If....

[BladeFisher]

...we got promoted this season the rebuilding necessary to stay in the Chumpionship (sic) would be fairly large.

When you see the teams that got promoted in recent seasons only Wolves have made a fist of it. OK so the grunters are having a better season now but Huddersfield, Charlton, Bristol City, MK, Preston. Hardly setting that league on fire. Donny and Yeovil came back down.

This I think is one of the biggest challenges now, how to get out of your own league and have a reasonable chance of staying in the one above.

If we had a PL repeat (one season in the Chumpionship) that in my view would really set us back and maybe finish us off good and proper. Would the investment actually take place?

 

[Blade82]

4th from bottom would do me. The gap between the championship and
League 1 is like the prem-champ 10years ago. And the prices will be like prem 10 years ago... Not looking forward to £35 for the likes of Ipswich, when we get there of course...

 

[Sothall_Blade]

...we got promoted this season the rebuilding necessary to stay in the Chumpionship (sic) would be fairly large.

When you see the teams that got promoted in recent seasons only Wolves have made a fist of it. OK so the grunters are having a better season now but Huddersfield, Charlton, Bristol City, MK, Preston. Hardly setting that league on fire. Donny and Yeovil came back down.

This I think is one of the biggest challenges now, how to get out of your own league and have a reasonable chance of staying in the one above.

If we had a PL repeat (one season in the Chumpionship) that in my view would really set us back and maybe finish us off good and proper. Would the investment actually take place?

You forgot to mention Bournemouth and Brentford.
Clubs that spend money will thrive in the Championship.
Oh and Rotherham. If they can survive more than one year, we certainly could.

 

[JonnyRed(WCFC)]

it might seem a scary proposition when you've been looking from the outside in as it were for a few seasons now but the Championship in essence is still the same old 'hustle and bustle' league that you will remember the last time you were in it with an anyone can beat anyone unpredictability on any given day. Plenty of teams have wasted money thinking its the best way to get out of it but its usually the shrewd purchases and taking the plunge on the upcoming players from league 1 and 2 that pay off the best gambles in the long run, and there has been a swing towards finding good young foreign players as theyre cheaper than from the bloated wage bills of the Prem.

 

[Bladesway]

...we got promoted this season the rebuilding necessary to stay in the Chumpionship (sic) would be fairly large.

Would it? I'd say one of the biggest criticisms made has been we have built a squad able to cope higher up but not at League One level. I'm not sure the bottom of the Championship is much better than the top of League One.

 

[grafikhaus]

The main reason teams struggle in the Championship (or any division) is that they sell their best players and utterly fail to replace them. Reading will struggle without Blackman, Wolves without Afobe, QPR - despite a freak result at Rotherham yesterday - will not be able to replace Austin (certainly not for £4m), Brentford without Andre Gray etc. MKD immediately sold Afobe, Alli & some other bloke who's name escapes me - 50+ goals last season - and now MKD will struggle at a higher level. No wonder!

And, of course, United who have pursued a manic race to the bottom by selling anybody decent - something I don't rule out in the JTW. So don't worry too much about 'if'. With the club's mindset even if we did somehow scrape promotion we'd do our usual trick of trying to get by on the least possible expenditure, and find ourselves back to square one.

 

[metalblade]

The main reason teams struggle in the Championship (or any division) is that they sell their best players and utterly fail to replace them. Reading will struggle without Blackman, Wolves without Afobe, QPR - despite a freak result at Rotherham yesterday - will not be able to replace Austin (certainly not for £4m), Brentford without Andre Gray etc. MKD immediately sold Afobe, Alli & some other bloke who's name escapes me - 50+ goals last season - and now MKD will struggle at a higher level. No wonder!

And, of course, United who have pursued a manic race to the bottom by selling anybody decent - something I don't rule out in the JTW. So don't worry too much about 'if'. With the club's mindset even if we did somehow scrape promotion we'd do our usual trick of trying to get by on the least possible expenditure, and find ourselves back to square one.

Your last paragraph just about sums the club up Graf, despite having a fan base and attendances most clubs in the championship can only dream about McCabe and his cronies have sold us down the shitter. Why can every other club with less resources sign decent players whilst we get lumbered with crocks, old journeymen, has been's and never have been's? I can only think it is the boardrooms utter incompetence.

