Thinking about the future..

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Charlieblade

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Although it’s still quite early in the season, and Slav is known as someone who takes time to settle in and get his team moving, I have a few concerns about the future.

As fans we will always start off hopeful of a productive season, with a new manager, but it does seem to me that events have conspired against us from the outset. The new manager arrived late and his pre-season was planned by someone else. It did not go as planned for a variety of reasons. I’m not looking to apportion blame here, as that is a futile exercise.

The summer transfer window did not go down well, MGW apart, we are in the same boat but with a slightly bigger squad. The Ramsdale replacement has not gone well, but my feelings are that he will settle in and prove as good as we could expect under the circumstances. While discussion of this time is still a hot topic, we can say that it seems to be a case of events conspiring against us yet again. The Prince doesn’t have the financial clout to bring in top quality replacements, and Slav giving the impression he was reasonably happy with the squad he inherited?

Slav probably knows by now that the current midfield are on a slippery slope downward, form wise at least, carrying on where they left off last season. Our form currently is not exactly inspiring for those of us who started the new season with unbridled optimism.

My main concern, is that by hook or by crook, if Slav has a good JTW, and the side kicks on, we could still go up via the play offs? I do not think this current squad is anywhere near ready for the premier league, whatever happens between now and next May?

Too early? Too many ifs or buts? Just thinking out aloud here.
 

My main concern, is that by hook or by crook, if Slav has a good JTW, and the side kicks on, we could still go up via the play offs?
That is, by a long stretch, the best case scenario - how is that your main concern? As you rightly say, the Prince lacks the clout to bring in quality players and the only way to have a chance of doing that is by being in the PL…
 
After falling off a cliff last year and spending what little money we have on rubbish, I think this year is all about regrouping, dusting ourselves off and getting used to winning games again and having a respectable season, a top half finish would at least instill some confidence into a fragile looking bunch.

I think we're getting ahead of ourselves if we think this team is suddenly going to put an 8 match winning streak together and go straight back up because we've already seen the various frustrations whether its individual errors at the back, a non-existent midfield or strikers who can't score in a brothel - usually one of these issues rears its head from one game to the next.

If we did go up with the squad we currently have, it'd be like last season but instead of losing by the odd goal and chasing shadows, it'd probably look more like Norwich last weekend considering the state of our defending in this division. Slav would have to sign a ton of players like when Fulham went up and by the time they've all bedded in, we'd be too far behind the rest. If we don't go up, the budget will keep on shrinking and we'll need to fall upon some good, cheap players to get us there so whichever way round, it's not going to be easy.

At least this season, any duff signings can be sent back rather than being stuck with the likes of Brewster and Berge.
 
Absolutely no point worrying about what might happen if we get promoted. If we happened to then you'd hope the board will have learned from our last experience.

The main target in the January transfer window has to be a physical central midfielder who can run all day. Slav recognised that by trying to sign Viera and not going after a similar player when he failed the medical was a mistake .

If Moose can stay fit as a loan striker with Ndiaye, MGW and Osbourne behind him and we can get the all action midfielder next to Norwood we may, just may, be in a position to worry about premier league re recruitment
 
it just doesn't 'feel' like a promotion season at the moment, whether that will change is another thing.

If Slav pushes on and gets a great winning run in the business end then we will be favourites in the playoffs.

It's a dead weird league, we've been pretty terrible 95% of the time and yet we are 3 points from the playoffs.

If we can stay in touching distance until January, a PL loan Centre Mid, the return of Berge, Mousset staying fit and getting Lowe back in the mix could be enough for a late push for top 6 and promotion
 
My main concern, is that by hook or by crook, if Slav has a good JTW, and the side kicks on, we could still go up via the play offs? I do not think this current squad is anywhere near ready for the premier league, whatever happens between now and next May?
You really don't need to be concerned about that. Going up in the playoffs is something we do not do.
 
3 points off 5th at the moment, given the dreadful start that's not too bad a position to be in. String 4 or 5 wins together and all of a sudden we are in the top 6 and everything changes.

Championship has always been about grinding out results and putting a run together, confidence is a massive edge in this division.
 
You really don't need to be concerned about that. Going up in the playoffs is something we do not do.
It remains, for me anyway, a frightening possibility. We could easily become a joke yo-yo club like Norwich, Baggies or Fulham.
While I realize that PL means more money, I would prefer us to become an established top flight club. This isn’t the way to go about it.
 
It remains, for me anyway, a frightening possibility. We could easily become a joke yo-yo club like Norwich, Baggies or Fulham.
While I realize that PL means more money, I would prefer us to become an established top flight club. This isn’t the way to go about it.
It is always better to be in the PL than not in the PL.

Every year we are not there it becomes harder to get back.

We have spent 14, 12 and 12 seasons out the last 3 times we came down. It is really hard to get back.

The only way to become an established top flight team is to be in the top flight.
 
I'm still trying to get my head around how many fans have written off the season after 14 games. 14 games where we've been inconsistent as shit and yet we're still only 3points off the Play Offs.

What's gonna happen when it actually clicks?
If, not when.
 
