Would you be happy with 7th, now?

[Ernest]

More importantly would Tony Bloom be happy ?

 

[Tom Hark Preston Park]

Play-offs are there for the taking now.

 

[LamieRobertson]

I ask, as a couple of months ago that question came up (someone please find the thread) where a fair few were very happy with finishing 7th.

'It's an improvement', 'going in the right direction', 'more points than last year', '5 year plan'.

It was cliche city Arizona.

2 more wins and automatic is back on the table

Good question and I guess now I'd have to say no I wouldn't ...I think the auto though is pie in sky...one game at a time though..Charlton could be a hard game ..maybe this will be the one where we come from behind

 

[Seagull over Canaryland]

I think most would be curious to know just how close we can get to the automatic places or how far we might get in the play offs but it's hardly a complete disaster if we finish 7th this season. OK it would be a bit disappointing and prompt lots of 'what ifs' but would still represent some progress in the right direction.

I'm mindful that we still have a year or two of the 5 year plan to get to the Prem so it could be argued we have been batting a bit above the original expectations at times this season and certainly haven't been that convincing at other times. But then I'm sure Tony Bloom would love to get the financial windfall sooner rather than later.

I recall the wonderful run in the late '70's culminating in 78/79 when we were far more solid promotion contenders than now. What a great experience that was to be part of. But I also recall the bubble bursting in quite a big way once we got to the old First Div and how hard it was just surviving. Somehow we did. It was great to have the kudos of being a Div 1 side and we managed a handful of stand out results but the feelgood factor we savoured for the previous 5 years dissipated.

I'd love us to do a Swansea or dare I say a Southampton but right now we don't exactly have great quality in depth within our squad, especially if you factor out the loanees. OK one has to believe that TB would unleash the cheque book if we get promoted, it would be very naive to arrive in the Prem without a much stronger squad.

So on balance I'd rather put up with us being around the play off places in the Championship for another season while building a more solid squad and enjoying our footie rather than endure a nerve wracking survival race in the Prem.

I would also suggest that none of the other top 7 Championship teams are significantly better than us or good enough for survival in the Prem.

 

[Meade's Ball]

I've had a marvellous time, so i would look back a tiny bit disappointedly at first, but then speedily rejoice in some of the wonders i've witnessed. I'm not one of those bods who seem to madly believe that we have a first 11 worthy of guaranteed promotion. I'm more the sort that eyes the likely origins of us, the squad, the team, the big batch of didn't-quite-make-its and determined fallen-from-graces given one last chance that have had to be coached and welded altogether to make us feasible promotees. I think it's been amazing and i class us unfinished. I wouldn't bemoan 7th. How i consider what i've loved as a failure.

 

[Jimmy Come Lately]

In the last couple of weeks I've made the mistake of starting to daydream of playoff matches. So I'd be disappointed with 7th now.

Since Ulloa arrived I've also started to daydream of having a serious tilt at automatic promotion next season if we don't go up through the playoffs. We've looked so close at times - we've all done the maths of the draws that could have been wins, the games that could have been out of sight if we'd taken our chances, and where those extra points would have put us in the table - and Ulloa could be the magic ingredient that enables us to do a Cardiff. But that seems likeliest if we can maintain form and momentum right to the finish line to take into next season. If the Ulloa magic fades and we stutter into seventh place it will feel like we have to start all over with no reason to expect a better result come May 2014.

 

[Thunder Bolt]

I recall the wonderful run in the late '70's culminating in 78/79 when we were far more solid promotion contenders than now. What a great experience that was to be part of. But I also recall the bubble bursting in quite a big way once we got to the old First Div and how hard it was just surviving. Somehow we did. It was great to have the kudos of being a Div 1 side and we managed a handful of stand out results but the feelgood factor we savoured for the previous 5 years dissipated.

I'd love us to do a Swansea or dare I say a Southampton but right now we don't exactly have great quality in depth within our squad, especially if you factor out the loanees. OK one has to believe that TB would unleash the cheque book if we get promoted, it would be very naive to arrive in the Prem without a much stronger squad.

