So much potential.

[Captain...]

But logic dictates that if we go down then the squad is not good enough anyway ?

 

History says they are good enough to win the championship, which will be our goal if we get relegated.

 

With a few additions and another season playing together then they will be stronger should we get relegated and come straight back up.

 

We are talking specifically about the younger players with potential not the whole squad.

[Silverdaz]

The only players im not worried about are GTF,Wood and Knoackaert as I think we can easily replace these three but I hope the rest of them dont get big offers if we do go down

[DJ Barry Hammond]

Things will look oh so different after playing a difficult Stoke side and a Manchester United team with added Falco factor. 

[Carlos88LCFC]

Things will look oh so different after playing a difficult Stoke side and a Manchester United team with added Falco factor. 

 

Unless we get 6 points.

[midland_red]

One thing to bear in mind - Southampton!

 

Chambers, Lallana (not nec. young but relatively new to top level football and a late bloomer), Rodriguez (had he not been injured would have gone), Shaw, Schneiderlin all pretty young players who have gone or were subject to bids. Let's just hope our owners are prepared to be strong if we do begin to do well and attract interest.

 

Not to put a downer on things but if we do do really well it is likely these players will be subject to massive bids from bigger clubs. Then there is very little we can do. I hope we can keep them together for as long as possible and just wish money didn't talk as much in football as it does these days. However, you are right. There are very exciting times for us with this team!

 

True. But there does seem to be somethig of a dfference here. I can't believe that the Southampton owners were really that committed to building the club - they could have fought off some of these bids and inspired players to stay wth them and build the club.

Perhaps its naive of me but I believe there would be more resistance here - look at how the trees were firmly shown the dorr when the tried to poach Wes back at the beginning of last season. If they had been allowed to succeed, what message would that have sent to the rest if the team? Rejecting it was an important sign that this time we were really serious

[PAPA LAZAROU]

History says they are good enough to win the championship, which will be our goal if we get relegated.

 

With a few additions and another season playing together then they will be stronger should we get relegated and come straight back up.

 

We are talking specifically about the younger players with potential not the whole squad.

 

Ah gotcha Captain ! my mistake I see what you mean about next season if we don't stop up . Good point.

[Babylon]

Things will look oh so different after playing a difficult Stoke side and a Manchester United team with added Falco factor. 

They might do, we're not expected to pick up much from either just as we weren't the first three.

 

As long as we put in a decent performance along the way again then we can still take positives from it into the games we are hoping to pick up more from.

[DANGEROUS TIGER]

Lets just say im cautiously optimistic.

Sorry, but I'm the opposite. Optimistically cautious!   

[Guest Col city fan]

Ah! This is the first of this type of thread I've read in some time I think.

The Premiership is a tough, tough league. Most of the sides around us have also strengthened, especially Hull and of course, QPR. So far, we've done well. Not only to take a point from two of the sides who will be challenging for top four, but also how we've played.

But it's a marathon, not a sprint. I'm still not of the opinion, and never was, that the bottom half of the Premiership is akin to the top half of the Championship. One or two sides will struggle in the Prem, and it's far too early to predict which those teams will be and one or two will fly in the Championship. Again, it's too soon to tell which ones. But, on average, I'd rather be playing Wigan, Wolves, Cardiff, Reading and the like than I would Stoke, Hull and Southampton for instance (in terms of winning football matches).

So again, I'm making no bold claims at this stage, taking it a match at a time and seeing how our new additions contribute to the existing crop. There is potential there yes, but having it and realising it may be two different things.

Cautiously optimistic about sums it up, for me.

[LanguedocFox]

Ah! This is the first of this type of thread I've read in some time I think.

The Premiership is a tough, tough league. Most of the sides around us have also strengthened, especially Hull and of course, QPR. So far, we've done well. Not only to take a point from two of the sides who will be challenging for top four, but also how we've played.

But it's a marathon, not a sprint. I'm still not of the opinion, and never was, that the bottom half of the Premiership is akin to the top half of the Championship. One or two sides will struggle in the Prem, and it's far too early to predict which those teams will be and one or two will fly in the Championship. Again, it's too soon to tell which ones. But, on average, I'd rather be playing Wigan, Wolves, Cardiff, Reading and the like than I would Stoke, Hull and Southampton for instance (in terms of winning football matches).

So again, I'm making no bold claims at this stage, taking it a match at a time and seeing how our new additions contribute to the existing crop. There is potential there yes, but having it and realising it may be two different things.

Cautiously optimistic about sums it up, for me.

 

 

Come on, Col. Would you really be rather playing Wigan, Wolves et al in the Championship? After seeing how we performed against Everton, Chelsea (in the first hour, anyway) and Arsenal?

 

I can't wait for us to play Stoke, Hull, and Southampton, not to mention Villa, West Brom, Sunderland and West Ham.

 

I know it's early days, and you are absolutely right - it's very much a marathon rather than a sprint. But I think we have the right balance of youth and experience, and an excellent manager and back-room staff, which is more than enough potential for me.

[Guest Col city fan]

Come on, Col. Would you really be rather playing Wigan, Wolves et al in the Championship? After seeing how we performed against Everton, Chelsea (in the first hour, anyway) and Arsenal?

I can't wait for us to play Stoke, Hull, and Southampton, not to mention Villa, West Brom, Sunderland and West Ham.

I know it's early days, and you are absolutely right - it's very much a marathon rather than a sprint. But I think we have the right balance of youth and experience, and an excellent manager and back-room staff, which is more than enough potential for me.

I hope you're right mate. All I'm saying is give it time. In my mind, I'd said about 10-12 games (given the nasty first few fixtures) before we really saw what was going on. It could be a great season, but it could develop into a disappointing one too. I don't know which. I do know I'm more optimistic now than I was a few weeks ago.

And of course, I wouldn't rather we were playing Championship sides. I was saying the likes of the Prem teams I mentioned are simply much better than the Championship teams I mentioned IMO. Then again, so are we.

It's gonna be interesting.

[LanguedocFox]

I hope you're right mate. All I'm saying is give it time. In my mind, I'd said about 10-12 games (given the nasty first few fixtures) before we really saw what was going on. It could be a great season, but it could develop into a disappointing one too. I don't know which. I do know I'm more optimistic now than I was a few weeks ago.

And of course, I wouldn't rather we were playing Championship sides. I was saying the likes of the Prem teams I mentioned are simply much better than the Championship teams I mentioned IMO. Then again, so are we.

It's gonna be interesting.

 

Relax, dear boy.

 

It's going to be a roller-coaster, but did you think we'd have two points after three games? I thought we'd go to Palace at the end of this month anchored at the bottom with no points - and I'd still have been confident.

 

After our signings over the past couple of weeks, I am more confident now than I have been in years.

[DANGEROUS TIGER]

Come on, Col. Would you really be rather playing Wigan, Wolves et al in the Championship? After seeing how we performed against Everton, Chelsea (in the first hour, anyway) and Arsenal?

 

I can't wait for us to play Stoke, Hull, and Southampton, not to mention Villa, West Brom, Sunderland and West Ham.

 

I know it's early days, and you are absolutely right - it's very much a marathon rather than a sprint. But I think we have the right balance of youth and experience, and an excellent manager and back-room staff, which is more than enough potential for me.

You need to re read that part. It's not exactly what he said. 

[Rushden fox]

Relax, dear boy.

 

It's going to be a roller-coaster, but did you think we'd have two points after three games? I thought we'd go to Palace at the end of this month anchored at the bottom with no points - and I'd still have been confident.

 

After our signings over the past couple of weeks, I am more confident now than I have been in years.

How many people relax on a roller-coaster..just saying