| The task ahead 09:53 - Apr 7 with 1976 views | SomethingBlue |
Firstly, I do think we should be a bit kinder to ourselves than I've seen from some people. It's been frustrating and there have certainly been some avoidable elements. But a year ago ITFC did something it hadn't achieved for more than two decades and Ipswich had its biggest party ever – none of that has been diminished. We've come up short, perhaps a little shorter than we'd hoped, and the outcome is fair – but progress is rarely a straight, smooth line and the job now is to build on everything that's happened in the last couple of years.
Us, Saints and Leicester will all in theory have the jump start on rivals already in the Champ in terms of preparation, although in practice there will be transfer targets who fancy testing the water for a Prem move and existing players whose futures may drag til August. You'd expect we already have a couple of things lined up. We'll be a very attractive proposition in the loan market and that's increasingly a big factor. Key for me is to get a central midfield in quickly, and get it functioning – you can have two outstanding players in there but if they don't quite read each other or master the intangibles then you're scrapping with Watford and whoever. I do wonder if we try to keep one of Phillips and Cajuste on. Either way it is the most important task we face in terms of shaping the squad. Get that wrong and there'll be problems. I won't be especially worried about our attack as things stand.
I'd assumed this season was the last we'd see of McKenna but increasingly suspect he will stay. I don't go along with those who say his reputation has taken a hammering – it's a slowing of his momentum and he's more than bright enough to use it well. I can't see many Premier League vacancies coming up – Bournemouth maybe, if Iraola goes to Spurs, but suspect they'd look abroad. That's about it. His people will want to get him out of here, as they have since pretty much day one, but I'd say the smart money is on him sticking around. That would be very good for us.
Won't be a procession to the title next season. We know very well that momentum is a huge thing and we'll need to rediscover it. Birmingham will come up with it i bundles and clearly aren't messing around, they'll fancy consecutive promotions. Wrexham will arrive in good financial health and will be cheered on by the media. One of Saints and Leicester will sort themselves out. Whoever of the current top four doesn't go up can be confidently backed to challenge again. It'll be a scrap but we should be in there. I think most of our fans understand that.
Somebody mentioned Fulham yesterday – it's taken them three promotions and relegations to become the excellent side they are now. That unfortunately is the level. Let's enjoy trying to get back there and see if we can make a closer-run thing of it next time.
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| The task ahead on 10:20 - Apr 7 with 1801 views | J2BLUE |
Great post. |  |
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| The task ahead on 10:34 - Apr 7 with 1741 views | chicoazul |
This is all very well but what do you think of horse racing |  |
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| The task ahead on 10:36 - Apr 7 with 1731 views | SomethingBlue |
| The task ahead on 10:34 - Apr 7 by chicoazul |
This is all very well but what do you think of horse racing |
Doesn't bring the readers in anymore. | |
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| The task ahead on 10:54 - Apr 7 with 1596 views | berkstractorboy |
I thought Leicester are destined for an EFL punishment this summer based on the 23/24 season, I don't know how true this is and if that looks like a transfer embargo or points deduction or both. Points deduction hasn't harm the blades but it wasn't huge.
Will judge our chances towards end of the summer transfer window when we can see the manager and squad. I think KMc being here or not will have a big part to play and hopefully that's sorted very early so we can get targets in the building. | | | |
| The task ahead on 10:59 - Apr 7 with 1573 views | Hackneyblueboy |
SB - When you say his people will try get him out of there, why do you think that? KM seems incredibly level headed so I assume you're saying his agents are more aggressive.
I hope KM stays as we'll have the best manager in the Championship next season if he does. I do think KM though will harbor some regrets about turning down Brighton and Palace to some extent.
You say not many PL jobs will be available but any of Palace, Fulham, Bournemouth or Brentford would be perfect for him and vice versa. It only takes one of those managers to be poached and he'll be under consideration. Personally think Bournemouth would be ideal fit but agree they, and all the other clubs mentioned, may look abroad again. [Post edited 7 Apr 11:00]
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| The task ahead on 11:03 - Apr 7 with 1518 views | BseaBlue |
Brilliant post and well measured. It's probably worth mentioning that dropping 25 points from winning positions is the cause of much of the frustration. We have shown signs that we can compete and take teams on, but ultimately don't have the physicality, experience or game management required to see results through.
