Rival Watch

[Hound]

It really is a sickener watching Brighton nowadays…the contrast on the trajectories between the 2 of us is hard to stomach. They are at least double the size of us, play brilliant football & are heading to Europe.

Shows what happens when you have decent owners who run a club well doesn’t it.

Tbf they are an exceptional team. There are our her decebt owners who run their clubs well who aren’t anywhere near that level. Can’t take it away from them how good they are now

But think they’d have been done for FFP had they not gone up and almost got relegated the last 3 years so it’s been a slog. But they look the real deal now

[Linden Jones' Tash]

BHA are in hock to their owner to the tune of £500M.

So while things are going well now, it's hardly the sustainable model that people on this forum appear to want.

He's still a billionaire owner with a hobby, he just happens to be either good at it or on a hot streak - his firm charges the club for player analytics ect a few million each year.

[AthleticoSpizz]

Works for the ‘Manchesters’

[Royal_jimmy]

Definitely makes me feel frustrated when you see the likes of Brighton, Brentford and Bournemouth doing well when it really could have been us. They're beating the likes of Arsenal and Man Utd whilst we're playing some clubs who were non league a few years ago. We had our chance twice in the premier league and we blew it.

League one is full of big clubs who are having or recently have had financial issues or tiny clubs punching above their weight.

[Green]

Definitely makes me feel frustrated when you see the likes of Brighton, Brentford and Bournemouth doing well when it really could have been us. They're beating the likes of Arsenal and Man Utd whilst we're playing some clubs who were non league a few years ago. We had our chance twice in the premier league and we blew it.

League one is full of big clubs who are having or recently have had financial issues or tiny clubs punching above their weight.

Chin up champ. Our greatest glory is not in never falling, but in rising every time we fall.

Anyway you've said it yourself, for every Brighton and Brentford there's an Oldham or Derby. It's the nature of a league structure that some teams will have to do their time in the lower echelons. Now is ours.

[blythspartan]

Definitely makes me feel frustrated when you see the likes of Brighton, Brentford and Bournemouth doing well when it really could have been us. They're beating the likes of Arsenal and Man Utd whilst we're playing some clubs who were non league a few years ago. We had our chance twice in the premier league and we blew it.

League one is full of big clubs who are having or recently have had financial issues or tiny clubs punching above their weight.

Chin up champ. Our greatest glory is not in never falling, but in rising every time we fall.

Anyway you've said it yourself, for every Brighton and Brentford there's an Oldham or Derby. It's the nature of a league structure that some teams will have to do their time in the lower echelons. Now is ours.

Well said

[From Despair To Where?]

Definitely makes me feel frustrated when you see the likes of Brighton, Brentford and Bournemouth doing well when it really could have been us. They're beating the likes of Arsenal and Man Utd whilst we're playing some clubs who were non league a few years ago. We had our chance twice in the premier league and we blew it.

League one is full of big clubs who are having or recently have had financial issues or tiny clubs punching above their weight.

Chin up champ. Our greatest glory is not in never falling, but in rising every time we fall.

Anyway you've said it yourself, for every Brighton and Brentford there's an Oldham or Derby. It's the nature of a league structure that some teams will have to do their time in the lower echelons. Now is ours.

It's the bad times that make the good times that little bit sweeter.

[YorkshireRoyal99]

Definitely makes me feel frustrated when you see the likes of Brighton, Brentford and Bournemouth doing well when it really could have been us. They're beating the likes of Arsenal and Man Utd whilst we're playing some clubs who were non league a few years ago. We had our chance twice in the premier league and we blew it.

League one is full of big clubs who are having or recently have had financial issues or tiny clubs punching above their weight.

Not to mention the 3 clubs mentioned have been lower than us in the not too distant past, Bournemouth nearly went completely at one stage.

We might have missed our chance, but so have many, many other clubs who have been in the PL for a short amount of time as well and are at similar levels to where we have been/are now. Just look at Swindon, Oldham and Bradford for example.

[Sutekh]

Definitely makes me feel frustrated when you see the likes of Brighton, Brentford and Bournemouth doing well when it really could have been us. They're beating the likes of Arsenal and Man Utd whilst we're playing some clubs who were non league a few years ago. We had our chance twice in the premier league and we blew it.

League one is full of big clubs who are having or recently have had financial issues or tiny clubs punching above their weight.

Not to mention the 3 clubs mentioned have been lower than us in the not too distant past, Bournemouth nearly went completely at one stage.

We might have missed our chance, but so have many, many other clubs who have been in the PL for a short amount of time as well and are at similar levels to where we have been/are now. Just look at Swindon, Oldham and Bradford for example.

