If you were offered second now ... (25 Viewers)

[Evo1883]

Yes

 

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[covmark]

Of course the vast majority of us would take second. It's starting to feel like the lg 1 season though. Where we all knew we were the best team in the league. As for the playoffs, could do with giving those a miss thanks.

 

[StrettoBoy]

Second would be fabulous.

First would be a little bit of icing on the cake but no more than that.

 

[Sky Blue Harry H]

99% of City fans would take 2nd if we were offered it. If we're 4 points clear with one game left, then it's a 'no'.

 

[SkyBlueBarmy84]

Nobody ever really remembers who wins the Championship - other than the fans of that club - it’s just a vanity claim.

Give me sanity over vanity any day; promoted with a few games to go, in either first or second, with chance to start planning our transfer business as early as possible.

 

[ProfessorbyGrace]

Automatic promotion over the playoffs any day. I’d grab 2nd along with the fingers offering it.

 

[hopesprings]

This brings it home
League Championship table after close of play on 17 November 2024​

Pos	Team	Pld	W	D	L	GF	GA	GD	Pts
1	Sunderland	15	9	4	2	25	11	14	31
2	Sheffield United	15	10	3	2	19	7	12	31
3	Leeds United	15	8	5	2	24	9	15	29
4	Burnley	15	7	6	2	18	6	12	27
5	West Bromwich Albion	15	6	7	2	16	9	7	25
6	Watford	15	8	1	6	23	22	1	25
7	Middlesbrough	15	7	3	5	23	17	6	24
8	Millwall	15	6	5	4	18	13	5	23
9	Blackburn Rovers	15	6	4	5	19	17	2	22
10	Bristol City	15	5	7	3	20	19	1	22
11	Swansea City	15	5	4	6	11	10	1	19
12	Derby County	15	5	4	6	19	19	0	19
13	Stoke City	15	5	4	6	18	19	-1	19
14	Norwich City	15	4	6	5	23	22	1	18
15	Sheffield Wednesday	15	5	3	7	17	25	-8	18
16	Oxford United	15	4	5	6	17	18	-1	17
17	Coventry City	15	4	4	7	20	21	-1	16
18	Plymouth Argyle	15	4	4	7	15	26	-11	16
19	Hull City	15	3	6	6	16	20	-4	15
20	Preston North End	15	3	6	6	15	23	-8	15
21	Luton Town	15	4	3	8	17	26	-9	15
22	Cardiff City	15	4	3	8	14	23	-9	15
23	Portsmouth	15	2	6	7	16	28	-12	12
24	Queens Park Rangers	15	1	7	7	12	25	-13	10

 

[Alkhen]

Head says of course yes I would.

But my heart says what would be the point? Surely the fun is the journey? The chance of glorious trophy parade actually achieving something for the history books.

Also will the Prem be as fun as being a really competitive team at this level? In the last 5-10 years I've lost all interest in the Premier League, don't really enjoy the path it's taken. Oil clubs and over the top finances that make it an almost closed shop. Even the clubs lauded as models to follow annoy me, the likes of Brentford, Bournemouth and Brighton. Small clubs that won the ownership lottery just at the right time football was in transition. whilst actually big clubs are left to ruin.

Nah actually I'd take it for sure, secure our future long term. Chance to bloody some big boy noses along the way.

 

[Brighton Sky Blue]

Head says of course yes I would.

But my heart says what would be the point? Surely the fun is the journey? The chance of glorious trophy parade actually achieving something for the history books.

Also will the Prem be as fun as being a really competitive team at this level? In the last 5-10 years I've lost all interest in the Premier League, don't really enjoy the path it's taken. Oil clubs and over the top finances that make it an almost closed shop. Even the clubs lauded as models to follow annoy me, the likes of Brentford, Bournemouth and Brighton. Small clubs that won the ownership lottery just at the right time football was in transition. whilst actually big clubs are left to ruin.

Nah actually I'd take it for sure, secure our future long term. Chance to bloody some big boy noses along the way.

Worst case we become parachute wankers, best case we join the club (or get stinky fingers).

 

[skyblue_55]

Rob ……. It’s got to be as champion’s !
The city alive again , the parade / route to the city packed & hanging off bus stops & lamp posts , the open top bus & the beautiful colour of skyblue everywhere ?
Frank will give us this historical day , so let’s enjoy the journey
CTID

 

[Bernie Rhodes Nose]

From an open top bus around the city perspective... what do the players parade?



Would it be copy of that day's newspaper sports section... pointing at the table with a (P) by our name???

Pride

 

[Johnnythespider]

This brings it home
League Championship table after close of play on 17 November 2024​

Pos	Team	Pld	W	D	L	GF	GA	GD	Pts
1	Sunderland	15	9	4	2	25	11	14	31
2	Sheffield United	15	10	3	2	19	7	12	31
3	Leeds United	15	8	5	2	24	9	15	29
4	Burnley	15	7	6	2	18	6	12	27
5	West Bromwich Albion	15	6	7	2	16	9	7	25
6	Watford	15	8	1	6	23	22	1	25
7	Middlesbrough	15	7	3	5	23	17	6	24
8	Millwall	15	6	5	4	18	13	5	23
9	Blackburn Rovers	15	6	4	5	19	17	2	22
10	Bristol City	15	5	7	3	20	19	1	22
11	Swansea City	15	5	4	6	11	10	1	19
12	Derby County	15	5	4	6	19	19	0	19
13	Stoke City	15	5	4	6	18	19	-1	19
14	Norwich City	15	4	6	5	23	22	1	18
15	Sheffield Wednesday	15	5	3	7	17	25	-8	18
16	Oxford United	15	4	5	6	17	18	-1	17
17	Coventry City	15	4	4	7	20	21	-1	16
18	Plymouth Argyle	15	4	4	7	15	26	-11	16
19	Hull City	15	3	6	6	16	20	-4	15
20	Preston North End	15	3	6	6	15	23	-8	15
21	Luton Town	15	4	3	8	17	26	-9	15
22	Cardiff City	15	4	3	8	14	23	-9	15
23	Portsmouth	15	2	6	7	16	28	-12	12
24	Queens Park Rangers	15	1	7	7	12	25	-13	10

