Anyone else quite happy if we stay in the championship for a few seasons?

[kevtherev]

Everyone is somewhat missing the point. The championship is a great league, entertaining football, big games, nice grounds and very competitive. The point is 80% of managers in this league would give there right arm to have the squad we got and we just ain't doing it on the pitch. Thank god for the first ten games, where we took 18 points, otherwise we would be in a relegation scrap. It's deja vu of last season, only we have signed another 8/9 players, nothing has been learnt on the tactics side, with better players.

 

[Weststander]

I like the Championship BUT I have concerns over our sustainability. Not as a club but our squad and more specifically it's average age. In all honesty we need to get promotion next season otherwise or we will genuinely be faced with rebuilding a large proportion of it whilst still in the championship. This can go one of two ways if it takes a long time to gel you can get off to a bad start, and in this league that could be fatal.

This summer is key as the deadwood from the promotion squad is out of contract. We must bring in some younger players too, who can grow on the pitch. To make the play offs this year would help us financially in order to achieve that.

TB cant subsidise multi million losses on the playing side season after season, with snails pace progress in the table.

It will only get harder to get promoted.

The 3 coming down in May will have colossal parachute payments, and the 3 the year after that, will have 50% more still.

Some fans may say today that Championship football is rosy, but the financing of it by TB is not.

 

[Mackenzie]

The players won't like the new wage structure if we do, that's for certain.

 

[Giraffe]

Completely agree. Less games in the premiership, worse value for money, realistically we can't win it, top half would be considered a success, even more chance of all foreign team, less Saturday at 3pm games.

Only positives I can see are, seeing some of the best players in the world, finally ramming it down the mouths of plastic fans in the office, going to some great grounds, possibly taking the FA cup and League Cup more seriously and winning it, outside chance of Europe.

I think I'd take a couple of seasons up there for the experience and then get relegated if we can't compete with the top six.

 

[Father Jack]

TB cant subsidise multi million losses on the playing side season after season, with snails pace progress in the table.

It will only get harder to get promoted.

The 3 coming down in May will have colossal parachute payments, and the 3 the year after that, will have 50% more still.

Some fans may say today that Championship football is rosy, but the financing of it by TB is not.

Agreed we need a promotion to advance the squad, staying in the PL would be great but the parachute payments will seriously help as well. West Brom is the example for all to follow.

 

[Binney on acid]

I really couldn't care less what division we're in. I just want to be entertained, preferably by The Albion. The safety first tactics of our great fuhrer, highlighted by his refusal to play 2 and sometimes even 1 winger at home, added to his tactical ineptitude, has made me ambivalent towards the game that I used to love.

 

[GingerBeerMan]

Everyone is somewhat missing the point. The championship is a great league, entertaining football, big games, nice grounds and very competitive. The point is 80% of managers in this league would give there right arm to have the squad we got and we just ain't doing it on the pitch. Thank god for the first ten games, where we took 18 points, otherwise we would be in a relegation scrap. It's deja vu of last season, only we have signed another 8/9 players, nothing has been learnt on the tactics side, with better players.

TB cant subsidise multi million losses on the playing side season after season, with snails pace progress in the table.

It will only get harder to get promoted.

The 3 coming down in May will have colossal parachute payments, and the 3 the year after that, will have 50% more still.

Some fans may say today that Championship football is rosy, but the financing of it by TB is not.

I agree with these two posts. Gus seems unadaptable in his tactics, yes, sometimes he does odd things like bring on KLL after 37 minutes or play our RW in the RB position, but on the whole CMS as a lone striker hasn't worked and he didn't change that for about a year.

Also TB can't be expected to foot the bill of a top squad when we're barely challenging for the play-offs.

 

[fleet]

We need to go up this season if we really want to keep bridge, bridcutt and Buckley. They will not want to be in the championship for another year. I do think we will fall short again though.

This plus Poyet will also move on if we don't go up.

 

[CorgiRegisteredFriend]

This plus Poyet will also move on if we don't go up.

I dont think so. Where and why?

 

[CaptainDaveUK]

I think we will always try to win and TB is clearly aiming to get us promoted. If it happens this year, next or in five years who knows. Maybe Leeds, Birmingham, Bolton and Brighton may all spend the next 10 years in the championship! Reading snuck into the playoffs last year, won promotion and don't look like coming back down. Always aim for promotion, if we don't go up then the Championship is a great league to be in. We keep trying and have fun supporting the Albion!

 

[Northstandite]

Everyone is somewhat missing the point. The championship is a great league, entertaining football, big games, nice grounds and very competitive. The point is 80% of managers in this league would give there right arm to have the squad we got and we just ain't doing it on the pitch. Thank god for the first ten games, where we took 18 points, otherwise we would be in a relegation scrap. It's deja vu of last season, only we have signed another 8/9 players, nothing has been learnt on the tactics side, with better players.

This.
Massive player budget now, kindly and temporarily subsidised by TB.

