There has never been a better time to go up

[Ken]

Billy keeps saying 'its too early to go up' and 'we don't have the infrastructure yet' which although can see his rationale to a certain extent, its more likely a smokescreen to lower expectations.

However, was listening to David Sullivan speaking re West Hams financial situation (and Premiership in general) earlier this morning, and cannot help thinking its the best opportunity in years to get up and stay up:

1) Alot of Premiership clubs have severe financial problems (e.g. West Ham, Portsmouth). We are now a financially well run club with debt only to the owner, who is a supporter and unlikely to ever call it in (as what happened at Portsmouth). Comparitively larger share of our £60m additional revenue will be available to improve playing side, rather than pay for bad financial management of previous regimes as alot of clubs will have to.

2) We have a young and talented team who are only going to get better. 5 or 6 well selected additions would give us a half decent squad even by Premiership standards.

3) The field is levelling in Premiership (could be argued mediocre this year). Alot of bigger clubs are dropping points, and recent promotees from Championship have done relatively well (apart from the obvious such as WBA, Sheep).


Don't know about you but I think we should go for it.....less talk about 'we are not ready' and a couple of choice loan signings would be a great step in the right direction.

 

[winnits]

I don't think Billy really thinks it's too soon, I think he is gunning all out for promotion.

Agree with your points, it's an interesting time in the top flight and we could benefit - in an interesting mirror-image of our past dalliances up there where we always seem to get relegated just at the wrong time!

 

[garrilla]

The only team in the prem that has changing rooms like ours is Brum, all the rest are modern and up-to-date even at Pompey.

Although we have a training ground at Wilford, Billy prefers to use the academy. When the club sends out the 'Welcome To Forest' pack that prospective players get, we look like a right chavvy club.

Billy's personal editing suite is better than what Forest have. Our 'Pro Zone' suite is in a tiny office shared by technical, nutrition and sports science. Most prem clubs will have a suite of offices for each of these departments as well as dedicated suites for PZ and video viewing.

If the club goes up it will have have to grow the support staff maybe 3 or 4 fold - whle we will have no choice in the matter, it would be better to build this infrastructure, and the understanding and trust that comes with time, over 2 to 3 seasons so that the first months of promotion are focused on delivering football on the park. Going up too early will mean that the concentration will be dissipated, This is what Billy talks about when he talks about the infrastructure.

 

[Daniel]

It's not too early to go up, Billy knows it, we know it, the club know it and the players know it. Billy is doing his best to remove the pressure from the players.

Finances in the Premiership are generally dire, with the exception to 9 or 10 teams the rest of them are teetering on the edge of administration. Could Forest take advantage of it? Maybe, I just hope we do not get sucked into paying stupid wages.

I do believe a wage cap or spending cap is on it's way, probably when Portsmouth go out of business.

The only teams in the Premiership I think are safe financially are, Birmingham, Chelsea, Man City, Arsenal, Stoke, Villa, Sunderland & Wolves.

The Prem teams who I believe are in the biggest trouble financially are Liverpool, Manure, Fulham, Blackburn, Portsmouth, Everton and quite possibly Spuds...

 

[Ken]

Fair point about these things do need addressing and ideally well before we did go up, but surely its something that can be fast tracked once up there, particularly the technology side.

Portsmouth's training facility's are reknowned for being pretty poor along with I am sure a few others. Although Billy also complains about lack or European scouting network, there are plenty of others where its not ideal even in covering this country (however Raddy loan shows something at Forest must be working).

 

[keza]

There's no better time than now, agreed.

It's just Billy's mind games, keeping the pressure off the players.

If you have the opportunity to get out of this league and into the Prem, you have to take it. We don't know who all the 3 are that are gonna come down, we don't know who'll spend, we don't know who'll be the most competitive. If we don't go up this season, we could find it unbelievably difficult to have another pop at promotion the next. It's a competitive league as it is anyway, you really don't know what's going to happen from one year to the next.

 

[SLM92NF]

Next year we could have.

A better squad with more players more depth and more quality. We still have no natural left backs and no natural left wingers. You know the squad is as has been pointed out about 80% there we still need some more strength in depth and some positions still require players that can play there.

More expierence, the squad is still fairly young we could do with a bit more expierence a few people who know how to deal with the occassional loss after an unbeaten run saturday for me showed how losing one game after not losing for 20 odd games really unerved some of the players.

Leaving it a year could make all the difference. You could argue both those points could be resolved in the summer. However, getting a squad to gel on top of the pressures of premiership quality week in week out is a bad combination.

Good things come to those who wait. More time at this level will make things a whole lot easier for us come promotion time.

 

[Mist Rolling In...]

The only team in the prem that has changing rooms like ours is Brum, all the rest are modern and up-to-date even at Pompey.

Although we have a training ground at Wilford, Billy prefers to use the academy. When the club sends out the 'Welcome To Forest' pack that prospective players get, we look like a right chavvy club.

Billy's personal editing suite is better than what Forest have. Our 'Pro Zone' suite is in a tiny office shared by technical, nutrition and sports science. Most prem clubs will have a suite of offices for each of these departments as well as dedicated suites for PZ and video viewing.

If the club goes up it will have have to grow the support staff maybe 3 or 4 fold - whle we will have no choice in the matter, it would be better to build this infrastructure, and the understanding and trust that comes with time, over 2 to 3 seasons so that the first months of promotion are focused on delivering football on the park. Going up too early will mean that the concentration will be dissipated, This is what Billy talks about when he talks about the infrastructure.

I can see where you're coming from... but I'm wondering whether the club will think it's beneficial to spend however much it'll cost to renovate the changing rooms, offices, department facilities etc. when it'll all get bulldozed in a few years when we up-sticks and move to our brand new, state-of-the-art stadium in Gamston?

EDIT: Oh, and for the record... I don't think it's too early to go up should it be achieved!

 

[dbarraclough]

Better to go up now then never!

 

[marshdweller]

My main problem with the idea of a 'delayed' promotion (as if we can choose if/when we go up!), is replacing Paul McKenna.

He's made such a massive difference to the side this season that I would worry that if we don't go up this season - even if we manage it next year - by the time we're a Premiership club, he'll be at least 34 and his legs will go soon after that.

As for the infrastructure in general, I would imagine the priority would be extending and strengthening the scouting network. The rest of the backroom team is doing a decent job at the moment, and could probably wait another few months while scouts are recruited and deployed.

 

[Strummer]

My main problem with the idea of a 'delayed' promotion (as if we can choose if/when we go up!), is replacing Paul McKenna.
deployed.

I'd agree with that 100%

The role McKenna has played this season, it is obvious he's made a massive difference. I'd love to see what he could do next season in the PL.

Players of that age can still play (Giggs, although a different type of player is now what, 36?) but with Paul McKenna so key for us, we would need him, or someone who can play as he does...

 

[Jonny Red]

and of course there's the Raddy issue....i don't see a problem with going up if thats how our destiny befalls us, not overspending and if we come back down we'll be in a more secure position so long as the stability is maintained and we all remain behind the manager.
With the careful selection policy that goes on, promotion opens the window to naturally attracting a higher quality of player in as well which we could take advantage of.
The main thing is avoiding the pitfalls that appear to be forming cracks amongst the over budgeting greedy clubs just to stay in the rat race in the so called promised land.