Promotion

[ally_uk]

Do you reckon we will go up this season ? 

Would you want us to return to the Premier league?

Personally I fell out of love with Premiership football years ago. 

[SotonianWill]

I would like to get back to the ultra corrupt league, but only due to bragging rights - I can’t handle being below the likes of Bournemouth and Brighton, with Pompey on their way up. Staying in this league with little money and becoming the new Stoke / Swansea isn’t appealing to me. A sad existence awaits us and competing as we are year after year isn’t realistic. 

 

Having said that I believe it will be Leeds and Leicester top 2, with Hull winning the play offs.  

Edited 8 March, 2024 by SotonianWill
My main goal is to see Saints win something and based on all modern cup finals: you must be top division.

[Wade Garrett]

We’ll piss it.

[Lee On Solent Saint]

With the squad we have, not getting promotion will be a massive failure.

[Toussaint]

I’m not sure what the odds are, we pretty much have to win every remaining game now to have a chance of the autos and the playoffs are a lottery. I don’t know how I feel about the premier league, it’s rotten, predictable and corrupt. It needs a massive structural overhaul which is never going to happen unless it comes from legislature. I also worry about our weakening position should we get stuck in the championship.

 

so, inconclusive on all counts!

Edited 8 March, 2024 by Toussaint

[LGTL]

Yes, I want us to go up. This league is good fun but it'll be monumentally shit to get stuck down here. 

No, I don't think we will go up and that'll be on Martin. This squad should have had enough.

The only small excitement from staying down here would be a potential trip to Fratton. 

[Eric The Red]

I want to get promoted to see us competing against the best, and in my dreams getting back into Europe. That being said winning more games than you lose is always better BUT as everyone knows staying in this league for more than 2 seasons would likely mean getting 'stuck' for several years, or possibly even worse.

[franniesTache]

I want to get promoted because i don't want people i know to lose their jobs.

I hate the premier league with a passion, it's rigged to money, full of plastic cunts from nowhere near the cities "their" clubs are from, annoying overseas "fans", a media that talk shit and only care about the rich clubs. The away games are dull and played out at corporate soulless bowls, and once you're up you're pretty much just killing time before you go down again.

The only positives are if you do well you get a european trip, and you have a better shot at the cups (though probably won't win them because the money clubs have them sewn up too). 

And then add to it all the fact that if you do have the nerve to do well you're gutted by the vultures around you.

The positives of staying down is the league is genuinely competitive, there's nearly always a new ground to do, and we potentially have a derby against the skate cunts to look forward to.

Anyway this is all by the by because i think we'll probably lose in the first game of the play offs and won't go up.

[Toadhall Saint]

Don’t like the prem but I want my team to be at the top table. No point in competing if your not wanting to be the best you can.

[Behind Enemy Lines]

What is this ‘Premiership’ some talk about on here? Why wouldn’t we go to the Premier League like everyone else who gets promoted from this league?

***MLG pedant mode off***

Maybe I should have posted this in The Lounge, in the Little Things That Annoy You thread 😂 

[Elmore Saint]

Of course I want us to be at the top table - and hopefully be in the upper half of it. 

However - this season is the most engaged I've been for ages - good fun, cheap tickets and a roller coaster ride. I'd take more of that if it wasn't for the slow decline that it would eventually bring to the club. 

However, only fighting for survival next year would really feel quite shit compared to this, but realistically, it is the inevitability of the PL and EFL divide... 

[The Cat]

I'm reasonably ambivalent about it.

I also don't have any fears about possibly being in the Championship for a fair amount of time.

 

[Noodles34]

To be honest, I couldn’t care less if we stay down. And yeah, maybe we’re going to turn into stoke but will probably be more like  West Brom and Norwich. Up and down over the years, which wouldn’t be such a bad thing. Obviously if we went up and competed, then great, just hard to see how. Brighton will be relegated within the next three years, they have a moment in the sun, just as we did, but it’s going to rain for them sooner rather than later. I’ve said it before, look at Burnley, smashed the Championship and can’t compete in the PL. 

