Can we go straight back up?

[ec-p 118]

We really do need to invest in some quality players if we are to go straight back up. I think we will struggle, Johnson scored double figures from left mid last time, which helped get us over the line. We will need someone to replicate that, along with a firing striker or 2. Let alone strengthen the defence. We will really have to splash out this time to compete. It''s not gonna be an easy ride but bring It on!

[JF 694]

At the moment, no i don''t think so. For me this group of players lack the fight and heart to go again. It will take a serious overhaul of the playing squad this summer but with our recruitment history will we get it right? We now go into a championship season needing some serious fire power at that level

[Cantiaci Canary 610]

Yes we can ... if we are prepared to spend £9-£10m on a couple of individuals each. Especially up top.

Burnley shelled out for Gray and Boro on Rhodes we would need to match their ambition.

[JF 694]

We weren''t prepared to spend that in the PL so no chance of that happening in the championship

[Herman 11,178]

We did spend it in the PL.

[Yellow and Green 353]

I''d imagine that Redmond will leave however, if we can keep people like Klose, then it will give a solid base to then invest in our strike force.

I have to say, looking at the Championship table right now, none of those teams look at all threatening. If Hull go up in the play-offs, then you would assume that us and Newcastle must be favourites to go straight back up.

[JF 694]

Herman wrote the following post at 08/05/2016 9:08 AM:

We did spend it in the PL.

I must have missed our £10 million signing?

[Van wink 2,994]

Yes of course we can.

[ricardo 8,109]

We have jumped straight back on four of the five occasions that we have been relegated from the Prem.History would suggest there is a very good chance.

[ricardo 8,109]

I should have said Top tier rather than Prem because the first three were before Div 1 became the Prem.

[deltic31 14]

With the current board what''s the point. We won''t spend enough to stay there! We are a championship club at best. I really am thoroughly disheartened!

[Ivan Easter 0]

Yes if we get decent strikers with precision and pace and shore up defence with more players like Klose. The board will have to be prepared to spend otherwise we will just end up the same or worse. We also do have younger players which can perform better than some of the seniors.

[Michael Bates 12]

Nakhi Wells and Ross McCormack should be huge priority signings for us this summer if we go down. We now have Kyle Lafferty, Cameron Jerome and RVW left. With two of them out on loan and not in AN plans whatsoever, I think it''s clear that we will need at least 2 new recruits. Another player who can play a similar role to Cam Jam is Clayton Donaldson.

Redmond is almost sure to leave to help fund transfers, as is Brady. Luckily we have Jarvis and the Murphy boys in these positions. Maybe just the 1 winger needed to add depth?

[king canary 8,943]

I don''t agree we need to be spending 9-10m on a player but we need to spend wisely and on upcoming younger talent. Players like Tom Lees, Lewis Dunk and Charlie Taylor in defence, Oliver Norwood and Tom Cairney in midfield and someone like Nakhi Wells upfront.

Now I''m not suggesting we sign all of these players but if we can combine this sort of player with Championship experience but the ability to improve and push on to that next level with the solid Championship players we already have I think we''ll be in a good position.

If we can convince Klose and Brady to stay for a season and we can ship out a few of our consistent underachievers (Bassong, Olsson, Whittaker, Martin) then we could have a great squad.

A defence that has Klose and Dunk/Lees with Bennett as back up, a midfield with Tettey and Norwood in the centre and someone like Wells leading the line with Jerome to come on as a battering ram could easily look to go straight back up. However if we spent on more journeymen and ageing pros then I worry.

[A Load of Squit 6,260]

[quote user="JF"]Herman wrote the following post at 08/05/2016 9:08 AM:

We did spend it in the PL.

I must have missed our £10 million signing?[/quote]

When did £10M become the benchmark?

[pete 375]

Agree with King not necassirily the need for quality in the Champs as will cost millions. Do need proven striker in Jerome mould i.e. quick and strong to be able to play the one up front role, depends where he comes from will determine the cost maybe Walters as an option. Go for the young and hungry who want to play and learn at City.

We have a number of p,layers under contract who will perform in the Champs because if they don''t their careers are seriously under threat like Dorrans and Mulumbu also Vadis.

Some of our youngsters need to start to flourish Murphys Morris and Toffolo along with these promising young bucks Maddison, Godfrey and Thompson.

Defence needs sorting Bassong will not be first teamer next season hope Klose stays and we get another CB.

[curious yellow 184]

The more changes we make, the less likely we are to go back up. Players like Bassong Jerome and Martin are good championship players. Perhaps we could buy Bamford for a good price, he was excellent in that division.

We have got to develop players at the club, bring through our excellent young players and try to look for another Holt from the lower leagues.

This is how we have always achieved success. Spending 8 million on a player doesn''t mean he''s going to be good, in fact most times the opposite.

Villa and Newcastle are likely to fall apart and next season could be completely different teams that haven''t played togeher before. I imagine they could be looking at our players to help them back up.

[Cantiaci Canary 610]

Quality Championship players now cost that much.

Look at the fees for McCormack, Gray, Rhodes ...

When Mbokani and Bamford leave we will be well short in that department. Last time round we had Grabban and Hooper.

