Anyone want to feel absolutely miserable this evening (and all summer)?

[WarksRobin]

8 hours ago, Bristol Oil Services said:

Where were Cov and Luton in 2018 when Lee and Ashton were here, signing Liam thingy and Louis Dionky and Ryan K***,, making us a PL club in waiting?

In the 4th bloody division. Ffs.

As long as we don’t sell Alex Scott to one of the promoted sides 

[MarcusX]

Both sets of fans deserve it for the turmoil they've been through over the last few years. Luton with their points deduction and their foray into non-league. Coventry for the issues with their owners and not having a home for a couple of seasons was it? Even start of this season they couldn't play at home because of the pitch and the Rugby.

[Tinmans Love Child]

To be fair Cov although hard times in recent years have had way more success than us, was it 30 odd years in the top flight before they dropped out around 2000?  When they first moved to the Ricoh it was way way ahead of AG in terms of quality and size.  Yes now I would say we have sorted the ground etc etc but we don't have that top flight pedigree.  Even Luton were in the top flight more recently than us!

[ExiledAjax]

I travelled to watch us play Coventry on that sunny August evening in Burton 9 months ago. 4-1 and we dismantled them. Had you told me then that Coventry would be in the playoff final I'd have laughed you out of town.

[JoeAman08]

19 minutes ago, RedM said:

I think I'm more worried about Boro and Sunderland being left in the Championship as well as the 3 coming down, they will be strong teams next year

Someone said can see all 3 coming straight back down and it was pointed out that it gets said every year and rarely happens. 
 

The championship being stronger next season also gets said every year. It is hard not to come to that conclusion for next season though isn’t it?
 

Southampton are full of young promising players already. They are gonna bring in 50m or more in sales most likely on top of that. So they will be able to retool. 

Leicester maybe less worried about but hard to look at them and think they will struggle. Will have plenty after sales to rebuild. Leeds and Everton also in this category. Forest have had a hell of an effort but if they come down I wouldn’t fear them per se. 
 

Wouldn’t sleep on Ipswich either being competitive. Ashton jokes aside they will acquire talent. Peterborough always an exciting attacking side too if they come up. 
 

Nice to know it can be done for sure but you also get seasons where the PP clubs dominate the top 6. I also don’t think we’ll get the same Norwich and Watford sides. Next season maybe only be 1-2 spaces for non PP clubs and I wouldn’t put us at the top of that list quite yet

[Tinmans Love Child]

2 minutes ago, JoeAman08 said:

Someone said can see all 3 coming straight back down and it was pointed out that it gets said every year and rarely happens. 
 

The championship being stronger next season also gets said every year. It is hard not to come to that conclusion for next season though isn’t it?
 

Southampton are full of young promising players already. They are gonna bring in 50m or more in sales most likely on top of that. So they will be able to retool. 

Leicester maybe less worried about but hard to look at them and think they will struggle. Will have plenty after sales to rebuild. Leeds and Everton also in this category. Forest have had a hell of an effort but if they come down I wouldn’t fear them per se. 
 

Wouldn’t sleep on Ipswich either being competitive. Ashton jokes aside they will acquire talent. Peterborough always an exciting attacking side too if they come up. 
 

Nice to know it can be done for sure but you also get seasons where the PP clubs dominate the top 6. I also don’t think we’ll get the same Norwich and Watford sides. Next season maybe only be 1-2 spaces for non PP clubs and I wouldn’t put us at the top of that list quite yet

For me the more teams competing the better for us, cause that means more teams beating each other and the division is closer, the last thing you want is 4/5 teams running away with it cause we wouldn't be one of those 5, but 10 teams going for it then I can defo see us in that group and it's all to play for

[Offside]

Yes it’s a bit galling…..but it also provides hope that a well-drilled team, working as a unit, can get there. If we are in the top half of the table next season it gives us a chance of sneaking into the play offs. 

[Merrick's Marvels]

1 hour ago, RedM said:

I think I'm more worried about Boro and Sunderland being left in the Championship as well as the 3 coming down, they will be strong teams next year

Both those teams massively reliant on loans from Prem teams. 

Players they no longer have and may not be able to replace.