And Brighton also, finishing 91st when only one relegated out of the FL.

[Hound]

Definitely makes me feel frustrated when you see the likes of Brighton, Brentford and Bournemouth doing well when it really could have been us. They're beating the likes of Arsenal and Man Utd whilst we're playing some clubs who were non league a few years ago. We had our chance twice in the premier league and we blew it.

League one is full of big clubs who are having or recently have had financial issues or tiny clubs punching above their weight.

Chin up champ. Our greatest glory is not in never falling, but in rising every time we fall.

Anyway you've said it yourself, for every Brighton and Brentford there's an Oldham or Derby. It's the nature of a league structure that some teams will have to do their time in the lower echelons. Now is ours.

Yeah and Derby could have quite easily been Brighton or Bournemouth had they won the play off final (or vice versa). That’s how fine the margins are

[Wycombe Royal]

4 of the Championship top 6 have fairly recently been in League One.

[tidus_mi2]

Been speaking to a colleague who supports Derby and sounds like they had very much the same restrictions we did this season yet they still finished 7th and barely missed out on the play-offs.

Makes me a bit more optimistic for next season anyway.

[Clyde1998]

Been speaking to a colleague who supports Derby and sounds like they had very much the same restrictions we did this season yet they still finished 7th and barely missed out on the play-offs.

Makes me a bit more optimistic for next season anyway.

For me, Derby's season gives us a good guide as to what we could do in League One next season. We should have more freedom with signings this season than we've had in the previous three/four seasons too.

The very early title and promotion odds for next season (not including those playing in the League One play-offs) with SkyBet:
Derby 13/2 & 2/1
Portsmouth 11/1 & 10/3
Wigan 12/1 & 7/2
Reading 14/1 & 4/1
Charlton 16/1 & 9/2

I imagine Sheffield Wednesday will be the early favourites (assuming they don't overturn their first leg thumping), with the other losing play-off sides being around the same as us.

I still think top half is the bare minimum, being in and around the play-offs is a good season and getting promoted is an excellent season.

[Snowflake Royal]

Key for me is no lower than 16th. Obviously the aim is promotion, but I believe the key to sustained success is continuity and being able to build season on season.

We absolutely must avoid having to push the calamity reset button every season. As long as we stay clear of relegation danger, there's always room to improve and have another go next season.

When you get dragged into that losing mentality and relegation danger, it's just panicked short termism and all the positives get sucked out.

[Royal_jimmy]

Been speaking to a colleague who supports Derby and sounds like they had very much the same restrictions we did this season yet they still finished 7th and barely missed out on the play-offs.

Makes me a bit more optimistic for next season anyway.

For me, Derby's season gives us a good guide as to what we could do in League One next season. We should have more freedom with signings this season than we've had in the previous three/four seasons too.

The very early title and promotion odds for next season (not including those playing in the League One play-offs) with SkyBet:
Derby 13/2 & 2/1
Portsmouth 11/1 & 10/3
Wigan 12/1 & 7/2
Reading 14/1 & 4/1
Charlton 16/1 & 9/2

I imagine Sheffield Wednesday will be the early favourites (assuming they don't overturn their first leg thumping), with the other losing play-off sides being around the same as us.

I still think top half is the bare minimum, being in and around the play-offs is a good season and getting promoted is an excellent season.

Less than top 6 next season is a failure in my opinion. League one is dire, we'd have to sign a lot of dross to miss out on the playoffs. Not expecting immediate promotion but we should be competing with the best in that league.

I'm expecting a slow start as our new squad gels and we improve as the season goes on.

[windermereROYAL]

I take the view that all 3 relegated sides from last season were all in play-off contention on the last day with the two worse sides from last term making it, obviously we don`t know the make up of our squad yet but it will be a huge disappointment for me if we aren`t pushing for at least the top 6.

[Hound]

Same really. As mentioned before, Derby, Sheff Weds and Barnsley aren’t significantly different to what they were relegated with. Ipswich look a team of journeymen and loans.

We should be at least in the mix for the play offs

[SouthDownsRoyal]

Agree if we aren’t in or at least in the mix for top six it’s failure

[YorkshireRoyal99]

Yeah anything outside the top 6 for me is a failure as well really. It's a big rebuild, but we've got the resource to be able to do it and if our new scouting team are as good as what they are being made out to be then we should have no issues getting into the play off positions. There aren't that many good teams in this league to be honest either, so I don't know why we should be thinking any lower to be honest.

[NathStPaul]

Yeah I think we should raise our expectations a little bit, we will be a big fish in a small pond.

Of course a lot will depend on financial restrictions. If they all restrictions are pretty much lifted then we have no excuses, we should be aiming to win the league.