The "We Are Going Up" Thread

[Woodcote Royal]

I was thinking more of the team than the points tally.

This squad is surely already deeper than what we had back then but it also strikes me as having more potential to establish itself in the top flight.

[Ian Royal]

Is it still possible for us to finish on 107 points?

You've got to drop 32 points before you can only equal 106, which means everyone can beat it until they've managed 10 losses and a draw or a similar combination. No one has played more than 9 games yet.

[Nameless]

This squad is surely already deeper than what we had back then but it also strikes me as having more potential to establish itself in the top flight.

Take the loan players out of the 106 side and no one even notices

Take the loan players out of the current side and suddenly it's not quite as good, or as deep.

Which limits the potential.

Although assuming the Thais are true to their word they would ensure a promoted side was given the resources to make it competitive.

[howser]

Another point to look at is that five of our first nine have been against sides in the top 10 so we haven't had an easy fixture list so far. Looking good...................so far

[genome]

Beat Boro and I'll subscribe.

[floyd__streete]

Watched the Ipswich game on a dodgy live stream in a bar in Antigua and either the flickering stream deceived me or we played some excellent football. Given the investment this summer a top 6 finish must be the minimum requirement but we've made an impressive start and congratulations must go to all involved. Burnley away was a stand out result, a similar outcome on Saturday would be quite something. The biggest note of caution so far however must be over the two goalkeepers we have signed

[maffff]

Watched the Ipswich game on a dodgy live stream in a bar in Antigua and either the flickering stream deceived me or we played some excellent football. Given the investment this summer a top 6 finish must be the minimum requirement but we've made an impressive start and congratulations must go to all involved. Burnley away was a stand out result, a similar outcome on Saturday would be quite something. The biggest note of caution so far however must be over the two goalkeepers we have signed

'greed.

[Fox Talbot]

Good portents:

Brighton are doing well.

In the last 15 years, maybe more, Brighton have finished above Reading twice. On both occasions by one place. While the we've averaged finishing above them by almost an entire division.

So if Brighton stay top we can be reasonably assured we'll finish second and if they drop away then history tells us we'll finish significantly higher than them, so probably at least play offs.

It's ON!

A more useful and sound precedent is that pretty much every season one of the two top teams at this stage of the season gets automatically promoted (very rarely both or neither). In that case we are fighting for just one spot. I'd rather fight Brighton than Boro for it.

[tidus_mi2]

Speaking of Brighton, they were nice enough to point out their October form over the last 4 years on their forum.

LDDLD DDLLD DLDD DLDDL

Would be interesting if that record holds up, especially considering a little match on the 31st which happens to be the day before my birthday.

[From Despair To Where?]

As I pointed out on another thread, Brighton have played 6 of the bottom 10 already and play 2 more in their next 4 games. They are due a run of very tricky fixtures.

[CountryRoyal]

Speaking of Brighton, they were nice enough to point out their October form over the last 4 years on their forum.

LDDLD DDLLD DLDD DLDDL

Would be interesting if that record holds up, especially considering a little match on the 31st which happens to be the day before my birthday.

The two games they have preceding ours are home to Bristol and Preston, I'd be surprised if they didn't pick up at least one win out of those two.

[Nameless]

Watched the Ipswich game on a dodgy live stream in a bar in Antigua and either the flickering stream deceived me or we played some excellent football. Given the investment this summer a top 6 finish must be the minimum requirement but we've made an impressive start and congratulations must go to all involved. Burnley away was a stand out result, a similar outcome on Saturday would be quite something. The biggest note of caution so far however must be over the two goalkeepers we have signed

Ironically the last thing this summer was about was investment.

We've completely refurbished the squad but probably at about a net zero cost when you take into account the Hector fee and the big wage earners who have left.

I think the turnaround is the more amazing because of the way it has been pretty much self financing, it was a leap of faith to allow Clarke to bring in the level of players that he has, a year ago the idea that we would get the big wages off the books but reuse the budget would have been laughed at and we'd have been recruiting lower division players on minimum wage contracts.

[Harpers So Solid Crew]

That's a lot to do with many of high earners contracts coming to an end, so it couldn't happen last summer.