 

[Bladesway]

The main reason teams struggle in the Championship (or any division) is that they sell their best players and utterly fail to replace them. Reading will struggle without Blackman, Wolves without Afobe, QPR - despite a freak result at Rotherham yesterday - will not be able to replace Austin (certainly not for £4m), Brentford without Andre Gray etc. MKD immediately sold Afobe, Alli & some other bloke who's name escapes me - 50+ goals last season - and now MKD will struggle at a higher level. No wonder!

And, of course, United who have pursued a manic race to the bottom by selling anybody decent - something I don't rule out in the JTW. So don't worry too much about 'if'. With the club's mindset even if we did somehow scrape promotion we'd do our usual trick of trying to get by on the least possible expenditure, and find ourselves back to square one.

Yep I'd agree with that.

 

[Houston_Blade]

Would it? I'd say one of the biggest criticisms made has been we have built a squad able to cope higher up but not at League One level. I'm not sure the bottom of the Championship is much better than the top of League One.

That's just people kidding themselves that we're better than we are. If you have better players than the league you are in then it stands to reason that you get promoted, we didn't with this supposed "championship team" so it's utter shite spouted by delusional people to help them come to terms with the plight we are in.

We'd need a fair few players to bridge the gap between the 2 divisions, however I do think that the miserly style NA is beginning to adopt would see us do better in the Championship than a more expansive style given defensive issues.

 

[Bladesway]

That's just people kidding themselves that we're better than we are. If you have better players than the league you are in then it stands to reason that you get promoted, we didn't with this supposed "championship team" so it's utter shite spouted by delusional people to help them come to terms with the plight we are in.

We'd need a fair few players to bridge the gap between the 2 divisions, however I do think that the miserly style NA is beginning to adopt would see us do better in the Championship than a more expansive style given defensive issues.

I don't think Clough had it far wrong at the end of last season. He knew what he wanted and how he wanted to play. There were issues we all know about but we aren't in any better a position now than we were last season.

Agree about delusional people but I still think the bottom half of the Championship isn't massively different to where we are quality wise. Top half is a different matter.

 

[blade67]

you can keep your head when all about you
Are losing theirs and blaming it on you,
If you can trust yourself when all men doubt you,
But make allowance for their doubting too;
If you can wait and not be tired by waiting,
Or being lied about, don’t deal in lies,
Or being hated, don’t give way to hating,
And yet don’t look too good, nor talk too wise:

If you can dream—and not make dreams your master;
If you can think—and not make thoughts your aim;
If you can meet with Triumph and Disaster
And treat those two impostors just the same;
If you can bear to hear the truth you’ve spoken
Twisted by knaves to make a trap for fools,
Or watch the things you gave your life to, broken,
And stoop and build ’em up with worn-out tools:

If you can make one heap of all your winnings
And risk it on one turn of pitch-and-toss,
And lose, and start again at your beginnings
And never breathe a word about your loss;
If you can force your heart and nerve and sinew
To serve your turn long after they are gone,
And so hold on when there is nothing in you
Except the Will which says to them: ‘Hold on!’

If you can talk with crowds and keep your virtue,
Or walk with Kings—nor lose the common touch,
If neither foes nor loving friends can hurt you,
If all men count with you, but none too much;
If you can fill the unforgiving minute
With sixty seconds’ worth of distance run,
Yours is the Earth and everything that’s in it,
And—which is more—you’ll be a Man, my son!

beats all this geese rubbish, follow these principles and we might make the play offs. Think about next season in the summer

 

[Kenilworth]

Johnny Mathis or Jack Jones ?

 

[Cyprus Blade]

Clubs that spend money will thrive in the Championship.

Its August last year but the following is quite sobering - http://metro.co.uk/2015/08/27/recen...ver-1billion-as-bolton-top-the-table-5363448/

 

[Blade58]

If we get out of this league, then I think then will be the time to consider what will be required to remain in the Championship

Until such times however, I'm more concerned as to whether we can win the next game

 

[djbaldken]

Johnny Mathis or Jack Jones ?

Telly Savalis.

