Will the Albion ever play a Champions League game ?

[Notters]

Does the Carling Cup currently get you a Europa place? If not, it should.

Yes, hence Birmingham being in it this year.

 

[Seagull over Reading]

Will ultimately depend on money of course....shame you can't do well without it any more.

Can you imagine it though....from Hereford to Barcelona

 

[SK1NT]

Think we could potentially be a stoke... a good tough mid table prem league side pushing for a europa league spot at best...

Remember us winning league 1 league in 2002, reading 2nd and stoke via the play offs.... they have kicked on to how id like Brighton to do... but playing better footy.

 

[Barn Door Billy]

Midway amongst the Stokes and Fulhams. But I think they will get a good start and then fade away when they are sussed out.

If they get promoted, i suspect they will do the classic promoted half decent team thing (possible top half) and then struggle in their second season (like reading)...i expect this to happen to norwich as well (i.e. Relegation battle next season)

 

[Perkino]

eventually then yes, anytime soon no.

We are on the right road and if we are pushing for a top 10 finish in the premiership we will start to grow our fanbase with local youngsters. I'm 26 and would love to see it happen in my lifetime

 

[Mellor 3 Ward 4]

No.

Lets be realistic shall we. We do not have the heritage, fanbase, funding or stadium to ever seriously challenge the top 4 teams in the country. The best we could ever aspire to is to do a Swansea (or a Reading a few years back) and perhaps achieve a top half finish in the Premier League. That would be MIRACULOUS. But to actually break into the top 4 ?

Forget it.

This.

 

[public school boy]

It is possible. a small team from Germany did it.

 

[JJB]

Just before I jump all over this post, can you clarify where you think southampton will finish next season?

Midway amongst the Stokes and Fulhams. But I think they will get a good start and then fade away when they are sussed out.

I personally believe we'll look to consolidate in our first season if we do go up. Just to survive would be the aim, as it is for every promoted club. However I do believe we would be able to attract more quality than any of the other clubs that would go up purely because of Cortese and his links across Europe. After that, if we're still up we'd look to push on. Champions League is a long shot, but Cortese wants it. I personally believe in 5 years we could get back to the team we were under Strachan, hovering around the European places. We would never have got relegated in the first place had he stayed and Wupert refused to sign the likes of Drogba, Malouda, Adebeyor, Rosicky, Malbranque etc...

 

[Frutos]

Europa League, yes. Champions League, probably not.

 

[the silurian]

Long way off obviously but could it happen ?

and you reckon we are deluded ?

 

[Triggaaar]

However I do believe we would be able to attract more quality than any of the other clubs that would go up purely because of Cortese and his links across Europe.

No, you think you can attract more quality than the likes of West Ham because you're biased

After that, if we're still up we'd look to push on. Champions League is a long shot, but Cortese wants it. I personally believe in 5 years we could get back to the team we were under Strachan, hovering around the European places.

Long shot? More than a long shot. You finished 8th once, and that was before it became so competitive.

 

[Stat Brother]

It ain't likely, but would love it just for Our Tone, and that's about it.

 

[Easy 10]

I personally believe in 5 years we could get back to the team we were under Strachan, hovering around the European places. We would never have got relegated in the first place had he stayed and Wupert refused to sign the likes of Drogba, Malouda, Adebeyor, Rosicky, Malbranque etc...

Jesus, I can see how you lot tumbled into administration with that attitude. Why on earth do you think players of that calibre, most of whom have spent their careers at the very top clubs in the country, would have wanted to play for Southampton ?

 

[JJB]

Just before I jump all over this post, can you clarify where you think southampton will finish next season?

Jesus, I can see how you lot tumbled into administration with that attitude. Why on earth do you think players of that calibre, most of whom have spent their careers at the very top clubs in the country, would have wanted to play for Southampton ?

Drogba was sat in our office, Beattie went on a 10 game scoring streak and Lowe said we didn't need another player like him. This was the summer before he moved to Chelsea, he went to another French team, can't remember who instead of us. Malouda was part of the deal as well, both for £4 million or something.
Adebeyor had a bad attitude so Rupert didn't want to sign him, he was 16 at the time.
Rosicky we could have had, but Lowe wouldn't shell out the extra £2million whoever it was wanted
Same with Malbranque, Fulham wanted £5million, we wouldn't pay.

There are others but can't remember them at the moment. However our reluctance to spend is why Strachan left when he did. We were 4th in the league and had the opportunity to push on but didn't. He reeled the names off during the 2006 world cup where he was a pundit, Lowe was hated even more after this.

 

[matthew]

Who knows what could happen in 500 years time

 

[Rich Suvner]

nope

europa league, maybe (portsmouth, fulham, middlesbrough, stoke and bolton have shown that this is possible)

champions league...not a chance

edit- just to clarify I do NOT want us to go follow portsmouth's exmple of financial management!

Europa League via the Fair Play award?................................. oh

 

[The Wookiee]

Imagine if we were Wigan fans 20 years ago and somebody asked the question if Wigan would ever become an established premier league team ? Ok they will probably go down this season but you know what I mean football is a funny old game !

 

[Bhafc11]

Clearly you've never played Football Manager/Championship Manager!

You know!

 

[Skaville]

No.

 

[Seagull over Reading]

and you reckon we are deluded ?

please re-read......'could it happen?'

Although I don't letcure in English at Oxford or Cambridge, I'm pretty sure that my comment was constructed as a question and not a statement that we would one day play in the CL.