So what if we don't go up?

[derfblade.3]

The worst that can happen is that we will be playing Championship football again.
I know we want to play at the top and see Manure Liverpool and the like at the Lane but the Championship is still one of the best leagues in Europe without doubt and although we will be disappointed should we fall short, we can still look at having another go at promotion in a league that quite frankly for excitement and unpredictable results blinds the Premier League.
Who would have bet that Norwich, Leeds and ourselves would be fighting it out for the top 2 places?
Who at the start of the season had W Brom, Stoke, Villa and Boro to be the top dogs?
Of course we want promotion but it's not the be all and end all is it?
The Prem is owned by the top 6/7 clubs EVERY season so the only thing to hope for is the odd good result against the top dogs with the hope of clinging on for the next season. Excitement at a minimum compared to the Championship coupled with the real possibility of financial problems.
It's not all that!

 

[Jim Chimmerney]

I agree to a certain extent that the Prem is possibly more exciting getting there than when you're actually there but from our point of view, this Summer will all be about internal politics and Tufty's (and potentially some of the players) ambition if we don't make it.

 

[Gimli]

We could look at Cardiff and expect something similar IF we went up...

Staying in the Championship isn’t the worst thing ever, but wanting to win promotion is about the here and now. We should want to win, and think about next season when that actually comes around.

 

[blade too long]

We lost one home game
Leeds lost their previous 2

Boy we like to admit defeat here

If we don't go up . .paah, no big loss
Save the hundreds of we need to spend 200m to stay up threads and which 24 players do.we need threads

 

[Tom Bott]

Having watched the shit deal that Cardiff were 'awarded' by the officials yesterday against Chelsea things have not changed much since we had a penalty awarded against us for ' intent to foul'.

 

[1danewhitehouse]

Worst case scenario. We don't go up, Wilder moves on as do O'Connell & Fleck whilst Madine, Dowell and Henderson go back to their parent clubs. McCabe decides he needs a name manager again and appoints Schteve MclareM after QPR sack him. He does a shit job of rebuilding the squad and we go hurtling towards relegation. Meanwhile, pigs continue to improve under Bruce and sneak up to the prem.

That's the worst case. Best case, we go up, leave the pigs behind in this league, they fall foul of FFP and find themselves in relegation trouble whilst Wilder establishes us in the middle of the prem like Watford and Bournemouth. We rule the city for many more years to come.

 

[Sheffsteel]

The worst that can happen is that we will be playing Championship football again.
I know we want to play at the top and see Manure Liverpool and the like at the Lane but the Championship is still one of the best leagues in Europe without doubt and although we will be disappointed should we fall short, we can still look at having another go at promotion in a league that quite frankly for excitement and unpredictable results blinds the Premier League.
Who would have bet that Norwich, Leeds and ourselves would be fighting it out for the top 2 places?
Who at the start of the season had W Brom, Stoke, Villa and Boro to be the top dogs?
Of course we want promotion but it's not the be all and end all is it?
The Prem is owned by the top 6/7 clubs EVERY season so the only thing to hope for is the odd good result against the top dogs with the hope of clinging on for the next season. Excitement at a minimum compared to the Championship coupled with the real possibility of financial problems.
It's not all that!

True and I agree the Championship is a great league with plenty of big matches but it would feel like a lost opportunity.

We’ve been on a progressive upward curve for 3 consecutive years but it can’t continue for ever.
You’d feel that if we stayed in the Championship next season our progression would level out in to being a regular top half club.

 

[SwissBlade]

I really have no interest in the premier league and I don’t really want us to be there. Last time we were there I went to fewer games than I did League 1.

But right now we have to go for it. Missing promotion from the positions we’ve been in most of the season would be a pity.

So we have to go for it, the party will be fantastic like when we came up from league 1

 

[ChemEngBlade]

If we were to not go up then I'd expect heavy competition for O'Connell from other clubs, same with Fleck albeit not as bad. Possibly same with Norwood although I imagine it'd take some big offer to drag him away seeing as he's only just become a permanent Blade. Maybe even a cheeky offer for Sharp from a low-end Prem club, which would get turned away. Hendo is a tough one, I think he loves the club but can expect a low-mid Prem club to try to persuade him to go there on a season-long loan and may even be the best choice for him to get that higher level experience.