[genome]

Interestingly* we only have one more point now than we did after the same amount of games last season, yet it feels completely different now. It started to go tits up at this exact point (after the 3-3 home draw with Wolves).

[multisync1830]

[



Although assuming the Thais are true to their word they would ensure a promoted side was given the resources to make it competitive.

At the time of the last promotion it was generally considered too soon. It could be the same this time as the Thai's are concentrating on the real estate side

[CountryRoyal]

[



Although assuming the Thais are true to their word they would ensure a promoted side was given the resources to make it competitive.

At the time of the last promotion it was generally considered too soon. It could be the same this time as the Thai's are concentrating on the real estate side

Bollocks. Sassy said that promotion this year is the objective - they know they will have to fund next year if we do, whether they know to what extent is a different story.

The problem is I see with this team is that as it stands, 4 of our players who have given us that competitive edge go back to their clubs, our highest goal scorer's contract runs out and our previously successful centre back pairing are another older.

That leaves an awful lot of rebuilding if we don't go up.

[3points]

The problem is I see with this team is that as it stands, 4 of our players who have given us that competitive edge go back to their clubs, our highest goal scorer's contract runs out

really? Of our "starting XI" I'd say only Vydra will definitely move on. Blackman's contract should be relatively easy to sort out (same for Gunts). We would still have Bond, McShane, Ferdi, Obita, Quinn, Tish, Olly, Williams, GMac, Sa, Cooper, Hurtado, Samuel, Cox and we'd lose Hec, Vydra, HRK, Blackers, Piazon, John, Fernandez and Gunts (some of which are still relatively untested at Chump level). Agree there would be some big losses in there but that's where Clarke earns hos money in securing replacements.

Plus we will have some more U21s potentially coming though or becoming more regular in the firts team squa like Fosu, Keown, Stacey and Liburd. Not a bad base to build off for next season imho

[CountryRoyal]

The problem is I see with this team is that as it stands, 4 of our players who have given us that competitive edge go back to their clubs, our highest goal scorer's contract runs out

really? Of our "starting XI" I'd say only Vydra will definitely move on. Blackman's contract should be relatively easy to sort out (same for Gunts). We would still have Bond, McShane, Ferdi, Obita, Quinn, Tish, Olly, Williams, GMac, Sa, Cooper, Hurtado, Samuel, Cox and we'd lose Hec, Vydra, HRK, Blackers, Piazon, John, Fernandez and Gunts (some of which are still relatively untested at Chump level). Agree there would be some big losses in there but that's where Clarke earns hos money in securing replacements.

Plus we will have some more U21s potentially coming though or becoming more regular in the firts team squa like Fosu, Keown, Stacey and Liburd. Not a bad base to build off for next season imho

Agreed, but I didn't write "starting 11" I wrote "competitive edge" because adding those players not only their basic qualities buy provided competition and strength in depth. We lacked creativity before deadline day - although agreed Hurtado hadn't really featured and tbf GMac was mostly injured.

I'm not convinced at all that it will be easy to get Blackman on another contract, not sure he likes us very much! Unless it looks like we will go up I'd say there was very little chance. Not sure how we'd manage to keep John or Piazon beyond a year long loan either Taylor is believable.

I'm not saying it's doom and gloom by any stretch, just saying we'd have to rebuild. For me losing Hec would be the biggest challenge as it stands.

[Nameless]

Any team getting promoted is going to have to add players, in fact not having scope to bolster your squad is a problem in itself.
Vydra is on an option to buy, Hector will be staying if we go up.
Not going up would mean a much bigger rebuild given players will have raised their profile and want to play in the Prem.

[Forbury Lion]

Have we ever had a manager with the initials SC who hasn't won the league and promotion to the Premiership?

If we don't do it this year, I believe SC can pull the same transfer magic next year and acquire some more players of the quality of the likes of Quin and Sa as well as further loan signings from Chelsea or elsewhere. Add to that the fact our youngsters will be closer than to the first team after their loan spells and we will be as strong, however we would presumably lose Hector and as someone pointed out the older players will be a year older... well they all will, but for the older ones that could be an issue.