Both have had great seasons and have played some  excellent football but let's wait and see if they can do so again.

[Searles]

7 hours ago, Wanderingred said:

People need to get over it. Rather than be frustrated that “the likes of” Coventry and Luton are in a playoff final, use it to motivate us. It can be done without parachute payments, and there’s no reason why we can’t be in the same position 12 months later.

By the way, for every team that’s overtaken us in the last few years, there are an equal number of teams that have plummeted past us in the opposite direction.

Lots of respect for Coventry and the job MR has done, but of nostalgia seeing them in the prem again, Luton on the other hand….

[oldstandrobin]

9 hours ago, phantom said:

That's life 

Thats Bristol City Football Club

[Sir Geoff]

9 hours ago, East Londoner said:

But saying that the money they could potentially make finances potential new stadiums and sets them up for the future 

That's a bit of a fallacy tbf. Net profit after ground improvements to PL standard, higher wages, larger transfer fees, etc won't be that much.

[tin]

If I was a Watford fan, I’d be fuming if Luton go up.

Imagine the Gas are in our league, we’ve hounded out our gaffer, they then join the Gas and lead them to the PL after being in our shadow for donkey’s years.

In Watford’s case, there’s more than a hint of karma for their hire-fire policy, but it must still be a bitter pill to swallow. 

The sad fact from our perspective is the Lansdowns will be looking at it and thinking that should be us, ignoring their own mistakes that have led to recent austerity. 

Edited May 18, 2023 by tin

[Dr Balls]

Remember Coventry were relegated in 2011-12 after we beat them at Ashton Gate under MacInnes at Easter, with goals from Stead and Bolasie. We went down the following season under S’OD but took only 2 seasons to bounce back. We then ditched Cotterill for Johnson and Ashton and flattered to deceive for a couple of seasons with Tammy Abraham and then the League Cup run, but after that it was a case of going backwards. Only in the last 2 seasons under Nige have we actually seen progress in the club and team.

Coventry had to hit rock bottom in League 2, the owners at odds with the owners of the stadium, playing home games at Birmingham and Northampton, but their stroke of good fortune was bringing back Mark Robins as manager and sticking with him.

As for being overtaken by other clubs coming up from a lower division, I am sure fans of many other established second tier clubs felt similarly aggrieved  when we made the 2007-8 playoff final.

Edited May 18, 2023 by Dr Balls

[spudski]

1 hour ago, JoeAman08 said:

Someone said can see all 3 coming straight back down and it was pointed out that it gets said every year and rarely happens. 
 

The championship being stronger next season also gets said every year. It is hard not to come to that conclusion for next season though isn’t it?
 

Southampton are full of young promising players already. They are gonna bring in 50m or more in sales most likely on top of that. So they will be able to retool. 

Leicester maybe less worried about but hard to look at them and think they will struggle. Will have plenty after sales to rebuild. Leeds and Everton also in this category. Forest have had a hell of an effort but if they come down I wouldn’t fear them per se. 
 

Wouldn’t sleep on Ipswich either being competitive. Ashton jokes aside they will acquire talent. Peterborough always an exciting attacking side too if they come up. 
 

Nice to know it can be done for sure but you also get seasons where the PP clubs dominate the top 6. I also don’t think we’ll get the same Norwich and Watford sides. Next season maybe only be 1-2 spaces for non PP clubs and I wouldn’t put us at the top of that list quite yet

That's how I see it as well. 

Imo...next season will be one of the strongest Championships in a long time. 

It's going to be harder to make the top 6 imo. 

We've been improving and playing some good football this season. We will undoubtedly improve again and become stronger...however...I think we will need to improve to even keep mid table. 

Hopefully we have a season where other teams under achieve. 

Imo...mid table on paper would be a respectable. 

Top 6 reliant on us over achieving and others under achieving. 

I just hope if the season does play out how I feel it might, that fans don't see us as not improving. 

Sadly the top 6 hope has been dangled again recently in NPs interview. 

As we've seen before in previous seasons...if it's mentioned that their is belief we have the ability for top 6, it's used against them if they don't achieve it. 