 

[Nicolaus_Copernicus]

Worst case scenario. We don't go up, Wilder moves on as do O'Connell & Fleck whilst Madine, Dowell and Henderson go back to their parent clubs. McCabe decides he needs a name manager again and appoints Schteve MclareM after QPR sack him. He does a shit job of rebuilding the squad and we go hurtling towards relegation. Meanwhile, pigs continue to improve under Bruce and sneak up to the prem.

That's the worst case. Best case, we go up, leave the pigs behind in this league, they fall foul of FFP and find themselves in relegation trouble whilst Wilder establishes us in the middle of the prem like Watford and Bournemouth. We rule the city for many more years to come.

As i've mentioned previously, the elephant in the room is that we have 8 players who are 30 or more, and within that number, 5 will be 32 or older by September next year. 3 of the eldest will be Sharp, Clarke and Duffy. Getting promoted, no matter what the season then held, would allow us to bring in fresh blood in areas of the team which are usually the most expensive to fill.

 

[Nicolaus_Copernicus]

If we were to not go up then I'd expect heavy competition for O'Connell from other clubs, same with Fleck albeit not as bad. Possibly same with Norwood although I imagine it'd take some big offer to drag him away seeing as he's only just become a permanent Blade. Maybe even a cheeky offer for Sharp from a low-end Prem club, which would get turned away. Hendo is a tough one, I think he loves the club but can expect a low-mid Prem club to try to persuade him to go there on a season-long loan and may even be the best choice for him to get that higher level experience.

If we didn't get promoted, I would expect the likes of Burnley, Leeds (if they went up), Brighton, Newcastle and Celtic to be after the stars of this season's squad.

 

[sitwell]

Worst case scenario. We don't go up, Wilder moves on as do O'Connell & Fleck whilst Madine, Dowell and Henderson go back to their parent clubs. McCabe decides he needs a name manager again and appoints Schteve MclareM after QPR sack him. He does a shit job of rebuilding the squad and we go hurtling towards relegation. Meanwhile, pigs continue to improve under Bruce and sneak up to the prem.

That's the worst case. Best case, we go up, leave the pigs behind in this league, they fall foul of FFP and find themselves in relegation trouble whilst Wilder establishes us in the middle of the prem like Watford and Bournemouth. We rule the city for many more years to come.

Is that Fleck and Oconnell that have just committed themselves to Utd with new contracts ?

 

[Ricky]

Is that Fleck and Oconnell that have just committed themselves to Utd with new contracts ?

So did Brooks about 8 months before he was given away.

 

[Nicolaus_Copernicus]

Is that Fleck and Oconnell that have just committed themselves to Utd with new contracts ?

Yes. They've signed exactly the same type of contract that Brooks signed last season when he committed himself to United, probably used the same pen.

 

[west_yorks_blade]

Having watched the shit deal that Cardiff were 'awarded' by the officials yesterday against Chelsea things have not changed much since we had a penalty awarded against us for ' intent to foul'.

I wonder how many ‘intent to foul’ penalties there have been since then?
I remember Gerrard complaining to the ref about holding from a corner just before the ridiculous penalty. So the ref was itching to penalise us for something.

I also remember in another match, a defender locking his hands around Morgan’s waist and hauling him to the ground 5 yards from the ref when we had a corner and nothing being given.

 

[Jim Chimmerney]

IF we don't go up, IF Tufty stays, IF the main players remain and IF he gets funds then the likelihood is we would be in for the likes of Madine, Hogan, Dowell so arguably, the squad we have now is the squad for next season so let's see how it goes

Not sure what my point was, is, hang on....................

 

[Killamarshblades]

A lot would depend on who runs the football club and how much they want to invest. If there's not too much money knocking about id fully expect Wilder to leave summer (or early in the season when a burnley, leeds et al sack a manager). Id expect JOC to go, Fleck probably. Could see Enda / Baldock moving onto other championship clubs at some point. The worst thing about it will be a new manager will play a different style of football, and that gung ho fast flowing overlapping CB's we saw more in the first half of the season rather than the second half ,will be replaced with a bit of blandness like a lot of clubs. Inevitably some of the older guard will be slowly ushered to the exit door and then you have one of those squads thats a bit imbalanced.

Positives though, at least we wont have to have the loyalty point arguments and it'll be easier to go for a piss at half time, so you know you win some you lose some!

