per game as it stands.

Boro Monday...Interestingly, they have only lost 1 less game than us and sit pretty in 4th place.... And Blackburn in 6th have lost 2 more games than us. Even ex premiership Norwich in 7th place have lost the same amount of games as us, so had we turned 4 of our draws into wins, we would be in and around the play offs... 

I predict 8th to 10th position next season and 24/25 could be our promotion year if Pearson is given the time to complete the rebuild? 

Thoughts? Am I deluded?

 

 

No you aren't deluded because I posted similar thoughts a couple of days ago. ( Not accusing you of pinching as many posts are missed )

I believe that we could finish 23-24 season anywhere between 5th and 12th because it will be a team building and consolidation year. A year when we are giving Academy graduates opportunities to improve and prove themselves as ready.

So 2024/25 could prove to be a very good year with a real chance of emulating the 1975/6 home developed team. Am I dreaming? Yes but based on what has happened under a quality Manager and coaching staff, I have good reason to.

COYREDS!!!

[ProfitInMyPocket]

We're still going to be miles off all the parachute payment clubs every year, that's the way it is.

If we want to progress we have to do it in the most pragmatic and right way for our club, let's sort out our sustainability and steadily progress on the pitch each year.

Don't understand the people who say, playoffs or bust, get rid of the manager if we miss out etc. What has our club done to deserve to be anywhere near that? Certainly not investing in the right way to get there in recent history.

We have to operate similar to Brighton and Brentford prior to their promotion to the Prem, and we're nowhere near that yet either. We're on our way steadily, but people need to take a step back and let the club do the work and hopefully not mess it up.

I'd be happy with however many seasons in this division if I saw steady progression, be in touch with the playoffs, play slick, counter attacking football and give opportunities to players coming through like we are now. I see the beginning of these but we've still got a long way to go yet.

We can't buy our way into the playoffs with stupid wages and stupid fees, we have to do it our own way and that will take time.

[spudski]

So many ifs and buts...so many scenarios to think about. 

Ignoring the teams that come down and come up and how others in the Championship strengthen...then imo a lot will come down to recruitment of experienced players. 

James, King, Wells will all be a few years older. Maintaining their performances of now, into the next few seasons will be fairly unlikely. 

The fitness of Kalas and Williams over a season is questionable. 

Losing Scott will be a massive blow. 

Everyone else we have now will hopefully develop further. 

Barring injuries, imo, the decision to either play or recruit experienced Pros of the calibre of James will be paramount. 

We need that experience to push. Experience but with the capability to still play to the standard needed.

[cidered abroad]

1 hour ago, ExiledAjax said:

Thoughts come from a few places. 

Firstly, would Pearson want to extend? He's older, he's done his job well, he may want to sail off into the sunset knowing he did want was asked and he did it well. I don't know.

Secondly, I'd quite like us to try changing managers when the club's in a good place, and there's a positive reason for it. We see so often in football that change is reactive, and clubs wait for a crisis to change. Why not try a proactive, positive change? 

Finally, Pearson may have promotion on his CV, but that doesn't in anyway guarantee it happening again. 

 

1 hour ago, ExiledAjax said:

 

I wonder if Euell is being groomed to take over a la Liverpool Boot Room did with great success.

[1960maaan]

As we sit here now , 6 games to go it is impossible to speculate , though I am optimistic .

3 scenarios that could shape next year.

Scott stays and we have a little money to add numbers.
Scott sold, but loaned back. Basically pocket £25m and have a £25m MF playing for us with a decent amount to spend.
Scott sold and a decent amount to spend.

We know we have targets in place, get those in early and we are in good shape, but to judge where we will be is difficult. We don't know if our targets are Championship ready, young promising players or even if we will get them at all.
We won't even know how strong the Division will be until Promotion & Relegation is settled.
Yeah, I'm optimistic , but cautious .

[Loosey Boy]

Like others have said, I think next season will all depend on our transfer business in the summer - one thing’s for sure, I will be going into next season with more hope than I have been for a long time.

Continued progress in terms of our league position is what I’d like and expect to see - hopefully, we will consistently be in/around the top 10 with a chance of the Play Offs as we reach the “business part” of the season….

