Automatic promotion next season?

[NR_Royal]

Over the past few matches, I really am starting to believe that we have a fantastic manager and a very good team who are capable of outplaying almost any team in the division. Assuming that Portsmouth, Hull/West Ham and Burnley go down, do you think we could go for promotion? I don't see why not.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dl-ai9HuR60

[Chaney]

the first priority will surely be to hold on to some of our big players.

[oldebiscuit]

Not really, going to lose Griff & Kish for starters.

[Ian Royal]

Lets see where we finish this season. Then see who we sign and lose in the summer.

[SLAMMED]

You can't be promoted from the premiership

[PEARCEY]

I haven't given up on promotion this season just yet. We are a match for anybody at this level now.

[Sarah Star]

I worry that we won't be able to hold this team together. Bertrand has already said he wants to go back to Chelsea and I doubt we'll keep Griffin let alone Kizzy, and then there's Sigurdsson, Church and Federici attracting attention from elsewhere... well, Church might stay, but Long might want to move on after seeing all his mates from previous seasons off to the Premier League and Ingimarsson might feel the same. What would our chances be then?

I'd rather get promoted this season, but I think that's unlikely although not totally impossible.

[Drew_3]

When did Bertrand say he wanted to go back?

[Sarah Star]

When did Bertrand say he wanted to go back?

His interview in one of the programmes from a match recently... can't remember which one, sorry.

[facaldaqui]

Well though we're playing, we've had some luck as well: being awarded penalties, let off penalties, let off sendings off. Apart from a couple of big wins, the margins have been fine. When games are tight, I'm not content relying on Long, Church, and Rasiak to score. If Noel gets fit, then maybe we can do without a new striker, but his fitness is likely to be unreliable. This just isn't an auto-spot forward line, as today showed again.

So I wouldn't count on a promotion push next season, though play-offs may legitimately be on the cards. Madejski is going to need to cut the cloth again this summer, as the parachute payments will end. So it's possible the team will be weakened rather than strengthened. However, McDermott is the ace up our sleeve. With his scouting knowledge, he may be able to find replacements for Bertrand, Khiz, and Griffin, if they have to go. (I doubt we'll miss Cisse, Ingimarsson, and Matejovsky if they go.)

[soggy biscuit]

I can't see any progress for the forseeable future

[RoyalChicagoFC]

LOLz!

Madejski is going to need to cut the cloth again this summer, as the parachute payments will end. So it's possible the team will be weakened rather than strengthened. However, McDermott is the ace up our sleeve. With his scouting knowledge, he may be able to find replacements for Bertrand, Khiz, and Griffin, if they have to go. (I doubt we'll miss Cisse, Ingimarsson, and Matejovsky if they go.)

Yeah, that's the key point right there (and doubleplus'greed on the run of good fortune we've enjoyed throughout this spasm of excellent results --nice to see it cut our way for a change, eh?)

Anyway, plenty of footballing talent on this planet, and not all of it available only at absurd cost (cf.: Wenger, A)

And just a general point: the sooner "Kish" is out of here, the better for me --it carries with it a referent to my hometown that elicits an LOL every time I see it

[Woodcote Royal]

LOLz!

Madejski is going to need to cut the cloth again this summer, as the parachute payments will end. So it's possible the team will be weakened rather than strengthened. However, McDermott is the ace up our sleeve. With his scouting knowledge, he may be able to find replacements for Bertrand, Khiz, and Griffin, if they have to go. (I doubt we'll miss Cisse, Ingimarsson, and Matejovsky if they go.)

Yeah, that's the key point right there (and doubleplus'greed on the run of good fortune we've enjoyed throughout this spasm of excellent results --nice to see it cut our way for a change, eh?)

