Sooper Steve's shin Posted 12 February 2015 Posted 12 February 2015 I've had hope in this season all the way until now. Saturday was a pretty gutting defeat, but I thought if we could pull off a win against Arsenal in one of our "bonus" games then we would still be fighting. But we didn't. Decent performance, but I've accepted we're not going to make up ground now and I want to stop looking at the league table any more. But, in preparing my mind for the Championship, I realised we could potentially take something from this season and do even better than we did last year. We will probably lose Kramaric, but Vardy comes back in with Nugent (not a bad Championship pairing in 2013-14) and I think we'd keep Ulloa. That's a hell of a strike force in that league. Cambiasso will go, probably retire - but Drinkwater can cope with the lower league and perhaps this season will make him realise where he has to set his standards. I'm more than happy with any of King, Hammond, James in a Championship midfield. Riyad will leave - 100% and I hope somewhere decent like Arsenal; bring on Knocky or Albrighton plus Tom Lawrence on the wings. In defence, Huth might go back - we may convince him with first team football if he enjoys his time here - but we'd have Wes, Was, Upson and I doubt Moore will go anywhere after not featuring for the last few months. He'd get another year in the Champ to develop and I think he'd be better for it. Simpson and De Laet would be perfectly capable, Konch could probably go another year (but please let us have an LB as top of the scouting lists). In goal, we have three keepers who are easily Championship standard - probably sell one of Hamer or Schmeichel and the other two will be fine, so I think throughout the team we'd be an improvement on last season when we battered the league. We could set new records - maybe our best season ever! This time next year we could be as good as back in the Premiership with younger lads like Moore, Drinks, James, Knockaert, De Laet, Lawrence, Hamer/Schmeichel and Schlupp all having matured. We wouldn't be anywhere near as naive going into the Prem again and couldn't do any worse than this year (results-wise - performances generally have been so frustratingly close to being good, but we've let ourselves down on silly things). If I was Nige, this would be the story I'd be selling to Big Top and Little Top (maybe he did) and you could certainly see the benefit of consistency looked at over more than one season. Anyway, it's made me feel happier just writing it!
Fox92 Posted 12 February 2015 Posted 12 February 2015 Just because we absolutely smashed the Championship last season doesn't mean we'll do it again. Many a big club, still with decent players, have not won the league again. Look at West Ham under Big Sam, a great squad, but had to beat Blackpool in the play off final. The Championship is a very tough division to get out of, everybody on here knows that. Who would have predicted Bournemouth in and around the top three at this stage of the season, seriously?
Dan Posted 12 February 2015 Posted 12 February 2015 I'm not saying next season wouldn't be good but it will never top last season. The beauty of last year was expectation was low, the manner of so many of our wins were fantastic (comebacks, last minute goals) and we turned up in nearly every big game. The only sickening thing about it was the fact promotion day wasn't during a game all because of Murdoch and co. Oh, and losing at home to a dreadful Forest side. The daft thing is as bad as this season has been in some ways, coming back and turning it around would be amazing. Imagine if we stayed up and won the FA Cup. That would be our most successful ever season as far as I'm concerned.
kingcarr21 Posted 12 February 2015 Posted 12 February 2015 Just because we absolutely smashed the Championship last season doesn't mean we'll do it again. Many a big club, still with decent players, have not won the league again. Look at West Ham under Big Sam, a great squad, but had to beat Blackpool in the play off final. The Championship is a very tough division to get out of, everybody on here knows that. Who would have predicted Bournemouth in and around the top three at this stage of the season, seriously? I do agree that it wont be as easy as people are making it out to be but i do believe we will take on the form of the old West Brom side that kept yoyoing between the 2 divisions. Look at when Newcastle went down. They smashed the Championship as they were clearly too good. I hope we can emulate what we did last season. I'm not saying next season wouldn't be good but it will never top last season. The beauty of last year was expectation was low, the manner of so many of our wins were fantastic (comebacks, last minute goals) and we turned up in nearly every big game. The only sickening thing about it was the fact promotion day wasn't during a game all because of Murdoch and co. Oh, and losing at home to a dreadful Forest side. The daft thing is as bad as this season has been in some ways, coming back and turning it around would be amazing. Imagine if we stayed up and won the FA Cup. That would be our most successful ever season as far as I'm concerned. wow imagine the scenes. Winning the FA cup and then beating QPR on the final day meaning we survive and relegating QPR in the process
Fox92 Posted 12 February 2015 Posted 12 February 2015 I do agree that it wont be as easy as people are making it out to be but i do believe we will take on the form of the old West Brom side that kept yoyoing between the 2 divisions. Look at when Newcastle went down. They smashed the Championship as they were clearly too good. I hope we can emulate what we did last season. West Brom lost a play off final too, don't forget. But I do agree. Their squad, especially their midfield, was really good for the second tier - the likes of Gera, Brunt, Teixeira, Koren etc.
