If we don't get promoted.... (2 Viewers)

[curly_tom]

The general feeling at the moment amongst almost all posters on this forum is that we will go up. I've never known so much positivity and I share it. It has been so good to watch (or listen as I tend to do) and very few of us will remember it being this much fun (I'm 40 so only just remember the cup run of 1987).

But there is a still a very good chance we won't get the automatic slots and will drop into the play-off positions where we will face 1 or 2 very difficult opponents. We seem to win every week and still haven't hit the top, it's bloody hard to get out of this division. I don't want to be negative but I just worry that having come close and not gone up, it might be hard to get things together again for another go next year. Or perhaps we will hold on to much of the team and be stronger with the experience gained.

Will we regard it as a good season anyway if we don't go up? I doubt many predicted that we would at the beginning of the season, so would a 4th place be seen as a good return with all the fun along the way?

 

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[CCFC88]

The only reason we haven't hit the top is cause we've played less games than everyone else. Without our fixtures getting postponed we'd have opened up a gap on 3rd down

 

[Macca1987]

If you'd have asked me at xmas, I would have been happy with a play off spot, but now I just want autos.
Seeing the way the team are playing, sometimes good football and others grinding out results, makes we feel this is our year.

I've been through the pleasure of the likes of 87 and the pain of multiple relegations.
I brought my lad into the CCFC fold at the age of 2, he's 20 just before the Ipswich game, and it's only in the last few years (cup win and promotion) that he's seen the happy times.
So I say long may it continue, onwards and upwards to the Championship

 

[SBchimp]

We have to go up.
I’m not sure the team will be bankrolled again in the way it has this season.
Whilst MR is building a great team it does feel to me like the owners have really taken a punt this year. Will they step up again in league 1 if required? Hopefully a question that will never need to be answered.

 

[SkyBlueCRJ]

It should still be classed as a good season because this is the best I've seen us play in a long time and given the circumstances Robins and the players should be proud of what they've achieved.

But whilst IMO it shouldn't be classed as a failure, this is our best chance of getting promotion and will be for a while I fear. So, to put it simply they just can't capitulate. If we fail at achieving promotion and we still remain at St. Andrews next season, SISU will have no choice but to slash the budget accordingly as playing there just isn't sustainable. Not with gate receipts being down by up to potentially 2/3's and the cost of the rent which is rumoured to be as high as £1M per annum. As such, this season realistically as it stands is the best chance we have of going up and could well be for a while if our situation remains the same.

 

[Londonccfcfan]

MR said few months ago theres no pressure on him to get promotion this season its not in his remit for this season, but obviously that has changed now as we find our ourselves with the best PPG average in the league with just under a third of season to go.

Its a huge opportunity.

 

[harvey098]

Even if we don’t go up, it has been a good season no matter where we finish now. I get that success is where you finish so you could argue if we don’t go up it’s the same as finishing 19th but football is about enjoyment and no matter where we finish now I’ve had the best value for my season ticket in a long time, probably ever, which is what I base a season on.

 

[Sky Blue Harry H]

....this is what we'll sing
We are City, We are City
Robins you f**ckin

(not as catchy as the original)

 

[Mask]

I've never seen such happiness, confidence and expectation around this club in the 30+ years I've been supporting. For those reasons, regardless of what happens, it has absolutely already been a season to be proud of. Having said that... Robins and the team have built up so much belief in me that I feel that missing out on autos would be a huge blow. A month or two ago I'd have settled for the play-offs but we're deserving of so much more. Lightning doesn't tend to strike twice. The connection this current team has, the free-flowing play, the pitch, the opposition... It'll all be different next season and we need to make the most of what we have right now.

 

[Liquid Gold]

Sliding doors moment I feel. The fortunes fo the club could completely change with promotion which would bring a likely return to the Ricoh, and improved squad and we'd look more attractive to potential investors. Don't go up and budget will likely be cut due to ffp, still at St Andrews, players leave, MR's stock will never have been higher and he knows he won't be able to do the same so we lose him.

This is the best time for us to go up.