 

[ashton_fan]

I remember being stuck in L1 for what seemed an eternity where we dreamt of being in the Championship, at least we're now an established club at this level which is a decent standard. While I'd like to see us promoted not sure whether it would be more enjoyable watching us lose most of the time, think some people on here would go into meltdown.

[ChippenhamRed]

Don’t really get this thread. If it was the same old teams in the play offs we’d be moaning about the inequality of parachute payments and how can we ever hope to compete etc etc etc.

With a young, improving team and likely a lot of money coming our way assuming Scott goes, we’ve given ourselves a platform to build on next season. If Luton and Coventry can get there, so can we. We should use it as a source of inspiration, not bitterness.

[Nogbad the Bad]

12 minutes ago, ashton_fan said:

I remember being stuck in L1 for what seemed an eternity where we dreamt of being in the Championship, at least we're now an established club at this level which is a decent standard. While I'd like to see us promoted not sure whether it would be more enjoyable watching us lose most of the time, think some people on here would go into meltdown.

Getting there is the dream but the thought of being there is a bit of a nightmare.

[And Its Smith]

18 minutes ago, ChippenhamRed said:

Don’t really get this thread. If it was the same old teams in the play offs we’d be moaning about the inequality of parachute payments and how can we ever hope to compete etc etc etc.

With a young, improving team and likely a lot of money coming our way assuming Scott goes, we’ve given ourselves a platform to build on next season. If Luton and Coventry can get there, so can we. We should use it as a source of inspiration, not bitterness.

Completely agree.  Being miserable because a team recently in league two will be in the premier league next season is odd considering that is what football is all about.  Dreams can be achieved. 

[italian dave]

8 hours ago, pillred said:

Not always the case though is it?

No!

But I think most would agree that, for instance, Bournemouth last season were a different league to Sheff U, Luton, Boro and Burnley this season.

In a funny way, I think Luton might be the most likely of those four to stay up next. They play that sort of style that PL teams take a while to adapt to…..and if they can get enough points on the board before that happens then they could just survive. If they get there!

[Open End Numb Legs]

I agree with those who say it should give us all hope. If it was a play off final between parachute payment teams it would be worse for sport I think.

It will be fascinating to see how one of them gets on. Could be carnage. But then the Prem table has had several surprises this season.

The other angle is how many players that will celebrate promotion will get a game next season?

[A Horse With No Name]

And Coventry were bottom of the table in October.

[Tinmans Love Child]

47 minutes ago, Dr Balls said:

Remember Coventry were relegated in 2011-12 after we beat them at Ashton Gate under MacInnes at Easter, with goals from Stead and Bolasie. We went down the following season under S’OD but took only 2 seasons to bounce back. We then ditched Cotterill for Johnson and Ashton and flattered to deceive for a couple of seasons with Tammy Abraham and then the League Cup run, but after that it was a case of going backwards. Only in the last 2 seasons under Nige have we actually seen progress in the club and team.

Coventry had to hit rock bottom in League 2, the owners at odds with the owners of the stadium, playing home games at Birmingham and Northampton, but their stroke of good fortune was bringing back Mark Robins as manager and sticking with him.

As for being overtaken by other clubs coming up from a lower division, I am sure fans of many other established second tier clubs felt similarly aggrieved  when we made the 2007-8 playoff final.

Great game that, 3-1 from memory and Bolasie scored!?!? My wife came to that one and we were sat in the Williams stand, and when the away fans were pouring out my wife very much enjoyed the "cheerio cheerio cheerio" chant!

[W-S-M Seagull]

Whichever one goes up, are likely to challenge Derby for their record low points tally. 

I'm reminded of what Pearson said the other day "we don't just want to get to the premier league, we want to get there and stay there" 

So whilst one of these clubs will have a season of Premier league football and come down with an unfair advantage (parachute payments) I'm confident that our long term plan is more sustainable than those two clubs. 

[Globe Trotter]

36 minutes ago, ChippenhamRed said:

Don’t really get this thread. If it was the same old teams in the play offs we’d be moaning about the inequality of parachute payments and how can we ever hope to compete etc etc etc.

With a young, improving team and likely a lot of money coming our way assuming Scott goes, we’ve given ourselves a platform to build on next season. If Luton and Coventry can get there, so can we. We should use it as a source of inspiration, not bitterness.

