A successful return to the Championship will not solely be down to Town’s ability to get their positive momentum back, according to Blues captain Sam Morsy.

Following a one-year stay in the Premier League, Town will return to the second tier in August and are expected to be among the early favourites for an instant promotion back to the top flight due to the calibre of squad and that they will be in receipt of the Premier League’s parachute and solidarity payments.

Much has been made of momentum in football, but Morsy dismissed suggestions that the Blues’ Championship promotion campaign last season was due to the drive they carried from League One in 2023.

The Town midfielder also shrugged off the idea that the Blues will need to find their rhythm again next season after a year of being on the back foot, insisting that a new season is a fresh start.

“I don’t really think it’s momentum,” he said. “People just throw about that word but what actually does it really mean? When you’re winning games they’ll say it’s momentum and when you’re not they’ll say it’s a lack of momentum.

“Each game is individual and it’s just through quality of opposition. You look at Burnley, for example, who got relegated, who have gone straight back up, Sheffield United have come close for many parts of the season and thought they’d do it even with a little points deduction.

“It’s just about starting again, you can’t take each season into the next. When we got promoted from League One, people said it was momentum in the Championship. No, you can’t take it in, it’s a new season and it starts fresh.

“That’s what it will be, the reality is players will come and go and we’ve got to build ourselves up, build the winning mentality and build up winning games again.

“It’s really important at the end of the season to unpack the season first, otherwise you’ll be non-stop thinking about it. Unpack it, go through it, speak honestly with people around you to review it – the good bits, bad bits and bits to improve on.

“Once you can do that, it’s important to have that mental rest. Not for long, it’s not going to be for five weeks, but certainly you need a couple of days to clear your head, relax and rejuvenate because the seasons come round very quickly and it’s obviously going to be a short break this year.”

The external narrative towards Town will be vastly different this time around than it was two years ago when the Blues entered the Championship from the other direction off the back of promotion from League One.

Morsy expects that target on their backs, but believes it is an obstacle the playing squad and coaching staff are prepared for.

“Completely different perspective,” the 33-year-old said. “We’re going to be the Liverpool and the Arsenal of next season.

“You go from having the lowest of everything and we’re probably going to have one of the highest for everything, it’s a completely different challenge.

“The challenge is going to be to win a lot of games and there’s going to be an expectation with that, so it’s something in the summer and pre-season we’re going to have to address and know it’s a completely different challenge.”

As in every transfer window, recruitment is paramount to the club’s success, with this summer expected to be another busy one for manager Kieran McKenna and chairman Mark Ashton to navigate.

The centre of the Blues’ midfield is likely to be one of the key areas of change as Massimo Luongo leaves the club alongside loanees Kalvin Phillips and Jens Cajuste coming to the end of their temporary spells.

Alongside the returning Cameron Humphreys, that leaves Morsy and Jack Taylor as the only senior options in that area of the pitch for next season currently in the building.
Morsy said: “We had five midfielders this year and we’re going to have two left so you need three midfielders.

“I think every area is going to need a little revamp, but of course central midfield when you’ve got two senior players you’re going to need another three so that’s going to be a big area where we need to improve on.”

At the back, Dara O’Shea has been one of the Blues’ most consistent performers and has handed given wide praise for his individual season, including being named the sponsor’s Player of the Year at last week’s End of Season Dinner.

O’Shea has also been handed the captain’s armband on six occasions when regular skipper Morsy has been absent from the starting line-up, which earned him praise from the former Egypt international.

“Dara’s been really solid – a good professional, good player, learning all the time and just a good attitude and teammate to be honest,” he said. “He’s never found wanting, every week he gives it everything he’s got and that’s thoroughly deserved. I’m glad he won it.

“He’s done really well. Obviously he hasn’t won a game yet being captain but I’m sure he will in the future.”

TWTD

Radlett_blue added 10:45 - Jun 3 Morsy is absolutely right. The most important thing for next season will be to have everyone in the team at 100%, even in the games we are expected to win. Assuming he's still captain & a regular starter, he should be a big part of this.
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Len_Brennan added 10:59 - Jun 3 "...  Obviously he hasn’t won a game yet being captain but I’m sure he will in the future.” !!!
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Gforce added 11:13 - Jun 3 Recruitment will be absolutely crucial this summer. We will need 5/6 quality signings that can not only be a class above in the championship, but can also hold their own in the premier league, the following season. To many of our signings last year,unfortunately struggled in the top flight, we can't make that mistake again.
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tractorboybig added 11:14 - Jun 3 Not the walk over some expect
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oldelsworthyfan added 11:52 - Jun 3 Gforce good points. I bet we would both prefer to see two really good signings instead of half a dozen where only a couple work out to be good (look at the last ones). Easier said than done
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Karlosfandangal added 11:58 - Jun 3 Keep reading he maybe going this summer …, two different sources but listen to his tv interview and his interviews on here it seems highly unlikely
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WhoisJimmyJuan added 12:06 - Jun 3 He's talking like a manager already! Regarding recruitment, open question to this forum: should KmK be looking overseas more? Should he have last season?
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darkhorse28 added 12:07 - Jun 3 What we marginally gained in quality, we lost ten fold in team dynamic last season. We spent a lot of money, and when you look at the retained list, only Hutchinson has a really high ceiling. McKenna has a huge puzzle to solve. We shouldn’t throw the baby out with the bath water, but we need to decide if we are elite, and want to go down that path, or whether we are happy in the EFL. We just gave a player away, with a one year option, because we like the manager he’s going to, and the player, I’m not sure that’s the elite mentality of a club with a win at all costs culture. Brentford just signed a GK for the same money we spent on Muric. We aren’t even top EFL at the moment, decision wise. It’s a low scrutiny, low accountability culture, which usually don’t breed long term success. That our legacy group won’t be at the 23/24 levels, seems a fair assumption, not least because they’ve all seen, even if they get back, they won’t play in the prem again, and even at a subconscious level, in terms of results, when margins are fine, that’s crucial. Sam himself would be 35 shortly after the start of 26/27…, that’s an area of the pitch we have no options in at the minute, so we need succession planning pretty quickly. Not to be all ‘ney bomb and negativity’ our manger is very young, very hard working, if we can move a couple of players out, we could have a good budget at this level, and Hutchinson…, he showed against West Ham, quality wise, he’s a big level above EFL. He will be established in the EPL one day, and Philogene has the quality if not the work rate, and Sammie scores boat loads at this level. If we could add Flynn, that would be massive. And add some physicality as well as quality. West Ham, who aren’t a good EPL team (let’s be honest) were two levels above us in physicality as well as a level in quality. I didn’t realise how big they were. HUGE all over the pitch, and our small technical players, who stand out in the EFL actually had less quality than their group too. We need to add some physicality, especially without Delap. Maybe in our promotion, we didn’t appreciate the added value of a Moore type player, not only in attack but in our own box at set pieces too. We definitely need more quality, but more size and physicality too…, we get bullied at times.

