Patches OHoolahan 0 Posted May 7, 2014 Now that the inevitable has been confirmed, and this slow-motion car crash of a season is finally coming to a close, our thoughts must turn to next season and how we re-group effectively. The Championship and even League 1 are littered with former Premier League clubs, and there are plenty of lessons to be learned, if we are to mount an effective assault on the promotion positions. We need to avoid "doing a Wolves" for obvious reasons, but equally there is a danger of the club stagnating a la Middlesborough/ Derby etc.First and foremost we need to bring in a permanent manager. Ideally this should be sorted within two weeks of season''s end at most. My choice for what its worth is Steve Clarke- he has shown he has quality at WBA, and his teams tend to play good football. Secondly we need to address our playing squad. Players of the ilk of Ruddy, Fer and Snodgrass will no doubt be the subject of offers, and I think it might be best to cash in if the money is right. Other big earners such as Bassong and RvW could well be off as well, which is for the best if they are not up for the fight of a Championship campaign. Others that I imagine might leave include Pilkington, who I''m sure could find himself a Premier League club in spite of his injury record, and Hoolahan who I believe will be off whether its to Villa or another side, because of his comments in January. I''d like to see us keep hold of Turner, Olsson, Redmond, Tettey and Howson, all of whom I believe could be targets for lower Prem clubs, but if they stay then we will have a strong core to build from. Regardless of who stays and goes, we need to settle the squad quickly so that we aren''t left with lots of work to do in the transfer market come the start of the season. Finally, we cannot let there be a hangover from relegation. I remember all too well the opening 3 games of the 2005/6 season where we drew each match with uninspiring performances. We need to come out of the blocks quickly, and try to maintain that momentum. One of the great qualities of the Lambert era was our ability to bounce back from defeat, we need to show that same resilience to be successful next year. I know all too well how tough the Championship is as a league, but I have little time for arguments that we should be looking to consolidate next year before mounting a serious promotion challenge the year after. We should have a squad that is capable of automatic promotion, and I for one will not be satisfied with anything less than a play-off place next year. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Cantiaci Canary 557 Posted May 7, 2014 1. None of the players who stay can go into game one feeling sorry for themselves or thinking they are too good for the division.2. Hire a manager capable of playing in a consistent way with clear roles for every player.3. Never accept draws ... Risk everything for the late winner.Sadly, looking at QPR, Reading, Blackburn, Wigan, Bolton, Boro and many others it seems that the immediate bounce back demonstrated by WBA and Newcastle is rare. I predict at least a few years drifting about in the Championship at best.Hughton blew the Lambert legacy. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
mrs miggins 0 Posted May 7, 2014 Keep the players we have and spen a bit on either an attacking midfielder or striker. Get either Rosler or Malky (most likely). Jobs agoodun Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Crafty Canary 495 Posted May 7, 2014 Get more points than 22 of the other teams in the Chamoionship. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Iwans Big Toe 312 Posted May 7, 2014 Simple. Score more goals than the other 23 teams, concede less goals than the other 23 teams and win more games than the other 23 teams. That should probably do it. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
ashboy 0 Posted May 7, 2014 Get another Dutch Striker. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
blahblahblah 2 Posted May 7, 2014 Hire a management team who have achieved promotion from the championship. Sell anyone who doesn''t want to stay.Give the new management team the funds to bring in top championship players, team leaders, captains. Play to win every match. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest Posted May 7, 2014 As you say, sell on the valuable players who want to leave (hopefully Ruddy will be called up for the WC)l, and those who were never committed, like Bassong and Pilks.Keep hold of Turner and Bennett, and try to keep Olsson, giving us a quality back line. Get in some experienced Championship players who know the division, and a manager who wants to play attacking football (Adams) and is passionate about the club to prevent a relegation hangover.Persuade Redmond and Snodgrass to stay, and spend the money from sales on a goalscorer and a number 10.Get everyone pulling in the same direction, and we will be in a strong position. Easy :-) Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest Posted May 7, 2014 Adams should be a ?, not definite# Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
AJ 1,221 Posted May 7, 2014 What''s David Strahavka doing these days? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
The Masked Raccoon 0 Posted May 7, 2014 Do not employ a former team player as manager! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
flecky76 0 Posted May 8, 2014 Hire a manger to buy players who have shown they are good enough to play at the top end of the Championship. Players who can score goals in the Championship.No risks on foreign cheap unknown imports, let''s add players around the key players we already have, supported by the youth players coming through.Malky is the man, as he knows the Champ best out of all candidates. Adams can be one of his coaches to provide support and help through this transitional period. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Dr. Ink 0 Posted May 8, 2014 Power, pace, preferably both. Athletes required.Players of similar ilk to YYToure, Drogba, Lukaku, Kenwyn Jones (but obviously on a cheaper scale). No more slow midgets. Bully our way out! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
St Georgey 0 Posted May 8, 2014 We won''t even make the play-offs next season. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Dave 0 Posted May 8, 2014 How do we get promoted? Simple we win more games than at least 22 other sides in the division Share this post Link to post Share on other sites