Jump to content

IF we get promoted....


spyinthesky
 Share

Recommended Posts

How much money will it take to make the team competitive?

Watching the team weave pretty patterns around the pitch then get caught on the break, makes me think how often we would be penalised back in the Premiership>

We would definitely need to find a decent left back a couple of midfielders and may be one or two central strikers.

I guess all this would need funding and rely on our scouting team have a bit better eye for a player than has been the case in recent times.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

We would get absolutely destroyed in the prem and ship a ton of goals. IMO we would need 

New GK 

New CB/ Bednarek replacement

New LB

Armstrong replacement 

Striker x2

 

first 11: 

New GK 

KWP THB new CB New LB 

Downes New DM 

New RM Sulemana 

Alcaraz 

New striker

 

So that's at least six players for the starting 11 and maybe replace Sulemana as well. 

 

  • Like 3
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Not wishing to be a negative Nelly, but I think that this is rather premature right now despite our solid recent form - if we were in Leicester's position things would be slightly different but still a moot point.  Rather like us considering how much money wins us the Champions League when Ralph had his purple patch.  Our best hope of promotion of course is to keep ticking along and catch Ipswich as not sure that this squad has the minerals to win a play off final.  I think come the end of January we are going to have a much better idea.  

Another point is our somewhat unusual situation with the relative youth and clear potential of our squad, it might be that we keep KWP beyond January, Alcaraz and Sulemana have a happy new year, blossom, and tear this league a new one, Harwood-Bellis and Downes decide they like it by the seaside, our Man City YTS scheme kicks in / on, and we have a fit and committed centre forward on the pitch most weeks.  If all that happens Dragan will likely have plenty of loot from the summer bonanza to fill in the gaps. 

  • Like 5
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Bad form I know but I'm inclined to answer the question with a few questions...

What other team(s) in the Premier League (past or present) play (or have played) with similar tactics to that of Russell Martin? How much did they spend on their squad? And how well did they do? 

The answer to those questions will inform us as to what we would need to do to emulate the teams that play like us, but in the PL...

 

  • Like 2
Link to comment
Share on other sites

1 hour ago, West end Saints said:

As we are currently bookies favourites to win the play offs, if you are this confident you can make decent money. 

 

Unless of course you don't really think that... 

How much have you put on us getting promoted...? ;)

Link to comment
Share on other sites

We are on a good run in a division that you could argue is physically challenging, and not particularly well officiated. 
 

It certainly isn’t a technical and tactically astute league, which given our leadership team and players probably suits our current situation.

IMO take exactly what we have now in terms of manager coaches and players, we would really struggle back in the Prem. 

A lot of money and change needed if we get back, which I have no doubt that we will. Just depends on who calls the shots in the summer and the plan. 

Will be an interesting back end of the season. 
 


 

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

57 minutes ago, trousers said:

How much have you put on us getting promoted...? ;)

Not confident we will be promoted. 

Think got fair chance of top two, but others clearly more likely. 

Very confident we will be top 6, but then it is cup football so who knows. 

Play offs are stressful but winning them would be better than automatic for me. 

  • Confused 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Improvement in almost every position, especially as our best centre back and centre midfielder is are on loan. 
 

I think every team in the league would currently struggle in the Premier League, even Leicester. 

Edited by Appy
Link to comment
Share on other sites

12 hours ago, Appy said:

Improvement in almost every position, especially as our best centre back and centre midfielder is are on loan. 
 

I think every team in the league would currently struggle in the Premier League, even Leicester. 

Althouth THB would become ours if we went up and I think he's be good enough for a first XI spot in the Premier League. I agree with Downes though, I reckon West Ham would want him back after a great season on loan and he's a Hammer's fan anyway I believe so I'd be surprised if he was willing to stay.

As for the rest of the squad I reckon we would need 7/8 players to really compete, A CB, A LB, 2 x CM, 2 x AM/Wingers and 1 if not 2 x strikers. That's probably £100 to £150 million of new players just to compete. It doesn't bear thinking about right now. Let's just get there and see. I don't see us getting into the auto spots so then it is the lottery of the play-offs.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

So which is it, with this squad we should be walking this league or we would need  6 -7 players to compete in  the prem? I don't think both can be true. Clearly we need more goals. If we had beaten Ipswich we would only be  2 points behind them and if we'd beaten Rotherham  and Huddersfield as we should have as well we'd be top. It is much harder to score in the Premier league  so that is the problem Martin needs to solve and then I think we'd probably struggle , we usually do, but we'd be alright 

  • Like 1
  • Confused 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

3 hours ago, Tom & Gerry said:

So which is it, with this squad we should be walking this league or we would need  6 -7 players to compete in  the prem? I don't think both can be true.

You've not looked at this season's Premier League table much, then?

