Next season yes or no?

[PeterNdlovu081]

Well yes. The exception applies when clubs get too big for their boots and spend money they don't have and are thus in penury for years afterwards.

In the season Forest were relegated from the Premier League they bought Carlton Palmer for £1,100,000.

 

[ZoneManWilf]

With some amusing current exceptions of course.

The footballing giants of Wednesday, Leeds and Forest have a current combined total of 39 seasons without Premier League football.

While the minnows of Stoke, Swansea and Fulham have a current combined total of 21 seasons in the Premier League.

Yes, and the PL does skew this because the revenue is so much more focused on TV than crowds, so once a smaller club 'sticks' for a bit, then their cash position is in a much healthier situation than a better supported Championship club would be.

The problem is when teams come down and lose that income stream we see plummets like ourselves and Wolves recently, and Leeds, the pigs, Forest. Pompey are the worst example, but we're next worse as the other 4 teams just named, all got back out of the league 1 mire quickly, we haven't... Southampton also did the plummet, but they've proved you can do it the other way as well with good management.

If you don't bounce back to the PL straight away (like Newcastle did and annoyingly 'staam) then you're doomed to a few years sorting out the cavernous gap in your finances, hoping you don't bite it in the championship (Bolton take note), and suffer like we have and to a greater extent Pompey.

 

[Bladesman]

Note quite. We were 9th in the 2nd Tier in 2008 and then 3rd in 2009. It's after that the decline started.

The record consectuvive decline is as follows:

1975 6th D1
1976 22nd D1
1977 11th D2
1978 12th D2
1979 20th D2
1980 12th D3
1981 21st D3
1982 1st D4

 

[Darthblade]

If we do qualify for Europe, we'll go out at the qualifying stage. We might get four games.

I don't see why hoping for a top two position next season is unreasonable. As Clough's ideas have settled and his squad has started to take shape we've been consistently around the top of the form table. As noted above: all we need is a right back (Freeman) and a centre forward (maybe Alex Niemley from Man City - he's out of contract and at 23 needs to find a club for regular first team football).

We need rather more than two players to compete realistically for promotion next season.

We need to continue Nigels delicate pruning process and move on players like Doyle Brandy and Hill.

Then we need to ensure we have solid cover for all positions, which means a centre mid, at least one ( preferably two) strikers, a centre half, a pacey strong winger ........ plus replacements if any of Coady, Brayford and Maguire have left.

Big shopping list and the second real test of whether there actually is financial support from the Board.
UTB & FTP

 

[Sheff de party]

If we don't win the cup we have to get through the third qualifying round and the play off round to get to the group stage and would most likely face teams in those two rounds from countries ranked 20-25 - i.e. Norway, Sweden, Romania and so on. I have posted elswehere about this.

I think the chances are we would not get through to the group stages, but I reckon the top teams from those countries are probably no better than English second tier standard, so we would have a fighting chance.

"There are three places in the UEFA Europa League available: the FA Cup winners will enter at the Group Stage; the fifth place team in the Barclays Premier League will enter at the Play-Off stage; and the Football League Cup winners will enter at the Q3 stage.

In the event the FA Cup winners are qualified for the UEFA Champions League the FA Cup runners-up will qualify, but in the place reserved for the lowest ranking Barclays Premier League representative. The place with direct access to the Group Stage will be given to the club that finishes in the highest position in the Barclays Premier League of the clubs qualifying for the UEFA Europa League."

If we finish runners up, we'll be in the playoffs.

 

[Darren]

"There are three places in the UEFA Europa League available: the FA Cup winners will enter at the Group Stage; the fifth place team in the Barclays Premier League will enter at the Play-Off stage; and the Football League Cup winners will enter at the Q3 stage.

In the event the FA Cup winners are qualified for the UEFA Champions League the FA Cup runners-up will qualify, but in the place reserved for the lowest ranking Barclays Premier League representative. The place with direct access to the Group Stage will be given to the club that finishes in the highest position in the Barclays Premier League of the clubs qualifying for the UEFA Europa League."

If we finish runners up, we'll be in the playoffs.

No we won't. Man City won the League Cup. They will be in the CL. Hence, the 5th and 6th place teams in the PL will qualify and we will go in below them - in the third qualifying round.

 

[Sheff de party]

No we won't. Man City won the League Cup. They will be in the CL. Hence, the 5th and 6th place teams in the PL will qualify and we will go in below them - in the third qualifying round.

Never take on Darren!

 

[GRUMPY BLADE]

No we won't. Man City won the League Cup. They will be in the CL. Hence, the 5th and 6th place teams in the PL will qualify and we will go in below them - in the third qualifying round.

Does that mean three games before group stages or does it start at first qualifying round.

Not had much interest in this completion in the past.

 

[Darren]

Does that mean three games before group stages or does it start at first qualifying round.

Not had much interest in this completion in the past.

There are 3 qualifying rounds and a "play off" round (the latter really being a 4th qualifyng round). As cup runners up, United would go in in the 3rd qualifying round and play home and away. If they get through that it would be the play off round, again home and away. If they get through that, it's the group stage.

 

[GRUMPY BLADE]

There are 3 qualifying rounds and a "play off" round (the latter really being a 4th qualifyng round). As cup runners up, United would go in in the 3rd qualifying round and play home and away. If they get through that it would be the play off round, again home and away. If they get through that, it's the group stage.

Effectively two games from the group stages?

Cheers

 

[Darren]

Effectively two games from the group stages?

Cheers

No. Four!

 

[jezzablade]

No we won't. Man City won the League Cup. They will be in the CL. Hence, the 5th and 6th place teams in the PL will qualify and we will go in below them - in the third qualifying round.

I don't want to "take on Darren" here but can we concentrate on the Semi instead of getting all Wendy and blowing the dust off passports FFS. We haven't done very well against anyone in the top 5 of league 1 and we only have a chance against Hull, they will be the better team, they have got the better players and unlike Villa haven't got a manager who is publicly dismissing the game before it's played. Remember that win for the cheats against Sunderland (when you look at Sunderland's run in) has virtually guaranteed Hull's safety and this is their chance to get to Europe. They are up for it big time. Our main hope is a fortunate break or Hull thinking they are already there and that a week on Sunday is a dress rehearsal which many of their fans do. Whether the players think that is another thing.
I know NC is concentrating on the cup but that is only to give us an increased chance not because he has bought a frequent miles membership from BA.