But has there been a promotion season where we didn’t bring in seven or more players? Under Lambert we signed eight players in the summer after promotion (plus two in Jan - Howson and Ryan Bennett), with only James Vaughn being someone you might say didn’t make a huge first team impression. Yes, two of them were loan signings but we will need luck with loans whichever season we get promoted.
Also I think Gibson is still 29 or so, it’s more imperative that we sign a centre back generally - but eg we have Omobamidele getting more experienced by the game. So we have youth players coming through as well.
I think the idea that the squad needs wholesale improvement is misguided. It will always need improving. We will always have holes in the squad, ageing key players etc etc - we are not backed by a Middle Eastern oil dynasty so we cannot hoover up quality at whim.
What a club like ours needs to stay up is:
- A style and ethos that gets the best out of the players and fans that we have right now.
- A large slice of luck in investment over the summer we get promoted, with those players gelling and conforming to the team ethos.
- A full pre-season to bed in new signings and ensure the style is consistent.
- Throughout the season, we then need good luck at key intervals - we don’t need lots of wins, but we do need the points ticking over, so that we are regularly moving and getting results - the very occasional big scalp to massively boost morale and confidence would be key.
- For that, we will need a slice of luck with refereeing decisions AND
- To be playing other teams at good moments (eg when they are on a poor run or have a more important match after ours).
- We need minimal injuries to the “spine” of the squad - which means the goalkeeper, the two main centre-backs (or three if we have a back three) and the defensive/central midfielder.
- We need a striker on decent form who finds the net 10+ times in the season.
- We need other players who contribute to goal scoring consistently - preferably two more with 5+ goals, but could be eg four or five with 3+ goals.
Those are the cold hard ingredients for a successful post-promotion season. Find me a team which has stayed up (or even come close to it) in the last two decades and I will find you a liar (alright, that’s harsh, I will find you the exception which proves the rule).
That heady cocktail of needs won’t change, whether we get promoted this season or next. The advantage of doing it this season is we get more money, sooner, with the chance to use some to invest in the club etc.
So giving up on this season would be a huge mistake. We may not have the team to stay up in the Premier League right now, but we sure have the team to get promoted. Next season, we still won’t have a team which can stay up in the Premier League and we can’t guarantee we will have one which can get promoted.
Pukki