What we have now is an experienced management team with a squad of players who seem really up for it and wanting to be here - the likes of Nahki taking significant pay-cut in order to stay is a prime example.

Gonna be an interesting summer…..

[Son of Fred]

4 hours ago, Tomo said:

Throughout this season, I have maintained my prediction of us finishing between 12th and 14th. Friends and Family in our 'Robins Mad WhatsApp Group' were panicking especially around November and December with some questioning whether Nige should be 'terminated' and a few of the lads had nicknamed him 1 Point Pearson. 

I continued to support Nige. We now sit in 13th position and are safe from relegation. Nige is at 1.3 points per game as it stands.

Boro Monday...Interestingly, they have only lost 1 less game than us and sit pretty in 4th place.... And Blackburn in 6th have lost 2 more games than us. Even ex premiership Norwich in 7th place have lost the same amount of games as us, so had we turned 4 of our draws into wins, we would be in and around the play offs... 

I predict 8th to 10th position next season and 24/25 could be our promotion year if Pearson is given the time to complete the rebuild? 

Thoughts? Am I deluded?

 

 

I very much hope 24/25 is when we are strong enough to push hard.

I retire a couple of months before this particular season begins & will be the proud owner of my very first season ticket -

The timing would be everything!

If we continue to progress in steady fashion,and with the 'decks clear' we could be knocking on the door of a play off spot - critical to all of this will be scouting & clever recruitment.

Edited April 8, 2023 by Son of Fred

[tin]

2 hours ago, ExiledAjax said:

Thoughts come from a few places. 

Firstly, would Pearson want to extend? He's older, he's done his job well, he may want to sail off into the sunset knowing he did want was asked and he did it well. I don't know.

Secondly, I'd quite like us to try changing managers when the club's in a good place, and there's a positive reason for it. We see so often in football that change is reactive, and clubs wait for a crisis to change. Why not try a proactive, positive change? 

Finally, Pearson may have promotion on his CV, but that doesn't in anyway guarantee it happening again. 

In theory, I totally agree. In practice, given more than two decades of largely poor appointments, I wouldn’t trust the Lansdowns to get anyone better to kick us on. There’s no evidence to suggest that would be a good move. 

[ExiledAjax]

14 hours ago, tin said:

In theory, I totally agree. In practice, given more than two decades of largely poor appointments, I wouldn’t trust the Lansdowns to get anyone better to kick us on. There’s no evidence to suggest that would be a good move. 

All I'd say is that in recent years those appointments have largely worked out.

Cotterill worked out. Johnson largely worked, but the backroom wasn't right. Pearson has worked out so far.

Really in the last decade or so it's only Holden who has been poor (discounting Pemberton's caretaker spell).

If they took it slowly, and appointed a manager when the going was good - and so they weren't under pressure - then I'd trust Alexander and Tinnion, together with the Lansdowns, to have a good chance of finding someone good.

Edited April 9, 2023 by ExiledAjax

[Port Said Red]

4 hours ago, ExiledAjax said:

All I'd say is that in recent years those appointments have largely worked out.

Cotterill worked out. Johnson largely worked, but the backroom wasn't right. Pearson has worked out so far.

Really in the last decade or so it's only Holden who has been poor (discounting Pemberton's caretaker spell).

If they took it slowly, and appointed a manager when the going was good - and so they weren't under pressure - then I'd trust Alexander and Tinnion, together with the Lansdowns, to have a good chance of finding someone good.

I would see Pearson having a say in it too, he will know people who work and think on the same lines which we will need for continuity. Is that person already at the club maybe?

[TonyTonyTony]

Recruitment will be more crucial than ever. If the Alex Scott money is spent wisely then we have every chance.

[The Bard]

21 hours ago, 1960maaan said:

I'm still angry about Hull , nearly lost my voice swearing at the Ref. Robbed of 2 or 3 certain Pens and they get given the softest of the lot. That could have changed the momentum, 3 points on day one, maybe we get something from Sunderland game and we are on a run, who knows. Definitely not evened out over this season.

Of course it hasn't.  Luck tends to go to the teams at the top.  Sheff U at home to us for example was a win with a large dollop of luck from memory.

To my mind we've got ourselves in the position of being solid enough defensively now.  We need to add more goals, especially from midfield and wide which have been disappointing.  We need to actually challenge next year I feel.