[Making Plans 957]

Possible but unlikely. Too many of our best players will leave. Of those that remain, many of them are getting on a bit and probably not up to the rigors of the Championship again. A lot will depend on who stays, who we get in and the impact that our youngsters can make. As things stand I''m hopeful that we might do it but fearful that we won''t. My gut feeling is that it will take at least 3 years.

[Trevor Hockey's Beard 613]

[quote user="Cantiaci Canary"]Quality Championship players now cost that much.

Look at the fees for McCormack, Gray, Rhodes ...

When Mbokani and Bamford leave we will be well short in that department. Last time round we had Grabban and Hooper.[/quote]

CC - when I first read your post I saw it as "Gary Rhodes" and thought surely we had enough cooks already.

We need some new blood at the back. If only we had signed players such as Ayala, Shackell and De Laet.

[morty 0]

No idea.Proper fans will keep going and supporting though, which is what matters.

[foxruels 1]

We were relegated in 94/95 and didn''t jump straight back - also relegated in 04/05 and didn''t jump straight back - so 4 out of 5 can''t be right. I think we jumped straight back the other 3 times (70s, 85 and last year - off top of head).

[militantcanary 0]

]Possible but unlikely.Too many of our best players will leave. Of those that remain, many of them are getting on a bit and probably not up to the rigors of the Championship again. A lot will depend on who stays, who we get in and the impact that our youngsters can make.

So I am not being funny but who will want our players in the PL, Redmond will go but is he our best player?

Personally i think

Ruddy

Olsson Benett Klose New

Murphy Howson Tettey Murphy

Maddison/Wes /Naismith

New

Subs O''Neill, Maddison, Wes/Naismith, Jerome, Rudd, Martin, Bassong looks pretty strong with Redmond and Brady and some of the dead wood gone, And i am pretty realistic i think.

[Making Plans 957]

[quote user="militantcanary"]So I am not being funny but who will want our players in the PL[/quote]At a rough guess I would say that possibly as many as 14 of them, maybe more, would want Klose.Good CB''s with PL, Champions League and International experience are in very short supply and the fact that he has shone for us in a poor team will not have gone unnoticed.

[GJL Mid-Norfolk Canary 2,073]

relegated in 73/74...promoted the following season

relegated in 80/81... " "

relegated in 84/85.... " "

relegated in 13/14.... " "

as you right ly say there is another two occasions that we were relegated that didnt lead to quite so immediate returns...

94/95 ......9 seasons outside the top division

04/05.......6 seasons outside the top division (via league one)

...so ,back 1st time or a few years in the wilderness...not quite sure where my money would be this time around?

[Essjayess 307]

Yes of course we can, but wether we will is another matter. 2 seasons ago we retained pretty much  the majority of the squad that went down but quite a few of those are now 30+ and likely not up to the rigours of a 46 match season. A pretty big clearout is needed, but the next 3 months is such an unknown period that what Alex and the club do will be a big factor of course. Better this topic was made late July / early August, maybe we will have  better opinions by then.Dont think we will be hot favourites this time to go up, both Newcastle and a newly owned Villa will be  fancied more than us. But just a note  on how this season''s Champs finished, Brighton were a lot of pundits favourites for L1, but theyve finished 3rd, even our neighbours down the road. who have a ragtag team of  lower league players managed a respectable 7th (for them), so its not just about players, much depends on Alex Neil, he needs to find the style and formula that can see City win regular, and have a return of the steel and physicality that has been absent from the club this season.

[GJL Mid-Norfolk Canary 2,073]

as you rightly point out Newcastle should be clear favourites to run away with this league...obviously a lot would depend on who they kept in the summer but as with their last side that walked the league with 104 points with the likes of Carroll,Nolan,Barton...."if " they kept the likes of Mitrovic ,Townsend,Shelvey , then one of the 2 automatic places is spoken for before a ball is kicked.

most clubs in this era who get relegated armed with parachute payments really should be able to at least be challenging around the play off area i.e Hull....and thats where I''d see us.

only if that club gets relegated in complete dissaray would even parachute payments not even help, such as QPR......and unless there is a huge shakeup on and off the field, thats where I''d expect Villa to be.

Pracahute payments have created something of a yo-yo club situation in the championship in recent years whereby there is such a financial advantage to an extent where you tend to see 3 or 4 clubs who are streets ahead of the rest of the division....a couple of very badly run clubs at the bottom i.e Blackpool, Bolton....and the rest of them are a much of a muchness.

What does it say about the overall strength of the league when even a poor side as Ipswich can still finish 7th?

[morty 0]

I know its unlikely we will stay up, but it does tickle me seeing just who refers to us already in the Championship[:D]

[ricardo 8,109]

[quote user="foxruels"]We were relegated in 94/95 and didn''t jump straight back - also relegated in 04/05 and didn''t jump straight back - so 4 out of 5 can''t be right. I think we jumped straight back the other 3 times (70s, 85 and last year - off top of head).[/quote]So 4 out of 6.Still pretty good odds.

[GJL Mid-Norfolk Canary 2,073]

[quote user="morty"]I know its unlikely we will stay up, but it does tickle me seeing just who refers to us already in the Championship[:D][/quote]

who isn''t referring to us being down now?

they would be the more interesting ones?!?