According to this Sheffield should be on 33 points

 

[hill83]

According to this Sheffield should be on 33 points

They were deducted 2 points last season

 

[Johnnythespider]

They were deducted 2 points last season

Forgot that

 

[hill83]

Forgot that

Did them untold harm in the end

 

[fernandopartridge]

I gave a whole host of reasons why I thought we'd win the league and don't see anything to stop us. Also we're 5 points clear of a team I don't think can challenge for the title and 7 points clear of 3rd ... and yet ... I'd still snap your hand off for 2nd and guaranteed promotion now.

I suspect most of you are conditioned to say the same so I'm not going to put a binary ' yes / no' poll out there, but is there anyone who wouldn't and if not I'd be interested to read why?

I'd take second now

 

[Skybluedownunder]

What’s the prize pool for finishing 1st, 2nd and then winning via playoffs?


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Adge]

Yep-I’d take that now. Will be a shame if we don’t win it but I have a feeling Ipswich are to become our main rivals over the season to the title. 2-3 games ago if you had offered guaranteed play offs I’d have taken that then also.
Keep thinking of Walsall last year who were 12-15 points clear and didn’t make it

 

[rob9872]

Be interesting to revisit this in perhaps another 10 games if our form continues and see at what point anyone has switched from the promotion bus to the champions bus.

 

[Brighton Sky Blue]

Be interesting to revisit this in perhaps another 10 games if our form continues and see at what point anyone has switched from the promotion bus to the champions bus.

If we’re still top of the table in 10 games’ time we’ll go on to win the league I think.

 

[Sky Blue Pete]

Be interesting to revisit this in perhaps another 10 games if our form continues and see at what point anyone has switched from the promotion bus to the champions bus.

Don’t seriously come on you’re messing with the gods

 

[Gynnsthetonic]

From an open top bus around the city perspective... what do the players parade?



Would it be copy of that day's newspaper sports section... pointing at the table with a (P) by our name???

Makers of the Sky Bet EFL Trophies - Thomas Lyte Designers and Makers of the Sky Bet EFL Trophies
You get a trophy for finishing 2nd, have done for a few years now

 

[pricey]

Genuinely, I’m not sure. For me, from where we currently are, winning the league is a bigger deal than promotion.

The last few seasons, despite the heartbreak, have been brilliant. The Premier League is a double-edged sword.

 

[itsabuzzard]

No. When I pull on my English Invincibles T shirt next May, I can't see how we wouldn't also be champions, unless of course we draw a ridiculous number of games between now and then. As someone else posted, this has the feel of the League One runaway season. Let's see this through to it's natural conclusion.

 

[Sky_Blue_Dreamer]

Wouldn’t have to ask me twice

Would you take 2nd place and promotion now or risk missing out going for the title?

 

[Gleneagles65]

I’d not take it, Coventry City will be promoted by early April at the latest.

 

[Sky_Blue_Dreamer]

As much as I'd love to win the league the only sensible answer is take 2nd now.

In the end the benefits are exactly the same as first, and you can't turn down that kind of payday. It'd be like going on WWTBAM and being asked "would you like to just take the £1m? Or would you like to try and answer the question to win it but risk going home with £64k if you get it wrong?"


I personally don't think the PL is as interesting a league to play in as the FLC, but it's so much more money. Plus if we miss out there's a very real likelihood the settled squad we've got will break up as players leave, and who knows what FL would want to do if we missed out. So if we don't go up we're likely going to find it much harder next season. So take it now.

 

[shmmeee]

I hate to break it to you lads but this season is probably as good as it’s going to get as a city fan. Enjoy it while it lasts cos we’ll be getting pumped more than Bonnie Blue if we go up then we’ll be entitled parachute fans when we come down again.

 

[itsabuzzard]

I hate to break it to you lads but this season is probably as good as it’s going to get as a city fan. Enjoy it while it lasts cos we’ll be getting pumped more than Bonnie Blue if we go up then we’ll be entitled parachute fans when we come down again.

There may be some truth in what you say - another good reason why we need to go up as champions.

 

[COVKIDSNEVERQUIT]

Second would be fabulous.

First would be a little bit of icing on the cake but no more than that.

And a big trophy to go with it.

 

[COVKIDSNEVERQUIT]

I hate to break it to you lads but this season is probably as good as it’s going to get as a city fan. Enjoy it while it lasts cos we’ll be getting pumped more than Bonnie Blue if we go up then we’ll be entitled parachute fans when we come down again.

What the f*** and who gives a f*** just enjoy the ride.

 

[shmmeee]

There may be some truth in what you say - another good reason why we need to go up as champions.

Exactly that. Wish away this season at your peril.