I'm with you on the Fulham situaton (A great example btw). I'm sure the next generation of fans (and existing that had put up with years of mediocrity) would take being successful at the top end of the champ with progress each attempt in the Prem.
RE McKenna, I'd probably be most concerned about Brighton and Palace. Both teams have had good seasons and their managers will attract attention elsewhere. Having said that, he has kind of written his own succession plan in that the budget now is considerably more attractive for any suitors than prior to promotion.
Let's hope that we can move on those that are destined for bigger things quickly and then get central midfield and the striking positions sorted. Should be an interesting summer! |  | | |
| The task ahead on 11:17 - Apr 7 with 1402 views | berkstractorboy |
| The task ahead on 11:03 - Apr 7 by BseaBlue |
Brilliant post and well measured. It's probably worth mentioning that dropping 25 points from winning positions is the cause of much of the frustration. We have shown signs that we can compete and take teams on, but ultimately don't have the physicality, experience or game management required to see results through.
I'm with you on the Fulham situaton (A great example btw). I'm sure the next generation of fans (and existing that had put up with years of mediocrity) would take being successful at the top end of the champ with progress each attempt in the Prem.
RE McKenna, I'd probably be most concerned about Brighton and Palace. Both teams have had good seasons and their managers will attract attention elsewhere. Having said that, he has kind of written his own succession plan in that the budget now is considerably more attractive for any suitors than prior to promotion.
Let's hope that we can move on those that are destined for bigger things quickly and then get central midfield and the striking positions sorted. Should be an interesting summer! |
Glasner been linked with move back to Bundesliga. One to watch possibly. | | | |
| The task ahead on 11:34 - Apr 7 with 1306 views | bsw72 |
| The task ahead on 11:03 - Apr 7 by BseaBlue |
Brilliant post and well measured. It's probably worth mentioning that dropping 25 points from winning positions is the cause of much of the frustration. We have shown signs that we can compete and take teams on, but ultimately don't have the physicality, experience or game management required to see results through.
I'm with you on the Fulham situaton (A great example btw). I'm sure the next generation of fans (and existing that had put up with years of mediocrity) would take being successful at the top end of the champ with progress each attempt in the Prem.
RE McKenna, I'd probably be most concerned about Brighton and Palace. Both teams have had good seasons and their managers will attract attention elsewhere. Having said that, he has kind of written his own succession plan in that the budget now is considerably more attractive for any suitors than prior to promotion.
Let's hope that we can move on those that are destined for bigger things quickly and then get central midfield and the striking positions sorted. Should be an interesting summer! |
I remember how Burley built the 2000-1 team through multiple iterations and failed promotion attempts. Meant that the team that went up were far more evolved and prepared than we were this season, not to mention the PL gap was narrower.
Noting that Gamechanger took us over 4 years ago, and then McKenna came in just over 3.5 years ago - I wonder whether the plan was for PL football in 5 years with McKenna, so while we got it in 3, the strategy for 5 was still in play and all this year has done is given our ability to build a squad and develop the infrastructure a massive and unexpected boost. |  | | |
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| The task ahead on 11:55 - Apr 7 with 1228 views | Herbivore |
Good post. We have risen very quickly but such is the gap between the Prem and the Championship that I'm not sure a longer stay in the Championship prior to promotion would have left us any better prepared for a first tilt at staying up. We found last season that meaningfully improving the squad under PSR constraints was not easy and it was mainly PL loans that added quality to our existing squad. I do think the so-called League 1 squad was/is a lot stronger than many of our fans give them credit for. That's not to downplay the job McKenna has done in that, but I think a lot of the players that took us up last season would walk into a lot of non-parachute Championship sides. Fridge barely played last season and is a mainstay at top 6 Boro now, for example. Harness has been a key player for Derby having been a fringe player here last term. Basically, I'm not sure another year or two in the Championship would have enabled us to meaningfully improve on the squad we had, certainly not enough to make a difference in terms of staying in the Prem.