The more realistic future is:

We finish middle table in the championship.

MGW, Olsen, Davies and Hourihane go back to their parent clubs.

Guedioura leaves.

JOC has to retire.

A PL club snaffles Ndiaye.

Mousset, Baldock, Basham, McGoldrick, Osborn, Robinson and Sharp are all out of contract.

McB, Fleck, Norwood, Burke & Stevens run their contracts down for the last 12 months.
 
If, not when.
I'd say the opposite way around.

Our inconsistency so far has been our ability to defend. I think as the Championship goes, you need to be either tight as fuck at the back to stop losing (after Xmas in the Wilder promotion), or just attack everybody and try to outscore them, the latter is clearly what Slav wants to do.

I'll be extremely surprised if we don't finish top 6.

IF we do get promoted though. All out attack in the PL is a disastrous idea.
 
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I'd say the opposite way around.

Our inconsistency so far has been our ability to defend. I think as the Championship goes, you need to be either tight as fuck at the back to stop losing (after Xmas in the Wilder promotion), or just attack everybody and try to outscore them, he latter is clearly what Slav wants to do.

I'll be extremely surprised if we don't finish top 6.

IF we do get promoted though. All out attack in the PL is a disastrous idea.

I hope you're right but the one thing that is abundantly clear from the first third of the season is that people massively overestimated how good the squad is in pre season.

I maintain my pre-season prediction of 8th.
 
I'm still trying to get my head around how many fans have written off the season after 14 games. 14 games where we've been inconsistent as shit and yet we're still only 3points off the Play Offs.

What's gonna happen when it actually clicks?
We might win 2 on the bounce 😂
 
"If Slav has a good JTW"
That's the key bit from the OP.
If we weren't prepared to spend money in the summer,why would we do it in winter?
MGW could go
We could still be nowhere near 50 points.
We might not be able to unload the players we want to in January.
 
Although it’s still quite early in the season, and Slav is known as someone who takes time to settle in and get his team moving, I have a few concerns about the future.

As fans we will always start off hopeful of a productive season, with a new manager, but it does seem to me that events have conspired against us from the outset. The new manager arrived late and his pre-season was planned by someone else. It did not go as planned for a variety of reasons. I’m not looking to apportion blame here, as that is a futile exercise.

The summer transfer window did not go down well, MGW apart, we are in the same boat but with a slightly bigger squad. The Ramsdale replacement has not gone well, but my feelings are that he will settle in and prove as good as we could expect under the circumstances. While discussion of this time is still a hot topic, we can say that it seems to be a case of events conspiring against us yet again. The Prince doesn’t have the financial clout to bring in top quality replacements, and Slav giving the impression he was reasonably happy with the squad he inherited?

Slav probably knows by now that the current midfield are on a slippery slope downward, form wise at least, carrying on where they left off last season. Our form currently is not exactly inspiring for those of us who started the new season with unbridled optimism.

My main concern, is that by hook or by crook, if Slav has a good JTW, and the side kicks on, we could still go up via the play offs? I do not think this current squad is anywhere near ready for the premier league, whatever happens between now and next May?

Too early? Too many ifs or buts? Just thinking out aloud here.

Regardless of whether we are ready for the PL and how unlikely survival may be, like you mentioned PA probably can't afford to fund us longer term so just being in the PL regardless of whether the circumstances are ideal or not still does wonders for us financially with over £100 million per season coming in. Not to mention the worldwide exposure being at the top table brings for the club.
 
I hope you're right but the one thing that is abundantly clear from the first third of the season is that people massively overestimated how good the squad is in pre season.

I maintain my pre-season prediction of 8th.
I think many people (including me) massively overestimated the contribution certain players would make. Berge, McBurnie and Brewster should be very good at this level but for various reasons have contributed zero this season.

If I’d looked at our squad without those three, the £60 I put on us to win the league would have been spent elsewhere.

I also expected us to have a good keeper, be that Rammers or someone else, and frankly we haven’t got one.
 
Even though we had a dreadful start to the season we are still within sniffing distance of a PO place.

If we can get some consistency and iron out individual errors (I know) then we could make a run of it after Xmas.

Hopefully we get a good B2B midfield general in there to help us in Jan.

Anyone know the current situation with Viera? Has he been involved or fit with Sampdoria?
 
I'm still trying to get my head around how many fans have written off the season after 14 games. 14 games where we've been inconsistent as shit and yet we're still only 3points off the Play Offs.

What's gonna happen when it actually clicks?
We'll lose, without scoring in the play off final obviously
 
I hope you're right but the one thing that is abundantly clear from the first third of the season is that people massively overestimated how good the squad is in pre season.

I maintain my pre-season prediction of 8th.
We are 100% reliant on 36 year old Billy Sharp and 36% body fat Moose as a CF. It's precarious to say the least
 

Still in the mix. Those searching for the perfect performance will never find it, certainly not in the muck & bullets of the Championship. A bit of business in the JTW and we close the 3 point gap.

All to play for. UTB
seem to recall a few "near perfect performances" last time we played in this league
 

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