IF....

For question 1) we'd need a good 15+ players to make a even an attempt at staying up. I'd guess that none of the out of contract players are kept on if we go up either? Think the only 2 who stand out as having a chance at a new deal were Tyreik and Baldwin, wouldn't really say either have shown enough to be CH level.

On 2) not very likely. Unless Sheff Weds get a new owner who wants a man who knows the EFL with recent success under his belt, I cant see many L1 clubs going for him. Luton want a style of play, Huddersfield wont try, many of the others will just go for an out of work guy. Championship too tbh, let's face it theres been 4 or 5 clubs in the CH who have found new managers this season and they were plucked from obscure European positions, has been the same trend for a while. Or guys like Rooney, Mowbray etc get job after job. Unless Preston want him, I dont see GA being headhunted.

 

Looks like Oxfords budget last season was around the £10m/£11m mark. Their squad doesnt exactly have any glaring CH standouts barring Brannigan their captain, who was with them in L1. Theres a lot of names who have been around CH/L1 for years and years. Lots of free agent journeyman types and the odd 6 figure spend. Reckon that would probably be the blueprint we'd have to try and follow?

Although in June they posted an annual lost of over £16m. I reckon their budget went up this season, and Rowett is in the press saying they need more recruits in Jan. Might well be losses in the £20m+ mark come the next info release.

 

If you can keep your head when all about you
Are losing theirs and blaming it on you;

 

IMO it's better to need more players. when getting promoted you need to change your squads it's the harsh reality of success in this industry. We wouldn't be facing a dilemma that every other team doesn't face every season, unless you're crazy rich like Birmingham and Wrexham. A boring answer, but worry about that shit when you get there. People were saying all the same stuff last season and we aren't going badly (obviously we wouldn't be third in the championship next Christmas, but you get my drift).

 

None of our experienced players are good enough for the championship, no disrespect to them but if they were they'd be in that division now, there's levels to any sport not just football and most players ply their trade at the level their skillset dictates.

 

Oxford have billionaire level backing, Indonesians if i recall.

 

The majority of clubs do though and thats why i cannot see us staying up there unless our owner is willing to lose millions .............it is bleeding sad though that you csnnot go up and compete without losing millions doing so

 

It would be a nice problem to have and maybe a return to the championship would spark interest in ownership, although the grass my not be greener

 

Yeah think they are or at least they were. Was more bringing them up as a budget ball park, they have a bottom end CH budget of that mark. We were at £4.-something million in L2 if i remember? And that will have had a few million jump this year. Another promotion, you're looking at the squad budget alone being at least nearly 3 times what it was from winter/spring 2025 in L2 to Summer 2026 in the Champ.

Suppose the question around it all is always going to be, can Rupp afford to write off millions and millions per year in the CH which has become the norm? Or if it happens, as soon as we go up do we have a lot of planted stories in the press around the clubs potential and virtually put us in the shop window to try get some offers in? Hell of a lot more marketable in the CH than L1 if the jump is too much.

 

A... No. Not one.

B... No.

 

Was just about to say the same thing, and weirdly I saw him today

 

I am not delusional enough to think we currently have a Championship crop of players, regardless of where we are in the table. I am proud of how we have done this season and obviously hope we can finish the job, but any who thinks it won't take a miracle(Unless Rupp opens his wallet up...haha) that we stay up next season(if do get promoted)needs to lay off the sauce.

If we do get promoted, Bobby and company would battle, but no way would I trust Walker between the sticks, or have enough confidence that we would do enough to stay up.

Not pessimism or bashing our players; its realism.

 

It would be entertaining...ish.

Joe Wright being good enough for the Championship is equally ridiculous. I'm not sure he's good enough for League One half of the time.

Metcalfe, Pointon and Humphrys are the only ones that might be - I include Humphrys, as he's going to have banged in a fair few in the second half of the season to get us up. So, if we've been promoted, it's because he's suddenly become a lethal number 9. Do I think he'll actually do this? No. And the first two are young and have a lot of time on their side for improvement.

 

Pointon …..Sorry doing it at home isn’t sufficient for a CC level side is it? We have to be realistic , other than Metcalf in 3-5 years I can’t see any of our squad being of the standard required.

 

People are suggesting Pointon because of his age and the fact that on many occasions technical footballers look a different level completely depending on the ability of players around them. It's certainly not out of the question but there'd need to be a lot of improvement still to come from his current level.

 

Not sure this is the thread for this, but the questions above and answers give food for thought.

Wednesday have had 10 parties interested in buying the club, and I know that's because it's an easy buy for someone. But with our upward trajectory I'd have thought by now we'd be on the table as a great prospect. Rupp is likely to want to sell especially if we're still knocking on the door come April/May.

I suppose we won't know until something happens but I'd love to know how many serious enquiries Rupp's had since Sarcevic 90+6

 

Rumour in Chesterfield, they are signing Pattison.

 

It may be the ground and the City that puts folk off