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

The problem we will face, nice problem though it is, is that it’s highly likely we would go up with Leeds and Leicester, whilst Shef Utd, Burnley and Luton will all go down. We are so far behind the other Prem teams that we would arguably be in the strongest Prem league in terms of depth ever.

THB would be bought so that solves one problem, it’s possible ABK returns and starts fulfilling his potential. Baz may finally be ready for Prem football, KWP is quality, and I think Alcaraz will be that level. Outside of that we have real quality issues - Downes maybe, if we can buy him. Don’t believe the Sulimana hype and can see us selling him in Jan. You don’t need a team of amazing players, but you do need a core so we would need to find a high quality left back, def mid, att mid and 2 strikers. Realistically you would need a £200m transfer budget minimum to stay up - and unlike last season not just waste it….you would need a 100pc hit rate.

Having a relegation season with low expectations will be more fun, we may upset a couple of clubs and unlike last time we won’t have thrown it away by doing daft and idiotic things.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

We'd need a new keeper. Bazunu is going to come good, at the highest level but with the rate keepers mature and the exposure he had last time in that league, throwing him straight back in would be very foolish. He'd need a season or two as a back up keeper in that league. By that point he'll be 24 and hopefully will have matured without the pressure of the top flight.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

2 hours ago, Tom & Gerry said:

Ah  but Burnley have lost some key players including a centre half and a goalscoring winger.

In summary, the think you think "can't both be true" can, very obviously both be true. As well as Burnley look at Norwich, Fulham and others that that have stormed the second tier and come straight back down.

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

3 hours ago, CB Fry said:

In summary, the think you think "can't both be true" can, very obviously both be true. As well as Burnley look at Norwich, Fulham and others that that have stormed the second tier and come straight back down.

A fair point, but genuine question. Did those teams have a lot of  premier league loan players which they lost? Maybe they made too many changes and lost their cohesion.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

On 30/11/2023 at 11:58, trousers said:

Bad form I know but I'm inclined to answer the question with a few questions...

What other team(s) in the Premier League (past or present) play (or have played) with similar tactics to that of Russell Martin? How much did they spend on their squad? And how well did they do? 

The answer to those questions will inform us as to what we would need to do to emulate the teams that play like us, but in the PL...

 

Not sure if the tactics of Burnley last year and Fulham the year before would be classified as similar to our own, but they spent over £100m and about £70m, respectively.

How about Swansea back in 2011 (who came up via the play offs)? They only spent about £12m, which brought in Danny Graham, Routledge, Lita, Vorm and Sigurdsson. They finished 11th. As a guide, we spent about £40m the following season, finishing 14th. That feels a long time ago now though, and you'd need some amazing scouting to spend £12m (or even the equivalent for 2024) to stay up.  

Edited by Chez
  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

4 minutes ago, farawaysaint said:

I think a couple of free transfers and a cheeky loan and we should be ok.... 

I don't even know anymore, the market is nuts and the norm seems to be to spend about £100mi when you go up only to be relegated the following season. 

Fulham, Bournemouth and Forrest all spent loads and all survived last season.

Norwich spent about £60m (only about £25 net though), Watford about £40m (£30m net) and Brentford about £35m. Only Brentford stayed up.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

58 minutes ago, Chez said:

Fulham, Bournemouth and Forrest all spent loads and all survived last season.

Norwich spent about £60m (only about £25 net though), Watford about £40m (£30m net) and Brentford about £35m. Only Brentford stayed up.

You are quite correct, spending £100mi (inflation adjusted) apparently has been enough to stay up in 82% of cases. Let's do that then. 

Edited by farawaysaint
Link to comment
Share on other sites

1 hour ago, farawaysaint said:

I think a couple of free transfers and a cheeky loan and we should be ok.... 

I don't even know anymore, the market is nuts and the norm seems to be to spend about £100mi when you go up only to be relegated the following season. 

I don't think so, we got relegated with a far better squad than we have now.  This squad, with Russell managing, even with your suggested additions, would be absolute cannon fodder in the prem.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

You could ask the question another way, which of Saturdays matchday squad would be consistently starting  with a "competitive" current premier league team?

  • Baz - No
  • Lumley - No
  • KWP - Yes
  • THB - Maybe (unproven in the prem)
  • Bednarek - Maybe
  • Manning - No
  • Charles - Maybe
  • Downes - Maybe (didn't get much of a look in at WHU)
  • Stu - Maybe, love him, but he's a Maybe due to advancing years
  • A Armstrong - No, already failed miserably at that level, don't be fooled by his tally, he will never get those opportunities or the time to execute them in the prem
  • Che - Maybe
  • Alcarez - Maybe
  • Aribo - No chance
  • Bree - No chance
  • Dibling - No
  • Edozie - No
  • Fraser - No
  • Holgate - No
  • Mara - No 

So, in my view, 1 definite, 7 maybe's and 11 definite no's.  I'm with @saint lard on this one.

