99/00 we finished +34 but we reached +39 in March before our traditional end of season tailspin ....... another reason to be cautious, we thought we'd get 100 points then
Don't entirely agree with Bill. I think it's very important to go up this year. Would be difficult to re create what we have this year if we don't go up and i'd feel sorry for the new owners and CP if it doesn't happen. You can only plan so much and i think we are ripe for promotion. Youth team's are promising, fans are bouyant, owners are willing to invest and the team can gradually evolve over the next few months and summer into a competitive championship side. Next year is maybe the time to take stock but i have no fear about us coming straight back down again but a big fear if we don't go up this year.
Don't get me wrong, Dan, of course we must go up. But as the season progresses and promotion turns from a dream to a possibility then to a probability, we need to concentrate less on just getting promoted and more on what needs to be done to ensure that the club is in the right shape to progress after promotion. I'm not taking promotion for granted but we need more than just going up as our aim for this season - we can multi-task (or multi-think), can't we?
To be fair I think that has been going on since the Summer. The well documented brief for Powell was not just to produce a team that would get promoted this year, but one that would be competetive in the Championship. I think that has been refelcted in his signings. Look at the team which started on Saturday and add a fit Stephens and Haynes to the mix and tell me which one of those players you would doubt could perform at Championship level.
Not saying the team can't be strengthened further but we have a fantastic springboard and I wouldn't be in the slightest bit worried about relegation next season - I would be looking in the other direction.
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But the players got the jitters with the finishing line in sight - or perhaps went on holiday in their heads.
The important thing is you can only play one match at a time - and that's all you should focus on.
Not saying the team can't be strengthened further but we have a fantastic springboard and I wouldn't be in the slightest bit worried about relegation next season - I would be looking in the other direction.