Who doesnt mind not getting promotion this season?

[Badger]

On 24/09/2025 at 21:55, S-Clarke said:

 

Thankfully, the good news, Stephens and Bazunu would be down to 1 year left on their deals - so that's a positive at least. (we're probably going to offer Bazunu an 8 year contract though, I can see it in my nightmares)

 

Won't Stephens have another two at the end of this season ? (Unless his current deal is two, with an option of a third).

Bazunu, I can't see us wanting to allow this prize asset (as the club see it) going into a final year, then walking away for free. Deluded know,. 

[Mr X]

I'd don't want to get promoted this year we aren't ready and will go straight back down, not there's any chance of that anyway now! but I do want to finish in the top 6 and show that we are capable of eventually winning promotion when the time is right... Still was a gamble I want him to do well and we were sold the spiel of how good he is but he really hasn't delivered anything so far..... Time will tell... If we are outside the top six at Xmas 

[Chez]

54 minutes ago, Mr X said:

I'd don't want to get promoted this year we aren't ready and will go straight back down, not there's any chance of that anyway now! but I do want to finish in the top 6 and show that we are capable of eventually winning promotion when the time is right... Still was a gamble I want him to do well and we were sold the spiel of how good he is but he really hasn't delivered anything so far..... Time will tell... If we are outside the top six at Xmas 

we are only 6 points from the automatic promotion place with 40 games of football to go. Isn't a little early to be hoisting the white flag?

Edited September 26 by Chez

[trousers]

3 minutes ago, Chez said:

we are only 6 points from the automatic promotion place with 40 games of football to go. Isn't a little early to hoisting the white flag?

Indeed.... Anything can happen after 6 games... Ask Reading fans in 2022/23... 

 

[Chez]

I wonder if Sheffield United fans were thinking another season in the championship would help them prepare for the PL.

I don't want to think about anything other than promotion this season until it's mathematically impossible.

[Gloucester Saint]

4 hours ago, Badger said:

Won't Stephens have another two at the end of this season ? (Unless his current deal is two, with an option of a third).

Bazunu, I can't see us wanting to allow this prize asset (as the club see it) going into a final year, then walking away for free. Deluded know,. 

It’d be final proof that Still isn’t in charge if Bazunu gets a new deal.

[Chez]

3 minutes ago, Gloucester Saint said:

It’d be final proof that Still isn’t in charge if Bazunu gets a new deal.

He isn't in charge. His job title is head coach. His domain is therefore player coaching and picking the team. He'll have a say as to whether players get new contracts, but multimillion pound assets (players) belong to the board.

[SNSUN]

1 hour ago, Chez said:

I wonder if Sheffield United fans were thinking another season in the championship would help them prepare for the PL.

I don't want to think about anything other than promotion this season until it's mathematically impossible.

This - and there are 40 games to go - and no League cup run to get in the way. And a January transfer window should we need it. 

Granted the sooner we click the better, but there's a butt load of time to make up the deficit. We started slowly but as long as we finish strongly, we'll be fine. 

Beating Boro would be a huge 3 points though, both in table terms and for confidence.

[LiberalCommunist]

Not hoping we cock it up by any means, but do I fear the financial burden of another season in the Champ, no I don't. Spors probably deserve that. 

[the saint in winchester]

I'm with Old Nick's original post. I would NOT want us even in the playoffs until the team is set for a good go at the EPL. And all I have seen so far suggests we are not yet ready for the Championship! However, if Still can get them competitive this season, then maybe next season look again at where we are then.

So far this season, its about new players coming in from european leagues and hoping they gel, a poor defence and an absence of a goal scoring target man.

[SotonianWill]

Promotion is synonymous with winning games. One leads to the other. To be content with not gaining promotion is to be content with losing. 

[Badger]

2 hours ago, trousers said:

Indeed.... Anything can happen after 6 games... Ask Reading fans in 2022/23... 

 

 

Think you've stumbled on something in mentioning Reading.  This is from our promotion season 2011/12:

 

Anyone saying we're losing touch with the top of the table after six games really needs to consider this. 

Am i expecting us to go on a charge up the league ? No, but it could be done.

I'll rework my rallying cry  from Lego's time with us: "Sort it out Still, you cunt".

 

[Tommy Mulgrew]

 

10 hours ago, sadoldgit said:

No one is going to bite our hand off for Stephens.

Liverpool need CB cover now that Leoni is out for the rest of the season.  Perhaps Lallana can at long last do something positive and put in a strong recommendation for Cpn Jack.  😀

[Baird of the land]

Promotion is essential. Hanging around 19th with still will be both unenjoyable and financially disastrous.

[Toussaint]

10 minutes ago, Baird of the land said:

Promotion is essential. Hanging around 19th with still will be both unenjoyable and financially disastrous.

And very risky 

[IFHP]

Those hoping we don’t go up this season are going to get their wish. 

 

 

 

 

[AlexLaw76]

We aint going up this season 

probably won’t make the playoffs either 

Edited September 27 by AlexLaw76

[SirWoody]

We are far too crap to go up this year, maybe in a couple of years with a complete squad rebuild.

[Saint86]

On 23/09/2025 at 15:32, AlexLaw76 said:

If we dont go up this season, fully expect more better players to be sold and our transformation into Stoke City will be complete

Yeah it really is this.

It's utterly delusional to think saints can stay in the champ and be competitive long term, let alone with sports republic running the show. Every year more clubs come down with better squads and more money, some get promoted out of league 1 every couple of years (Ipswich, Brum, Wrexham etc.)...