So on balance I'd rather put up with us being around the play off places in the Championship for another season while building a more solid squad and enjoying our footie rather than endure a nerve wracking survival race in the Prem.

This sums up my feelings very well.

 

[Willy Dangle]

I ask, as a couple of months ago that question came up (someone please find the thread) where a fair few were very happy with finishing 7th.

'It's an improvement', 'going in the right direction', 'more points than last year', '5 year plan'.

It was cliche city Arizona.

2 more wins and automatic is back on the table

So long as Scum are 8th

 

[brightn'ove]

If we come 7th but do our absolute best, then ill be happy. If we piss away the opportunity, probably not.

 

[grawhite]

It is up to us to finish in the play-offs, 7th would be a disaster tbh.

 

[Kumquat]

A great thread to start i think. Absolutely a few months back i'd have settled for 7th, but now we have no excuses for ending up outside the play offs. Deep down also I think that I'd have settled for 7th partly because of the fear of going up and being annihilated every week, but over the last few months I think Gus and the team have shown they are capable and ready. It's quite simple now to me. We end up 7th and we've underachieved. I woudn't have felt that at the turn of the year. The interesting thing is to see if under real pressure we do what Leicester and Boro have over the last few months. I'm sure Gus and Tano are ramming it down the players throats if needed what an opportunity this is. Are you excited to be part of a major promotion or scared of bottling it? I think they are up to it.

 

[B.W.]

I think most would be curious to know just how close we can get to the automatic places or how far we might get in the play offs but it's hardly a complete disaster if we finish 7th this season. OK it would be a bit disappointing and prompt lots of 'what ifs' but would still represent some progress in the right direction.

I'm mindful that we still have a year or two of the 5 year plan to get to the Prem so it could be argued we have been batting a bit above the original expectations at times this season and certainly haven't been that convincing at other times. But then I'm sure Tony Bloom would love to get the financial windfall sooner rather than later.

I recall the wonderful run in the late '70's culminating in 78/79 when we were far more solid promotion contenders than now. What a great experience that was to be part of. But I also recall the bubble bursting in quite a big way once we got to the old First Div and how hard it was just surviving. Somehow we did. It was great to have the kudos of being a Div 1 side and we managed a handful of stand out results but the feelgood factor we savoured for the previous 5 years dissipated.

I'd love us to do a Swansea or dare I say a Southampton but right now we don't exactly have great quality in depth within our squad, especially if you factor out the loanees. OK one has to believe that TB would unleash the cheque book if we get promoted, it would be very naive to arrive in the Prem without a much stronger squad.

So on balance I'd rather put up with us being around the play off places in the Championship for another season while building a more solid squad and enjoying our footie rather than endure a nerve wracking survival race in the Prem.

I would also suggest that none of the other top 7 Championship teams are significantly better than us or good enough for survival in the Prem.

I cannot understand this attitude.

You CANNOT choose when you go up, and getting out of the Championship (upwards!) is notoriously difficult. If you get the chance, you MUST grab it.

IF we don't go up, we will miss out on VAST sums of money, maybe lose Gus, maybe our best players.

Wake up! Smell the coffee. 7th is minor progress. We should be looking for more than that: I'm sure Tony and Gus are. Why not our fans?

And, of course, we WILL strengthen if we go up. Tony is no mug.

 

[The Terminator]

If we come 7th but do our absolute best, then ill be happy. If we piss away the opportunity, probably not.

If we come 7th this season then would of most defiantly 'pissed away' the opportunity.

I'd be gutted if we came 7th now

 

[nomoremithras4me]

Start of the season, yes. Now, would defo be gutted, 6th place with a game in hand! Happy if we didn't go up? Definitely not, but we will be in a better position to cope with the Prem next year, with the new training ground & facilities etc IMO.

 

[Beach Hut]

To be honest yes I would however we are now in a really strong position so play-offs beckon

 

[darters74]

I cannot understand this attitude.

