"Doing a Leicester" - Your Thoughts

[The Goat was fed]

Seen as we're flirting with a surprise promotion bid, I wanted to test the waters to see if the usual (which I include myself in occasionally!) "I don't want us to get promote to watch us get smashed every week" crowd feel any different after Leicester City won the Premier League?

For me, that was one of the best things ever to happen in sport, let alone football and I can't be anything but enthused about the prospect of being back in the Premier League. I'm not saying we'll do a Leicester, or anything close, but the fact that you now have very, very real evidence that it can happen...well, it can happen.

Read a really interesting article the other day that said the huge money the Premier League is getting with its "most competitive league in the world" messaging is actually making it more competitive. In the mid-90s early 00's only two/three clubs had financial clout, now a club finishing 15th in the Premier League has as much financial reward as finishing third in Serie A etc.

So, if by some minor miracle we did get promoted, are you up for it or apprehensive?

[genome]

I am of course up for it, and would love to see us promoted and play at the highest level, even if it would be a struggle. The money would be useful, for a start.

Leicester doesn't really stick in my mind though. That was a one-off and I doubt we'll see something like that again in our lifetimes.

[bobby1413]

So, if by some minor miracle we did get promoted, are you up for it or apprehensive?

I couldn't be more up for it if I tried. It was one of the most exciting times as a football fan, seeing us week in/week out being mentioned during other games, and on national news, radio stations.

As Genome said, I don't really think of Leicester in the same thought.

I rather look at Southampton, Stoke, Watford, Bournemouth who have all made a proper go of it. I'd love to see Reading get promoted, survive and become an established premier league team.

The thought that we do end up in the play offs does make me feel sick and nervous, especially at the prospect of going to Wembley again - don't think I can stand losing there again!

[tidus_mi2]

The Premier League is where you want to be, guaranteed to find a stream of all your matches, good coverage on MotD, the obvious £100m windfall and massive exposure for the club.

That said the 5 coverage of the Championship wasn't as bad as I'd been hearing, did they improve the format or something?

[Tony Le Mesmer]

4 wins against just about the 4 worst teams in the league, and someone posts this. Fcking hell.

[bobby1413]

4 wins against just about the 4 worst teams in the league, and someone posts this. Fcking hell.

We're going up... I believe it.

Last game of the season Brighton will lose, and we will win, allowing us to hop over them into 2nd place.

The town will rejoice, the streets will be full of partying people and hob nob will go down through the sheer amount of visitors.

[BR0B0T]

4 wins against just about the 4 worst teams in the league, and someone posts this. Fcking hell.

Tony, did you ever get something read out on the Adam and Joe show

about an Australian threatening someone for having a phone on loud

[CountryRoyal]

4 wins against just about the 4 worst teams in the league, and someone posts this. Fcking hell.

Just look at the facebook groups. It's ridiculous, people thinking autos or "at least playoffs".

We really do have the biggest set of retards as fans.

[No Fixed Abode]

4 wins against just about the 4 worst teams in the league, and someone posts this. Fcking hell.

Just look at the facebook groups. It's ridiculous, people thinking autos or "at least playoffs".

We really do have the biggest set of retards as fans.

You said it.....

[tidus_mi2]

4 wins against just about the 4 worst teams in the league, and someone posts this. Fcking hell.

Just look at the facebook groups. It's ridiculous, people thinking autos or "at least playoffs".

We really do have the biggest set of retards as fans.

What is wrong with a bit of optimism? We've put up with nothing but dross the last couple of seasons.

[bobby1413]

4 wins against just about the 4 worst teams in the league, and someone posts this. Fcking hell.

Just look at the facebook groups. It's ridiculous, people thinking autos or "at least playoffs".

We really do have the biggest set of retards as fans.

I don't like the attitude of "at least playoffs"... but I can see why people may think "we look like we've got really good potential for the playoffs"

We've had good results... saying they're against poor teams I don't think means much in the Championship.

