ROD - I'll try to keep this on the football track........... Interesting you think we won't go down - our neighbours 40 miles the other way from us are pretty certain of it. Just staying there whilst we get acclimatised and get the extra 5,000 seats in for 2014 season will do most of us - Europa qualifications will do the year after when we get close to the 40,000 bums on seats situation. I don't think our Vince is going to stick his oar in regarding the nationality of players we recruit - he'd be more inclined to watch the budget he's earmarked for it. Although there's a considerable difference in the wealth of our respective owners, proportionately, they probably both have the same sort of task to recruit. Not sure about Steve Lansdown's paper fortune or whether he's prepared to put much more on the line, but Vince has done his bit in a very short period of time. Whereas we have to spend reasonably big even to just stay where we are now we've got there, it should take a far more realistic spend programme for you to get out of League 1. I'm not sure of the relevant wealth of other League 1 chairmen, but Stevo must be up there toward the top in terms of "spending power". The question seems to be whether he'll do it or not to attract those players who are probably Championship players right now to come to League 1 to get you back up. Back to the crux - it'll take dosh I'm afraid, not just players who just want to be there.
Hi OS I hope you like my Avatar... All the best in the Prem and enjoy the ride even if it's a brief one
Nothing wrong with Ritchie's guitar playing Angelic - but I could never get my hair to look like that..... As far as the thread and upcoming season is concerned, looks like you've got a tough opening month in August. Come through those five league games with double figures on the points board, and you'll have made a damn good start to build on. It's hard playing catch up even early in the season, but it's bloody thankless toward the end. Better to be shot at when you're up there like we found out this year - get a decent start and let the rest worry about you.
Going to see Sir Ritchie as he's playing in Salisbury next week. He hasn't got a bad head of hair considering he's pushing 70. Whether any of it is actually his own is another matter! We have got a tough opening batch of fixtures even at our lowly level, and we may have a fairly young and inexperienced squad to manage, but as long as the hunger and desire is there (even if dazzling skill isn't), then I'd be disappointed if we finish outside of the playoffs. Maintaining good home form will be crucial and aside from a handfull of other teams that worry me (such as Wolves, Peterbro', Sheff U and maybe Bradford), it's not the most competitive division ever. There will always be the spoilers in Tranmere, Gillingham, Preston, Brentford, Crawley, Stevenage, MK Dons etc, but you have to knuckle down and weather the storm and go on and win the game. We went around 11 years without losing our first game of the season home or away, but that run ended 3 or 4 years ago and it's been Ski Sunday ever since.
