If We Get Promoted To The PL This Season

[Username]

I agree Pap, he was actually quite poor at Arsenal.

I’m not saying he’s rubbish but I’ve not seen enough yet to suggest he is Championship quality never mind Premier League.

[Alf]

I repeat.

There would be no room for sentiment and neither should there be. Just my take on it.

Or do you want to get all sentimental and come straight back down again?

Thankfully our owner is a bit more ruthless and a winner so he won't allow that to happen.

No sentiment, pure practicality. There's a hell of a lot of value in a unified team which makes it worth way more than the sum of it's parts. To look at each individual player as an individual element would be just bad football management from the top level, and that's where EM's lack of sentimentality should see an heads roll, on any top staff who discounts the value of a unified team.

Look at Sheff U. Sat 5th in the Prem with players who some wouldn't have even deemed good enough for promotion, never mind the Prem. To extend on Salv's point, anyone thinking our players can't cut it should look at McGoldrick, Sharp, Freeman & Osborn as they sit in a Champions League place.

We should be building something more than a a set of players to win the next game, we should be setting the foundation of our long term future like they are.

Don't get me wrong, we should still strengthen, but I'd wager most folk woudl have had Jenks over Cash at RB and look how that turned out. If we go up the foundation of our side should remain the one which took us up IMO, with quality additions in key areas where needed.

[Sniffer Dog (Admin)]

Fair enough Alf. I see where you are coming from Bud.

[Jean_claude_killy]

I repeat.

There would be no room for sentiment and neither should there be. Just my take on it.

Or do you want to get all sentimental and come straight back down again?

Thankfully our owner is a bit more ruthless and a winner so he won't allow that to happen.

Bang on, Sniffer

Players show little sentiment when moving on for bigger wages; the Club should take the same view and look after their own interests first.

I see Alf's view point but do not believe that the unity and togetherness originates from the players themselves, although they do play a big role in maintaining that atmosphere.

Lamouichi has created the environment in which the players thrive; he ruthlessly sidelined the players he did not want or thought was not conducive to his philosophy.

That alone would make any potential troublemakers think twice about raising their heads above the parapet.

He promotes the group as one; he has gone out of his way to make the players feel loved and above all else he is honest with the players.

I totally agree with Alf that we should be keeping the factors that have created that harmonious spirit; to me that is Lamouchi and his team.

Players come and go, they always will; some of us have been waiting nigh on 30 years for Lamouchi, sign him up ffs.

[Sniffer Dog (Admin)]

^ Top post that JCK.

[beneytou]

For promotion next year: Samba Worral Cash Silva Semedo Lolley Carvalho ........sorry that's all folks!

[Alf Garnett]

For promotion next year: Samba Worral Cash Silva Semedo Lolley Carvalho ........sorry that's all folks!

Semedo is only on loan, doubt he'll be here next season. Apart from that I agree with you.

[Alf Garnett]

I repeat.

There would be no room for sentiment and neither should there be. Just my take on it.

Or do you want to get all sentimental and come straight back down again?

Thankfully our owner is a bit more ruthless and a winner so he won't allow that to happen.

Bang on, Sniffer

Players show little sentiment when moving on for bigger wages; the Club should take the same view and look after their own interests first.

I see Alf's view point but do not believe that the unity and togetherness originates from the players themselves, although they do play a big role in maintaining that atmosphere.

Lamouichi has created the environment in which the players thrive; he ruthlessly sidelined the players he did not want or thought was not conducive to his philosophy.

That alone would make any potential troublemakers think twice about raising their heads above the parapet.

He promotes the group as one; he has gone out of his way to make the players feel loved and above all else he is honest with the players.

I totally agree with Alf that we should be keeping the factors that have created that harmonious spirit; to me that is Lamouchi and his team.

Players come and go, they always will; some of us have been waiting nigh on 30 years for Lamouchi, sign him up ffs.

That's a good read and spot on. That's exactly how it should be and from what Sniffer tells us about Marinakis that's how it will be.

[beneytou]

Semedo it's possible to buy him if Benfica is agree!

[zicorice]

I'm from the old school of build and improve, whilst giving the lads who got you there a chance- we did ok when we brought in just Bryan Roy to our promotion side. Des Lyttle, Scott Gemmil, Dave Phillips, Chett and probably one or two others were deemed to be in need of upgrades by some the previous summer. On the other hand, bringing in Nigel Quashie, Jean Claude D'Archeville then Neil Shipperley and Dougie didnt exactlydo alot (albeit having lost Cooper, Kevin C and PVH)

I agree alot with Alfs view, but also think certain areas would need to improve. It's tricky. I think there's 2 ways of looking at it. 1. Who do we think would currently be interesting Prem sides? (Cash, Worrall, Lolley and possibly Riberio?) Or 2. As per thread:  If we go up, who will cut it?
No certainties, but I would argue a case for Sow, Silva and Carvalho based on the less physical nature.

However, over the years so many jorneyman players in twilight of careers do a great job when they achieve the dream. (Marcus Stewart, Dean Holdsworth, the Brighton CF, Kevin Campbell for Everton, McGoldrick so far, Mendonca, Paul Dikov, Richard Naylor, Chris Armstrong, various Bolton players under Big Sam, cascarino pre prem, that Donkey at Burnley-not Woods, the other one, not to mention Dave Phillips) the list goes on of those whose career wasn't exactly stellar, but helped teams stay up doing a decent job in Prem. I think Grabban might be one to have a decent season if it happened. Yates too, looks to have the minerals. Watson could easily be our Glen Whelan / Claudio Yacob in their Stoke/WBA days, doing a job for a year. So many variables.

Anyway, it's a fun debate which I really hope we are having next May!!!!

[Frochy1977]

If we managed to win promotion to The Premier League this season who in your opinion is good enough to remain in the team.

Difficult question.

Samba for sure. Probably Cash and Worrall on current form. Silva, Carvalho and Lolley maybe.

[wassy04]

Can’t believe more people aren’t putting Sow in this and first, comfortably our best outfield player so far this season. His tackling and mainly ability to intercept passes stand out and on top of that he’s decent on the ball too. Every team would love a player like him.

As for the strategy I honestly think the best strategy is to sign 3/4 big signings and stick with the rest. Fulham surely showed that strategy is flawed, why build a brand new team with higher wages when you have a ready made one. Not saying we can’t be ruthless (new striker hypothetically an example) but predominantly I would look to sign a few players and build in that situation.

A nice situation to dream about anyway!