 

[Magwitch]

We are almost certain to make the play-offs imo but from the position we are in now for me it would be a bitter pill to swallow to miss out on automatics, we have 14 games left and playing well I reckon 84/87 points could be the magic figure so imo opinion need to win 9 or 10 to get an automatic spot. We have a full squad available too. Take Rotherham out of the equation all the challengers play each other and the likes of Posh, Wycombe and Ipswich have to win almost all their games to get to 84 points. Portsmouth like us also have 14 games left and need to win 11 to get to 84, on paper they have the toughest run in plus a cup-final and an FA Cup-tie.
Sunderland playing well at the moment need to win 10 out of 13 a tough ask imo.
Automatics is definitely in our hands now win 9 I reckon we’re there.

 

[Adge]

I get all the positivity, but also let’s remember that there is a long way to go. The way some people are thinking/talking we are nailed on for one of the top two places.
All of the big hitters are also in and around the top six and will also be fancying their chances of a top two spot.
I said at the beginning of the season that anything above where we finished last season considering the St Andrews debacle would be an excellent season given the circumstances. I’m happy to stick by that.

 

[Magwitch]

I’m certainly not counting our chickens and things happen that can to derail things, injuries, sending offs etc but it is ours to lose or throw away. A good position to be in,

 

[Briles]

As we have been in and around the playoff places all season it would be very disappointing not to even reach the playoffs, but we are potentially only a couple of losses away from dropping out. I will be a lot more confident when we are about 10-12 points clear of 7th

 

[Sky Blue Pete]

I get all the positivity, but also let’s remember that there is a long way to go. The way some people are thinking/talking we are nailed on for one of the top two places.
All of the big hitters are also in and around the top six and will also be fancying their chances of a top two spot.
I said at the beginning of the season that anything above where we finished last season considering the St Andrews debacle would be an excellent season given the circumstances. I’m happy to stick by that.

Yep still a huge ask but we are in a great position. I agree same position as last year given the situation has to be a success. Has to be balanced against the money from Maddison and the number of players we were able to recruit of course.

Also 14 games is a huge chunk of the 44 we will play

 

[skybluesam66]

2001/02 never goes away when I think about what is certain

In the end we missed the play offs by 9 points
That was after 1 point from the last 7 games!! and 7 from the last 11

And then the Tony Mowbray season

before the last 5 games, we got 10 Points from the previous 16 games and missed the play offs by 5 points

So while it feels very different this time, as both of the above seasons were based on an early good run - Dont take anything for granted
Football is very much a confidence game, and if we lose the next 3 - then the current wave of confidence will quickly disappear

 

[CCFC88]

I think that's the thing, this team just don't look like getting beat, and when they do they usually react well. We're due a defeat or two and they will come but I think this squad has the leadership and mentality to not allow it to turn into a trend.

 

[Tommo1993]

Difference between ‘good’ and ‘successful’. Ok it has been good. But it’s only a success if we get promoted. We’re certainly in the race, but it’ll be won by a nose hair.

Even if we do go up, we need big investment to survive. I’m not deluded enough to think we’ll cope a League above with the same squad.

 

[Liquid Gold]

2001/02 never goes away when I think about what is certain

In the end we missed the play offs by 9 points
That was after 1 point from the last 7 games!! and 7 from the last 11

And then the Tony Mowbray season

before the last 5 games, we got 10 Points from the previous 16 games and missed the play offs by 5 points

So while it feels very different this time, as both of the above seasons were based on an early good run - Dont take anything for granted
Football is very much a confidence game, and if we lose the next 3 - then the current wave of confidence will quickly disappear

We were in free fall from December in the Mowbray season. We've got two games left until March this time round and we're expected to win at least one of them.

 

[Gman1987]

We have to go up.
I’m not sure the team will be bankrolled again in the way it has this season.
Whilst MR is building a great team it does feel to me like the owners have really taken a punt this year. Will they step up again in league 1 if required? Hopefully a question that will never need to be answered.

