Hi all
Unfortunately I wasn't able to get to the game yesterday due to unforeseen circumstances so can't comment on the match, but I will wish Leicester well in their continued run in the competition. What I will say is that I am sure there are many, many fans who are extremely disappointed with our poor performance on the day and of course the final result. I must admit I was annoyed when I heard the final scoreline but I was not overly surprised nor concerned.
Think about it.
We currently sit 8th in the Premier League. We get £1m for each position higher up the league we finish. If we claim 8th in May, City would get approximately £53m as opposed to £43m if we finish 17th. So that's a £10m difference. I agree with Paul Lambert that we are not yet safe. However, I do not believe we will go down and I don't believe that he believes we will go down now either. It would take a monumental collapse for it to happen. I think he instead is looking at the bigger picture and has one eye on future campaigns. With our excellent season we have given ourselves a chance, a real chance of potentially, a vastly bigger wage and transfer fund IF we can maintain our current position in the league, or at least stay around the top half. A chance to make the club bigger and stronger much faster than we thought likely 12 months prior. The league HAS to take priority for this reason.
Think about it.
That extra £10m could mean we are in a position to strengthen great swathes of our squad in the summer - maybe even start to get things into swing with regards the ground expansion, even if work isn't begun until the following summer - and put us in an even better position to compete next season and in many seasons to come. Its not all about this season - the aims of the club is to build something which will last. I am no doubt not alone in wishing that we had maintained our cup run a bit longer because we are fans and the excitement for a cup run still lives among us. But financially there is little in it for the club. That is disappointing in many ways but we have to be realistic. We all want success but the manager and board are trying to get the club in a position where many better days are to come and we can achieve long term success. Yes, we might have had a nice day out at Wembley - assuming we'd have reached the semi final that is - and the possible chance of glory should we have made the final, but we are in our first season in the Premier League. We do not have the squad to compete to a high level in both competitions at the moment - it seems yesterday proved as much. That is why that extra £10m is such an important reason to not worry too much about the cup. When we have a bigger, better squad we will be able to push on.
Think about it.
That's all I'm saying.
OTBC ILWT WFLGH
Unfortunately I wasn't able to get to the game yesterday due to unforeseen circumstances so can't comment on the match, but I will wish Leicester well in their continued run in the competition. What I will say is that I am sure there are many, many fans who are extremely disappointed with our poor performance on the day and of course the final result. I must admit I was annoyed when I heard the final scoreline but I was not overly surprised nor concerned.
Think about it.
We currently sit 8th in the Premier League. We get £1m for each position higher up the league we finish. If we claim 8th in May, City would get approximately £53m as opposed to £43m if we finish 17th. So that's a £10m difference. I agree with Paul Lambert that we are not yet safe. However, I do not believe we will go down and I don't believe that he believes we will go down now either. It would take a monumental collapse for it to happen. I think he instead is looking at the bigger picture and has one eye on future campaigns. With our excellent season we have given ourselves a chance, a real chance of potentially, a vastly bigger wage and transfer fund IF we can maintain our current position in the league, or at least stay around the top half. A chance to make the club bigger and stronger much faster than we thought likely 12 months prior. The league HAS to take priority for this reason.
Think about it.
That extra £10m could mean we are in a position to strengthen great swathes of our squad in the summer - maybe even start to get things into swing with regards the ground expansion, even if work isn't begun until the following summer - and put us in an even better position to compete next season and in many seasons to come. Its not all about this season - the aims of the club is to build something which will last. I am no doubt not alone in wishing that we had maintained our cup run a bit longer because we are fans and the excitement for a cup run still lives among us. But financially there is little in it for the club. That is disappointing in many ways but we have to be realistic. We all want success but the manager and board are trying to get the club in a position where many better days are to come and we can achieve long term success. Yes, we might have had a nice day out at Wembley - assuming we'd have reached the semi final that is - and the possible chance of glory should we have made the final, but we are in our first season in the Premier League. We do not have the squad to compete to a high level in both competitions at the moment - it seems yesterday proved as much. That is why that extra £10m is such an important reason to not worry too much about the cup. When we have a bigger, better squad we will be able to push on.
Think about it.
That's all I'm saying.
OTBC ILWT WFLGH
Great article Supers if you were giving a lecture to a firm of accountants or economics students! Football is all about passion, pride and ultimate glory! If I had paid to watch that performance yesterday and then discovered that I had been short changed by the manager and the team I would have felt annoyed and ultimately cheated. And yes as a Town fan I have felt like that many times this season! You had a goldern opportunity to progress in the cup and even go on and win the thing this year. You are only 3 or 4 points away from being completely safe and you could have gone for it in the cup. I can't believe that Lambert is motivated by securing extra prize money in the League and I don't believe that he would put that above cup glory! This debacle could well come back to haunt you especially if you struggle next season.
to win a few games every now and again to keep himself and Mr.Turnstile in job. This will stop more talented football people being employed by Ipswich who could progress their club. 
