why we will challenge for play-offs next season

[1st Wizard 0]

if we keep marshall

                           marshall

colin         dublin               shackell      drury

chadwick          safri             fozzie   

                                                         hucks

               earnshaw         martin

subs: hughes, croft, etuhu, jarvis, brown

[Sing, Sing, wherever you may be... 0]

no lappin?

[JC 0]

And your random team selection proves we are capable of the play offs because....?

[quote user="joshmickelburgh"]

if we keep marshall

                           marshall

colin         dublin               shackell      drury

chadwick          safri             fozzie   

                                                         hucks

               earnshaw         martin

subs: hughes, croft, etuhu, jarvis, brown

[/quote]

[Yellow Rages 0]

[quote user="theolster"]no lappin?[/quote]

He has had his fifteen minutes. Scores the goal that gets us three points in the 93rd minute on Wednesday and forgotten on Thursday.[:)]

[Shaun Lawson 0]

[quote user="joshmickelburgh"]

if we keep marshall

                           marshall

colin         dublin               shackell      drury

chadwick          safri             fozzie  

                                                         hucks

               earnshaw         martin

subs: hughes, croft, etuhu, jarvis, brown

[/quote]Don''t get me wrong Josh: I hope we can challenge next season, but I''m afraid it won''t be with the team you''ve set out. To repeat what I''ve just written in another post, the club will be down to the tune of £7m next season because of the end of our parachute payments:which means significant cutbacks are unavoidable. We''re already doing well to have signed Hux up, and I reckon Earnie''ll be staying at least til January too (partly because his injury means there''s little chance of the club''s valuation for him being met). But Safri will definitely be off, Colin - who Grant either doesn''t rate or has fallen out with - will too, Drury might (there has been talk all season of him leaving in the summer), and I''ve a nasty feeling Dublin won''t be kept on either (because given its reduced circumstances, the club would see it as very risky to re-sign a 37-year-old whose form and fitness is bound to decline at some stage).I also can''t see Strachan allowing us to sign Marshall: meaning it''ll be up to Grant to find another quality keeper. As for the rest, I reckon Hughes might well be kept on, and Etuhu''s future probably depends on us finding a suitable replacement. We keep picking him in spite of his performances because box-to-box or holding midfielders are essential to any team''s prospects nowadays; and we just don''t have anyone else who can do this. Fozzy is Safri''s replacement, it seems to me; but as for Etuhu, it''s a question of whether Grant can find anyone good enough (though Brellier from Hearts would be an excellent signing, and I''m hoping the reports in Scotland of Jim Duffy bringing him here are true).All the other names will certainly still be here come August; and overall, it''ll be up to Grant and his/our scouting network to find bargains who are good enough to get us into contention (a few more Lappins, basically).

[Gingerpele 0]

Subs would have to beLewis, Hughes,Lappin,Croft, Jarvis/Brown(depending who plays better)

[Beaker 0]

earnshaw will be sold im afraid. no parachute money means the high earners are out of here

[Syteanric 1]

without the parachute money we wont be anywhere near the playoffs...

 Either bottom half or mid table.. and thats the way its going to stay for a few seasons im afraid.

jas :)

[sussexcanary 0]

Sorry can''t agree with that as much s i''d love to see it.  Do you honestly see us chllenging for promotion with that defence ? Dublin can''t play every week and the rest have proved that they are virtually incapable of keeping a clean sheet.  The only chance we would have is if we wisely spend the derisory left overs from Earnies inevitable transfer on some shrewd buys.  Most importantly though we need a whole new defence they''ve all had their chance and they''re all absolutely useless !

[Making Plans 957]

Well, in all honesty, this is a bit premature, but based on what we know at this moment in time I think it''s fair to assume that we probably won''t challenge for a play off place next season.

Let''s get this season over first, stay in the Championship, see what happens during the summer, play 10 games and then start thinking about the play offs (or relegation)