 

[SwissBlade]

Would it? I'd say one of the biggest criticisms made has been we have built a squad able to cope higher up but not at League One level. I'm not sure the bottom of the Championship is much better than the top of League One.

We'd be great for the Championship Veterans league. Do sky still do that masters tournament?

 

[blade too long]

blades v bradford 24777
wednesday v leeds yesterday Massive my arse, 23,909 for a yorkshire derby.pmsl and leeds brought over 3000

we will be better in the championship than in league one , it suits us better
we have players thats been there
the gulf between top league one and bottom two thirds of the championship is tiny

 

[derryblade]

You can't pick and chose when to get promoted you just take it when it comes along. Having said that, this squad is nowhere near ready for the Championship nobody can argue with that. The HRH has completely under estimated the task and the monetary cost of getting us to the Championship let alone surviving there or pushing for the Premiership were he openly admits he wants to be to make any money. I seriously doubt he has the wherewithal to complete that task.

 

[judge]

blades v bradford 24777
wednesday v leeds yesterday Massive my arse, 23,909 for a yorkshire derby.pmsl and leeds brought over 3000

we will be better in the championship than in league one , it suits us better
we have players thats been there
the gulf between top league one and bottom two thirds of the championship is tiny

Yeah we will piss it .now lets just try and string three wins together in this vastly inferior league ....if only the players would try a bit more often

 

[Hodgyman]

Would it? I'd say one of the biggest criticisms made has been we have built a squad able to cope higher up but not at League One level. I'm not sure the bottom of the Championship is much better than the top of League One.

I'm sure that you're not far off there. To get promoted from the 1st division to need to bully your way there have have pace. We have recruited (and nurtured) players with skill and pace but not physically strong enough to withstand bullies. Scougill, McNulty Flynn, Baxter and Reed come to mind. These players would fare better in a higher division and have proved in cup runs that they can play better against teams from a higher division.

The signings of Hammond and Edgar to supplement Basham and even Collins has seen us do better of late. No doubt we need a bit more size, muscle and more skill up front and in defence to get us nearer to the finished article.

In the dash reduce the numbers in the playing squad to enable the signing of more physical players to get us promoted, we must be aware that the new signings might be dinosaurs in the Championship. The players to be sacrificed must not be the ones that will be more use to us in the divisions above given the less physical nature of the game there.

My advice would be to consult "rent a thug" to find loan players to take us up that would not take up squad places and wages next year when they are no longer needed. Keep some of the more skillful players for use next year, for example Scougall & Reed

 

[Revolution]

I'm sure that you're not far off there. To get promoted from the 1st division to need to bully your way there have have pace. We have recruited (and nurtured) players with skill and pace but not physically strong enough to withstand bullies. Scougill, McNulty Flynn, Baxter and Reed come to mind. These players would fare better in a higher division and have proved in cup runs that they can play better against teams from a higher division.

The signings of Hammond and Edgar to supplement Basham and even Collins has seen us do better of late. No doubt we need a bit more size, muscle and more skill up front and in defence to get us nearer to the finished article.

In the dash reduce the numbers in the playing squad to enable the signing of more physical players to get us promoted, we must be aware that the new signings might be dinosaurs in the Championship. The players to be sacrificed must not be the ones that will be more use to us in the divisions above given the less physical nature of the game there.

My advice would be to consult "rent a thug" to find loan players to take us up that would not take up squad places and wages next year when they are no longer needed. Keep some of the more skillful players for use next year, for example Scougall & Reed

I have said this before but if you think the likes of Reed and Scougall would be better off in the championship you aren't watching games in that division. The players are fitter, faster and stronger. Our midgets would look even more overmatched.

This must be true, because if they were suited to that league, a championship club would have tried to sign them.

We aren't saving Scougall and Reed for next year. We are leaving them out because they aren't good enough.

And yes, some of these players have done well in the cup. Small sample size.

 

[UnitedBlade]

The Championship is split about half and half.

I would agree the bottom half probably isn't much different to the top half of L1.

But there are some very rich sides that spend a fortune on wages. Nine have parachute payments and clubs coming down now have nearly £100M to spend over 4 years. Plus the others continuing to pile money in: Ipswich, the Pigs now, Forest etc.

