Cheers. Usually when we concede 1st I think 'here we go' and expect us to struggle. But for some reason after we conceded I was still 100% certain we would win the game still. I do expect us to throw it away even though I think we got the set of fixtures on paper. For example, 4 of the last 5 games are against 4 of the bottom 5 teams. Surely we wont get a better chance!
Like I said, you got the easier games and Rotherham got tough games. I knew Rotherham would escape the bottom 3 though. I did say within 5 games since you signed the Stoke player that Rotherham will overtake you. I think 4 games would be enough though. Game 1 Was today = 3 points each Game 2 Hull vs City - home win Rotherham vs Leeds - home win Game 3 City vs Rotherham - draw Game 4 City vs Sheff Wed - away win MK Dons vs Rotherham - away win Meaning... City = 4 points Rotherham = 10 points Game 4 is when Rotherham overtakes you, unless they beat you in game 3 of course. Just my predictions. Happy to say I lost if im wrong
I think it will all boil down to the Rotherham game. Although it's looking like we might both survive now
I'm extremely upset. We're playing our part in resurrecting the Bristol derbies in League 1 next season, but the Teds don't appear to have read the script!
It was a shame not all results went our way yesterday!! but I've not given up hope on the teds .... they are not out the s**t just yet! and Bolton where shocking mind!! even if we don't go up, we have had a blinding season. compared to the s**t they have had to watch week in week out, propping up the division all season!
'we have had a blinding season. compared to the s**t they have had to watch week in week out,' Can honestly say that the football played at AG this season has been the best for a very very long time. Far better than played under GJ when we finished 3rd. You're right, it was/is tough to take but the standard of the Championship is something to behold. The 'gap' between L1 and Championship is enormous and gets bigger as more money is ploughed into the Premiership. Think it's 13 clubs currently in the Championship that have 'parachute payments', and almost impossible to compete with them. Fingers crossed we stay up as the extra revenue from a possible 27,000 next season will help keep City in a fantastic league.
your position in the league suggest to me that the footballs not been that great? and if/when you go down,can you look back and say I really enjoyed that season? your wealthy owner has already competed once before on a financial level, by throwing money at it to get you to the top flight. and that failed. one thing I can say we got out of dropping into the conference is, you don't need money to compete, you just need a hungry squad of players with the will to win...And Leicester are proving that this season!
'your position in the league suggest to me that the footballs not been that great?' I don't confuse poor results with poor football, the football played, especially by the opposition has been great. 'if/when you go down,can you look back and say I really enjoyed that season?' Maybe I couldn't a few years ago but I've mellowed. I can appreciate and differentiate between the football played and results these days. 'you don't need money to compete' - I think you do the higher up the pyramid you go. 'you just need a hungry squad of players with the will to win...' Goes without saying but there is a balance between a will to win and resources. Last year Rovers had probably the biggest budget in the Conference and the same this year so money has aided your revival. Obviously there are exceptions - Yeovil in the past going to the Championship and most likely Burton going up this season. I fear for Burton with 4,000 'gates' and in time I'll expect they'll find their level as are Yeovil. You mention Leicester, you could add Bournemouth but both have benefitted from Asian and Russian help. Let's hope Leicester win the Premiership next year as well. There will always be exceptions, thank goodness, but those with the biggest budgets generally do best.
Just a side note, we didnt have the biggest budget last season. In fact DC said numerous times last season that his budget has been slashed by half. A lot people including gasheads thought our buget would be the best last season in the conference but this was incorrect. DC just signed players on sensible wages and not on high wages that we use to do. Not only did he not have the biggest budget in the league, DC didnt even use all the budget that was available to him. He wanted a small squad and have left a good amount of the budget available to get in loans as and when, like securing Chris Lines loan. This season we have a bigger budget but nowhere near the biggest in league 2. Money certainly did not aide our revival. Having hard working players who fight for the shirt in every game right until the final whistle is what aided our revival.
I remember at the start of last season that DC said his budget has been slashed by half and Higgs said DC got a competitive budget. I can onlt go by what they say. They may have said that so they wont get held to ransom by other clubs when trying to get a player! But I believe what DC said basing it on the players we got in. Pretty much all non league players from the likes of Hereford, Salisbuy and FGR for example who were on small wages as it was.
I have a question/ your opinion captain... If we were to go up this season, and That's a big IF. How do you rate our chances of stabilising our selfs in league 1? After all a lot of players are out of contract this season, and Taylor our top goal scorer is allegedly leaving us. It's not easy to build a squad of players that gell together and fight tooth and nail like we have.. And to rebuild a team for league 1 standard is not done over night? What's your opinion?
No idea mate. IF we go up, part of me would want to give this team a chance in league 1 as they deserve it. But the other part of me thinks we will struggle the next level up and will need better quality. I dont know which is the right course to take. DC though did build a team pretty much from stratch in the conference and they gelled together and got us promoted. He could do it again. I think we would be attractive to players as we got the UWE project as a selling point as well as new owners with a very good young manager so wouldnt be hard to get players in. But then what may be hard to get players in could be the length of the contract on offer. DC dont like giving out long deals which could put players off as some may not want to move to the south west moving their family here just for 1 season. I trust DC either way. I think the team we have now is good enough to keep us up in league as im sure there will be 4 teams worse than us. But this team has surprised me this season so may surprise us next season. But I think we do need to strengthen in the creative areas. Also keeping Lockyer is a must though.
Thanks captain, good answer... I guess it all boils down to the fact of whether we go up or not? And then what players decide to stay or go? Then DC can build of that. Agree on Lockyer...arguably our best player this season.
His budget may have been slashed but you may have still had one of the biggest budget in the league though.