Yo Yo for me all day long. 

[Tom & Gerry]

I'd like to see us play in a playoff final at Wembley. I've seen us in an FA cup final, a Charity Shield, 2 League Cup finals, a semi final, JP trophy and that other thing when we played Forest but a play off final would be a new experience,  another one to tick off the list, and if we won it would probably be the nearest thing to a cup final win that we are likely to see.

[obelisk]

The EPL is much less fun than the Championship but I still want to see Saints playing at the top level even if it means only occasionally sticking one on the corrupt so-called big clubs these days.

 

That said, it's going to require a trip to Wembley to achieve promotion this season just so long as Saints can stop conceding goals in the play-off semis. All that to watch Saints get beat most weeks. 😬

[Roo1976]

I would love us to go up ,but i think our fluctuating form of late makes us play off contenders i hope. Will we survive a season in the prem?who knows but certainly not without alot of  squad changes. What i dislike is VAR................oh, fuck how it annoys the hell out of the moment in the game to celebrate or not . Once you see the linno run back to the halfway line in the champ you celebrate,but you have fingers crossed when you score in the prem ,hoping they dont find any misdemeanor in the build up. That i dont like but we have to get there first.

[JRM]

If we're going to go up it will have to be via the play offs so at least that will be good, but overall don't miss the Premier League at all, never watch any PL games anymore and not really interested in the hype. 

 

[Farmer Saint]

Do I think so, no.

Do I want to, also no.

[LaptopSaint]

Genuinely looking forward to the playoffs 🫣. Would love a day out at Wembley if we get there. After that, who knows. 

[OnceaSaintalwaysaSaint]

24 minutes ago, JRM said:

If we're going to go up it will have to be via the play offs so at least that will be good, but overall don't miss the Premier League at all, never watch any PL games anymore and not really interested in the hype. 

 

Interesting. I also don't now watch any premier league games but still want us to be promoted. Watching how our players compete against the best and winning occasionally is far more satisfying that smashing a Rotherham (or getting really frustrated when we don't!). 

And the EPL is looking more like the premier league each year. There's the "haves" and "have nots" in both leagues. Promotion via the play-offs will be one of the most memorable seasons ever, and there's a lot of crap in the premiership, so I have every confidence that once in that league we can stay there.

[sfc4prem]

Even optimistic, positive me sees the automatic places as a tricky ask. If we win the games against Leicester, Leeds and Ipswich, who knows. 

Play-offs could be good fun. Certainly an exciting prospect! I'm enjoying the ride. Been a while since we've had the roller coaster of play-off games.

Strap yourselves in!

[beatlesaint]

I cant see us overtaking two of the three teams above us, and that's what it'll take, we are no longer chasing just the one team (for second spot - step forward all those who celebrated Leeds beating Leicester 🙄)

So it'll be playoffs and I do wonder if finishing fourth might be a blessing in disguise. If you finish third you face the team in sixth that have more than likely built up a head of steam to grab that place in the last couple of games of the season. But its a lottery and if over those three potential games we are on form I think we could do it.

Edited 9 March, 2024 by beatlesaint

[Colinjb]

The long and short of it is thst the squad we have is financially unsustainable in this league. Regardless of whether we are enjoying ourselves right now, we have to go up to even think of enjoying a season like this again. 

[John B]

11 minutes ago, beatlesaint said:

I cant see us overtaking two of the three teams above us, and that's what it'll take, we are no longer chasing just the one team (for second spot - step forward all those who celebrated Leeds beating Leicester 🙄)

So it'll be playoffs and I do wonder if finishing fourth might be a blessing in disguise. If you finish third you face the team in sixth that have more than likely built up a head of steam to grab that place in the last couple of games of the season. But its a lottery and if over those three potential games we are on form I think we could do it.

