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Post by lawrieleslie on Feb 20, 2008 7:52:34 GMT
After watching that junk Liverpool v I Milan last night I got me thinking. If Stoke are promoted (I think we have a great chance barring any injuries or suspensions) could we challenge the top 4 teams and even become one of them? In the early seventies for a few seasons we were among the top flight surviving on average crowds of 25-30K. Opinions please.
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Post by jpm64 on Feb 20, 2008 7:55:30 GMT
Simple answer ?
No
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Post by u2oxeterstokie on Feb 20, 2008 8:09:26 GMT
I'd have to agree, sorry
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Post by Danstoke82 on Feb 20, 2008 8:11:32 GMT
As much as I'd like to say yes.... hmmm no. Unfortunately we dont have hundreds of millions at are disposal like that lot. One day of course!!
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Post by Chunky Lover! on Feb 20, 2008 8:15:22 GMT
Another no here
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Post by Big Sam on Feb 20, 2008 8:18:14 GMT
I think hes havin a laugh
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Post by Deleted on Feb 20, 2008 8:18:19 GMT
Nope, not without spending tens of millions anyway.
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Post by ted1965 on Feb 20, 2008 8:43:15 GMT
We were a top 4 or 5 team many years ago, sadly football changed and we didn’t have the financial backers to change with it.
We have been out of the top flight for 24 years and in that time financial revolution has taken place, yes some of the football played by the top 4 may look poor but you have to put it context, they are playing the best sides in Europe and you can’t look good all the time. We have basically spent the golden years in terms of football finances floundering around in the wilderness that is an awful lot of catch up and it’s simply not possible however nice it is to dream.
The sad facts football is all about timing we fell into decline at totally the wrong time, when we were doing well in the early to mid 70’s, we were able to compete with bigger clubs because while they were still relatively better off than us, the gap was considerably smaller and competition was greater, good players wanted to be playing rather than sitting on their backsides collecting large sums of money as many do today.
If you look at how much a club like Tottenham have thrown at trying to reach the Champions league and then you’ll begin to see what we are up against. It is more a question of whether we can establish ourselves as a mid table side in the Premiership any time soon, that is unfortunately the height of most clubs outside of 6 or 7 now in football.
The only way we could ever have the remotest chance would be to get a backer on the scale of Abramovich, that sadly is unlikely in our lifetime, even then it doesn’t guarantee anything other than you have millions and millions to spend, Newcastle Tottenham and now even Manchester City have spent copious amounts of cash but when the season ends you still have the feeling the same four will be entering the Champions league.
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Post by jpm64 on Feb 20, 2008 8:44:17 GMT
That's a No then Ted ???
;D ;D
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Post by ted1965 on Feb 20, 2008 8:46:11 GMT
it's a maybe jpm with a possiby not thrown in.
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Post by Thank you from Moorlander1 on Feb 20, 2008 9:31:53 GMT
I will have some of what you are on please.
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Post by knowles on Feb 20, 2008 9:34:06 GMT
Sadly no.
Without running the risk of going into administration due to the millions of pounds we would have to spend, there isn't a chance we could break into the 'elite four'.
We can hope though
Just Premier League will do me fine! Survival would be an astonishing achievement if I'm honest
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Post by Pedropotter on Feb 20, 2008 10:14:30 GMT
Have you been smoking crack?
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Post by SegaMegaDave on Feb 20, 2008 10:15:42 GMT
Have you been smoking crack? ;D ;D ;D ;D
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Post by SuperShawcross on Feb 20, 2008 10:22:36 GMT
To be fair i was thinking the same thing last night...
I was also considering whether Pam St Clement will win Rear of the Year 2008...
and wondering whether Kerry Katona will become a UN ambassador...
I also think Nicaragua will win the 2010 World Cup.
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Post by dexter97 on Feb 20, 2008 10:30:58 GMT
Another no. However when the "Big Four" (and possibly one or two others) have fucked off and formed a European Super League, then we might be in with a chance!
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Post by mickmills on Feb 20, 2008 10:44:47 GMT
Er No.
If you even look at Everton who they think might be an outsider or reletively small club, they've still got Johnson at £8.6m and Yakubu at about £10m.
Sadly, the Premier league breakaway and the Champions league have ruined football and only 4-5 teams can ever do anything. It's also why Fat Sam left Bolton, because quite simply you can't get anywhere further than about 7th with a team without huge bucks behind it from somewhere or another.
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Post by soicowboy on Feb 20, 2008 10:45:43 GMT
'I also think Nicaragua will win the 2010 World Cup. '
Good point- Nicaragua lost at home 1-0 to the Netherland Antilles in qualifying so with Supershawcross on this one- as much chance of us being top 4
Mid-table would be very nice
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Post by SuperShawcross on Feb 20, 2008 10:48:14 GMT
'Good point- Nicaragua lost at home 1-0 to the Netherland Antilles in qualifying so with Supershawcross on this one- as much chance of us being top 4 Yeah i knew they hadn't qualified...
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Post by soicowboy on Feb 20, 2008 10:57:13 GMT
;D Sadly we get the Concacaf games on a World Football show Nicaragua do have a midfielder called Eustace Sure you wanted to know that
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Post by Fred Zeppelin on Feb 20, 2008 11:04:23 GMT
Could we get this thread removed? It's just embarrassing.
Of course we're not going to become a top 4 club. One sniff of promotion and people on here suddenly think we'll be challenging for the Premiership title next season.
We've not even been promoted yet.
We're not even in the top three (in a financial sense) in this division, let alone the Premiership.
There's optimism, then there's just delusion.
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Post by Block 25 on Feb 20, 2008 11:18:35 GMT
Fucking hell mate dream on liverpool are a class side as are the other three and if we get in the prem any points picked up against them would be a bonus
id be happy with fourth bottom next season tbh ;D
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Post by Stick It On Cort's Head on Feb 20, 2008 12:43:55 GMT
In a word.
No.
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Post by lawrieleslie on Feb 20, 2008 13:01:31 GMT
Some interesting replies! Let me just say I didn't mean challenging to be in the top 4 next season. Given time, say 5-10 seasons of gradual improvement in the top flight I think we could be up there. Look at Portsmouth, Aston Villa, Man City they are all examples of where we have been over the past 20-30 years. So why couldn't we do it.
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Post by The Toxic Avenger on Feb 20, 2008 13:04:34 GMT
Well all three are owned by foreign gazillionaires for a start. Villa have a much bigger fanbase that has seen relative success and never looked liked losing Premiership status. City have a much bigger fanbase and get much bigger gates.
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Post by Deleted on Feb 20, 2008 13:12:42 GMT
We haven't finished in the top four of the Championship this season yet and the last time we managed it was in1996. It is hope beyond expectation that we can establish ourselves as a Premiership side for more than one season. Look at clubs with the resources of Sunderland, Birmingham, Fulham and Reading - all struggling to avoid relegation.
Top 4? Save this post until April 1st.
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Post by cr4zyd4ve on Feb 20, 2008 13:12:59 GMT
i'd be happy with us being a mid-table premiership team in 4-5 years time. as it's already been said WHEN we are promoted 4th from bottom would be a great result next year.
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Post by Pembo on Feb 20, 2008 13:26:27 GMT
Cant see it myself but remember when Newcastle went up, It didnt take them that long to get up there did it. Its just down to investment, If we get up maybe some mega money investers will be looking our way.
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Post by JoeStoke on Feb 20, 2008 13:27:16 GMT
maybe in 20years time!
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Post by Staffsoatcake on Feb 20, 2008 13:34:15 GMT
If we go up.I'll be happy with a top 16 finish. ;D
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