We have to go up as MR will be poached by a Championship team next season, especially if he isn't given the backing of this season

 

[Sky Blue Harry H]

Difference between ‘good’ and ‘successful’. Ok it has been good. But it’s only a success if we get promoted. We’re certainly in the race, but it’ll be won by a nose hair.

Even if we do go up, we need big investment to survive. I’m not deluded enough to think we’ll cope a League above with the same squad.

If nose hair gets promotion, why am I not prime minister?

 

[Sky Blue Harry H]

Just turn up at games, be the 12th man and sing our way to the autos. We are 'The Unstoppables'

 

[vow]

My concern if we don't get promoted is the squad will break up, our better players will move on and ultimately Robins will leave/get poached.

Apart from that, bring it on, very confident we'll do the business this season!

 

[Grendel]

It will mean nothing if we don’t

 

[Brylowes]

but this wasn’t always the case, although no doubt hard to beat ‘before Christmas we often found it very difficult to win games, not a single away win up until Christmas tells a story.
The team have found a way and a belief to win games that they would previously have probably drawn.
Confidence is sky high, the team are playing well but more importantly they still know how to win when they don’t,
We seem to have hit on this rich vein of form and confidence at exactly the right time.
I’ve seen many other teams do this down the years ‘but honestly struggling to remember City doing it.
The Fact MR has been able to ‘first of all assemble this group and then create the belief and togetherness that obviously runs through it is ‘frankly unbelievable’ especially when you consider all the background noise going on.

 

[Brylowes]

It will mean nothing if we don’t

Probably true for CCFC, but in the current circumstances you can’t deny it’s a real achievement
By the manager ‘and his stock will no doubt rise because of it.

 

[skyblueinBaku]

While missing out on automatic promotion would be really disappointing, remember that MR has said on several occasions that he is trying to build something here. If we finish above 8th place, it is progress. A playoff place would indicate season on season improvement. However, I want automatic promotion this season, and believe we can achieve that.

 

[Brylowes]

While missing out on automatic promotion would be really disappointing, remember that MR has said on several occasions that he is trying to build something here. If we finish above 8th place, it is progress. A playoff place would indicate season on season improvement. However, I want automatic promotion this season, and believe we can achieve that.

Finishing 7th or 8th from our current position ‘could not be considered progress imo

 

[skyblueinBaku]

Finishing 7th or 8th from our current position ‘could not be considered progress imo

Not from our current position, I agree. However it would still represent progress from last season.

 

[CanadianCCFC]

It should still be classed as a good season because this is the best I've seen us play in a long time and given the circumstances Robins and the players should be proud of what they've achieved.

But whilst IMO it shouldn't be classed as a failure, this is our best chance of getting promotion and will be for a while I fear. So, to put it simply they just can't capitulate. If we fail at achieving promotion and we still remain at St. Andrews next season, SISU will have no choice but to slash the budget accordingly as playing there just isn't sustainable. Not with gate receipts being down by up to potentially 2/3's and the cost of the rent which is rumoured to be as high as £1M per annum. As such, this season realistically as it stands is the best chance we have of going up and could well be for a while if our situation remains the same.

Basically this

 

[Brylowes]

Not from our current position, I agree. However it would still represent progress from last season.

But surely you have to judge it on the ‘here and now’

 

[SkyBlueDom26]

Will do well to keep Robins if we don't go up, we play high end championship football at times!

 

[no_loyalty]

Will do well to keep Robins if we don't go up, we play high end championship football at times!

A few big clubs in the Championship are struggling and could dispose of their manager in the summer, I'm pretty sure Robins would be well thought of by these clubs, however Stoke City took the gamble on Nathan Jones and look how that turned out.

 

[Sky Blue Harry H]

But surely you have to judge it on the ‘here and now’

If we judged everything on the here and now, the next few years are likely to be a disappointment. You don't get many seasons like the one we're having!
Promotion and a return to Coventry would be like a football multiple orgasm.

 

[no_loyalty]

If we judged everything on the here and now, the next few years are likely to be a disappointment. You don't get many seasons like the one we're having!
Promotion and a return to Coventry would be like a football multiple orgasm.

Hope you are not thinking of doing what that Newcastle fan did, if it happens.