Promotion

[melonhead]

We are a good 2 or 3 years away from being a team worthy of promotion.


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[leon]

We are a good 2 or 3 years away from being a team worthy of promotion.


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exactly. What a load of bollocks. This team pissed on the Championship 12 months ago, and actually I'm not sure who we'd lose that would make us worse. Especially as according to Avon Royal , Manchester Royal - in fact a number of gimps with "Royal" in their username (funny that) amongst others, the entire team is shit.

[ManchesterRoyals]

We are a good 2 or 3 years away from being a team worthy of promotion.


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exactly. What a load of bollocks. This team pissed on the Championship 12 months ago, and actually I'm not sure who we'd lose that would make us worse. Especially as according to Avon Royal , Manchester Royal - in fact a number of gimps with "Royal" in their username (funny that) amongst others, the entire team is shit.

I think were do ok in the Championship but we not good enough in the Premiership, ive even said ledge would even do a shit next season, most are good Championship players but in the Premiership there out of the depth

[Royal Ginger]

I worry that the mixture of expectation, pressure and attempting to change the way we play will hurt our chances. That assumption that we're coming right back is a dangerous one. The Championship is littered with clubs who would have expected to bounce right back. Bolton, Middlesborough, Birmingham, Blackpool and Blackburn in recent years, Charlton, Sheffield Wednesday, Nottingham Forest and Leicester going a bit further back.

I hope it all works out, and am sure that we have the players fr it to do so, but time is crucial, and if Anton loses patience if he doesn't get instant results in a tough league, we could be in a world of s**t.

[ManchesterRoyals]

I dont think were come straight back up. Give it 2 - 3 seasons and i will be happy

[Mr.T10]

Well it won the Championship last year.

That was under McD, playing effective football and making the most out of what we had.
Now everyone wants to play ineffective perpetual passing play, making the least out of what we have.

I can therefore see us struggling.

ideal, I am surprised to see you on the internet as you seem like a bloke who hates change. Would have thought seeing pictures on a screen would have the same affect as seeing Reading trying to compete in the modern football.

[Avon Royal]

We are a good 2 or 3 years away from being a team worthy of promotion.


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exactly. What a load of bollocks. This team pissed on the Championship 12 months ago, and actually I'm not sure who we'd lose that would make us worse. Especially as according to Avon Royal , Manchester Royal - in fact a number of gimps with "Royal" in their username (funny that) amongst others, the entire team is shit.

Strange, I remember everything I said in the summer as being dismissed as "bollocks" - but I have been proved absolutely right and you guys have been shown to be completely and utterly wrong.

You boys seemed doomed to repeat your mistakes. I on the other hand am happier with the club and more optimistic about the future than I've been in a long time. Brian has finally been sent on his way and a brighter future awaits - even if it takes a couple of years to arrive.

[Esteban]

We have every right to be confident of a good season back in the Championship, as long as we don't get arrogant about it. Adkins has proved himself as a good manager and we have a core of players that, if complimented by good signings in the summer, can definitely get us back up.

I am firmly of the opinion that we shouldn't forget what we were or how far we've come, but that shouldn't mean that we have to ignore the progress we've made in the past 15 years. Football is full of failures and financial meltdown, but we are one of the success stories. Not the best example of how to run a club, but by far from the worst. It's the small club mentality of some supporters that gets to me. We were a small club, but now we are established as a Championship side that has had three seasons in the PL.

I didn't want to see McDermott sacked and I disagree with the consensus that it was the right thing to do. But he's gone and we've got a good new manager that, given time, will implement a new style of football on the club. We've got more money now than we've ever had, despite some people's reservations about Zingarevich, and four years of parachute payments to back us up. Our situation is different to Wolves, Birmingham, Bolton, Blackburn, etc. We should feel confident about achieving a top six finish in the Championship and giving ourselves a great chance of an immediate return to the PL.

[Libertine]

Well we have a bunch of players on the wrong side of, or near, the age of 30 whose best days are behind them...fan favorites and scapegoats alike...who will most probably not be with us when we get promoted again.

Getting promoted again will be neither quick or easy.

[Big Ern]

Those on here criticising those who think we will instantly bounce back are just a stupid in my opinion. The truth is who knows? So much can happen between now and start of our Chump campaign with regards to players comings and goings. A lot of of the squad who got us promoted in the first place will still be there, that experience will count for something surely.

[royalsteve]

East Stand Ste wrote: Definitely too late for Adkins to save us from relegation,but honestly I think if this team pass and hold the ball rather than playing hoof ball RFC will be at the top of the championship. I am genuinely buzzing for tearing the championship apart next season. Here's hoping!

If you think this rabble will win the championship next season you are having a laugh.

A new squad is required, let the clear out commence.

but they've already won it

having said that we did overachieve - I reckon well do well to make the playoffs

[melonhead]

id hope for a good season next year, but there i8s a good chance that with a rebuild and squad ins and outs it will be a transitional season, and we may have to show more patience as fans that we did with brendon rodgers

[Lower West]

This team pissed on the Championship 12 months ago, and actually I'm not sure who we'd lose that would make us worse.

