Originally Posted by
swaledale
Realistic? More pessimistic. As I said 6 months ago we'd have been happy with a pt from this match! Things have turned around since which I acknowledged in previous posts.
However, your opinion is flawed - Leeds and Brentford haven't had been in the prem yet so you've no idea whether they will be better prepared, West Brom have been up and down in recent years.
By your reckoning Norwich should have made a fist of it, they have been up and down and last year bossed the championship, yet remain rooted to the foot of the prem! Mind you they spent less than a million last summer so that may be an issue! On the plus side they are self financing and do not have huge debt. However, Villa spent £100 million aren't noticeably better,much like Fulham the season before.
Sheff Utd have not spent millions but seem Ok, Brighton ditto, Bournemouth's run seems to be ending though.
The other teams you mention are just a demonstration of what happens when as is inevitable the quality of the team reduces or the ambitions of the club outstrip what can actually be achieved. Stoke were fine, but then it seemed it was thought that big expenditure would push them top half, it didn't it ruined them. Boro and Sunderland the same, though Sunderland have been chronically mismanaged for years.
Hudddersfield arguably overachieved by spending two seasons in the prem - so they didn't drop back immediately.
The variables that apply to each club are such that there is no pattern to a team succeeding - a combination of good funding, a good manager and a sound boardroom as Burnley have demonstrated would seem to be the model but its not certain. I quote them as arguably Derby should be able to compete alongside them in terms of revenue and funding, the fact that they couldn't agree a new contract with Hendrick demonstrates that they won't break their budget, they have stuck with Dyche through relegation and subsequent promotion.
So I really can't follow your logic, whatever happens Cocu (provided he stays of course!) will have to tinker with the team, though we have no idea how much money he will have to do that, though if we were promoted then it would be a hell of a lot more. Theres a number in this team that would move on anyway, unless we stay in the championship, in which case they will probably stay another season, so a major rebuild will be required even if some of the youngsters actually are good enough.
In short its a nonsense what you suggest, theres no guarantee that we will improve or even get promotion next season, theres no guarantee if we did fluke it this that we won't come straight back down. BUT, if we go up, we get increased revenue, we may even get more investment, if we have a plan, a budget and stick to it then we have half a chance and thats all we ever will have, unless some dodgy sheik buys us and invests £100s of millions.
Realistically we go up, we build sensibly, not piss the money away on players we can't afford and we have a reasonable season and survive or we come back down but millions richer and go again. The fact that we would be much better off is a given, the fact that some other clubs have wasted that income and now languish in the lower reaches of the championship does not mean its not possible to do it properly as a number of clubs have demonstrated.