Hollism Posted 12 February 2015 Posted 12 February 2015 Just because we absolutely smashed the Championship last season doesn't mean we'll do it again. Many a big club, still with decent players, have not won the league again. Look at West Ham under Big Sam, a great squad, but had to beat Blackpool in the play off final. The Championship is a very tough division to get out of, everybody on here knows that. [/b]Who would have predicted Bournemouth in and around the top three at this stage of the season, seriously?[/b] Fulham to go down. If QPR win the play offs *shudders*, then Derby should be comfortably in the top 2. Bournemouth to improve on 10th and have a couple of Brighton-esque seasons maybe? Claiming this
Sooper Steve's shin Posted 12 February 2015 Author Posted 12 February 2015 I definitely agree it wouldn't be easy, just saying that we'd be likely to start next season with a better squad than the one that finished 13/14 with 102 points. I cannot see the players leaving wholesale, just the really top ones. Factor in the manager (assuming we keep him) it makes for a very settled club - usually I would say complacency would be the biggest threat but that doesn't seem Pearson' style to me. We've had dips, but I don't think I'd pin those on complacency. The one shadow for me would be those two long spells we've suffered under Pearson where we couldn't buy a win - the stall around Feb/March 2013 where we dropped off dramatically and this season during October, November and most of December. We were playing fine - in fact, very well - before both of those spells then just plummeted to rock bottom in terms of form. Many other clubs would have had no issue sacking the manager even halfway through either of those spells. To his credit, Pearson didn't appear to give up hope on either spell but I think it's a big flaw he needs to figure out how to deal with. He seems to like the scientific side of sport, he should apply it to his style and maybe improve. I'm guessing it's a motivation thing, not talent or tactics because either side of both spells we did fine with the same players and tactics.
goose2010 Posted 12 February 2015 Posted 12 February 2015 I thought you were going to say, if we stay up and win the FA cup will it be the best season ever........
cc_star Posted 12 February 2015 Posted 12 February 2015 Cambiasso has the option to take a 2nd year with us
Sooper Steve's shin Posted 12 February 2015 Author Posted 12 February 2015 I thought you were going to say, if we stay up and win the FA cup will it be the best season ever........ Yes, I think it would. I was trying to be realistic though!
Sooper Steve's shin Posted 12 February 2015 Author Posted 12 February 2015 Cambiasso has the option to take a 2nd year with us I cannot see him playing his last season in the Championship.
ADK Posted 12 February 2015 Posted 12 February 2015 Statistically we have a 23.33% chance of getting promotion again if we are relegated. I'd be surprised if we smash the league and Nigel or whoever else would have had a great season if we do. Every year the relegated clubs expect to get promoted and think their premier league rejects will waltz to promotion.
Sooper Steve's shin Posted 12 February 2015 Author Posted 12 February 2015 Statistically we have a 23.33% chance of getting promotion again if we are relegated. I'd be surprised if we smash the league and Nigel or whoever else would have had a great season if we do. Every year the relegated clubs expect to get promoted and think their premier league rejects will waltz to promotion. True, but the point I'm trying to make is that we've not done what some clubs do and stack up on Premiership journeyman who fail us. We had a pretty young squad that won the Championship, we've kept most of it and only tinkered. It would still be a fairly young and hungry squad if we went down with (hopefully) less chance of feeling sorry for themselves or pissed off about joining a club that got relegated. The attitude should be more that they got us up, were not quite good enough but should want to get us up again and prove themselves. Just trying to put a positive spin on the seemingly inevitable outcome of this season. Of course I don't want us to go down at all. I'm not looking forward to another season of football out of the spotlight and not pitching ourselves against the Arsenals, Liverpools, Chelseas and the rest. But I think the way we have gone about things could perhaps turn out better for us - and who knows, may have been part of the plan - than if we'd signed a load of old stars and sacked off the young team that got us up and/or git rid of the manager. It could go tits up, we might fall apart in the Championship, we might have bigger clubs pick off, say, James, Vardy, Hamer, Drinkwater and Moore but I don't think we're that sort of club (or manager) that would let that happen. In any case, we have money from this season and any sales that could buy us decent replacements to fill any gaps. So, all in all, I'd be confident and see next season as a new start. I'm probably kidding myself - I'll no doubt be depressed for weeks when we actually get relegated and hate the Championship when we start in it.
Jmd88 Posted 12 February 2015 Posted 12 February 2015 Drinkwater will go, as will Moore james and kramaric
Les-TA-Jon Posted 12 February 2015 Posted 12 February 2015 Back in September many people were backing us to finish mid-table or better. We all know how silly that looks now. In recent years we've seen the likes of west ham, Norwich, Fulham, Wigan, Bolton, Cardiff, boro, Blackburn, wolves go down and struggle to come back. They were all expected to come straight back and look at them now. The worrying thing is that most of those teams had been in the PL for many years and yet still struggled to come back. So let's be cautious about how fast we could bounce back from relegation. The positives are that, due to astute running of the club by the owners and squad management from Pearson, we've got a young sustainable squad that will cope with relegation well.
