Post by CharltonDan on May 12, 2008 10:04:53 GMT
Now the dust has settled on yet another predictable PL season, with the same 4 names contesting the top 4 places, the same 3/4 sides contesting the UEFA cup places and the names we all thought would struggle having done just that, I was thinking do we really want to get promoted?
Sunderland spent £45m and survived...Just. If they hadn't, and is was a matter of 3 points plus a couple of goals scored, they would have been in a world financial hurt. However without money behind them they is no doubting that they would have done a Brum / Derby and come straight back down again.
Reading on the other hand are a club that I think tried, and initially succeeded, at doing what we did 8 years ago, and that's to get promoted without too many / any "big" signings, but with a work ethic instilled by a great manager. A few slices of misfortune and a bad run later and we'll be welcoming them to the CCC next season less quite a few players that will be snapped up by the other sides in and around the middle and bottom of the league. Its apparent that sides like us / Reading etc just cant afford to have the strength in-depth that even West Ham (courtesy of a big money takeover) can field.
So if this is what it takes to survive, there are really very few options open to us besides 1) spunking money we don't have and potentially jeopardising the clubs stability (something I cant see the Board doing) 2) courting some rich bloke to invest £50/60m on players ala Sunderland 3) or just accepting that we'll come back down (or "doing a Derby") and take the money, but in the process have to sit through 10mths of watching our beloved club get hammered week in week out.
I know that the PL is seen as the promised land, and we NEED to be there because getting those sorts of revenues seems to be the only way to progress these days, however in the cold light of day none of these seem to be a particularly attractive option.....
Sunderland spent £45m and survived...Just. If they hadn't, and is was a matter of 3 points plus a couple of goals scored, they would have been in a world financial hurt. However without money behind them they is no doubting that they would have done a Brum / Derby and come straight back down again.
Reading on the other hand are a club that I think tried, and initially succeeded, at doing what we did 8 years ago, and that's to get promoted without too many / any "big" signings, but with a work ethic instilled by a great manager. A few slices of misfortune and a bad run later and we'll be welcoming them to the CCC next season less quite a few players that will be snapped up by the other sides in and around the middle and bottom of the league. Its apparent that sides like us / Reading etc just cant afford to have the strength in-depth that even West Ham (courtesy of a big money takeover) can field.
So if this is what it takes to survive, there are really very few options open to us besides 1) spunking money we don't have and potentially jeopardising the clubs stability (something I cant see the Board doing) 2) courting some rich bloke to invest £50/60m on players ala Sunderland 3) or just accepting that we'll come back down (or "doing a Derby") and take the money, but in the process have to sit through 10mths of watching our beloved club get hammered week in week out.
I know that the PL is seen as the promised land, and we NEED to be there because getting those sorts of revenues seems to be the only way to progress these days, however in the cold light of day none of these seem to be a particularly attractive option.....