You CANNOT choose when you go up, and getting out of the Championship (upwards!) is notoriously difficult. If you get the chance, you MUST grab it.

IF we don't go up, we will miss out on VAST sums of money, maybe lose Gus, maybe our best players.

Wake up! Smell the coffee. 7th is minor progress. We should be looking for more than that: I'm sure Tony and Gus are. Why not our fans?

And, of course, we WILL strengthen if we go up. Tony is no mug.

Seconded.

 

[Seagull over Canaryland]

I cannot understand this attitude.

You CANNOT choose when you go up, and getting out of the Championship (upwards!) is notoriously difficult. If you get the chance, you MUST grab it.

IF we don't go up, we will miss out on VAST sums of money, maybe lose Gus, maybe our best players.

Wake up! Smell the coffee. 7th is minor progress. We should be looking for more than that: I'm sure Tony and Gus are. Why not our fans?

And, of course, we WILL strengthen if we go up. Tony is no mug.

Glad to see you agree with several of my points. I'm quietly confident but also realistic about our chances, especially given our current resources. As previously posted 7th will be disappointing but having smelt the coffee too often this season reality tells me it would hardly be a disaster given the speed of our ascent. Yes there are huge financial reasons for getting to the Prem sooner rather than later but most of us also want that to happen for football reasons and when our squad is actually good enough. Look at how thin our squad is at the moment. If TB was really determined to 'grab' promotion this season then surely he would have given Gus more transfer money back in January rather than allow us to faff about flirting with 6th/7th place and hoping our rivals trip each other up. I think TB is being very shrewd and not doing a s**t or bust splash the cash approach 'cos he has to balance the books. If he spunks it all now and we fail then it could well set the Club back years under FFP. So I'm enjoying us being in the mix at this stage, anything more is a nice bonus.

 

[B.W.]

Glad to see you agree with several of my points. I'm quietly confident but also realistic about our chances, especially given our current resources. As previously posted 7th will be disappointing but having smelt the coffee too often this season reality tells me it would hardly be a disaster given the speed of our ascent. Yes there are huge financial reasons for getting to the Prem sooner rather than later but most of us also want that to happen for football reasons and when our squad is actually good enough. Look at how thin our squad is at the moment. If TB was really determined to 'grab' promotion this season then surely he would have given Gus more transfer money back in January rather than allow us to faff about flirting with 6th/7th place and hoping our rivals trip each other up. I think TB is being very shrewd and not doing a s**t or bust splash the cash approach 'cos he has to balance the books. If he spunks it all now and we fail then it could well set the Club back years under FFP. So I'm enjoying us being in the mix at this stage, anything more is a nice bonus.

NO club EVER has a squad ready to stay in the Prem when promoted from the Championship. This is a great chance and there is absolutely no guarantee we will be in as good a position as this next season. As stated before, our squad may well get weaker if we fail to progress this season. NOW is the time, next season MIGHT be, but who knows? I think Gus and Tony wanted to sign 1 or 2 strikers but failed to do so: that doesn't mean Tony is happy for us to 'consolidate' by just missing the play-offs this season.

 

[Grombleton]

Ask me after Leicester. Then I'll know.

For now, i'd be disappointed, but it would give me confidence to push on next season and playoffs would be a minimum.

 

[Steve.S]

Getting fed up with this all or nothing attitude. Some people think the championship is ending at the end of this season and unless we are promoted we are doomed for life.Relegated clubs have been getting parachute payments for years and yes they are going to get a little bit more next year. This season how well have the relegated clubs done this season since coming down. 1 in 9th and 2 in a relegation fight at the bottom of the table, a lot of good their parachute payments are doing. And this season only 1 club in the top 6 that is getting parachute payments.
I would love to get promoted this season, however our chances are slim, getting to the play offs maybe in sight. Winning them will be a lot harder, not impossible. Whatever happens this season we are a club building for the future and with or without Gus we will have the means to be one of the better teams in the championship and be there or thereabouts come the end of the season.