Would you change positons with Sunderland?

They are not in the relegation zone.

You're right, 2 points above it. Well that changes my view on your question completely now I have realised this, a 2 point advantage is MASSIVE. Would love to be in Sunderland's position right now

No way.....not even a chance!

So we would be swapping certain safety for a day out in a cup that no one cares about against a side who are thrashing teams better than us. Mmmmmmmmm no.

Imagine you're a foreign billionaire looking to invest in English football bazza

,maybe Chinese or from Qatar trying the break into the premiership,. Would you giving a flying fig about the league cup runners up ( following the mighty Bradford), or would you be more bothered about a clubs chances of survival and buying into a guaranteed premiership side.

Imagine you are the latest bazza-kick-a-ball , star striker interested in plying your trade in the premier league. Will you sign for a side that finished ninth , played some great stuff and were never in danger of relegation. Or the runners up in the league cup who flirted with relegation all season long?

I don't get all this "good day out " shiete connected to cup finals, its only a good day if you win it, and if you think Sunderland will beat man c bazza, you're deluded. So no, I wouldn't swap places. Not in a million years.

City are destroying everyone in sight. If it was against someone more beatable then possibly. Swap our position to get mullered in a cup final ?

Think im in happy with our position to be honest.

It's a no from me too.

Anyone keeping count? Maybe add a poll?

Barry / Glasgow et al would be the first to complain following. The dicking by Man City, relegation, ransacking of the academy, departure of key players and sale to Micky Fialka.

Yes we are midtable but being that doesn't mean lack of ambition, it's a stepping stone. You'll be complaining against talk of the champion's league next...... Oh!

Seriously.

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Yeah would love to see our players that have just forced themselves into England squad and the ones banging on the door leave the club and play without freedom because we are battling at the bottom. Would love us to not be an attractive proposition for better players. It would be great to go down and not know if we will play man city again whilst preparing to play yeovil at home.

All for the sake of one day out in the league cup. yeah i would swap our position in a heartbeat

Clearly Barry knows something that no-one else does. I mean two points is HUGE. Like it would seem impossible to drop two points nowadays. And we'll be certain to win the league cup against Man City. Aren't they in the championship or something? I'd definitely swap, in a heartbeat.

Maybe we should ask wigan fans for their thoughts on this ?

Good thread! Since we've only been relegated once from the top flight in my lifetime and that wasn't exactly a pleasant experience I wouldn't be keen to swap positions. That said, if we were in Sunderlands position on the table, I would probably back us to stay up assuming we bring a decent striker in.

No, I am enjoying not having to deal with the stress that a relegation battle brings. Plus we still have a good chance in the FA Cup.

After many years of last day rear guard actions fighting relegation, or more recently seeking promotion, maybe a quiet season for once is not a bad thing.

Back to where we were in the 1980s and early 90s.

I can cope with that for a season or two.

There is only 1 reason to be envious of Sunderland in my view - they wear red & white strips

Barry / Glasgow et al would be the first to complain following. The dicking by Man City, relegation, ransacking of the academy, departure of key players and sale to Micky Fialka.

 

Yes we are midtable but being that doesn't mean lack of ambition, it's a stepping stone. You'll be complaining against talk of the champion's league next...... Oh!

 

Seriously.

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Who are we going to leapfrog? And how are we going to do this? We can unless we get a huge backer, we have not so as it stands it wont happen, I'm 99.9% sure of that.

Absolutely not, we are comfortably mid table, playing great football, we have a great squad of players, brilliant manager, are apparently well run. We are also in the last 16 of the FA Cup, with a winable away tie. What have Sunderland to match that, apart from Poyet and a cup final, where they are likely to be humiliated……..

No its too cold up there....they don't have the New Forest, Beaulieu, Winchester, Isle of Wight

Would Sunderland want to change with us? A possible Cup win, home Cup draw for the last 8 and probably enough to stay up (my opinion, Fulham, Cardiff, Palace are weaker)?

Good gamble.

No its too cold up there....they don't have the New Forest, Beaulieu, Winchester, Isle of Wight

Whilst Sotonians have Bevios Valley, Portswood, Shirley Warren and Millbrook.................

Whilst Sotonians have Bevios Valley, Portswood, Shirley Warren and Millbrook.................

All have their good points.....Millbrook has The Saints pub, Bevois Valley The Guide Dog, Portswood Kohinoor, Shirley Warren has The Diamond House - used to have a good football team as well...I skippered them for a few years.

In some ways, given the OP I would say, yeah why not?

