Promotion thoughts….

[saintasaurus]

Aware it’s a loooong way off but saw a post on Instagram a few days back on people’s thoughts for the 3 teams to be promoted this season and we featured heavily in the comments. There was also another post with which 4 teams for the play off spots and which would be good for a neutral fan, the 4 teams picked were; us, skates, Millwall and Charlton. Following that there was much debate on how a play off final between us and the skates would go (travel, policing, pubs etc.) just curious on people’s thoughts of the above. 

[AlexLaw76]

If Downs was brought in to get the goals/play a pivotal role as the central striker, we need to hope he hits the ground running when he is back. Otherwise, we will struggle to go up.

[sockeye]

A lot more people seem to expect us to be in the autos conversation compared to 2023/24. I'd say a good 9 in 10 predictions I've seen across the Internet and people I've spoken to IRL have us promoted in the automatics, mostly in 2nd place.

Skates, Millwall and Charlton won't be in the conversation. Apart from Leicester- Norwich, Coventry, Birmingham and Middlesbrough might be imo. 

Edited Tuesday at 21:15 by sockeye

[Harry_SFC]

4 minutes ago, AlexLaw76 said:

If Downs was brought in to get the goals/play a pivotal role as the central striker, we need to hope he hits the ground running when he is back. Otherwise, we will struggle to go up.

I agree. I think scoring will be our issue this season (probably the opposite of the last champ season) but we will do a lot better defensively. Despite still having errors in us I think WS can set up a team much better than Martin did.

Realistically Either Downs, Stewart or Archer will need to get 15-20 goals at least like Adams did. Certainly can't see Armstrong getting anywhere near the 25 odd he got last time. 

Edited Tuesday at 21:19 by Harry_SFC

[Toussaint]

It all depends what happens in the next two weeks, this current team will struggle to make an automatic spot. 

[Badger]

16 minutes ago, Toussaint said:

It all depends what happens in the next two weeks, this current team will struggle to make an automatic spot. 

This is it for me as well.

Losing a key departure, or more, and then signing a couple of no marks, also rans, like the Lens bloke, to add the collection of other duds we can’t get rid of and the gloom remains. Forget promotion. 
 
A couple of decent signings though of players who might have an impact this season (rather be an investment) and the place will feel a lot better. Then the skates game to come.

[hypochondriac]

1 hour ago, AlexLaw76 said:

If Downs was brought in to get the goals/play a pivotal role as the central striker, we need to hope he hits the ground running when he is back. Otherwise, we will struggle to go up.

I'm surprised we went for someone like that to be our main man up front. If he doesn't show the required quality, it's a hell of a risk to hope that Stewart stays fit and starts firing because there isn't much of an alternative beyond that. 

[West end Saints]

31 minutes ago, Toussaint said:

It all depends what happens in the next two weeks, this current team will struggle to make an automatic spot. 

I think the current team, if we have Fernandes and Dibling back commited is a very strong championship side and would rightly be one of favourites to get promoted.

Bazunu 

Fraser / any combinations of CBs/ Manning

Downes, Charles

Fernandes 

Forwards from Dibling, Downs,Stewart, Archer, Armstrong, Robinson

 

However, what will be key is who replaces the quality players from above who leave 

[Tommy]

Without an investment in 3 proven players  right across the attacking positions and making sure we keep Fernandes and Dibling then I’ve no real expectation beyond mid table obscurity.

[Badger]

5 minutes ago, hypochondriac said:

I'm surprised we went for someone like that to be our main man up front. If he doesn't show the required quality, it's a hell of a risk to hope that Stewart stays fit and starts firing because there isn't much of an alternative beyond that. 

“Someone like that “ being a young largely untried player who is seen as upcoming and being one for the future, rather than a proven track record, is exactly the sort of Saints signing we’ve gone for in recent years.  Shouldn’t have been a surprise.
 

I was hoping lessons might have been learnt that it wasn’t the best approach for immediate success. Apparently not. 

[LGTL]

We won’t score enough goals to be anywhere near the automatic promotion spots.

[Whitey Grandad]

14 minutes ago, LGTL said:

We won’t score enough goals to be anywhere near the automatic promotion spots.

Not on the showing so far but it's only early doors.

[hypochondriac]

38 minutes ago, Badger said:

“Someone like that “ being a young largely untried player who is seen as upcoming and being one for the future, rather than a proven track record, is exactly the sort of Saints signing we’ve gone for in recent years.  Shouldn’t have been a surprise.
 

I was hoping lessons might have been learnt that it wasn’t the best approach for immediate success. Apparently not. 

