Birmingham

Chris_from_Sidcup

Watching Birmingham on MOTD2 on sunday night, is anyone else quite glad we're not going up this year. We would be embarrassed week in week out. Players such as Forssell, Zarate, McFadden, Jerome, Kapo, Larsson, McSheffrey would walk into our team yet this team are looking like heading for our league next season. I'm genuinely surprised they're in such trouble as i thought there would be a few teams worse than them this season.

Friend Or Defoe

One of the positives of a possible Palace promotion is the fact that they are not ready for the premier league. They would be another Derby. :-)

Salad

Another Derby? Do you mean show extreme prudence and walk away with £30M plus two season's parachute money.
They are now set up very nicely for the next few seasons.

WSS

Like Watford did? I think Derby have already spent one season's worth of parachute money as well.

We should know better than anyone that money means sweet FA in our league without the team and/or management.

The deciding factor of caution or confidence is a big decision for a board - on one hand you have Derby and on the other you have Sunderland who spent a fortune and will stay up and push on next season in my opinion.

Nug

Derby also have to pretty much start from scratch next season don't think Jewel fancies too many of their current crop and we know how that goes. None of the teams that came down with us have exactly set the division on fire have they (especially us) apart from an amazing start Watford have been very average and I'd be surprised if they go up through the playoffs they don't have much form at all, just a great big head start.

Big miss by us to have used so many loan players rather aclimatising our younger players for next year.

kinveachyaddick

Birmingham will beat a reserve (possibly 3rd string even) Liverpool team at home at Saturday and should be ok - will create another row with the sides around them a la Fulham-Liverpool last season though..

BigRedEvil

Bolton could be a threat, big, physical side, would be suited in this division.

Ormiston_Addick

The 30 million quid is obviously a bonus but it guarantees you NOTHING. Look at what Sheff United are paying Beattie (best paid player in the CCC) and they are not even going to make the play-offs. Look at what we have spent or even Leicester for that matter.

The 30 million is something of a white elephant too because all the best players want to play in the Premiership so who can you really attract to play in the CCC? Its not an easy one and will probably mean spending a fortune on Prem nearly men and has-beens which might totally wreck your morale.

As well as that, getting relegated (for an established Prem club not a one-season mob) is a nightmare because you have to dismantle an entire squad and start from scratch and that, as we have found out, is not easy at all.

Oggy Red

[cite]Posted By: Ormiston Addick[/cite]The 30 million quid is obviously a bonus but it guarantees you NOTHING. Look at what Sheff United are paying Beattie (best paid player in the CCC) and they are not even going to make the play-offs. Look at what we have spent or even Leicester for that matter.

The 30 million is something of a white elephant too because all the best players want to play in the Premiership so who can you really attract to play in the CCC? Its not an easy one and will probably mean spending a fortune on Prem nearly men and has-beens which might totally wreck your morale.

As well as that, getting relegated (for an established Prem club not a one-season mob) is a nightmare because you have to dismantle an entire squad and start from scratch and that, as we have found out, is not easy at all.

Depends if the £30 million quid is for the manager to squander.
Or for the Board to underpin the financial security of their club for seasons to come.


Watford currently are the model.

4 years ago they successfully avoided relegation from the Championship - but apparently were only 2 weeks away from administration and mired in debt.

Having appointed Boothroyd, they exceeded their mid-table expectations and were promoted through the playoffs.
In their Prem season they budgeted for relegation, kept players on low contracts and ran a very tight ship.

They sold Ashley Young for £9 mill, relegated with 2 years parachute payments, sold Marlon King for £5mill - and gambled on being promoted again at the first attempt - so as to start the cycle all over again.

Promotion campaigns keep the fans interest and a winning side puts bums on seats.

Watford have no illusions about winning Premiership titles or qualifying for the Champions League.
But equally they have no fears about going out of business.



[

razil

their ground is a right tip tho...

:)

jimmymelrose

As I said on another thread, I think we want Bolton to go down rather than Birmingham. Simply for the fact that they haven't been in this league for a while and so will lose more players and take longer to adjust (like us)