If we had our team and just a straight swap in positions I would feel confident this squad is good enough to keep us up from Sunderlands position. We are probably not hugely likely to go up more than a place or 2 anyway now. And, a crack at a cup would be great.

That said, I would not take a cup over our Premiership position. Whilst a cup final is great, I'd much rather Saints were playing at the top level, against the best clubs week in week out - every season. Staying in the top league allows you to attract better players, and ofcourse keep the better players of our very productive academy. The longer this continues, the more likely we are to see cup success. You don't see many non-Premier League teams winning the cups. Are Wigan any better off for winning the FA Cup last year?

For me it's about the development of the club and our future, not just the instant gratification of a single cup win. I love the way things are at the moment (clappy alert), we have a young team, with a healthy chunk of academy bred players, and in addition a few british purchases and also some really quality imports too. We play some stunning football at times, even if we are also frustrating at times too, under a young manager that does things in a way I like (see post re: differing tactics 4-6-0 vs starting an 18y/o on Wednesdays Game Thread). I don't think if we went down, that would continue, and given the crap we endured in the Championship (pre-Liebherr/Cortese) I'd take mid-table mediocrity anyday.

Anyway, that's my 2 cents. So, no basically, I wouldn't.

All have their good points.....Millbrook has The Saints pub, Bevois Valley The Guide Dog, Portswood Kohinoor, Shirley Warren has The Diamond House - used to have a good football team as well...I skippered them for a few years.

Is this why Ramirez came? The Portswood Kohinoor?

Not a chance. High risk of being relegated and getting spanked by Man city in the cup! No thanks. Before long we will start turning into Arsenal fans, that expectation of winning trophies hangs deep.

Hmm, the club formerly known as Portsmouth have a recent cup - even during their current situation, they are able to look back on that cup and be (albeit hypocritically) proud of it. Just as Wigan (with less hypocrisy). Just as us, except it's been 38 years ffs. I think England fans have got over the fact that we won the world cup 48 years ago. So, wouldn't switch with Sunderland, but would love to get to the FA Cup final - we'd have a better chance than 2003.

No, SFC is looking up, Sunderland is looking at best sideways.

Better football, better owners, better manager, better players, still in the Cup and everything looking rosy - no way.

We could yet have a real good run at the cup ourselves this season, get past Sunderland and a home draw in the quarters could quite feasibly see us in the semis and then who knows.

I would swap......if we had our manager/team as it is now we wouldn't be in a relegation scrap for long - we'd comfortably pull away, could even finish up in 9th pos by the end. Plus, we'd have a cup final to go to, PLUS we'd definitely be in Europe next year! Win, win, win. Yes, I'd swap places, but nothing else.

Actually thinking about it we wouldn't be in Europe would we, wouldn't that go to 7th in League? Ah well, I'd still swap

Actually thinking about it we wouldn't be in Europe would we, wouldn't that go to 7th in League? Ah well, I'd still swap

6th, I think.

Either way, yes you are right. You only get a Europa League place for winning the League Cup, not reaching the Final.

I was thinking more along the lines that in the FA Cup the team that loses in the Final still goes into Europe if the team that won finished in the Champions League positions in the League..... Not sure, but I don't think that's the case for League Cup. Or has it all changed now.....I'm getting old these days ;o)

It's an entirely theoretical question, but ask yourself this. Would you prefer our last ten years as it happened, or would you prefer we had spent 10 years in the Premier League finishing between 8th or 9th and 16th, and with no visits to Wembley in any of the cups?

 

I'd take the last 10 years every time. The championship holds no fears at all for me, I thoroughly enjoyed our time there even when we were relatively sh*t.

I'll take the last 4 years....

BUT the lower leagues are strewn with teams who have been relegated from the prem and never made it back, most in financial difficulties. We had a lucky escape with Marcus taking over, it doesn't happen for everyone. I'd rather not risk the drop.

Absolutely not - there is nothing mediocre about our football and league position at the moment......and it is precisely our position of relative safely that will enable us to make a decent fist of winning a cup in the near future. The stress of a relegation battle is horrible, even if it means (in this hypothetical scenario) that you have a cup final sweetener.

Definitely not...Sunderland will get smacked in the final...i am very confident that we will win at their place and if anything happens to Adam Johnson i wouldn't be too confident of them staying up.

Throw in to the fact that we have a much better squad...better academy and better manager and it is not even close i'm afraid

I See barry is in full wum mode today, his last 2 threads kind of confirm that. Why is he allowed to carry on mods?

I'll take the last 4 years....

