If We Don't Go Up, Is It The Worst Thing In The World?

[Mr Popodopolous]

After the Stoke game, I was thinking about our chances of promotion, the automatic route is now all but gone surely and we tends to lose in the playoffs but losing in them is still not certain of course.

Anyway, I was thinking about what would happen if we do indeed go up and the likelihood of us "doing a Derby". Imagine the humiliation involed in "doing a Derby", and people I know who aren't City fans reckon it would be too much too soon.

Would, perhaps could, it not be better for the squad to grow over 2 or 3 more seasons, young players like Riberio, James Wilson and Plummer to come through and to buy a mix of experienced top notch Championship players, Premier League players and young players to be gradually added over the next two to three seasons as well as keeping the key men in this squad and of course Johnson and the general stucture of the club so that when we finally get there we can give it a good go with more knowhow, squad melded together.

Remember, Derby by their own admission went up two years too early, and look what happened there, won the playoffs too which gave them about half a month to a month less than Sunderland and Birmingham to strengthen adequately.

[sunningdalered]

In direct answer to your question - No, of course not. Letting go of Trundle before we've seen what he can do for the City, on the other hand..........

[Nibor]

No, it would be better to go up without a shadow of a doubt.

First of all just playing in the Prem would be fantastic for the fans.

Longer term, we don't have the money to gradually build a squad by bringing in experienced top notch Championship players. Clubs with parachute payments can pay three times the wages we can. Look where the top notch players went this season, it's only going to get harder to compete financially.

Even next season I suspect GJ is going to have to unearth gems on loan, in lower leagues and abroad and then get them to perform out of their skins because we won't be able to do what clubs like Watford, WBA and Charlton have done and spend £2m here and £3m there.

Even if we were relegated after just a season the £60m that promotion is worth (£40m for one season + 2* £11m parachute payments) would transform the club and be a big help to the stadium project. The money would be not just a quicker route to success but a far surer one. Sad, yes, but true.

[CiderHider]

It would hurt if we don't make it via the play-offs now, and if it doesnt then we should give up being a professional club and us fans should join the liberal party or some apathetic nonsense gang like that.

This is why i kinda understand peoples knee jerk reaction of looking to lay blame at someones door, but you needn't, there is none, silly.

We have come from Swansea 7-1 drubbing to verge of the Premier League in...., well in football terms a nano second, and its all down to SL and GJ... and ... ITS STILL IN OUR HANDS!

don't give up now, its only just begun.

[easton boy]

After the Stoke game, I was thinking about our chances of promotion, the automatic route is now all but gone surely and we tends to lose in the playoffs but losing in them is still not certain of course.

Anyway, I was thinking about what would happen if we do indeed go up and the likelihood of us "doing a Derby". Imagine the humiliation involed in "doing a Derby", and people I know who aren't City fans reckon it would be too much too soon.

It really p's me off when people say we will do a Derby, and i know Mr P that you are only quoting other people.

For gawds sake, can anyone who has ever seen us play imagine that during an entire season of which, for us, will be like 38 FA Cup 3rd round games, we will muster 1 solitary win all season???

Would, perhaps could, it not be better for the squad to grow over 2 or 3 more seasons, young players like Riberio, James Wilson and Plummer to come through and to buy a mix of experienced top notch Championship players, Premier League players and young players to be gradually added over the next two to three seasons as well as keeping the key men in this squad and of course Johnson and the general stucture of the club so that when we finally get there we can give it a good go with more knowhow, squad melded together.

Who's to say that the young uns will ever make it as quality CCC players? - Johnson doesn't seem to rate them over the current squad(at the moment). Will GJ still be here in 3 years(hope so)?

Remember, Derby by their own admission went up two years too early, and look what happened there, won the playoffs too which gave them about half a month to a month less than Sunderland and Birmingham to strengthen adequately.

Derby will (should) be better for their parachute payments. (Although amazingly I have read that Paul Jewell said that all that money had already been spent trying to keep them in the Prem)