This thread could be more for the older lads/lasses on here. I was listening to Haway the podcast talking to Gary Bennett this morning, the FA Cup Final obviously was mentioned and there was a throw away comment, but it got me thinking. What would you have preferred - John Byrne scoring in the first half and winning and getting into Europe and everything, OR have the club as it is now? I'm torn - the younger me would've loved us winning and heading into Europe. A few days away on the drink with mates originally getting into scrapes and (hopefully) watching us win, but the me now reckons this is the best position the club has ever been in. The way the club is structured behind the scenes, the players we've signed and the general feel good factor surrounding the club at the minute. For probably the first time I've known, we've got a proper foundation for the club to grow and make a definite statement in the premier league. Mind you, though, those away games in Europe..............
Its great at the moment but my best times following the lads was the Dennis Smith era when we were all young and daft without a care in the world. Made no difference what league we were in, but that 3rd division season I made memories with lads I will never forget. We had some outstanding weekends away watching the lads.
Ah it's a tough one mate. We've won nothing in a lot of our lifetime's and I was old enough, 13, to remember that cup run very well. Some of the games, Chelsea was mental and the semi Vs Norwich was great. I remember Byrne's goal against West Ham as well for some random reason haha. I'm inclined to say win a trophy but I do love how we're being run now and if we continue this way then I can see a good cup run or 2 in the near future. Also, Byrne would have joined the very rare list of players scoring in every round of the FA Cup if he had scored against Liverpool.
Definitely a cup win and a European run - could well have then avoided a lot of the ****e we've been through. Also would have pissed off them up the road and killed their beloved Mackem in Milan chant.
This. A cup win and a run in Europe could actually have set us up well for the future. We'd probably have kept Byrne, maybe Brace well and possibly spent adequately to build on it. That said, we'd still have been managed by Crosby who was well out of his depth, so it could have gone the other way anyway.
