could we cope?

[wodger of awabia]

tell me wodger do you belive we will get promoted?

Don't know, but sods law dictates that we will not be spending an interesting & exciting play off weekend around the wine bars & bistros of Salford Quays. The girls love the shopping in Manchester so could work out rather expensive, so perhaps it would be better to go straight up! :na:

[doogull]

if im honest i would like a day out to manchester as ive not been to old trafford and it can't be as expensive as wem-ber-lee can it, also is it as far?

[cambgull]

Depends where you are doogull. From Devon, Wembley is around 4-4:30hrs and Old Trafford is around 5hrs. Being in Cambridge I'd much prefer a trip to Wembley, saves me around 2 hours than to Manchester!

[wodger of awabia]

Depends where you are doogull. From Devon, Wembley is around 4-4:30hrs and Old Trafford is around 5hrs. Being in Cambridge I'd much prefer a trip to Wembley, saves me around 2 hours than to Manchester!

Serves you right! if you worked harder at school you could have been in Oxford & that's much closer!!

[cambgull]

Oh I wish I could say that I was at Uni here, definitely not though! I just rip into the posh, socially inept toffs when I see them.

[Regiment]

to answer the question "could we cope ?" the simple answer is YES in my opinion.

at the start of the season, i'd have been happy with a better campaign than last year (no end of season panic at the wrong end), and we've achieved that and more.

when you look around at other clubs, right from the top down, there are so many where you could question the way the club is run etc. I think the TUFC board have displayed a sensible and successful approach to running the club, ensuring we live within our means, and you also need to tip your hat to PB for playing his part in that - there must have been some hard and frustrating moments along the way, but as a club, we've shown it can be done.

we'll never be a Man Utd or Chelsea, but we'll also never be a Pompey or Argyle.

if we were to gain promotion (even if we don't but have a good go in the play-offs), we should be optimistic about next season. we all know our location and the size of the club will play against us in trying to attract certain players, but i think TUFC and Bucks have gained a lot of friends and respect in the football world, and this will help in the future. we've clearly got strong links with certain clubs (clubs with a good status) in terms of loans etc, and we've on the whole, managed that side of the market pretty well.

i would also like to think promotion would allow us to hold on to any of our sought after players, and whilst you don't want the club to do anything silly, we need to get a few of these players on longer term contracts. whilst losing Benyon wasn't the end of the world, had he been on a longer contract, we'd either still have him, or would've got considerably more dosh for him.

whether we go up this year, or just come close and push for promotion next year, there are a few things i'd like to see happen between now and august :-

1. Sign Jake Robinson (ESPN PFA Fans' Player of the Month for March !!).
2. Sign Craig Stanley.
3. Arrange another season long loan for Joe Oastler.
4. Longer contracts for the core of the squad.
5. More done locally to promote the club and get bums on seats.
6. Swindon get relegated and Benyon come back on a free !!
7. Look for a "like for like" replacement/backup for Branners (if such a thing was ever created !!!)

[cambgull]

1. Sign Jake Robinson (ESPN PFA Fans' Player of the Month for March !!).
2. Sign Craig Stanley.
3. Arrange another season long loan for Joe Oastler.
4. Longer contracts for the core of the squad.
5. More done locally to promote the club and get bums on seats.
6. Swindon get relegated and Benyon come back on a free !!
7. Look for a "like for like" replacement/backup for Branners (if such a thing was ever created !!!)

Couldn't agree more on these!

1. Wish this were likely but I really can't see it, as soon as a League 1 club shows an interest, he'll be off.
2. This one is definitely possible, I'd like to think everything is already agreed!
3. If we've got the budget I'd quite like to see him signed, we won't get the best use out of him if he's a loanee, especially if we have to resort to 6 like now!
4. Completely agree, possibly add in the better prospects to that list as well.
5. The club seems to be pretty terrible at Marketing, hopefully a boot up the a*se for next season.
6. Now the wishes start getting ridiculous!
7. We definitely need a leader in defence, I'd quite like to see a slight step back from Branston though. Pickles seems to be always on the edge and that leads to many of his mistakes, I'd rather see someone a bit more measured and calm take over the leader role.