12

Rimsy added 13:01 - Jun 3 Let's all hope he's right and it's not about momentum. Because if it is we're fooked before we get started.
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AndoverFist added 13:32 - Jun 3 A successful return to the Championship …… ! ?
1

Stato added 13:34 - Jun 3 Morsy a £500k player who needs replacing asap. Completely over played by McKenna and made too many mistakes last season which led to goals against. Too slow in thought and pace. supposedly the leader of a group with great team spirit but making bitchy comments about O'Shea not winning any games. He is about as dynamic as the Sam Morsy song. Centre midfield is our biggest recruitment priority

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Cookieboy added 13:45 - Jun 3 Interesting comments by all, no one has mentioned we have 4 goalkeepers on the books. 1 new signing and a very good youngster (main squad Scotland) so what 2 go ???
3

bluebullet29l added 13:49 - Jun 3 A successful return to the championship? WTF?
2

flykickingbybgunn added 13:52 - Jun 3 I disagree with a lot of the whingers on here. Yes he is coming to the end and yes we need more in midfield but Morsy has been a great player for the club and still has a few miles left in him.
8

budgieplucker added 14:02 - Jun 3 @cookieboy, Slicker definitely needs to go on loan to affirm that he is worthy of his position in the Scottish International Squad and to give confidence to Town that he returns as a clear number 2 and capable of progress to number 1. Muric needs to regain confidence and play again and needs regular matches too, a loan also maybe. Walton to remain as number 2 to Palmer, we need to identify a young under 21 goalkeeper as 3rd Choice, if we don’t have a capability in our current academy then we need to go and find one for a modest fee, this obviously will keep a position open for an outfield over 21. Alternatively if we have a reasonable offer for Walton or Muric then we reassess, if both go then Slickers position may need to be reevaluted, but I would be more inclined look to the loan system for an ageing goalkeeper who has good career statistics

1

Carberry added 15:52 - Jun 3 Will our signings be Premier League ready by the end of the season, that's the crucial question? Or will we be buying players to win the Championship every other year?
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Steve_ITFC_Sweden added 16:35 - Jun 3 To get the kind of quality we will need - especially up front - I think loans are inevitable. Hopefully, though,we can also sign a couple of others who can become our own. Best case scenario is we sign loan players, they do well, and they then sign for us and follow us up to the PL. But every other team will be competing for what is available, so we need to be realistic. COYB!

0

Steelmonkey added 17:41 - Jun 3 I wasn’t impressed bringing in Phillips last season and was proved right as he didn’t play for a lot of it. Yes we must find a decent midfielder especially if Cajuste cannot be persuaded to return. What we really do need is physical presence in the team something that was so noticeably absent in the premiership. Poor Chappers hardly got a look in even before the injury as was Hutchinson’s season curtailed by being out muscled.

3

Dissboyitfc added 17:53 - Jun 3 Not sure I agree with Morsey on this, winning becomes a habit and so does losing ! Certainly possible to take a hangover into the championship after relegation, I think it’s easier to motivate a promoted side than to motivate a relegated side who’s confidence will have taken a battering!
2

RobITFC added 18:59 - Jun 3 @darkhorse28 , Kelleher has cost Brentford £18m , think Muric was about £8m, so not the same?
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blueboy1981 added 19:51 - Jun 3 Herewith begins the Lesson that:- ‘It was an easier Task to avoid Relegation - than what now lies ahead in trying to achieve Promotion again’. Tough, Tough Championship time ahead - as you will soon see.
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blueboy1981 added 20:02 - Jun 3 ‘ A Successful return to the Championship’ ?? - have we jumped a year ? - to where we could possibly me in June 2026 ? - I sincerely hope not. Or has someone had a ghastly Premonition ?? Lets hope,above hope maybe, we don’t try and do a Luton Town.
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DeliasMashedPotato added 20:38 - Jun 3 "A successful return to the championship" - means being successful upon our return to the championship for those that struggle with reading
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Chrisgee added 07:57 - Jun 4 @Dissboyitfc Winning or losing are not habits, its either that there is a huge gulf in class between teams and or its poor performance levels.
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Fermi_Parradox added 08:32 - Jun 4 We smashed Coventry in the cup, we will be fine. The gulf in class between championship and premier league really is that big. Sign a striker to support Hirst and Al-Hamedi Sign a couple of CMs, 1 to start, one to rotate Nobody else, unless they are premier league quality.
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