Well we supposedly have a new regime in charge. You have to think that if we don't go up this year, one main reason will be our lack of a reliable number 9. 

[Charlie Wayman]

I am cautiosly pessimistic. If we lose our 'star' players next week, unlikley to be strong enough to sustain a challenge at the top. A couple of defeats can deflate Still's balloon quickly and then it will be a struggle. The remaining squad is probably only good enough for 14th especially if a few key players get injured.

Edited Wednesday at 07:14 by Charlie Wayman

[Saint Fan CaM]

8 hours ago, Whitey Grandad said:

Not on the showing so far but it's only early doors.

That’s true - there’s still time to get it right. The trouble is we know the turn around in the squad was a huge undertaking and so far there’s been so little relative movement, added to SR’s previous performance in the market, so it’s not hard to understand why there’s so much pessimism. I think there’s slightly more chance of Fernandes being sold than Dibling, but either way those two go and don’t get replaced with quality and it’s the same old watering down of the squad as we’ve experienced time and time again.

[Challenger]

8 hours ago, LGTL said:

We won’t score enough goals to be anywhere near the automatic promotion spots.

Apparently according to some our existing strike force will blow this league apart. 

[AlexLaw76]

17 minutes ago, Challenger said:

Apparently according to some our existing strike force will blow this league apart. 

Well, for all Russell martins faults, he got Armstrong scoring 20-odd from a wide portion.

Edited Wednesday at 07:50 by AlexLaw76

[Football Special]

5 minutes ago, AlexLaw76 said:

Well, for all Russell martins faults, he got Armstrong scoring 20-odd from a wide portion.

True. We scored a lot of goals as a team , Che Adams was a good partner for Armstrong, held the ball and made space for him 

[AlexLaw76]

11 minutes ago, Football Special said:

True. We scored a lot of goals as a team , Che Adams was a good partner for Armstrong, held the ball and made space for him 

Downs will be an upgrade on Adams / any other striker we have, right?…..RIGHT?

Edited Wednesday at 08:12 by AlexLaw76

[SW11_Saint]

All down to what happens in the next 2 weeks. After Will’s post-match comments I have a strong hunch Fernandes & Dibling will go. If that happens, and we don’t replace them adequately then I’ll start to worry… 

I’m really hoping the club (Spors) have this in hand, but I’m not convinced some of the players we’re being linked with are anywhere close to the quality we’ll need. Without that creative spark our squad starts to look incredibly pedestrian and two-dimensional. 

[sfc4prem]

Ultimately it all rests on our attack. Currently I feel we miss creativity in generating final third opportunities. We also miss a danger man up front. It all feels a bit toothless at the moment.

If nothing changes, either through our current lot changing things or through the transfer window, I don't consider us to be contenders for the automatic slots.

[Andrew Watson]

All depends on the next two weeks as said above. There are two issues as far as I can see,the first is can we score enough goals? as many allude to,the other is that we seem to find it hard to keep clean sheets,which means we have to score at least twice to win a game.

[John B]

Get promoted and then explode again is my worry 

[die Mannyschaft]

Be very surprised if we get promoted. Team plays a very weak and negative style to compete. Struggled v Wrexham and Stoke got lucky at Ipswich. No real game plan and walking pace is hardly top 6. Mid table as too late to get players in as club sleep walking each day or on EA25 fantasy land.

[LoyalSaintSO50]

Promotion? Miles off at the moment. Wouldn’t look any further than the skate game, we lose to them vermin it’ll take some coming back from 

[Tommy]

On 19/08/2025 at 23:29, Tommy said:

Without an investment in 3 proven players  right across the attacking positions and making sure we keep Fernandes and Dibling then I’ve no real expectation beyond mid table obscurity.

Honestly not sure what's funny and confusing about this opinion, how can anyone see the options we have in the attacking creative areas of the pitch and think that we have enough goals for anything more than mid table. Especially when so poor defensively still. We need to be able to score 2 goals a game to get consistent points when we concede so easily. 

[Gloucester Saint]

19 minutes ago, Tommy said:

Honestly not sure what's funny and confusing about this opinion, how can anyone see the options we have in the attacking creative areas of the pitch and think that we have enough goals for anything more than mid table. Especially when so poor defensively still. We need to be able to score 2 goals a game to get consistent points when we concede so easily. 

Probably the bit about keeping TD and MF - TD was always going to bridge the TV money gap even with wage clauses, and MF will go. The MF money plus whatever we get for Aribo, Edozie, Smallbone, 100% of that needs to go on a quality 10, winger and CM who are standouts at this level and dictate matches if get near £50m. The other savings will pay for a loan winger and first team goalkeeper to challenge Bazunu.