Quite right, and also, quite refreshing to know a different club will be promoted this year to the usual yo-yo teams like West Brom, Norwich, Watford.
 

[Bristol Oil Services]

2 hours ago, Tinmans Love Child said:

To be fair Cov although hard times in recent years have had way more success than us, was it 30 odd years in the top flight before they dropped out around 2000?  When they first moved to the Ricoh it was way way ahead of AG in terms of quality and size.  Yes now I would say we have sorted the ground etc etc but we don't have that top flight pedigree.  Even Luton were in the top flight more recently than us!

Following your logic there then, it must be the case that, prior to their promotion about 4 or 5 years ago, Brighton had a "top flight pedigree" that "we don't have" ?

And the same for Brentford? 

[Coxy27]

10 hours ago, alexukhc said:

Yeah I get that, but other than Burnley, who I think may do ok, but still can’t see Sheff United staying up and either Luton or Coventry, I’m not sure either

I mean I do agree thinking about it now - but, I'd have said the same about Bournemouth and they are safe.

Depends who they recruit. I was browsing the Coventry squad last night, it is remarkable how well they've done with such unheralded players. 36 year old Kyle McFadzean, even a 33 year old Liam Kelly!

[jj77]

I wouldn't worry too much about it. If this forum is anything to go by the stadium would be half empty if City got promoted. Most of the fan base doesn't watch the premier league even though there seems to be a fair number of posts related to teams in it.

[italian dave]

56 minutes ago, Dr Balls said:

Remember Coventry were relegated in 2011-12 after we beat them at Ashton Gate under MacInnes at Easter, with goals from Stead and Bolasie. We went down the following season under S’OD but took only 2 seasons to bounce back. We then ditched Cotterill for Johnson and Ashton and flattered to deceive for a couple of seasons with Tammy Abraham and then the League Cup run, but after that it was a case of going backwards. Only in the last 2 seasons under Nige have we actually seen progress in the club and team.

Coventry had to hit rock bottom in League 2, the owners at odds with the owners of the stadium, playing home games at Birmingham and Northampton, but their stroke of good fortune was bringing back Mark Robins as manager and sticking with him.

As for being overtaken by other clubs coming up from a lower division, I am sure fans of many other established second tier clubs felt similarly aggrieved  when we made the 2007-8 playoff final.

Depends how you define progress.

The focus of this thread is very much about success of the pitch measured by results and league position. And on that basis you’re being very unfair on the Johnson/Ashton period. Every season we won more games than the last, improved our GD and improved our league position. Hardly a case of ‘flattered to deceive……going backwards’?

And our progress in the last season has been far less impressive, season on season, principally turning a few defeats into draws each season. 

Yes, I know there’s more to it than that, and up to a point I’m playing devil’s advocate. But I think we had real success during those four years and that can’t just be airbrushed out of history. 

Yes, we made some huge mistakes: letting Ashton have free reign for one, not having a serious plan B in place for either his or Johnson’s departure - both of which left us in complete limbo. And at the worst possible time during the first year of the pandemic with all that involved. 

[Markthehorn]

1 hour ago, tin said:

If I was a Watford fan, I’d be fuming if Luton go up.

Imagine the Gas are in our league, we’ve hounded out our gaffer, they then join the Gas and lead them to the PL after being in our shadow for donkey’s years.

In Watford’s case, there’s more than a hint of karma for their hire-fire policy, but it must still be a bitter pill to swallow. 

The sad fact from our perspective is the Lansdowns will be looking at it and thinking that should be us, ignoring their own mistakes that have led to recent austerity. 

It’s why a lot of fans wouldn’t mind seeing him get promoted (maybe not Luton themselves!) as a fingers up to the owners .

Certainly was one sacking that didn’t go down well and many thought was harsh particularly given what has happened since .

Who knows if he could have done the same here as we have a different sort of squad and dare I say attitude.

[Son of Fred]

9 hours ago, Wanderingred said:

Coventry and Luton are in a playoff final, use it to motivate us. It can be done without parachute payments,

Indeed, clearly it can be - 

The knack is smart recruitment & excellent scouting - easier said than done!

It's a knack I don't believe we've mastered as yet.