Things can turn quickly, and 3-4 losses and suddenly we're 9-10th. So I do think it's way too early to take much from it, but as we know, when you get a good run going, it CAN lead on to the team doing really well and following it through.

I think there are more ups/downs to come but I'm quite hopeful that we have a chance of the playoffs

[genome]

Wouldn't mind the playoffs at all actually. Everyone started this season thinking mid-table would be a good season, so to finish there would be already excellent.

As far as I'm concerned it would be pressure off.

[Woodcote Royal]

4 wins against just about the 4 worst teams in the league, and someone posts this. Fcking hell.

Just look at the facebook groups. It's ridiculous, people thinking autos or "at least playoffs".

We really do have the biggest set of retards as fans.

You said it.....

+1 ....................................it's all utter bollox because "know nothing" twats like them said we were going to be cr@p...................................they are the real "retards" in the fan base.

[Maneki Neko]

did they improve the format or something

yes, they did. no studio crowd now, championship games now all on first, then the goals for league 1 and 2
and they've got rid of the awful, wooden and fat faced co presenter they had before.

[Hampshire Royal]

2012 - Richard 111 found in Leicester car park!!.
2014 - Leicester promoted to PL.
2016 - Leicester win PL.

2016 - Henry 1 found in Reading car park.
2018 - Reading promoted to PL.
2020 - Reading win PL.

It's fate - nothing we can do about it!!

[Ian Royal]

Seen as we're flirting with a surprise promotion bid, I wanted to test the waters to see if the usual (which I include myself in occasionally!) "I don't want us to get promote to watch us get smashed every week" crowd feel any different after Leicester City won the Premier League?

For me, that was one of the best things ever to happen in sport, let alone football and I can't be anything but enthused about the prospect of being back in the Premier League. I'm not saying we'll do a Leicester, or anything close, but the fact that you now have very, very real evidence that it can happen...well, it can happen.

Read a really interesting article the other day that said the huge money the Premier League is getting with its "most competitive league in the world" messaging is actually making it more competitive. In the mid-90s early 00's only two/three clubs had financial clout, now a club finishing 15th in the Premier League has as much financial reward as finishing third in Serie A etc.

So, if by some minor miracle we did get promoted, are you up for it or apprehensive?

I'm well up for going back up, but at the appropriate time. I think we're definitely capable of consolidating in mid-table for a decent stretch, a la your Wigans Stokes, Fulhams, Swanseas. And never say never on the Leicester front. But as I said on another thread, I think this season is too soon into rebuilding works. We've only just started developing partnerships in all the key places, centreback, central midfield. We don't have anything approaching a clear Championship quality strike force yet either, let alone a back up PL one.

I'd also like to see more of our current Academy potentials in / around the first team. So they can get the odd game in the PL / get loaned out at Champ level in case of relegation.

Obviously I'd not cry if we get promoted this season, but I'd be very concerned about quickly falling back into losing ways and being set back further than we were last season following any likely relegation.

TL;DR
If we do go up, I want us to have a good chance of making it stick for a few seasons, rather than being relegation fodder. Just getting there isn't enough now we've already done it twice. And I think this season is too soon for that. Leicester changes that not at all.

[SCIAG]

Frankly, if we don't win the Premier League next season than Stam's reign has to be considered a failure.

[Big Foot]

It would certainly be a refreshing change of direction to see us "go for it" in the CL Leicester style, when compared with Coppell/Madejski bottling our chance to qualify for UEFA Cup in 06/07.

[sandman]

People still think Coppell was being serious with the Europe thing, bless.

[Royal Ginger]

I'd love the fun of promotion but hate getting dicked week in week out in the premier league. Didn't enjoy the last time at all (except for my favorite 8 minutes of football ever vs West Brom). I bet Newcastle fans are having the most fun they've had in years.

This is all silly talk anyway. We'll finish 8-10th and i'll be happy with that. We've played some sh*t teams recently. Huge improvement on last two years, but can you imagine this lot in the top division? Nope.