Anyway, plenty of footballing talent on this planet, and not all of it available only at absurd cost (cf.: Wenger, A)

And just a general point: the sooner "Kish" is out of here, the better for me --it carries with it a referent to my hometown that elicits an LOL every time I see it

Most of the cloth cutting was done when the bank called in our overdraft. We effectively disposed of a Premiership squad, raking in 15 million? in the process, and off loading the likes of Harper and Rosy for free.

I would suggest that most of our rivals would be rather envious if they ever got a glimpse at our books. I know this doesn't fit well with those who have to look on the bleak side of everything RFC but I doubt SJM was expecting everything to look quite as rosy as it does right now when he gave Brendan the bad news.

[RoyalChicagoFC]

Yeah, I mean, I'm hardly operating under the belief that the trapdoor of insolvency is lurking underfoot

But then, nor am I going to be sat here rending my club merchandise as the summer days pass with no massive outlays for the kinds of guys who win a side promotion to the Premier League

Easy does it and all --I trust BMcD to figure it all out and ask the right questions where his own expertise may be lacking, etc

[North Somerset Royal]

When did Bertrand say he wanted to go back?

His interview in one of the programmes from a match recently... can't remember which one, sorry.

From QPR Prog 16th March

Ryan has his sights firmly set on breaking into Carlo Ancelotti's first team." My aim is to go back next season to Chelsea, look to maybe be the number two and get 10 or 15 games a season in."

Like SS I worry that 3 of the 4 defenders who started today will be going at the end of the season plus probably Ingi and if rumours are to be believed Feds, Gylfi and Church are all prime targets for bigger teams. It seems to me therefore that Brian will have to more or less start again to build a successful team which is likely to take 2 or 3 seasons.

[Forbury Lion]

the first priority will surely be to hold on to some of our big players.

Priority still has to be to get rid of some. Matejovski is eating up a chunk of the wage bill and won't be missed, Cisse would be worth keeping but must be on good wages still and it may benefit the club to let him go, Mooney needs to go for good - I don't know what his problems are but I can't see him getting a game even if all our other forwards were out injured.

I think our prioritiy should be a winger to supplement the squad.

[Chaney]

I think Kebe may be getting admiring glances from elsewhere also..seen a few posters on WBA forums saying they should go and get him next year.

[Ian Royal]

the first priority will surely be to hold on to some of our big players.

Priority still has to be to get rid of some. Matejovski is eating up a chunk of the wage bill and won't be missed, Cisse would be worth keeping but must be on good wages still and it may benefit the club to let him go, Mooney needs to go for good - I don't know what his problems are but I can't see him getting a game even if all our other forwards were out injured.

I think our prioritiy should be a winger to supplement the squad.

I think our priority should be two fullbacks. They may already be playing here, but we need to sign them to stop them leaving.

Cisse can stay or go. Not fussed, but his time as a midfielder must be numbered. Marek can go. Sadly Ivar and Gunnarsson can go. Agree on Mooney. That's a pretty hefty chunk out the wage bill without leaving us a great deal lighter in any position other than Centreback. Where I reckon we need to strengthern anyway.

[Wimb]

What's worth remebering when people worry about us losing the likes of Sig, Fed etc is that they are all under contract and we do not need to sell them. Therefore if any bids do come in they will have to pay through the nose for them, which in turn will mean Brian has money to invest in new players. If people do come in with decent bids for Fed and Church i'd bite their hands off, because good as they are I don't quite think they are of the quality needed for the next level, just my opinion mind.

[SteveRoyal]

Doubt it.
If we can sign a few decent players in defence this season then we might make play-offs.

Think about it, our defence is almost completely loan players.

Griffin will go back.
Kissmywilly is a possibility, but will most likely go back because of his cost.
Bertrand (as above) will want to go back.

Then we only have:
Cummings - We won't start this debate again
Kelly - unproven
Pearce
Ingimarsson - if he stays
Mills
Armstrong - always injured
Gunnarsson - out of position, but can play there if we keep him.

Not strong. At all. Major defensive reinforcements to be made this summer.