Sick Boy
Super Moderator
I suspect that'll be the case but fans would then need to adjust their expectations for the season.
Doug (28 Viewers)
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Sky Blue Goblin
Well-Known Member
Agreed on that. Would be difficult I think for many to take going from missing out this year to going for top half (or playoffs) next year with a new squad
Sick Boy
Super Moderator
King has been relatively lucky so far with decent windfalls from player sales. If we don't go up, we won't maximise their value, meaning we'd likely end up with a squad with less ability and be back to hoping to sneak into the play-offs and go up.
clint van damme
Well-Known Member
I think that's where we'll be anyway. Even if we uncover another Vik and Gus we'll have to compete with the parachute and American owned teams so we'll never get on par with them in terms of spending power.
That's why I want to keep Lampard, our home form has been outstanding since he came and you don't need to do much on top of that in your away games to grab 5th or 6th.
Jay88
Well-Known Member
Absolutely not, we overperformed first third of the season. Yes we are on poor form now but there is no chance we'll be sacking a manager whilst we are 2nd in the league (if Boro beat us like you said). We won't be ripping everything up for the remainder of a promotion push / playoff scenario. We'll hit form again and other teams will lose form too. That's the rollercoaster of a Championship season.
AOM
Well-Known Member
I'd personally keep Lampard too. The recent drop in form is concerning and I think he might need assistance in coaching the defence, but I think he's also had the squad achieving well over it's limit the past two seasons.
To get us to the play offs last season from when he arrived and then top of the league by 13 points this year shows there is something worth holding onto imo
Sky Blue Goblin
Well-Known Member
I’d argue the difference between this time and 22/23 is that while the individual player sales won’t be as high there’s a lot more of them considering how paper thin our squad was after the play offs.
Wouldn’t be shocked if the incoming sales would be quite similar in value and we’d be able to spend highly to go again.
Skyblue Bangkok
Well-Known Member
I've mentioned before when Lampards been on bad runs at his previous clubs he's not been able to turn things around. I'm hoping this time there will be an exception.
Samueljames1991
Well-Known Member
I mean his assistant won a champions league and his other coach was part of the England set up.
That's pretty experienced
duffer
Well-Known Member
I wasn't keen on Lampard at the very start, but I also honestly can't see why we'd suddenly want to sack a manager who has got the team to where it is.
Who here would seriously have thought at this point in the season we'd be a win away from being at the top of the championship?
Yes, bad run, yes, extremely frustrating to watch on Saturday, but blimey, look at where we are.
As far as I'm concerned he's absolutely earned the right to see it through to whatever end this season, and to give it another go next season whatever happens.
Cycling through managers is an absolute mug's game in my opinion, and it would be a massive overreaction in the current circumstances.
Who here would seriously have thought at this point in the season we'd be a win away from being at the top of the championship?
Yes, bad run, yes, extremely frustrating to watch on Saturday, but blimey, look at where we are.
As far as I'm concerned he's absolutely earned the right to see it through to whatever end this season, and to give it another go next season whatever happens.
Cycling through managers is an absolute mug's game in my opinion, and it would be a massive overreaction in the current circumstances.
Sick Boy
Super Moderator
He's also a relatively young manager and you'd like to think he'd learn from it and go again next season if we don't make it.
TomRad85
Well-Known Member
If we finish in the play offs, he'll have spent 3 seasons as a Championship manager and made play offs 3 times. Hysterics aside you'll struggle to find much better.
Having said that, I actually think he leaves if we do fall short this season. I'm not 100% sure what the way forward for us is after it and I think it would be a bit of a body blow for him given the position he got us into.
Sick Boy
Super Moderator
Nah, I think he'd give it another go, to be honest.
TomRad85
Well-Known Member
I'd hope so but I'm not sure personally. Think he'd want assurances of more investment from King or could see us falling behind a few teams next season.
Sick Boy
Super Moderator
No comment on that! Haha!
Ectemnius
Well-Known Member
Beating Boro would give us all the lift we need, just hope that we can start to build momentum again. We have defo been punching a bit above our weight, and tactically we have been a bit one dimensional, but tweak this, get some energy and belief back, and with the January reinforcements, getting on another good run will hopefully put pressure back on the other teams around us.