A team that rode its luck defensively and this season has been exposed ruthlessly.

[melonhead]

you dont win a 46 game c hampionship by riding your luck

[leon]

exactly. What a load of bollocks. This team pissed on the Championship 12 months ago, and actually I'm not sure who we'd lose that would make us worse. Especially as according to Avon Royal , Manchester Royal - in fact a number of gimps with "Royal" in their username (funny that) amongst others, the entire team is shit.

Strange, I remember everything I said in the summer as being dismissed as "bollocks" - but I have been proved absolutely right and you guys have been shown to be completely and utterly wrong.

You boys seemed doomed to repeat your mistakes. I on the other hand am happier with the club and more optimistic about the future than I've been in a long time. Brian has finally been sent on his way and a brighter future awaits - even if it takes a couple of years to arrive.

eh? I always knew it would be a difficult season, we didn't go out and spend £30M to try and stay up as a result we were going to struggle. But anyone can constantly make negative comments, get on the team and managers back and then rub their hands with glee when it goes wrong. I'll be interested in how you feel if we struggle next season. I suspect you'll be wanting to hit the ejector seat button.

[Ian Royal]

We have the basis of a very good Championship squad. Depending on who goes we don't actually need an awful lot of change at all. What we want is evolution and getting rid of most of the squad as not good enough is throwing the baby out with the bathwater. We need a lot of changes to be successful in the PL, but if we've written off survival, we've got three transfer windows to build that, minimum.

Goalkeeper - Good
Two of McCarthy, Federici, Taylor, Andersen.

Right Back - Excellent
Two of Kelly, Gunter & Cummings.

Left Back - Weak
One of Shorey or Harte could be extended and one other. Perhaps Kelly or Cummings. This is ignoring Mills unless he's gone already.

Centreback - Good
Two of Mariappa, Morrison, Pearce and Gorkss. Maybe three if we get lucky. Plus a youth player or rough diamond to develop as back up.

Midfield - OK - this is where the most work is needed and it's hardest to see who will play. But even then we don't need more than about one key signing to get the best out of the ones we want to keep and use. The big hole is the attacking midfielder, but we'll be much more able to play 4-4-2 in the Championship so that role is one that we can take our time over several transfer windows looking for the right player.
Leigertwood / Carrico
Tabb / Karacan / Akpan / Guthrie
??

Right Wing - Excellent
Kebe & McCleary

Left Wing - Excellent
McAnuff, Robson-Kanu & Obita

Forward - Good - if someone goes we look to replace them otherwise keeping what we've got we don't really need a signing here.
Pogrebnyak / Blackman
Le Fondre / Hunt

I make that a Left Back (maybe two), maybe a Centreback, maybe a Defensive Midfielder, maybe an Attacking Midfielder, and maybe a Forward or two depending on who leaves. If anything we're stronger than when we won the division in almost every position with the current squad, the exception being Left Back as we may not actually have one.

[Hampshire Royal]

Strange, I remember everything I said in the summer as being dismissed as "bollocks" - but I have been proved absolutely right and you guys have been shown to be completely and utterly wrong.

You boys seemed doomed to repeat your mistakes. I on the other hand am happier with the club and more optimistic about the future than I've been in a long time. Brian has finally been sent on his way and a brighter future awaits - even if it takes a couple of years to arrive.

Who was it who said that certain posters were more interested in being right in their opinions than the club? This is the first.

[Avon Royal]

Strange, I remember everything I said in the summer as being dismissed as "bollocks" - but I have been proved absolutely right and you guys have been shown to be completely and utterly wrong.

You boys seemed doomed to repeat your mistakes. I on the other hand am happier with the club and more optimistic about the future than I've been in a long time. Brian has finally been sent on his way and a brighter future awaits - even if it takes a couple of years to arrive.

Who was it who said that certain posters were more interested in being right in their opinions than the club? This is the first.

Yeah, you got me - I can't wait for relegation to be confirmed so that I can say "I told you so"

The biggest frustration about this season is that it was so obviously going to turn out this way. Yet every time anybody tried to point this out in the summer they were just accused of being "negative" or told to "piss off and support Chelsea". I would love more than anything in the world to have been proved wrong, but it was never going to happen.

[Jackson Corner]

We are a good 2 or 3 years away from being a team worthy of promotion.

Can't wait for the clear out.

I would agree with that. Look at Blackburn, Wolves, and Bolton. All struggled this season. Cardiff have pumped millions over 5 year period to get there.

[Esteban]

We are a good 2 or 3 years away from being a team worthy of promotion.

Can't wait for the clear out.

I would agree with that. Look at Blackburn, Wolves, and Bolton. All struggled this season. Cardiff have pumped millions over 5 year period to get there.

We're not in the same position as any of those teams though. Wolves sacked McCarthy, failed to replace him with anybody of note, then installed Solbakken who had never managed in the Championship before. Blackburn were doing ok until they sacked Kean, then it went to hell. Bolton are the closest to us out of that list, but I think our more recent Championship experience will stand in good stead.