4th... But i'm happy where we are

[FOOTSKI]

Is it wrong to be happy in this league?

I really want a few more seasons at this level to make a side thats fit to play in the prem.

We must be making money to add a few players next season.

I just think if we get to the promised land it would be great if we could stay there, not 'just visiting'.

What do you think?

 

[SK1NT]

Is it wrong to be happy in this league?

I really want a few more seasons at this level to make a side thats fit to play in the prem.

We must be making money to add a few players next season.

I just think if we get to the promised land it would be great if we could stay there, not 'just visiting'.

What do you think?

I could point you in the direction of about 20 similar thread over the last 2 weeks...

The link about us in the premiership may be of some use...

and yes i'd like us to go up this season... you'd be an utter mug not too....

 

[seagullondon]

Chances for promotion don't come by every season. The number of teams who have spent big and failed to get as high as we are is because this division is so unpredictable and teams are all evenly matched.

Going up would be brilliant for the finances it would bring in for the club, it would also mean we are a lot likelier to keep Vicente. You can have a side fit for the Prem in this division but still not be near the promotion spots. Look at Leicester, Ipswich or Leeds.

 

[Notters]

Ah, this old chestnut.

 

[Triggaaar]

Is it wrong to be happy in this league?

No. It's been a fun season, and if we have the same again next year, but perhaps a little better, that would be great.

I really want a few more seasons at this level to make a side thats fit to play in the prem.

It doesn't work like that though. If we were here a few seasons, Gus may have left, and whatever side eventually got us up wouldn't be fit for the premiership anyway. If we went up now we'd need to strengthen a lot, but then so would anyone else being promoted.

We must be making money to add a few players next season.

Sir Tony Bloom would fund new players whenever we went up, and premiership money would help finance that.

I just think if we get to the promised land it would be great if we could stay there, not 'just visiting'.

Yes it would, but if whether we went up now or in 5 years time, there'd be no guarantee we'd come down or stay up.


You can't choose when to go up. You can spend shit loads and still fail, so you take it when you can.

 

[Rugrat]

Yep we have to take our chance .. if we don't we certainly don't have any God given right to remain in Championship ... ask Sheff W, Sheff Utd, Charlton, Hudd's etc etc.
Even staying here guarantees nothing ... ask Leics, Forest, Cardiff, Derby, Ipswich etc etc

 

[seagull_special]

The risk is that we don't get promoted and end up losing our best players Bridcutt, Dunk, Buckley and Lua Lua etc...... and end up doing a Forest, saying that it would hardly be a disaster if we didn't go up as the season has been phenomenal. I think we will definitely need to increase the amount of investment in the squad whatever happens just to maintain progress.

 

[Badger]

If we do go up and don't perform in the Premier League, guess what? That's right we'll be back in this great division again with the added bonus of parachute payments.

 

[TWOCHOICEStom]

If we do go up and don't perform in the Premier League, guess what? That's right we'll be back in this great division again with the added bonus of parachute payments.

This is THE WORST CASE SCENARIO if we go up... I'll rip your hand of for that right now.

 

[Thunder Bolt]

If we do go up and don't perform in the Premier League, guess what? That's right we'll be back in this great division again with the added bonus of parachute payments.

It hasn't done West Brom any harm. They yo yoed between the Championship and the Prem for three or four years and kept enough to keep strengthening.

 

[kingcole]

Is it wrong to be happy in this league?

I really want a few more seasons at this level to make a side thats fit to play in the prem.

We must be making money to add a few players next season.

I just think if we get to the promised land it would be great if we could stay there, not 'just visiting'.

What do you think?

Let's visit and stay if we can. If we can't we will be back to the fun of the championship with a nice parachute payment.

Anyone not wanting promotion this year now I assume will be cheering on the likes of Boro on Saturday, as if we win this one, we have one foot in the play offs.

 

[FOOTSKI]

Let's visit and stay if we can. If we can't we will be back to the fun of the championship with a nice parachute payment.

Anyone not wanting promotion this year now I assume will be cheering on the likes of Boro on Saturday, as if we win this one, we have one foot in the play offs.

Hold on. All i was saying is i have loved this season and if we did'nt go up it would'nt be the worst thing in the world. I DID'NT SAY I WAS GIVING UP BEING A FAN

Why does every statement/question have to end up with the poster being slated?

 

[Tooting Gull]

The thing is, the scenario people are cheerily describing here , 'let's visit and come down with the parachute payments' very rarely pans out like that.

Fans get furious watching the team lose every week, whatever people say now. They will demand change, new players, money spent, club gets itself in hock trying to stay up, overpays on silly contracts and gets relegated anyway. How many times has this happened?

Personally I do subscribe to the view that you can 'go up too early', whatever Norwich are doing (Swansea have been banging on the door for years). However, if we are lucky enough to go up, then any player signed has the relegation salary drop clause in there (amazingly clubs like QPR still aren't doing this with Barton), and when contracts are renegotiated with existing players that is inserted.

I think it can be done, going up, coming down and not f**king yourself up financially, but it requires a long-term view and patience from fans that has not always been on show at other clubs. Stoke are the perfect example financially (if not in a football sense). Start carefully, try and stay up any way possible, and when established gradually build from there.

 

[Simon Morgan]

Has anyone explained the logic behind the argument that 'you don't get many chances to go up'? What about Reading this season? And West Brom getting promoted the year after losing the play-off final to Derby? Having only been a fan since 1996, I am struggling to contain myself just seeing us holding our own at this level, let alone the top level. Going up and then down with parachute payments is indeed the worst case scenario with regards to getting promoted this season, but part of me would like to see us growing at this level for another year or two first.

 

[kevo]

There's absolutely no guarantee that we would be in a "stronger" position if we have a few more seasons in this division We would probably lose Poyet, for one thing. We have a real chance of promotion - and it might not come along again for a long time.

Do you think Norwich fans are saying: 'I wish we'd had a few more years in the Championship?'. Look at them now.

That said, if we did miss out this time, I would not be absolutely gutted. It's been a fantastic season - and to be in contention for the play-offs is a great achievement in itself.

 

[Tooting Gull]

Do you think Norwich fans are saying: 'I wish we'd had a few more years in the Championship?'. Look at them now.

.

That's not the accurate comparison though, is it? It's not what they are saying NOW, enjoying the Premier League, that is relevant. It's what they might be saying 2/3 years down the line if they don't get the sums right and spend stupid money (eg Portsmouth).

In actual fact, I believe Norwich have had a good policy/strategy, largely buying the best players in the Football League, who just aren't going to demand anywhere near as much as proven performers in the Premier League, or top overseas leagues. If were ever in that position and did the same I wouldn't be too upset at all.

 

[Rambo]

Feet on the ground time. Going up via the playoffs is actually no mean feat.

 

[Stat Brother]

Stoke are the perfect example financially (if not in a football sense). Start carefully, try and stay up any way possible, and when established gradually build from there.

For me, Stoke have now become the embodiment of all things wrong with EPL.

They (Pullis interviewed the other day) are not interested in winning, it's all about not losing to the teams in 'their' league.

When the fear of failure is greater than the joy of winning, something is very wrong, in the sport.

 

[Tom Hark Preston Park]

You can't pick and choose when you go up. Five year plans don't work on the playing side, only on the non-playing side, where you can control your immediate environment. There's clubs been scrubbing around in the Championship for years, trying to get out of it.

 

[GingerBeerMan]

We must be making money to add a few players next season.

What gives you that idea?

An 80M loan debt still left to pay and everyday running costs of the Amex + salaries eats up the gate receipts money straight away.

We probably don't make as much profit as you think we do.