Right....Some people will see this as an over reaction. However my concerns are as follows.... Firstly. Are we as good as we think we are. Lets be honest here. 2 very late pens vs milwall...there must be some luck in that. Leed....how on earth did we get 3 points? Yes some great defending but the amount of luck we had was unreal!!! Blackpool in my opinion, we got what was coming to us away from home. Today everyone who has done a league predictor on the BBC put this as 3 points. The excuse that its a derby is not enough for me. If anything it should put the fixture more in our favour with a full house. This was meant to be our derby. Our win. It wasnt. dropped point. Can anyone really see 4 wins from the last 5? Beat Reading and I know it all changes but do people honestly think we are going to hit the top 2 come the end of the season? (EDIT) Kind of lost my way a bit here but back to the title: Pros: - The financial windall - Playing some of the worlds best teams Cons: - Is it too early for our team? - If Leicester can boss us at St Marys what can Man City do.... - Away form isnt the best. Would we be straight back down? Not trying to be negative but is there such a thing as going up too early?
I put us down to draw today and lose at home to Reading but still had us going up with all three teams within one point of one another. I think people get too excited when we win and too dramatic when we lose. Every team has some poor games in a Championship season, look at Reading at Peterborough and West Ham drawing with Doncaster. There are more twists and turns to come.
I don't want to be like Derby 3 or 4 seasons ago, they haven't recovered from that. I reckon if we don't win promotion: A) We might not do as well as we have done this year. or... B) It gives us time to let go of the deadwood, bring in fresh faces, and strengthen for another push at the Premier League.
Luck balances out over the year we've made some good championship teams look ver silly this season and if we go up we deserve to if we dont we don't simple. If we go up I have faith with good buys well be ok let's focus on getting there first.
Like others there are pros and cons. Remember the spine of the team are from Pardew's day as the manager - he constructed a team to get us back to the Championship so that objective has already been achieved. I suppose many are asking would those same players survive in the Premiership or would we need to get 4/5 new players who could. And if the boat is missed, do we persist with the squad largely intact or go for the players we know would be good enough at the next level? One player I would have liked out there against Pompey would have been Joey Barton to have controlled the midfield.
I have been saying for quite a while now that I believe Saints will struggle in the premier with out some major new introductions. To me there is quite a few of our first team that are playing at the top of their ability now and have little room for improvement. We are weak in midfield and lack a good right hand midfielder and we need bolstering in defense. Just my opinion of course and I hope to be proved wrong. I guess time will tell.....
The penalties at Millwall were down to Saints putting pressure on the Millwall goal and they were both definite pens so there isn't really any luck involved.
As true as that is tomw19...and i say it everytime when people comment on the number of pens we have had this season....you have to be in the opposition box to get the pens (other than brighton at home!) However to get both and so late on does come with an element of luck. If it was against us Im sure we would be fuming and branding them lucky!
The current team are not guaranteed to be the same next season if we went up. The monetary dynamics change and I expect new funds. I am not one to buy in "names" as many others are and because of this I can see your view about "going up too soon". In Div 1 we built a team to compete in the Championship. This season we have added a little and in my opinion certainly not enough for the next step. However, the goal for any side is to finish as high as possible. So after a lot of preamble, to answer your question is it too soon to go up? Answer: No.
Fair point but we bossed you for all the second half apart from when you attacked us which lead to the two pens -apart from that you barely got out of your own half in the second half of the match
As true as that is tomw19...and i say it everytime when people comment on the number of pens we have had this season....you have to be in the opposition box to get the pens (other than brighton at home!) However to get both and so late on does come with an element of luck. If it was against us Im sure we would be fuming and branding them lucky!
Its the best idea really as promotions don't come along every season so make the most of the moment and milk it as much as poss Get pissed celebrating and simply enjoy the off season knowing you've got Prem footy to look forward too if that's the case which it most probably will be You've been there all season and deserve it as the table doesn't lie
I think with 4 or 5 quality additions we'd be safe. We have money to spend, unlike Derby and others, and promoted teams in recent years have tended to do better, so I think we'll be ok.
Ok I Lied . I have thought about it . Worst case Scenario . We come straight back down again . Mega Millions in the bank , state of the art facilities . Yout team getting older /more experienced . A years experience of what we need to STAY up . Just hope I have not jinxed us now :-( .....................
Yeah exactly Norwich & Swansea have been a breath of fresh air in terms of giving hope to other newly promoted teams of staying up as well Saying that though tbf Norwich & Swansea have simply done more than survive as they've comfortably been ahead of the bottom three for some time now
Ive been saying the same about Barton. Get slated every time i suggest him though. He would be a quality signing if Nigel could tame him
