S-Clarke

To be fair, if they do stay up, you'd have to say that's potentially a decent couple of wins next year.

I'd expect Birmingham to win it. But boy it's going to be fun watching other fans sufering...!!

A day that will live long in the memory. Today we rose to the occasion and once we got to grips with the game Coventry were startled and very very limited, which we exploited very well. They put in a decent shift to be fair to them, but they couldn't contain us. I always felt we'd do it, it's been an amazing season - actually, a breathtaking season. I said at the start of the season that we should expect to be in and around the top 10, pushing for the top 6. But to end the season 2nd, without ever falling out of the top 2 at any point is just remarkable and it takes some real management and mental toughness to see that through. That's why people need to relax a little about next year and stop all these posts about us needing to acquire 6,7, 8 new players, because that will just ruin what we've done for the past 2 years. Lessons can be learned from Norwich and Swansea, get yourself promoted playing a decent style of football and with a nucleus of players that can step up. We have that. Then all you need to do is add premier league quality into key positions to improve the squad depth. I wouldn't bet against us surprising more next year because the togetherness of this squad is 2nd to none. What they've achieved together is amazing, they must all feel 10 foot tall and when they look around at each-other in the dressing room and acknowledge what they've achieved TOGETHER. This team needs to be trusted and it will do us proud next year in the premier league.

Calm down. We don't and won't need that many new players. We will sign 3 or 4 new additions like we did last year and the year before, but I expect the panic to ensue when we haven't bought a new team.

All of them.

Hang your head in shame. Lead from the back and lead by example. Love him.

He's basically done what I do on football manager. It's great when you build a team that wins every week and you lap up the praise, but when I lose 3 or 4 on the trot and get knocked out of competitions I also walk out. In the real world he seems to have wimped out of a challenge, it was never going to be a case of non-stop success, there would always be tricky patches he'd have to overcome - and I think it's safe to say that he's spectacularly failed at that.

I'm wearing my jester hat with red wig, I will have my face painted and will wear some bright red jeans to match my red and white top....

It's illegal and is known as football corruption and taking the game into disrepute. If that happened and the authorities found out, I'd expect WHU's result to be made null and void (I.e a 3-0 reverse for Hull) and Coventry's result made null and void (3-0 to us). Probably including some hefty fines and maybe even additional points deductions. It's ludicrous to think that's even legal.

That's just being silly. They can try all they want, but at the end of the day they have poor players who are not good enough for this league (As demonstrated, as the table never lies) and to add insult to injury, half of those players aren't even available. We're not playing Man City, Barcelona, Real Madrid, Milan, Chelsea......we're not away at Leicester, Birmingham, West Ham. No, we're at home to a relegated, demoralized and depleted Coventry city team. People need to stop panicking and just enjoy the buildup. There couldn't be a better game, let's be honest.

Good post. This has a feeling of Southend back in 2006 doesn't it.....?

do what you've done all year at home and have no regrets at FT.

Nah, he's got months yet. Even touch and go for pre-season I'd have thought.

Even Bent at 'up to 24m' is criminal. More expensive than David Villa. Work that out.

It makes you laugh at the bad deal he was given as Liverpool manager. He had a better % than King Kenny. But the problem with Liverpool is that if they're 'not one of them' then they don't get a chance. If it wasn't kenny managing them now he'd have been hounded out months ago.

I remember that, their CB barrett I think with a volley? That woke us up to be fair and we tore them a new one in the 2nd half.

We always take things to the last day don't we? And by a large we do the job.

You have to register to read that - any chance you could paste it?

Who knows what can happen in football? Who would have thought Newcastle would be on the cusp of Champions League football just 2 years ago? It's not all about spending millions, it's about having a good structure right down the spine of the club and the right players mentally. You can win more with a team than you can with individual stars. I'm not saying we'll compete for the champions league, that's a fairy tale, but I don't think you can just pass up the opportunity to progress the club. It could be the start of a real story.

I probably just pre-emptted the responses in the rest of my post, as I've seen people say this alot. ''Not bothered if we don't go up, we can stay down and win lots of games. I'd prefer that"

I thought we'd do better if I'm honest, but the problem we had was the Cardiff - Leeds result. That gave M'Boro some real belief and they pushed us to the max. We didn't play badly but they didn't allow us to exert our quality. Frustrating, but that game was an example of 2 teams going hammer and tong at a target - one with 1 last chance, and another team who subconsciously in the back of their minds knew they had another chance whatever happend. - we came unstuck due to a sloppy bit of play, but we could have still won it if we were more professional. Saturday will be a totally different game, Coventry will not be as driven or as motivated. They may play with some freedom but as long as we play as we can then I can't see how they'll deal with us to be honest, and as I said I don't even think we'll need to play at the top of our game to cause them problems.

Nah, wasn't quoting you on that point - was just generally commenting on what people generally seem to be saying is an advantage to staying down.

People are panicking way too much about this game. We won't even need to play at top level to beat them, but if we do which I think we will then they'll not know what's hit them. We have nothing to worry about, enjoy the buildup and enjoy the celebrations at 3pm on Saturday.

Not sure why you've made the point about game times. I will bet my bottom dollar that we will have more 3pm KO's next year than we have had this year. I also don't quite agree with the view ''I'd rather be winning each year in the championship!!!". If only it was that simple, eh? Our best players will go, we will not be able to progress the youth academy and eventually we'll just stagnate again and become an Ipswich, who let's not forget have invested significant sums in the last few years. This year will be our best chance to get up for a long, long, long, long time. We need to take the chance now and grow us a club, because we won't be able to achieve the ambitions of our owners whilst staying at this level.

They will start with a 16 year old youth team player at CB because they have no one else.