Is this team good enough to go up and stay up?

[Oldtimeram]

If we do go up, how many of these players can step up to the plate and perform in the Premier league?

I think we are probably good enough to go up but I do not think we are playing as consistently well as we did two years ago. IMO, if we go up, this team is not good enough to keep us up. We will need to strengthen in a number of areas, full backs, a bit more quality in attack and a bit more strength in midfield.

Who is good enough and not good enough for the Premier League?

Carson -Yes
Grant - No way!
Forsyth - Probably not
Christie - Not at present, but possibly
Warnock - No (has been good enough in the past, but now getting on a bit)
Shackell -Yes
Keogh (Keogh of this season, maybe. Keogh of last season, no way!)
Ince -No (could be if he pulled his socks up)
Martin - No
Hendrick - Not sure
Thorne - Not on the evidence of this season up to now.
Hughes - Yes
Bryson - No
Weimann - Yes (has already played there)
Johnson (not sure, but possibly)
Butterfield (not

[RamBamFan]

Wooooah calm down OTR, it's just one sloppy performance (albeit a very boring one). I wonder what you would have said before this match?

IMO the whole defence is Premier League quality (Forsyth, not Warnock). Butterfield and Hughes are both definites. Norwich fans always said Johnson never stepped up in the Premier League so we'll have to see... I think Hendrick will fare well as well, but not sure if we were getting a pasting each week.

At the moment I'm concerned about the front three and Thorne. First of all Thorne, he's giving the ball away stupidly too often, and when we're in the Premier League we need to make the most of possession. He's our best passer on his day but would need to really mature before we got to the top flight, I think I'd prefer an experienced holding midfielder like Glenn Whelan instead of him at the moment.

The front three are a huge concern for me at the moment. I was convinced Martin was by far the best striker in the Championship and fully deserv

[sixtiesram]

What did you think of Thorne against Hull? Did you spot the difference with Wednesday, unlike Hull, making sure he was constantly under pressure. Not that that stopped him making a decent contribution, with in the second half a ***** interception in our area and making some very decent long ranges passes.

As for Martin being idle, what planet do you actually inhabit?

This thread, like so many on DCFC fans forums, lacks perspective. We are on a run which has seen 33 points from 14 games and still the carping negative threads appear almost daily.

[AngryRam]

What did you think of Thorne against Hull? Did you spot the difference with Wednesday, unlike Hull, making sure he was constantly under pressure. Not that that stopped him making a decent contribution, with in the second half a ***** interception in our area and making some very decent long ranges passes.

As for Martin being idle, what planet do you actually inhabit?

This thread, like so many on DCFC fans forums, lacks perspective. We are on a run which has seen 33 points from 14 games and still the carping negative threads appear almost daily.

The OP was a valid question asking if we think this team is good enough to go up. No problem with discussing that.. Maybe a better wording would have been, Is this team good enough to stay up.

Good enough to go up - Yes.
Good enough to stay up - No.

As for Martin being idle... Planet earth speaking.. Idle could be a word to describe him sometimes.. Unplayable could also be use

[blackandwhite56]

OTR is an old moaner unfortunately, who uses his posts as therapy for his anxieties.

Ince was poor going forward and poor defensively yesterday.
There are questions about our tactics and use of subs when things aren't working.
Martin needs more players near him if he is to link up play in the way he can at his best. Whilst we are much more secure defensively this season we are also a bit too cautious.We left it too late making changes and to bring on Bent .

[AngryRam]

OTR is an old moaner unfortunately, who uses his posts as therapy for his anxieties.

Ince was poor going forward and poor defensively yesterday.
There are questions about our tactics and use of subs when things aren't working.
Martin needs more players near him if he is to link up play in the way he can at his best. Whilst we are much more secure defensively this season we are also a bit too cautious.We left it too late making changes and to bring on Bent .

Bent played well for Weds to be fair.. Everytime we went forward he managed to break play up well giving them a free kick. Classy stuff.

[Oldtimeram]

OTR is an old moaner unfortunately, who uses his posts as therapy for his anxieties.

Ince was poor going forward and poor defensively yesterday.
There are questions about our tactics and use of subs when things aren't working.
Martin needs more players near him if he is to link up play in the way he can at his best. Whilst we are much more secure defensively this season we are also a bit too cautious.We left it too late making changes and to bring on Bent .

So you are my psychoanalyst are you now?

I am not moaning nor am I intending to be negative, certainly no more so than you are either. I am pleased with the league position. I am just asking a valid question about whether we can go up, but more importantly, can we stay up with this team? If saying no to the staying up is negative, so be it, but I am just trying to be realistic about our expectations with the team as it stands.

[roger_ramjet]

The team is good enough to go up, particularly since Im not covinced that it has played to its potential yet only showing glimpses. Maybe need some tweaks in January window to freshen things up but surely Ince will get the message soon enough

Stay up - who knows. It would be acstruggle but (and this could cause laughter) I think our style of play is better suited to the Premiership than the Championship. The play is more patient in Premiership whereas we sometimes struggle when pressed in midfield. Also there would be more freedom to play in Premiership as noone will be parking the bus against us.

Clearly lots of squad strengthening would have to happen to stay up but I think the core could form.a decent basis to stay up. Who here would think Leicester would have survived so well

[AdiSalisbury]

Are we good enough to go up... Yes
Would we be good enough to stay up... No way

If we went up we'd have to strengthen in a few areas, as all clubs do who want to stay up for more than a season. It's easy to get sentimental about players who get you up, but ultimately more quality will be needed.

As for Saturday, were missing that quality ball into Martin / Bent. There was nothing. Weimann, Ince, Russell, Butterfield, Johnson... all guilty of getting in good position and then giving the ball away with a poor pass. Symptomatic of being excellent Championship players, but not Prem quality.

I suspect we will retain a few but take some additions, and hopefully have enough to stay up, making further strength the following season. Will also be interested to see if any additions are made in January.

[vanderlaans_header]

Whether or not we are good enough to get promotion is very much dependent on beating the other teams in the top 5 or 6. If we beat them in the league games then auto promotion is likely. Otherwise we will have to do the same via the play offs.

In terms of being a team able to compete in the PL, then it looks a tall order. Not sure if we have any strikers who would have the required impact. Ince & Russell are not even good championship players on current form and Martin probably wouldn't get enough goals. Bent is the best natural finisher we have, but can't force himself into the Derby team, so not likely to return to PL glory. Few will agree, but Weimann may be the only striker we have with possible PL potential with his pace and work rate.
In defence, Shackell would make the step up and maybe Christie. Our midfield would look the strongest area, but we sometimes lack creativity. In the PL special players are needed to unpick resolute defences.