Skybluedownunder
Well-Known Member
Lampard wanted Bamford, said we were too light, King said no… Lampard proved to be very right on this and weeks later we flopped and had not enough cover. If anything Lampard will think you should of listened to me.
King said he would back Lampard in January if we didn’t get Bamford, realistically that didn’t happen and we signed a plethora of wingers and the only one we spent money on isn’t ready to help right now.
We sold Sheaf right at the end of the window and didn’t replace him for over 4 months, that’s not on Lampard
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King said he would back Lampard in January if we didn’t get Bamford, realistically that didn’t happen and we signed a plethora of wingers and the only one we spent money on isn’t ready to help right now.
We sold Sheaf right at the end of the window and didn’t replace him for over 4 months, that’s not on Lampard
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Cov98
Well-Known Member
We've gone on these dodgy runs every season for as long as I can remember.
The only season we didn't have a dodgy patch is when we won League 1 after Covid stopped the league.
History would show that we go on a good run after a drop so there's always a chance we pick back up and have a really strong finish to the league.
Sky_Blue_Dreamer
Well-Known Member
I get what you're saying but these are all things that we were warned would happen by Derby and Everton fans. How long does it take him to learn from it?
I think it would be absolute madness to make any changes before the end of the season. At that point, IF we don't go up, we will have to see what Frank wants to do. he may want to walk away, and if that was the case I don't think we should try and stop him.
However, if he wants to stay he should be given a chance. I do, however, feel it will be much harder next year.
I think we will lose a few of our bigger name players if we don't go up, and while they might bring in funds for replacements those players will be unknown quantities and need time to settle in. Will Lampard be pragmatic enough to change the way we play, or will we continue with these tactics that teams now seem to be able to negate?
We've also benefited from a number of teams underperforming this season but are starting to find their feet. Those that don't go up will likely be strong contenders next year. Then you'll have some strong relegated teams coming down, and the likes of Birmingham and Wrexham will likely continue to spend big. Leicester are also an unknown quantity who could bounce back.
If we don't go up this season, I reckon we finish outside the play-offs next season.
Otis
Well-Known Member
Yep.
Would rather he'd learn from it right now though.
We do need to approach some games differently, especially those that are away from home.
Controversial but if we don’t go up I don’t want Lampard here going into the summer window.
he has 1 yr left on his contract and will jump at the first premier league job that’s available to him.. I’d rather have a new gaffer for the summer window with the churn of players we will lose
he has 1 yr left on his contract and will jump at the first premier league job that’s available to him.. I’d rather have a new gaffer for the summer window with the churn of players we will lose
Otis
Well-Known Member
But if we don't go up, how much interest will there be from Premier clubs, after such a huge fall from top place and us being well clear?
Sky Blue Pete
Well-Known Member
WarnockEven if we lost say the next two or three, we would still be odds on certainties for the playoffs, so I just can't see King sacking Lampard this season. Not while we still have a chance.
Who on earth would you bring in anyway?
clint van damme
Well-Known Member
If we don't go up there's no chance he gets offered a Premier league job.
And yes, there will be a churn of players, so I'd like to maintain some continuity, and for me that would be keeping Lampard and his team.
Sky Blue Pete
Well-Known Member
He already has once here
Skyblue Bangkok
Well-Known Member
True
shmmeee
Well-Known Member
Gerrard was a terrific footballer but unfortunately his brain in his feet, he's not the type Doug would employ.
If F.L. was to leave (and I don't think that is likely) I know Robbie Keane is well thought of by the Club.
Anyone Doug wasn’t watching on Sky when he was a kid?
shmmeee
Well-Known Member
When?
Sky Blue Pete
Well-Known Member
Start of the season
clint van damme
Well-Known Member
We didn't have a bad start to the season.
shmmeee
Well-Known Member
Courtesy of Gemini.
Last season (red) we started poorly, had a run post xmas then slumped to the end of the season. I'd argue only in 22/23 have we reversed a slide in the last 4 seasons.
But also only in 22/23 (and this season) did we have our peak pre-xmas so there was time to reverse
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Sky Blue Pete
Well-Known Member
Last season we went on a great run then fell off at the start of this season we went again