Style or Survival

[Feedthewolf 4,844]

2 hours ago, Parma Ham's gone mouldy said:

Maintain and nurture the philosophy. It is a long term Ajax/Auxerre plan.

Just as 3 early defeats this season did not derail the over-arching direction of travel, nor should relegation next.

This is a good, true, meaningful identity for us. It fits how we want to see ourselves, it is beautiful and repeatable, even without significant resources.

It is something to be  proud of. Mere survival in the Premier League is not that by and of itself.

Parma

Bravissimo, Parma. Perfectly put.

Obviously the downside of 'yo-yoing' is that you have to keep resizing and restructuring when you go from the ridiculous riches of the EPL to the relative parsimony of the Championship, but those changes don't have to compromise your philosophy. I trust Farke and Webber to upscale our playing resources sufficiently to compete next season, without risking the financial stability of the club should we go down again.

Look at the FFP issues among Championship teams this season - I don't want to be one of those. A lot of people were saying we couldn't compete in the Championship this season without significant external investment, and our model was doomed to fail. Let's all now get behind this model, and trust the intelligence and foresight of the people in charge of it... irrespective of what division we're in.

[Hoola Han Solo 448]

I’d rather get relegated than watch the dross someone like Chris Hughton serves up. I go to football to have fun and be entertained, not see my team show no ambition. 

Edited May 4, 2019 by Hoola Han Solo

[CirclePoint 200]

I’ll take style any day of the week. From my side of the fence, as a fan, I am looking to be entertained. Go down swinging. Make the supporters feel good by the fact that the team is (intelligently) going for it,  rather than just trying to ‘hang on’ and scratch out a point. 

The owner’s, for whom it is a business, may have a different opinion.

 

Edited May 4, 2019 by CirclePoint

[Mr.Carrow 376]

Style and support for the current model even if we finish bottom for me. However,I see no reason why we can't have a mix of both. Let's face it, we're gonna have to be more pragmatic in many games next season, but that doesn't mean we have to regress to boring percentage football.

I think the club will be looking at defensive midfield as the key signing. Trybull- love him but just don't think he's got enough for the Prem. Tettey- totally love him but at 33?? Thompson- can't see him being ready after 3 years out, so will probably be loaned. Leitner- possibly the most likely of the current crop, class, but not really a ball-winning dominant midfielder that we may well need to shield the defence when we're regularly under the cosh. Semi Ajeyi has been linked and I can see it happening. Has all the qualities we need, will be cheap, right age and should be well up for a crack at the Prem. We'll have no idea whether he can make the step up but we can say that about any signing we make and we were saying that this season and look how they've turned out!

[Essjayess 307]

Dont know the answer to hypothetical or mystical situations, all i wish is for the DF / SW combo to remain with us for a few seasons to see where it takes us. Also we all love  football because we just dont know how each season will turn out..the beauty is not in the knowing but the unknown.

Anyway never mind mystical, how about mythical?2018/19 season in the top two divisions is very close to becoming a crazy reality when at season beginning we  likely would have thought...nah thats a myth, it could never happen...NCFC being Champions while Ipswich finish bottom and 60+ points  divide....while in the Prem just not only crazy but off the scale bonkers...a team finishing 83 points  above the bottom side...ending with 97 points...just 1 loss all season...from just 38 games...yet still not being Champions!

Yet both these things are close to becoming real...thats the beauty of football. Lets just take what comes when it happens...be they ups or downs or likely both.. but take it with Daniel and Stuart please.

[cornish sam 944]

Whilst I agree that style is vital some posters on here are sounding an awful lot like the binners that were being derided earlier this season.... Granted the situation is different on that they didn't even have the style and getting relegated from prem to champs is (in our current state) less of a disaster than going champs to L1.

[All the Germans 1,075]

2 hours ago, cornish sam said:

Whilst I agree that style is vital some posters on here are sounding an awful lot like the binners that were being derided earlier this season.... Granted the situation is different on that they didn't even have the style and getting relegated from prem to champs is (in our current state) less of a disaster than going champs to L1.

Not sure anyone sounds like them? They thought they were suddenly going to win the league playing Barcelona style football. We're debating playing good football but losing and getting relegated or survivng, like what they did, minus the good football.

[unique 434]

20 hours ago, Well b back said:

I suspect we will see our style of football, however I also suspect that when we play against the top 6 we will fall into the back 5 re Chelsea and Arsenal last year in the FA Cup.

There is barely a ‘top 6’ at the moment.

There is a ‘top2’ and the rest are there for the taking.......

[Indy_Bones 441]

I'd rather we kept our current style (with maybe a tactical tweak here and there where needed), than EVER return to the type of football Hughton had us playing, which is in the same vein as Pulis et al, was the worst footballing experience as a city fan in my nearly 40 years of support, just soul destroying defensive dross.

If we go back down by playing as we have done this season then I'm ok with that, as I think our current plan and approach is absolutely the right one, not just for now, but the future as well.