Play offs - 3rd or 4th

[Batch]

You're all wrong and I'm right. That's my opinion and I'm sticking to it.

You're wrong you're not wrong.

[OOH! SHAUN TAYLOR]

We always seem to get things just a bit wrong timing wise....so for example had we rightfully gone up in 90, then with the brand of football and players we had and the relative state of the top flight then, then there was every reason to think we could have held on for a while, and at a time when plenty of money was swilling around for new grounds/new stands etc. who knows, how we'd have done when the Prem came along.

Similarly, if Wilson had taken us up the the Championship, with Black's money still around, players like Ritchie, Austin, Sean Morrison, etc maybe even Greer could have made DV happy and stayed.

Another classic, finishing 4th bottom in the Championship the season 4 go down to adjust the numbers....finishing 5th 78/79, just before 3 points for a win would have seen us 3rd and in an automatic spot.

No, just to annoy Batch, we've had a good season and if we don't go up, I won't be too bothered...

I agree with all of that Reg, especially the 1990 team. I would say we were overall a better all round team than in 1993. There wasn't the vast chasm between the top and second tiers that there is now (or even in 93 for that matter). There was also a strong rumour at the time (which I believe to be true) that Hoddle was going to join as a player. If only it hadn't been for Carol Whatsername - whatever did happen to her I wonder?

HOWEVER.

WRT 'we don't want to go up this season', I could not disagree more. Let's face it, it's going to bloody bollocking hard in the Championship whenever we go up (I believe we will at some point). As for the players who you think are 'certainly' gone - Wes, Stephens, Turnbull, Toffolo, Mass, Swift, Louis T, Williams, I would say only Mass and Louis T are the only certainties to go. If we stay down then yes, of course they are all certainties to go, I would agree in that instance.

I would have thought the next logical step with Swift, Stephens, Turnbull and Toffolo, as it was with Alex Pritchard, would be to play in the Championship. They might as well do that with Swindon (assuming Cooper wanted them) where they know the system and players, as anywhere else. In any case, I have a feeling we will sign Toffolo, even if we stay down.

In conclusion, now is as good a time as any 'in my opinion' to go up.

God I hope we do.

[Costanza]

If we want to keep this side together, we have to go up. What happens if we don't depends on how shrewd Town are in the transfer market.

The End.

[OOH! SHAUN TAYLOR]

If we want to keep this side together, we have to go up. What happens if we don't depends on how shrewd Town are in the transfer market.

The End.

Yes. It's too much to expect Cooper and Power to build a new team every summer and expect to be pushing for promotion every time.

The End.

Full Stop.

[Batch]

No, just to annoy Batch, we've had a good season and if we don't go up, I won't be too bothered...

You utter utter utter utter utter utter cunt.

The End. Full stop. So sayeth Batch.

[Reg Smeeton]

I agree with all of that Reg, especially the 1990 team. I would say we were overall a better all round team than in 1993. There wasn't the vast chasm between the top and second tiers that there is now (or even in 93 for that matter). There was also a strong rumour at the time (which I believe to be true) that Hoddle was going to join as a player. If only it hadn't been for Carol Whatsername - whatever did happen to her I wonder?

HOWEVER.

WRT 'we don't want to go up this season', I could not disagree more. Let's face it, it's going to bloody bollocking hard in the Championship whenever we go up (I believe we will at some point). As for the players who you think are 'certainly' gone - Wes, Stephens, Turnbull, Toffolo, Mass, Swift, Louis T, Williams, I would say only Mass and Louis T are the only certainties to go. If we stay down then yes, of course they are all certainties to go, I would agree in that instance.

I would have thought the next logical step with Swift, Stephens, Turnbull and Toffolo, as it was with Alex Pritchard, would be to play in the Championship. They might as well do that with Swindon (assuming Cooper wanted them) where they know the system and players, as anywhere else. In any case, I have a feeling we will sign Toffolo, even if we stay down.

The assumption that some of these players may stay if we go up, is really based on nothing more than guesswork especially the loan boys.....take for example someone like Grant Hall, not wholly convincing in his season with us, yet Spurs wanted him in the Championship this....but not good enough for Brum and ended up with Blackpool. Jon Swift, not considered good enough for Rotherham, so Chelsea happy for him to go to Div 3....my point being that relying on other club's DoF's is a bit hit and miss. How many of us last season would have had Mason winning an England cap, after 20 odd injury hit games for us.

I would prefer a situation whereby we use this season's success, to maybe acquire a few more of our own players, like Gladwin, Branco, Kasim style, with small investments, like Luongo, Smith, Byrne and build a side that could go up and stay together for at least a first season at a higher level...
....not an easy thing to do at our present level, easier to do than in the Championship.

[kerry red]

Got to agree with Reg on this.

We can't progress with half the team made up of other club's players.

We need our own with maybe 1 or 2 loanees

[Flashheart]

Got to agree with Reg on this.

We can't progress with half the team made up of other club's players.

We need our own with maybe 1 or 2 loanees

Yep. Because it hasn't worked this season, has it?

[kerry red]

Well it wont progress the club though, beyond 1 season.

We can't keep changing the team every season as the old loanees go back and we have to ship in new ones and hope for the best.

Plus it gives less chance of one of our players shining and becoming a saleable asset.

Sure it's fine short term but it's no way to build a club

[Paolo69]

There's more than one way to skin a cat though.

Reg is only talking about next season because we're doing well this season anyway.

[Batch]

The prospect of not progressing in the long run with other clubs players is precisely the reason we need to go up. There are no guarantees we will be competitive whichever league we are in next year, so if we have to start again then lets go up and see who we can convince to come on loan.

If we are happy to stay in division 3 we may as well be Crewe, and then what's the point of it all.

[Flashheart]

Plus it gives less chance of one of our players shining and becoming a saleable asset.

And we've always had a selection of available assets in the past? When was the last time we sold more than one player for a reasonable lump of cash?

[4D]

 Got to stick our head above the parapet at some point.

[sonicyouth]

This thread:

[Reg Smeeton]

And we've always had a selection of available assets in the past? When was the last time we sold more than one player for a reasonable lump of cash?

12/13 we sold Ritchie and Flint.