Saints get promoted, or we do the championship equivalent of koeman to puel and Hughes. The fans that want us to stay down, or who don't see it as a bad thing, live in absolute fairy land.

As an absolute minimum, we can afford a 2 season rebuild and get promoted next season - after that, we are turning into Stoke etc.

Edited Friday at 11:33 by Saint86

[LGTL]

30 minutes ago, Saint86 said:

Yeah it really is this.

It's utterly delusional to think saints can stay in the champ and be competitive long term, let alone with sports republic running the show. Every year more clubs come down with better squads and more money, some get promoted out of league 1 every couple of years (Ipswich, Brum, Wrexham etc.)...

Saints get promoted, or we do the championship equivalent of koeman to puel and Hughes. The fans that want us to stay down, or who don't see it as a bad thing, live in absolute fairy land.

As an absolute minimum, we can afford a 2 season rebuild and get promoted next season - after that, we are turning into Stoke etc.

This in spades.

Look how long it has taken Coventry to get anywhere close to the PL again. Or Stoke. Or Swansea. Or Blackburn. The list goes on and on and on. 

Why some of our moronic fanbase want to be the next team on that list is beyond me. It’s two seasons or forget it for a generation. 

[Chez]

Once the parachute payments disappear, it becomes very difficult. In the seasons immediately after you are managing a huge hole in your finances. If you manage to navigate that nightmare, then you probably find yourself with a squad of very average players, making a promotion challenge, well, challenging. As Coventry have shown so far this season, you can still be very competitive on a smaller budget if you get things right, but it's a damn sight harder getting it right if you have a £45m parachute payment on your back pocket to pay 'better" quality players. 

 

[Lighthouse]

4 hours ago, SirWoody said:

We are far too crap to go up this year, maybe in a couple of years with a complete squad rebuild.

We don’t need a ‘complete squad rebuild’. Quite who you think we’d bring in as an improvement on the players we’ve got now, I can’t fathom. The likes of Edwards, Fellows, Azaz and Charles were some of the best players in the league at their respective clubs, last season.

[gallaghert366@yahoo.com]

On 26/09/2025 at 13:50, Chez said:

I wonder if Sheffield United fans were thinking another season in the championship would help them prepare for the PL.

I don't want to think about anything other than promotion this season until it's mathematically impossible.

Legal jargon, 'I hear what you say.'

[John B]

On 23/09/2025 at 15:27, OldNick said:

We all want Saints to play in the PL, but to me going up with this squad I could only see nother humiliation next season. I suggest we would get less points than last!!.

If we approached promotion like Sunderland who got basically a whole new 1st team, who were equipped for the rigours required then I would be more keen, but knowing SR it will be a load of potential players and not hardened players ready for the fight

I do not want to see Saints in the PL apart from a few years about ten years ago we have been absolutely dreadful

[die Mannyschaft]

On 26/09/2025 at 12:50, Chez said:

I wonder if Sheffield United fans were thinking another season in the championship would help them prepare for the PL.

I don't want to think about anything other than promotion this season until it's mathematically impossible.

I'm beginning to think without a striker its impossible but not mathematically impossible as could rely on own goals (not ones in our own net)

[Dr. Kucho]

An interesting video regarding the promoted teams.

And if you’re on this channel, watch his video about England under Tuchel and why they keep getting better. A good watch. 

[bangkoksaint]

I don’t care if we don’t go up. Either way as ever we’ll be asset stripped and if we do go up we won’t be competitive. If staying in the Championship means I have less depressing Saturdays, potentially cheaper tickets, more games and more chance of getting to games then I’ll take that. Like everything in the UK football has become disproportionately expensive for what it delivers to the majority.

[LGTL]

40 minutes ago, bangkoksaint said:

I don’t care if we don’t go up. Either way as ever we’ll be asset stripped and if we do go up we won’t be competitive. If staying in the Championship means I have less depressing Saturdays, potentially cheaper tickets, more games and more chance of getting to games then I’ll take that. Like everything in the UK football has become disproportionately expensive for what it delivers to the majority.

I know what you're saying, but not winning on a Saturday in the Championship is much more depressing then not winning on a Saturday in the PL. This season has been every bit as depressing as last for me so far. Away tickets are also, on the whole, far far more expensive in this league. 

[sockeye]

I don't think any of the relegated three will be going up this year. Still, maybe it's good for the health of the game that parachute payments aren't buying promotion.

[Barton Saint]

We need to gel the team with all our new players properly get stabilised and stronger this season ready for a proper push next year and then be robust enough for the Premier League 

[OnceaSaintalwaysaSaint]

10 hours ago, Saint86 said:

Yeah it really is this.

It's utterly delusional to think saints can stay in the champ and be competitive long term, let alone with sports republic running the show. Every year more clubs come down with better squads and more money, some get promoted out of league 1 every couple of years (Ipswich, Brum, Wrexham etc.)...

Saints get promoted, or we do the championship equivalent of koeman to puel and Hughes. The fans that want us to stay down, or who don't see it as a bad thing, live in absolute fairy land.

As an absolute minimum, we can afford a 2 season rebuild and get promoted next season - after that, we are turning into Stoke etc.

You've got to aim for promotion and even being a yo-yo club is better than being a Stoke/Norwich/ QPR etc etc. None of this consolidate in the championship nonsense. It doesn't work that way. Get promoted and initially do a Notts Forest/Sunderland and buy a new team if need be, but go all out for promotion.

And I for one am not getting any younger. I want to watch us against the best teams in the country and not settle for years wallowing in lower leagues and seeing prospects of promotion disappearing further and further in to the horizon.