I agree with what you are saying but if we win the play offs I can only see us struggle in the PL

[beatlesaint]

13 minutes ago, Colinjb said:

The long and short of it is thst the squad we have is financially unsustainable in this league. Regardless of whether we are enjoying ourselves right now, we have to go up to even think of enjoying a season like this again. 

Aside from the financially unsustainable angle if we dont go up this season you are immediately losing KWP, THB, Downes, Brooks, Adams and probably Bednarek, Stuart Armstrong and Alcaraz. 

Edited 9 March, 2024 by beatlesaint

[beatlesaint]

1 minute ago, John B said:

I agree with what you are saying but if we win the play offs I can only see us struggle in the PL

Oh yeah totally agree, we wont compete in the Premier League.

[John B]

31 minutes ago, beatlesaint said:

Oh yeah totally agree, we wont compete in the Premier League.

But a play off trip to Wembley would be great

[Pamplemousse]

Ipswich and Leeds will drop points at some point. We will catch them. 

I hope the team isn't as defeatist about top two as some people here!!

[sfc4prem]

46 minutes ago, Colinjb said:

The long and short of it is thst the squad we have is financially unsustainable in this league. Regardless of whether we are enjoying ourselves right now, we have to go up to even think of enjoying a season like this again. 

I think you're conflating having a squad with players being paid a lot and thus unsustainable at this level with a squad that can still compete at the top at this level. The two aren't mutually exclusive.

[beatlesaint]

5 minutes ago, Pamplemousse said:

Ipswich and Leeds will drop points at some point. We will catch them. 

I hope the team isn't as defeatist about top two as some people here!!

Of course they will.......but so will we !

[spyinthesky]

I guess how successful we are depends on scouting decent players, bringing them in at a reasonable cost allowing for transfer fees and wages and integrating any decent youth teams players.
We have had periods when this combination has been quite successful.
However our big ticket purchases have generally been proved to be awful value for money.
 

[AlexLaw76]

17 minutes ago, Pamplemousse said:

Ipswich and Leeds will drop points at some point. We will catch them. 

I hope the team isn't as defeatist about top two as some people here!!

yep, they will...but we will drop more

[S-Clarke]

I much prefer having the points on the table than games in hand tbh, it does look very daunting and pretty much done and dusted when you look at the table this morning. 10 adrift at this stage is just too much, game in hand or no games in hand.

The fat lady is certainly freshening up her voice.

Edited 9 March, 2024 by S-Clarke

[Colinjb]

46 minutes ago, sfc4prem said:

I think you're conflating having a squad with players being paid a lot and thus unsustainable at this level with a squad that can still compete at the top at this level. The two aren't mutually exclusive.

There is generally correlation between the spend and quality though. And our recent unbeaten run suggests that we can compete. 

[S-Clarke]

1 hour ago, Colinjb said:

The long and short of it is thst the squad we have is financially unsustainable in this league. Regardless of whether we are enjoying ourselves right now, we have to go up to even think of enjoying a season like this again. 

If we don't go up we will lose almost our entire best 11, I think we all expecting that tbh. We'll obviously have a lot less to invest to replace those, but you only have to look at the likes of Ipswich to see it can be done. You don't need to spend a fortune, although it ultimately helps.

If we don't make it this year, I still expect us to have more than enough about us to sustain a playoff push next season. Failure next year is when it will be game over in terms of competing though, unless Dragan continues to pump money in.

Edited 9 March, 2024 by S-Clarke

[Cabrone]

I want us to win the league but I don't care about the premier league. The champ is way better, look at how many teams are involved in promotion\relegation - almost everyone. The prem is a durge.

[Toussaint]

1 hour ago, Pamplemousse said:

Ipswich and Leeds will drop points at some point. We will catch them. 

I hope the team isn't as defeatist about top two as some people here!!

I don’t know if it’s defeatist, it’s part self protection, not daring to dream as it were. Part is “scar tissue”. We will know better at 5 o’clock today as I don’t believe we can afford to drop another point and still make top 2.