DANGEROUS TIGER Posted 12 February 2015 Posted 12 February 2015 I hope you're right, but the probability is, that all our best players will be gone, and without them, we will be vulnerable.
Dan Posted 12 February 2015 Posted 12 February 2015 Drinkwater will go, as will Moore james and kramaric To be honest I'm not convinced any of the first three will. Kramaric I could see ending up at a Villarreal/Lyon like side. Drinkwater & Moore really haven't done anything this season to warrant the money they'd cost and again, if we don't need to sell players (we may need a couple to go but not loads) then I'm not convinced people will stump up loads for James either.
lgfualol Posted 12 February 2015 Posted 12 February 2015 Who would take Drinkwater after this season's performances. No one
MrSpaM Posted 12 February 2015 Posted 12 February 2015 Drinkwater will go, as will Moore james and kramaric Drinkwater
sylofox Posted 12 February 2015 Posted 12 February 2015 I do love the fact our season is written off by some with a third of the season left. My glass is half full
Karljohn Posted 12 February 2015 Posted 12 February 2015 We're not down yet, need a miracle but maximum return from Hull, Swansea, West Ham, QPR, Burnley and Southampton required. Will be a struggle in the Championship if we drop, ageing defence, and we'll be the team to beat.
st albans fox Posted 12 February 2015 Posted 12 February 2015 It would be easier in the championship after only one season up. the players will not have forgotten what's required. And they are effectively the same players. they will be heavily motivated to get straight back up to try and show they are capable PL players. (This assumes that they agree with the mangers vision. We assume they are all happy together but we don't know for sure)
Miquel The Work Geordie Posted 12 February 2015 Posted 12 February 2015 In recent years we've seen the likes of west ham, Norwich, Fulham, Wigan, Bolton, Cardiff, boro, Blackburn, wolves go down and struggle to come back. They were all expected to come straight back and look at them now. Erm, West Ham did come straight back up?
ScouseFox Posted 12 February 2015 Posted 12 February 2015 Erm, West Ham did come straight back up? and norwich still could. not to mention the fact that most teams named were in utter turmoil either financially or managerially or ownershipwise, or all three. we will be in a great position with all three of those situations if we go down, as will burnley. i'd say we both have a very, very good chance of coming back up if we go down, and if qpr complete the trio we'll definitely fare better than them.
Guest Posted 13 February 2015 Posted 13 February 2015 I've had hope in this season all the way until now. Saturday was a pretty gutting defeat, but I thought if we could pull off a win against Arsenal in one of our "bonus" games then we would still be fighting. But we didn't. Decent performance, but I've accepted we're not going to make up ground now and I want to stop looking at the league table any more. But, in preparing my mind for the Championship, I realised we could potentially take something from this season and do even better than we did last year. We will probably lose Kramaric, but Vardy comes back in with Nugent (not a bad Championship pairing in 2013-14) and I think we'd keep Ulloa. That's a hell of a strike force in that league. Cambiasso will go, probably retire - but Drinkwater can cope with the lower league and perhaps this season will make him realise where he has to set his standards. I'm more than happy with any of King, Hammond, James in a Championship midfield. Riyad will leave - 100% and I hope somewhere decent like Arsenal; bring on Knocky or Albrighton plus Tom Lawrence on the wings. In defence, Huth might go back - we may convince him with first team football if he enjoys his time here - but we'd have Wes, Was, Upson and I doubt Moore will go anywhere after not featuring for the last few months. He'd get another year in the Champ to develop and I think he'd be better for it. Simpson and De Laet would be perfectly capable, Konch could probably go another year (but please let us have an LB as top of the scouting lists). In goal, we have three keepers who are easily Championship standard - probably sell one of Hamer or Schmeichel and the other two will be fine, so I think throughout the team we'd be an improvement on last season when we battered the league. We could set new records - maybe our best season ever! This time next year we could be as good as back in the Premiership with younger lads like Moore, Drinks, James, Knockaert, De Laet, Lawrence, Hamer/Schmeichel and Schlupp all having matured. We wouldn't be anywhere near as naive going into the Prem again and couldn't do any worse than this year (results-wise - performances generally have been so frustratingly close to being good, but we've let ourselves down on silly things). If I was Nige, this would be the story I'd be selling to Big Top and Little Top (maybe he did) and you could certainly see the benefit of consistency looked at over more than one season. Anyway, it's made me feel happier just writing it! Imagine Mahrez goes to a big club for a decent fee. Kramaric might be hard to keep hold of. Knockaert probably leaves with contract up, same for Wasilewski and Cambiasso. Schlupp probs attracts interest. Ulloa? Dunno his record looks good but not sure his overall play will have impressed suitors. Imagine Schmeichel goes - not necessarily a bad thing. We'll still have a strong spine but it will be harder to come back.
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