If we ever get there, we won't have buckets to spend and will have to establish in the bottom half first. Then acquire a proper sugar daddy. Chinese investment, anyone ?

 

[SUFC Handsworth]

I'm sure that you're not far off there. To get promoted from the 1st division to need to bully your way there have have pace. We have recruited (and nurtured) players with skill and pace but not physically strong enough to withstand bullies. Scougill, McNulty Flynn, Baxter and Reed come to mind. These players would fare better in a higher division and have proved in cup runs that they can play better against teams from a higher division.

The signings of Hammond and Edgar to supplement Basham and even Collins has seen us do better of late. No doubt we need a bit more size, muscle and more skill up front and in defence to get us nearer to the finished article.

In the dash reduce the numbers in the playing squad to enable the signing of more physical players to get us promoted, we must be aware that the new signings might be dinosaurs in the Championship. The players to be sacrificed must not be the ones that will be more use to us in the divisions above given the less physical nature of the game there.

My advice would be to consult "rent a thug" to find loan players to take us up that would not take up squad places and wages next year when they are no longer needed. Keep some of the more skillful players for use next year, for example Scougall & Reed

Can't disagree with much of this. We've proved constantly over the last couple of seasons that we can match and better teams from higher divisions in the cup. We get bullied out of it far too easily in the pub league, mostly due to the lack of a dominant centre half and target man. There's plenty of quality players at the club, who, without minders at this level, simply get steam rollered.

We'd be fine at Championship level.

 

[Bergen Blade]

I have said this before but if you think the likes of Reed and Scougall would be better off in the championship you aren't watching games in that division. The players are fitter, faster and stronger. Our midgets would look even more overmatched.

This must be true, because if they were suited to that league, a championship club would have tried to sign them.

We aren't saving Scougall and Reed for next year. We are leaving them out because they aren't good enough.

And yes, some of these players have done well in the cup. Small sample size.

I wouldn't expect Adkins to turn to them if we got up either. But the current first eleven are all of such an age that they are unlikely to improve - to put it nicely. I think we'd almost need an entire new team and another attempt at a more attacking playing style.

 

[northsomersetblade]

Yeah we will piss it .now lets just try and string three wins together in this vastly inferior league ....if only the players would try a bit more often

So at last we have identified the fundamental problem....we are simply too good for this league.

The far sighted and ingenious strategy of the board of selling all our best players in a desperate attempt to combat this iniquitous imbalance is thus revealed. And we thought they were a bunch of small minded tight wads. I stand ashamed by my lack of faith.

 

[judge]

So at last we have identified the fundamental problem....we are simply too good for this league.

The far sighted and ingenious strategy of the board of selling all our best players in a desperate attempt to combat this iniquitous imbalance is thus revealed. And we thought they were a bunch of small minded tight wads. I stand ashamed by my lack of faith.

The players like to think they are so good they can have the occasional day off even on matchdays and still have enough to walk the league

 

[Tezza1889]

Yes agree totally, we don't want a one sided league with us romping home...oh no, let's keep it tight guys, I mean who wants to see a side own the division, and go up with a swagger and confedance .......ffs..X

 

[bladesmanluke]

The players like to think they are so good they can have the occasional day off even on matchdays and still have enough to walk the league

You've nailed it there

 

[Houston_Blade]

blades v bradford 24777
wednesday v leeds yesterday Massive my arse, 23,909 for a yorkshire derby.pmsl and leeds brought over 3000

we will be better in the championship than in league one , it suits us better
we have players thats been there
the gulf between top league one and bottom two thirds of the championship is tiny

So if we'll be better in the Championship than we are in league one we'll be nailed on for a top 6 finish then based on the last few seasons?!

On what basis and where is the evidence to show we would be? We're in league 1 and can't get out so how can we be a good Championship side?!

 

[blade too long]

we have never been outside the top 7 in this league
if I remember right we breezed straight through the championship the last time we went up , in 3rd place

Why are so many blades fans got it in their psyche that we are so shit
we were in the championship for 15 out of 16 seasons 1994 to 2010 with sides not much better some years and only once got near the bottom the last one

we used to ask for managers heads in the championship for finishing 8th
luckily this time expectation might be a little more realistic