 

  • Like 2
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Was just thinking the same.VAR has ruined the premier league, gone are the days of celebrating what you hoped was a goal, only for VAR to point out a not so very clear and obvious error, and  we in the championship dont have the luxury of witnessing despair from the moment of glory. As much as its the top league wait until the Saudis start throwing money around at sky,or a break away European super league  is formed,as it will due to the bottomless pit of money the Arabs have, the Premier league will be the other league.

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

12 hours ago, Roo1976 said:

Was just thinking the same.VAR has ruined the premier league, gone are the days of celebrating what you hoped was a goal, only for VAR to point out a not so very clear and obvious error, and  we in the championship dont have the luxury of witnessing despair from the moment of glory. As much as its the top league wait until the Saudis start throwing money around at sky,or a break away European super league  is formed,as it will due to the bottomless pit of money the Arabs have, the Premier league will be the other league.

To be fair, there is always the 96th minute of yesterday's game to remind us ;) 

  • Haha 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

If we got promoted we'd be slapped around most games, the enjoyment would be rare, and the issues of VAR and big club bollocks would be depression-inducing.

Sounds quite unappetising, weirdly.

Maybe I'm saying this because promotion this season doesn't look hugely likely? Would I be saying the opposite and looking forward to PL football if we were leading the way like Leicester? Who knows.

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

11 hours ago, sfc4prem said:

If we got promoted we'd be slapped around most games, the enjoyment would be rare, and the issues of VAR and big club bollocks would be depression-inducing.

Sounds quite unappetising, weirdly.

Maybe I'm saying this because promotion this season doesn't look hugely likely? Would I be saying the opposite and looking forward to PL football if we were leading the way like Leicester? Who knows.

I think you'll be saying the opposite in a few years if we don't go up and sell our best players, becoming Championship (or lower) dross the likes of Stoke and Millwall.

  • Like 2
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Chelsea have spent half a billion and are still rubbish. By that measure how much would Saints have to spend if we went up?🥺 How much do you want your match ticket or ST renewal to be a better question imo. 

The teams that essentially “spend” the most dominate the league. Occasionally outliers can disrupt that monopoly- but not consistently. 
 

I’d prefer Saints not bankrupt itself trying to keep up with Arabian financed clubs. It’s not a level Playing field and never will be - not even with wage caps and draft picks US style. 
 

Unlike me to be pessimistic but probably the Best chance Saints will have of being English champions is in ten years time when the European super league has begun and all the best players already play in Saudi…

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

11 minutes ago, gio1saints said:

Chelsea have spent half a billion and are still rubbish. By that measure how much would Saints have to spend if we went up?🥺 How much do you want your match ticket or ST renewal to be a better question imo. 

The teams that essentially “spend” the most dominate the league. Occasionally outliers can disrupt that monopoly- but not consistently. 
 

I’d prefer Saints not bankrupt itself trying to keep up with Arabian financed clubs. It’s not a level Playing field and never will be - not even with wage caps and draft picks US style. 
 

Unlike me to be pessimistic but probably the Best chance Saints will have of being English champions is in ten years time when the European super league has begun and all the best players already play in Saudi…

 

I think Chelsea have proven quite emphatically that who spends the most isn't guaranteed to get success. There's no point in going around with a billion quid and just signing up anyone who can breathe, they've had absolutely zero strategy with their recruitment - it is an absolute shambles what they've managed to put together and Poch has been sold up the river, some of the young players they've signed will never reach the heights they could have (I worry about Lavia).

Newcastle have money, but if you look at their signings they've been much more measured and sensible (down the spine). I have no idea what world Chelsea's owners live in, they're very arrogant to think that just money without any thought will get you any success.

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

13 minutes ago, S-Clarke said:

I think Chelsea have proven quite emphatically that who spends the most isn't guaranteed to get success. There's no point in going around with a billion quid and just signing up anyone who can breathe, they've had absolutely zero strategy with their recruitment - it is an absolute shambles what they've managed to put together and Poch has been sold up the river, some of the young players they've signed will never reach the heights they could have (I worry about Lavia).

Newcastle have money, but if you look at their signings they've been much more measured and sensible (down the spine). I have no idea what world Chelsea's owners live in, they're very arrogant to think that just money without any thought will get you any success.