 

BUT the lower leagues are strewn with teams who have been relegated from the prem and never made it back, most in financial difficulties. We had a lucky escape with Marcus taking over, it doesn't happen for everyone. I'd rather not risk the drop.

We are very much the exception, not the rule.

Look at Sheffield Wednesday/United, Derby (may soon arrest that), Leicester (same) Leeds, Notts Forest, Middlesborough, Charlton, Birmingham, Bolton, Wolves, Coventry, Bradford amongst others that have gone done and never made it back.

It was fun under Liebherr/Cortese, but less so prior to that. I'd take mid-table Prem over mid-table Championship any day.

No way, our local rivals would be better than us, cant have that.

Thread: Would you change positons with Sunderland?

Dunno. What charge does a positon have? Negative like an electron, or positive?

Is this why Ramirez came? The Portswood Kohinoor?

No he likes the free coffee he gets with his Waitrose card - a very good branch.

Let me ask this....

Who won the league cup last year.... Easy = Swansea

Who finished 9th? Nobody cares or knows without looking

Let me ask this....

 

Who won the league cup last year.... Easy = Swansea

 

Who finished 9th? Nobody cares or knows without looking

No no I want to finish 9th, we will get better players if we finish in 9th, its proven you know, finish 9th you get the best players.

No no I want to finish 9th, we will get better players if we finish in 9th, its proven you know, finish 9th you get the best players.

Finishing 9th and staying in the Premier League will ensure you get better players than if you win the FA cup and get relegated.

Swansea celebrate cup win as 1000's pack the streets...

Meanwhile WBA fans dance in the street to celebrate 8th place finish

2 league wins in 12!!

 

Anyway back to OP... Yes id swap.

http://www.premierleague.com/en-gb/matchday/form-guide.html

10th in the form league - not too bad really...

No chance in hell would I swap. Prem football isn't the be all and end all but now that we're back I don't want to give it up. 9th is fine thanks.

No chance ,progress in the league shows we are improving.I'd take any position higher than last season over a cup final.

No chance ,progress in the league shows we are improving.I'd take any position higher than last season over a cup final.

Does it? Last season WBA finished 8th now 15th, Swansea finished 9th they are now 11th, WHU finished 10th they are now 18th

2011/12 Newcastle finished 5th, next season 16th + Fulham finished in the magical 9th and then finished 12th last season

2010/11 Villa finished 9th

2009/10 Birmingham finished 9th

2008/9 WHU (they were the relegated to Champ)

2007/9 Portsmouth finished 8th

I wouldn't swap our great start to this season for a league cup and possible relegation. Although our lack of squad depth screwed us, the latter half of last year was one of the best times I ever had as a Saints fan of over 40 years.......I have belief in our possibilities for now.....I won't swap that for anything!

I wouldn't swap our great start to this season for a league cup and possible relegation. Although our lack of squad depth screwed us, the latter half of last year was one of the best times I ever had as a Saints fan of over 40 years.......I have belief in our possibilities for now.....I won't swap that for anything!

One of the best times, 76 I presume the best in actually winning something.

Barry, didn't you say on a previous thread you would rather be 8th than win the FA Cup and be 15th?

How times have changed...

One of the best times, 76 I presume the best in actually winning something.

It's all about the dreams. get over yourself.

No, SFC is looking up, Sunderland is looking at best sideways.

 

Better football, better owners, better manager, better players, still in the Cup and everything looking rosy - no way.

 

We could yet have a real good run at the cup ourselves this season, get past Sunderland and a home draw in the quarters could quite feasibly see us in the semis and then who knows.

You don't have to give up that part. Just our position with Sunderland in the league, and their League Cup final.

Absolutely not, we are comfortably mid table, playing great football, we have a great squad of players, brilliant manager, are apparently well run. We are also in the last 16 of the FA Cup, with a winable away tie. What have Sunderland to match that, apart from Poyet and a cup final, where they are likely to be humiliated……..

You don't have to give up that part. Just our position with Sunderland in the league, and their League Cup final.

Definitely not...Sunderland will get smacked in the final...i am very confident that we will win at their place and if anything happens to Adam Johnson i wouldn't be too confident of them staying up.

 

Throw in to the fact that we have a much better squad...better academy and better manager and it is not even close i'm afraid

You don't have to give up that part. Just our position with Sunderland in the league, and their League Cup final.

Anyway, I wouldn't swap. Although we'd unlikely go down, there would still be a risk, especially with a few key injuries (Gazza in goal for example). Not to mention we're still in the FA Cup (and they'll be the team not wanting to risk players in that match), and it's unlikely we'd beat a rampant Citeh in the League Cup final.