 

[Fulwood Blade]

The worst that can happen is that we will be playing Championship football again.
I know we want to play at the top and see Manure Liverpool and the like at the Lane but the Championship is still one of the best leagues in Europe without doubt and although we will be disappointed should we fall short, we can still look at having another go at promotion in a league that quite frankly for excitement and unpredictable results blinds the Premier League.
Who would have bet that Norwich, Leeds and ourselves would be fighting it out for the top 2 places?
Who at the start of the season had W Brom, Stoke, Villa and Boro to be the top dogs?
Of course we want promotion but it's not the be all and end all is it?
The Prem is owned by the top 6/7 clubs EVERY season so the only thing to hope for is the odd good result against the top dogs with the hope of clinging on for the next season. Excitement at a minimum compared to the Championship coupled with the real possibility of financial problems.
It's not all that!

I wondered what you would post this morning - well done, true to form.

Plenty to play for THIS season.

UTB

 

[Fulwood Blade]

Boy we like to admit defeat here

Indeed - we have some real manic depressives.

UT B

 

[BLADES1988]

If we don't go up its shoes off int it?

 

[Nicolaus_Copernicus]

If we don't go up its shoes off int it?

I only wear slip ons. I can get gerrum' off quicker.

 

[Bobby Boo]

Worst case scenario. We don't go up, Wilder moves on as do O'Connell & Fleck whilst Madine, Dowell and Henderson go back to their parent clubs. McCabe decides he needs a name manager again and appoints Schteve MclareM after QPR sack him. He does a shit job of rebuilding the squad and we go hurtling towards relegation. Meanwhile, pigs continue to improve under Bruce and sneak up to the prem.

That's the worst case. Best case, we go up, leave the pigs behind in this league, they fall foul of FFP and find themselves in relegation trouble whilst Wilder establishes us in the middle of the prem like Watford and Bournemouth. We rule the city for many more years to come.

Oh shit, breaking news on Sky Sports
https://www.skysports.com/app/transfer-centre


11:24






BREAKING NEWS

Steve McClaren looks set to be sacked as manager of QPR later today after 11 months in charge.

 

[PokerBlade]

I don't want to paint a disaster scenario, but with the boardroom battle going on, with some of our players now seen for how good they really are, if we weren't to go up then next season could be a very difficult one. Getting promoted would mean a huge influx of cash and parachute payments to come that we are extremely unlikely to obtain any other way.

Worst case is we don't go up, we lose some players, there isn't much money for replacements, and we next year is a battle for survival in the Championship. It's not an uncommon thing for a team in the Championship to go through a play-off/promotion push and then struggle the next year.

Can't say I'm that worried though. I didn't expect us to be anywhere near where we are.

 

[derfblade.3]

Indeed - we have some real manic depressives.

UT B

What's "manic Drepressive" about asking what peoples thoughts are on the possibility that we don't get promoted? Are you scared at the thought of missing out?
It is possible you know ,so get real about the situation.

 

[Bugboyblade]

Those dropped points against villa may cost us. Still be second now.

 

[coaxingstar71]

The biggest concern for me would be that if we didn't go up and then Wilder left. Perhaps I'm naive but I just can't see him going though. The only reason I can see where he'd leave is the outcome of the ownership dispute puts him in an untenable position. He said before that he just wants to know the clear direction of travel - that's not saying he wants £100m to spend. I think we've been building something under Wilder, every season has seen improvements and I would want to sustain that stability.

Players come and go, yes O'Connell or Fleck or anybody else might move on, but I'm more confident now that at least we'd get some decent money for them and not just given away.

 

[Boxer Blade]

The Championship is indeed a high quality league with bigger clubs than a lot in the Premier, I have no problems being a championship club providing we are backing the manager and competing at the top of it until we eventually go up, what bothers me is not winning promotion and drifting into a middle of the road club each season

 

[wizadry]

I think if you asked most Blades they’d prefer the Championship but at the same time realise that we need atleast a season or two in the Prem to make sure we have some good funds to keep the club going in the right direction. That’s what most of the people I speak to says anyway.

I’d prefer us in league two so I don’t have to queue for anything, bring back Weir.

 

[Sheff de party]

I don’t follow the Blades for glory, I do it for excitement and it’s been so, so exciting this year. Usually I don’t care about the Premier League but going up even for one year should (SHOULD) help towards securing years of what I want to watch: quality, exciting Championship football as a minimum.

The maximum is that we establish ourselves in the Prem and have a chance of winning a cup.

 

[Davalon]

Who's going to be the big money sale this summer that allows us to rebuild?