Unfair on TB if the lack of progress on the pitch and league table continues, so expect a sacking next Autumn if this pattern continues.

Hull, Palace and others have showed without expensively assembled stars, that you can take 3 points most weeks.

 

[Northstandite]

I agree with these two posts. Gus seems unadaptable in his tactics, yes, sometimes he does odd things like bring on KLL after 37 minutes or play our RW in the RB position, but on the whole CMS as a lone striker hasn't worked and he didn't change that for about a year.

Also TB can't be expected to foot the bill of a top squad when we're barely challenging for the play-offs.

Sums it up nicely.

Positive thinking today by some fans, is no comfort to the immensely generous TB who cannot be expected to bank roll mediocrity indefinitely.

 

[Kent Seagull]

Tony Bloom won't be happy and that is the main thing as he wants the Premiership to recoup his outlays

I'm not sure that the prem is a good place to do anything other than get more into massive debt. It seems that only a few clubs manage to control spending and they're the ones flirting with relegation most of the time. To survive in the Prem without massive debt looks to be almost impossible. The club can probably survive far better in the Championship than in the Prem. Premier League club accounts: how in debt are they? | Football | guardian.co.uk

 

[Cheshire Cat]

I would lijke us to be competitive as high up as we can be.

I remember getting regulaly stuffed in the Championship last time we were here, after pissing all over League 1 the previous season. It wasn't good, it wasn't fun, and I got to dread the 5.45 check of ceefax for the results. I would like to go up and STAY in the premiership - not just pay a fleeting unsuccessful visit, and do a Portsmouth or Leeds when the debts start to pile up and really hurt.

So at the moment I am reasonably happy to be challenging around where we are - not happy about loosing yesterday though and we still draw against too many teams we should be beating given the players available and respective league positions.

 

[Phoenix Arrow]

Eh. I don't really care what league we're in as long as we're at our level. Whether we were in Div. 3 or the Championship or League 1, it doesn't matter so long as the football is entertaining and we're relatively competive.
My biggest concern about the club is that we go up into the Premier League and then get tonked every week and come dead last. I think we're just about there though. I reckon if we went up, and used our promotion/TV money wisely, then we could at the very least survive a relegation battle. But as a fan, I'm perfectly happy to be a playoff chasing club for a few seasons if it means when we get to the Prem, we're more likely to stay there.
The worry is that the money will dry up. But it's hard to say what our finances are really like.

 

[Baron Pepperpot]

It's a great competitive division, loads of decent towns cities, pubs to visit. A good few biggish teams to play and also the chance of a win in most games. I would love us to get to the Premier league but can we have a few more years at this level first and enjoy the ride, as i for one once the novelty has worn of dont much fancy a stuffing week in week out and paying £45 - £50 a match for the privilege.

There is a point here, football is as much about enjoyment as success, depending on a persons ego size. I'm really chuffed at the clubs progress in the last few years, and the championship is far better than it used to be. It would be nice to get to the Premiership sometime soon though.

 

[Northstandite]

There is a point here, football is as much about enjoyment as success, depending on a persons ego size. I'm really chuffed at the clubs progress in the last few years, and the championship is far better than it used to be. It would be nice to get to the Premiership sometime soon though.

Problem is, TB is subsidising your enjoyment big time, and he only ever intended to pay for the Amex and Lancing, not massive outlay on transfers, wages and overheads; not reciprocated on the pitch.

Something will have to give, either
A reduction is squad quality and sell the likes Brudcutt and Buckley, or
Make the big push for the PL possibly with a different manager.

 

[n1 gull]

NO, always reach for the stars. Let's sack the Championship and give the Premier league a bash - bring on Utd, Spuds, Arse, Everton, Chelsea etc... it will be a laugh

 

[brightonmark1234]

i would be happy if we stayed in the championship for a couple more seasons and then go up

 

[Billy the Fish]

I like the Championship BUT I have concerns over our sustainability. Not as a club but our squad and more specifically it's average age. In all honesty we need to get promotion next season otherwise or we will genuinely be faced with rebuilding a large proportion of it whilst still in the championship. This can go one of two ways if it takes a long time to gel you can get off to a bad start, and in this league that could be fatal.

This summer is key as the deadwood from the promotion squad is out of contract. We must bring in some younger players too, who can grow on the pitch. To make the play offs this year would help us financially in order to achieve that.

TB cant subsidise multi million losses on the playing side season after season, with snails pace progress in the table.

It will only get harder to get promoted.

The 3 coming down in May will have colossal parachute payments, and the 3 the year after that, will have 50% more still.

Some fans may say today that Championship football is rosy, but the financing of it by TB is not.

This is the case, and will always be the case whatever league we're in. Mabye FFP will change things, but at the moment every club is making a big loss. If TB doesn't subsidise us we will just lose ground on the clubs that gamble or have a rich sugar daddy. That is the reality and getting promotion won't change it, it's a bit deluded to think that the premier league is some kind of magic wand which solves all your money problems, if anything the evidence suggests that it has the opposite effect.