Looks like I didn't need to, others did for me. Please just move on or we might have to call you the Fonz.
Agree about prioritising training facilities, where we were unlucky with Bullard and Ryan Mason we did sign Maguire and Robertson. Leeds and Sheff Utd have failed to maintain Premier League status, it's hard but we have to have a tilt at it this year, nowt to lose, challenge ourselves to 3 seasons+ next time?
We couldn't, but I'd take the financial injection a season in the prem would give us over another season fighting it out in the champ. That cash injection could really set us up ( if we came straight back down ) if used properly.... New training ground for one, more investment in youth set up etc etc...
and what about what sheff u & Burnley are doing? It’s a no from me. Let the big boys play. Stop promotion, let us boss this league. Just my controversial opinion
I don't enjoy the Premier League but can't deny it would be a huge boost financially and I'm sure we'd use the money wisely this time. A new training ground is a must
I like the championship for what it is without VAR and the general competitiveness. But as long as the pyramid as it is the riches are in the premier league. Plus Sheff Utd and Burnley are very unique examples of how not to enter a premier league season
I'd personally take that as well, come back down with the financial injection it gives us, build a new training ground, Invest in a stronger squad and then go back stronger.... It's all ifs buts and maybes obviously. But if we could do it that way, imo it would give us the best long term future
We never had the money to really compete for the quality we needed. 2 things have changed in the last decade. Firstly the tv and prize money in the prem allows relegation sides to outspend what were traditionally much bigger European clubs - and therefore more able to compete for the requisite international talent. And secondly, we now have owners and backers with pockets deep enough to actually spend what we're allowed under sustainability rules - whereas we just hadn't got that financial capability under Bartlett and subsequently the Allams. Even so, I'd expect a bit of yoyo-ing to establish us there. But then this time we're not going to have the owners turn off the taps and disinvest if we get relegated.
Last time we were in the Premier League was an Allam farce, but the time before that we signed some great players and reached an FA Cup Final. Seems strange to make out we couldn't get decent players to come here.
Not having to borrow against the prize money and tv righs to spend in the summer ahead of the season should save us a lot of exorbitant interest. And this time around I wouldn't be surprised if we could actually spend to headroom and sign decent strikers, which we've struggled to attract or retain in previous PL campaigns. As someone once said, "you're only as good as your strikers" .
The likes of Brentford, Bournemouth, Brighton should be proof if you are canny and plan well - you can do some good things in the PL without ruining what you have. I respect but can’t get my head around the opinion of not wanting to go up. If I felt like that I couldn’t get excited about winning matches. Even being lower mid table in the PL (which I genuinely think is reachable) brings with it greater chance of winning a cup or having a storming season with a group of players that just click. All of these things have happened to ‘unfashionable’ clubs in recent years. Why not us?
This is what I mean with my AC milan comment. Yes inflation has adjusted relatively but bottom half prem clubs are competing on the world stage in the transfer market. When we were last in the prem you wouldn't have had teams like Forest getting Murillo or Brighton in their earlier days scouring South America for young talent. When we were last in the prem we had to deal with risks or off cuts from premier league teams. Given our owners reputation you would imagine even someone like us would be able to attract some decent talent whilst also improving facilities
We've already attracted young England U21 talent, don't need the 'even someone like us' self deprecation.
More a reference to what our standing would be in the premier league if we went up. Which would be relegation favourites
I feel like that, and I can’t really get my head round it either. I want to win every game, and if we ended up in a play off final again at some point I’d want to win. I just wouldn’t be hugely bothered, after the initial feeling of losing an important game of course, if we didn’t go up that’s all. Personally VAR is a huge part of that though. I absolutely ****ing loath it, because it’s taken spontaneous excitement out of the game, so I’d rather be in a league without it. It even annoys me on MOTD, so I can’t imagine how bad it would be to be subjected to it inside the stadium.
I get that. I am no longer desperate for the PL, but would I prefer to be there? Yes, probably. I want to see City competing against the best. VAR would be an intrusion but I do think it’s likely to come in at all levels eventually. I hate it in all forms and think it should be done away with. I’d much prefer to lose to a dubious goal every now and then over not fully being able to celebrate a goal because it might get taken away again in a few minutes.
Think before it gets expanded it will have to prove itself. Eventually we'll have AI correlating 1000s of unique data points in an instant. And still get it wrong.