Edited 9 March, 2024 by Toussaint

[Dark Munster]

6 hours ago, S-Clarke said:

If we don't go up we will lose almost our entire best 11, I think we all expecting that tbh. We'll obviously have a lot less to invest to replace those, but you only have to look at the likes of Ipswich to see it can be done. You don't need to spend a fortune, although it ultimately helps.

If we don't make it this year, I still expect us to have more than enough about us to sustain a playoff push next season. Failure next year is when it will be game over in terms of competing though, unless Dragan continues to pump money in.

With a very good manager. Which we do not have.

[FarehamSaintJames]

Everyone I speak to about us seems to think we’re a shoe-in for promotion whether it be the automatics or the play offs.

More recently I’m getting comments like “the play off trophy already has your name on”.

They clearly don’t watch us enough.

[ErwinK1961]

2 hours ago, FarehamSaintJames said:

Everyone I speak to about us seems to think we’re a shoe-in for promotion whether it be the automatics or the play offs.

More recently I’m getting comments like “the play off trophy already has your name on”.

They clearly don’t watch us enough.

Or opposition fans view us more objectively than our own fans do.

[Morse]

We've blown any chance of automatic promotion now. Chasing down two clubs at this stage of the season, isn't going to happen, especially since we've got to play all three clubs above us away, and non of them are playing each other again. So play-offs it is. FWIW I think we'll lose to Ipswich at Wembley. I wouldn't mind another season in the Championship, its much more fun the Prem , if you're winning. 

[Pamplemousse]

In the form table, over the last 10 games, we're second. It's only because in those 10 games Leeds have won 9 and drawn 1 that every dropped point for us looks bad.

If that form is replicated and Leeds have a drop off (with Millwall, Coventry and Hull to play soon you'd expect some dropped points at some stage) and we put on a run (2 wins now on the bounce) we can not only catch second but even win the league.

[AlexLaw76]

Just now, Pamplemousse said:

In the form table, over the last 10 games, we're second. It's only because in those 10 games Leeds have won 9 and drawn 1 that every dropped point for us looks bad.

If that form is replicated and Leeds have a drop off (with Millwall, Coventry and Hull to play soon you'd expect some dropped points at some stage) and we put on a run (2 wins now on the bounce) we can not only catch second but even win the league.

We won’t be doing that, and amazing people still think this is a reality.

[JRM]

1 minute ago, AlexLaw76 said:

We won’t be doing that, and amazing people still think this is a reality.

We won't , tough one for Martin to manage  , needs to keep the players focused and try to end the season with momentum going into the play offs. Watching Leeds lift the title last game of the season will be a bit of a downer or could inspire them to go on and win a bit of silverware ourselves. 

[Tom & Gerry]

I'm not saying we will finish in the top 2, but the trick is to stay in touch until the final 5 or 6 games, and then it's the teams that can handle the pressure best. It might be us  Leicester  and Ipswich look as wobbly as us.

[Midfield_General]

I think we’ll get to the play-off final and then whether we go up or not will entirely depend on who we have to play.

I really hope it’s not Hull, because they’ve got Russ-defensive-suicide-ball 100% worked out and they absolutely schooled us as a result. He isn’t going to change how we play, so there’s absolutely no reason why they wouldn’t just do it again, with the same result.

Assuming Leicester and Leeds go up automatically, the other play off contenders I think we’d probably beat, if (and it’s a big if) we stop leaking goals. If we don’t sort the defence out sharpish it won’t matter who we play. 

[Toussaint]

I am coming to the conclusion we are an “ok” team, with an ok manager, but with some very good individual players who can dig results out for us. It isn’t sustainable, won’t work in the prem and won’t work next season with an inevitability diminished squad. So we really need to go up this season, even if we do become a yo yo club, at less the money will keep rolling in. 

[John B]

1 hour ago, AlexLaw76 said:

We won’t be doing that, and amazing people still think this is a reality.

It may not be a reality but it is still a possibility