Simply not true. Surely you can see a strategy with the below...yes there are a few outliers (Koulibaly / Aubameyang and to an extent Sterling), but the rest are under 25, most are 22 or younger.  They've been f*cked by their best signing getting injured (Nkunku), their best player being injured 90% of the time (James) and they're in a transition phase.  Don't get me wrong, clearly they could and should have spent the money better, but to say there is no strategy is just plain wrong. We've experienced young players going through the motions, and this lot are meant to be playing at Champions League level week in week out, competing at the highest level.  Squads always need a balance. They've signed far too many young players which is very similar to us over the last few years. 

 image.png.f38311b5ac8b22ba6e0c59f9183bcd9e.png

image.png.fcbe7498feeca885301b28a8675ce8c7.png

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I appreciate the chat about the Saudi league / Euro Super League taking the Premier League's mantle. BUT I was reading an article this week about the 10th anniversary of the Chinese Super League and the huge salaries they were throwing around. Many of the top clubs have gone bust or are on their way out soon; all the top players left due to high level political decisions beyond the control of the league.

I don't think it's a nailed on certainty the Saudis start running things.

With regards VAR and the lack of a level playing field I couldn't agree more. Sat on my own in a terrible bar miles from home watching a frustrating game against Watford ~2 years ago it occurred to me that for the last few years I had been subjecting myself to all sorts in order to enjoy a win roughly every third game (and less in our last few PL years).

I'm not looking forward  to going back to that win ratio or VAR. But I also quite like the team we have now, and would like them to stay together. Which means we need promotion. The Catch22 of the modern non-plastic football fan

 

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

6 hours ago, Saint Garrett said:

Simply not true. Surely you can see a strategy with the below...yes there are a few outliers (Koulibaly / Aubameyang and to an extent Sterling), but the rest are under 25, most are 22 or younger.  They've been f*cked by their best signing getting injured (Nkunku), their best player being injured 90% of the time (James) and they're in a transition phase.  Don't get me wrong, clearly they could and should have spent the money better, but to say there is no strategy is just plain wrong. We've experienced young players going through the motions, and this lot are meant to be playing at Champions League level week in week out, competing at the highest level.  Squads always need a balance. They've signed far too many young players which is very similar to us over the last few years. 

 image.png.f38311b5ac8b22ba6e0c59f9183bcd9e.png

image.png.fcbe7498feeca885301b28a8675ce8c7.png

A strategy needs to be about more than signing 'young' players though. Players should be signed to fit a playing style, fill positions you have a shortfall, improve starting quality at x or y etc.

They have literally just gone scattergun at highly rated young players, in all different positions, in some cases totally ignoring what they already had in their academy. That is not a strategy to me.

We went about it in the PL last season, a somewhat lighter version of it, but a similar scattergun approach on young players whilst failing to fill the obvious holes with experienced proven quality.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I don't think Chelsea are the best choice to criticise as a club who've spent a fortune and are underperforming. Over the last two decades they've literally won everything, and their trophy cabinet is bulging. They are in a lull at the moment, but they'll probably be back sooner rather than later. Of course it doesn't help that they currently have the world's most overrated manager who, apart from a couple of one horse races in France with the help of the likes of Messi and Neymar, has won sod all.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

On 04/12/2023 at 16:25, Toussaint said:

You could ask the question another way, which of Saturdays matchday squad would be consistently starting  with a "competitive" current premier league team?

  • Baz - No
  • Lumley - No
  • KWP - Yes
  • THB - Maybe (unproven in the prem)
  • Bednarek - Maybe
  • Manning - No
  • Charles - Maybe
  • Downes - Maybe (didn't get much of a look in at WHU)
  • Stu - Maybe, love him, but he's a Maybe due to advancing years
  • A Armstrong - No, already failed miserably at that level, don't be fooled by his tally, he will never get those opportunities or the time to execute them in the prem
  • Che - Maybe
  • Alcarez - Maybe
  • Aribo - No chance
  • Bree - No chance
  • Dibling - No
  • Edozie - No
  • Fraser - No
  • Holgate - No
  • Mara - No 

So, in my view, 1 definite, 7 maybe's and 11 definite no's.  I'm with @saint lard on this one.

 

The likes of Downes, Edozie and THB could really excel in the Prem,if, and it’s a big fucking if for us, we were to go out and spend some money on proven older Premier League players that they could play alongside and learn from. 
 

That’s the concern if we were to go up though, we’ll go down the Sports Republic route of trying to be cleverer than most and sign a load of kids that aren’t good enough and we’ll be back down in the Championship ready to do it all again.

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

9 hours ago, saint lard said:

Nothing thus far convinces me I really want us to go up. 
this season is a blast. 
go up?….utter dismay week in..week out.🤷🏻‍♂️ 

That's the big quandry.

Yes, we all want our team to play in the top division and our players want to do that.  But going up and playing as we did the last couple of seasons isn't something any of us will look forward to.

Maybe there's a world where we can go up, be (reasonably) competitive, but look like we have a hope in hell's chance of winning games?

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
 Share

×
×
  • Create New...