JonathanLivingstonSeagull
New member
What's it gonna be?
There are a few examples.
a) Portsmouth. Spend like crazy - boom and bust. Now widely known as Club suicide
b) Serious investment, meaning the keeping of the spine of the team only and a host of new playing staff. Some might be amazing, some might disappoint. Much cash will be spent on both kinds.
c) Modest investment, keeping the squad more intact - but enough investment that the squad ends up i. slightly off kilter (problem) or ii. more competitive (ideal), and does a more than good job of survival. This level still implies getting "stuck in" to the Premier League attitude towards spend on playing staff and wages ASAP. Do we panic if it doesn't work out straight away?
d) The Yo-Yo. My "preference". Not that it is easy to "decide" to be a yo-yo club - but here are the benefits:
FIRSTLY
i. The club retains the playing staff with only a few additions. Plays it cautious, and rewards the players that got us promoted. One or two (hopefully fantastic) signings.
ii. Therefore the wages and spend of the club do not explode.
iii. The club sees what it can do with only the most modest mode of investment, whilst being aware it is in danger of relegation in the first instance.
HOWEVER
iv. On relegation, should it happen due to the modesty of the club's attitude, parachute payments come into play.
v. Albion retain their current situation of a being a club on the up, with certain values - including loyalty to players, the resurgence embodied in the stadium, and the promise of the new Academy.
vi. The club loses some players to large fees (boo!) (but a kind of... bonus, in a sense), but with it's growing reputation is becoming a favoured destination for young players, and new-find scout-network players looking to play for a Championship team competing for the title once again. Not mercenaries, ever. Those looking to play, and graft, and be part of something. A winning Championship outfit.
vii. Promotion is gained again, after one or two seasons, whilst the core of the team has improved in the subtle and quiet and meaningful fashion we have enjoyed over the course of the past five seasons. We are getting stronger.
viii. Eventually on a promotion (a runaway one even...), we stabilise, having followed something a little like the West Brom blueprint, and become a mid-table Premier League team, with all the benefits and resources the growing Academy and general reputation has bestowed.
ix. We all get shitfaced after a wonderful roller-coaster ride of yet more (classic Albion) ups and downs.
Point being - though I'd love us to stay in the Premier League first time of asking, method d) seems to have certain long-term merits provided by the matrix of effort, vision and time. I'm saying relegation wouldn't be the worst thing in the world, and the yo-yo process is not something to fear with the committed and canny chairman we have. I guess we'll see how it goes.
I am aware the yo-yo thing is quite contingent and comes with it's own sort of "pie-in-the-sky" - but isn't that what the signs here at the club point us to? Is this what we've got to look forward to?
Corrections and contradictions welcome, no doubt I have blind spots. But that's my take on it, in the long run.
There are a few examples.
a) Portsmouth. Spend like crazy - boom and bust. Now widely known as Club suicide
b) Serious investment, meaning the keeping of the spine of the team only and a host of new playing staff. Some might be amazing, some might disappoint. Much cash will be spent on both kinds.
c) Modest investment, keeping the squad more intact - but enough investment that the squad ends up i. slightly off kilter (problem) or ii. more competitive (ideal), and does a more than good job of survival. This level still implies getting "stuck in" to the Premier League attitude towards spend on playing staff and wages ASAP. Do we panic if it doesn't work out straight away?
d) The Yo-Yo. My "preference". Not that it is easy to "decide" to be a yo-yo club - but here are the benefits:
FIRSTLY
i. The club retains the playing staff with only a few additions. Plays it cautious, and rewards the players that got us promoted. One or two (hopefully fantastic) signings.
ii. Therefore the wages and spend of the club do not explode.
iii. The club sees what it can do with only the most modest mode of investment, whilst being aware it is in danger of relegation in the first instance.
HOWEVER
iv. On relegation, should it happen due to the modesty of the club's attitude, parachute payments come into play.
v. Albion retain their current situation of a being a club on the up, with certain values - including loyalty to players, the resurgence embodied in the stadium, and the promise of the new Academy.
vi. The club loses some players to large fees (boo!) (but a kind of... bonus, in a sense), but with it's growing reputation is becoming a favoured destination for young players, and new-find scout-network players looking to play for a Championship team competing for the title once again. Not mercenaries, ever. Those looking to play, and graft, and be part of something. A winning Championship outfit.
vii. Promotion is gained again, after one or two seasons, whilst the core of the team has improved in the subtle and quiet and meaningful fashion we have enjoyed over the course of the past five seasons. We are getting stronger.
viii. Eventually on a promotion (a runaway one even...), we stabilise, having followed something a little like the West Brom blueprint, and become a mid-table Premier League team, with all the benefits and resources the growing Academy and general reputation has bestowed.
ix. We all get shitfaced after a wonderful roller-coaster ride of yet more (classic Albion) ups and downs.
Point being - though I'd love us to stay in the Premier League first time of asking, method d) seems to have certain long-term merits provided by the matrix of effort, vision and time. I'm saying relegation wouldn't be the worst thing in the world, and the yo-yo process is not something to fear with the committed and canny chairman we have. I guess we'll see how it goes.
I am aware the yo-yo thing is quite contingent and comes with it's own sort of "pie-in-the-sky" - but isn't that what the signs here at the club point us to? Is this what we've got to look forward to?
Corrections and contradictions welcome, no doubt I have blind spots. But that's my take on it, in the long run.