We're in a very good position now to rebuild and come back stronger. No doubt the squad is much better than it was a year ago, our reserve side battered Coventry without really getting out of third gear and on paper it was a better side than the one we finished last season with. Of course we're going to lose a few but we'll be able to reinvest and afford better quality than we could have done on our last brief stay in the Championship as our revenue will be in a different stratosphere with parachute payments and a couple of big sales. That makes it likely that if we have a good season and manage to bounce back, we'll be starting our next tilt at the Prem from a better position. It's still going to be a massive gap to try and bridge but some of our players will be older and more experienced and we'll have signed others who will have that bit more quality too.
This season has been sobering with lots of disappointments amongst a few highs. The gap is even bigger than I'd appreciated and we've had very little luck (injuries, VAR/ref decisions) to help us along the way but even with that bit of luck I don't think we'd have made it. It'll be 40 points to stay up this season and that would have been a very tough ask with a fair wind behind us. But despite all that we've been competitive enough of the time to have hope that if we learn our lessons and improve in the right areas, we can have a better crack at it in future. |  |
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| The task ahead on 12:21 - Apr 7 with 1092 views | SE1blue |
| The task ahead on 10:36 - Apr 7 by SomethingBlue |
Doesn't bring the readers in anymore. |
To be fair, it’s hard to do both at the same time and the library shelves are very high for jockeys. |  |
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| The task ahead on 13:29 - Apr 7 with 877 views | The_Flashing_Smile |
| The task ahead on 11:55 - Apr 7 by Herbivore |
Good post. We have risen very quickly but such is the gap between the Prem and the Championship that I'm not sure a longer stay in the Championship prior to promotion would have left us any better prepared for a first tilt at staying up. We found last season that meaningfully improving the squad under PSR constraints was not easy and it was mainly PL loans that added quality to our existing squad. I do think the so-called League 1 squad was/is a lot stronger than many of our fans give them credit for. That's not to downplay the job McKenna has done in that, but I think a lot of the players that took us up last season would walk into a lot of non-parachute Championship sides. Fridge barely played last season and is a mainstay at top 6 Boro now, for example. Harness has been a key player for Derby having been a fringe player here last term. Basically, I'm not sure another year or two in the Championship would have enabled us to meaningfully improve on the squad we had, certainly not enough to make a difference in terms of staying in the Prem.
We're in a very good position now to rebuild and come back stronger. No doubt the squad is much better than it was a year ago, our reserve side battered Coventry without really getting out of third gear and on paper it was a better side than the one we finished last season with. Of course we're going to lose a few but we'll be able to reinvest and afford better quality than we could have done on our last brief stay in the Championship as our revenue will be in a different stratosphere with parachute payments and a couple of big sales. That makes it likely that if we have a good season and manage to bounce back, we'll be starting our next tilt at the Prem from a better position. It's still going to be a massive gap to try and bridge but some of our players will be older and more experienced and we'll have signed others who will have that bit more quality too.
This season has been sobering with lots of disappointments amongst a few highs. The gap is even bigger than I'd appreciated and we've had very little luck (injuries, VAR/ref decisions) to help us along the way but even with that bit of luck I don't think we'd have made it. It'll be 40 points to stay up this season and that would have been a very tough ask with a fair wind behind us. But despite all that we've been competitive enough of the time to have hope that if we learn our lessons and improve in the right areas, we can have a better crack at it in future. |
Agree with all that, and the OP. Plus another season together gets the newer players more cohesive with the team (and another season of learning McKenna's way). A lot of our problems have been down to losing that cohesion by getting in better quality (which, frankly, we had to do - there's only so far you can get on team spirit and cohesion) so another year without too much chopping and changing, getting to know each other and McKenna's ideas can only help our next tilt at the Prem. |  |
| Trust the process. Trust Phil. |
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