Acceptance of the Albion situation

[Squid]

The ONLY time we have gained promotion without the benefit of parachute money is under Megson who preformed a miracle. That’s the total of our success as a club in over 40yrs without Prem cash. Forgive me for being sceptical that we are suddenly going to become a top six club regularly whilst living within our frugal Championship means.

Is there a gypsy curse I don't know about? Just because it only happened then, doesn't mean it's doomed to never happen again.

[Spandaubaggie]

I always find it odd that just because we had 16 miserable years in the wilderness back in the past somehow it seems that some believe the template will be exactly the same as then for any further dips for us.

[Derek Hardballs]

I always find it odd that just because we had 16 miserable years in the wilderness back in the past somehow it seems that some believe the template will be exactly the same as then for any further dips for us.

This is true, I look forward to emulating Blues success since they’ve had no parachute money and dubious ownership as the template for our future success.

I appreciate in any given season there will be a team who do well on a shoestring but their success tends to be short lived as we have seen with Barnsley and others over the years.

This season is still our best chance imo to go up in the foreseeable future so I still have hope we can go up and make this super fan thread redundant.

[Mr Nimbus]

I always find it odd that just because we had 16 miserable years in the wilderness back in the past somehow it seems that some believe the template will be exactly the same as then for any further dips for us.

This is true, I look forward to emulating Blues success since they’ve had no parachute money and dubious ownership as the template for our future success.

I appreciate in any given season there will be a team who do well on a shoestring but their success tends to be short lived as we have seen with Barnsley and others over the years.

This season is still our best chance imo to go up in the foreseeable future so I still have hope we can go up and make this super fan thread redundant.

Just fans.  If it goes to shit, it goes to shit.  Nothing I can do about it but I'll still support/attend/be mildly obsessed against all rationality.

[Spandaubaggie]

I always find it odd that just because we had 16 miserable years in the wilderness back in the past somehow it seems that some believe the template will be exactly the same as then for any further dips for us.

This is true, I look forward to emulating Blues success since they’ve had no parachute money and dubious ownership as the template for our future success.

I appreciate in any given season there will be a team who do well on a shoestring but their success tends to be short lived as we have seen with Barnsley and others over the years.

This season is still our best chance imo to go up in the foreseeable future so I still have hope we can go up and make this super fan thread redundant.

And we did well on a shoestring lest you forget. For several years we were probably the best run club of a similar size in the country. Who saw that coming in 2000? 
It is concerning at the moment but we have to keep hoping that things change and that the Chinese crowd get shot of us. As Blues fans have shown there’s little power fans can exert. 
I’d say having the mindset you have is probably doing you no good, but guess we’re all wired up differently.

[SuperBob2002]

I always find it odd that just because we had 16 miserable years in the wilderness back in the past somehow it seems that some believe the template will be exactly the same as then for any further dips for us.

This is true, I look forward to emulating Blues success since they’ve had no parachute money and dubious ownership as the template for our future success.

I appreciate in any given season there will be a team who do well on a shoestring but their success tends to be short lived as we have seen with Barnsley and others over the years.

This season is still our best chance imo to go up in the foreseeable future so I still have hope we can go up and make this super fan thread redundant.

At least they've won silverware since man landed on the moon.

[GunsOfNavarone]

I always find it odd that just because we had 16 miserable years in the wilderness back in the past somehow it seems that some believe the template will be exactly the same as then for any further dips for us.

This is true, I look forward to emulating Blues success since they’ve had no parachute money and dubious ownership as the template for our future success.

I appreciate in any given season there will be a team who do well on a shoestring but their success tends to be short lived as we have seen with Barnsley and others over the years.

This season is still our best chance imo to go up in the foreseeable future so I still have hope we can go up and make this super fan thread redundant.

At least they've won silverware since man landed on the moon.

The Isle of Man Trophy doesn't get the recognition it deserves.

[Derek Hardballs]

I always find it odd that just because we had 16 miserable years in the wilderness back in the past somehow it seems that some believe the template will be exactly the same as then for any further dips for us.

This is true, I look forward to emulating Blues success since they’ve had no parachute money and dubious ownership as the template for our future success.

I appreciate in any given season there will be a team who do well on a shoestring but their success tends to be short lived as we have seen with Barnsley and others over the years.

This season is still our best chance imo to go up in the foreseeable future so I still have hope we can go up and make this super fan thread redundant.

And we did well on a shoestring lest you forget. For several years we were probably the best run club of a similar size in the country. Who saw that coming in 2000? 
It is concerning at the moment but we have to keep hoping that things change and that the Chinese crowd get shot of us. As Blues fans have shown there’s little power fans can exert. 
I’d say having the mindset you have is probably doing you no good, but guess we’re all wired up differently.

It’s up to the individual to determine how and what they think about where we are as a club and it’s potential short to medium term future. I didn’t post provocative thread about people wallowing in negativity with glee for suggesting we aren’t in a good position as a club, and aren’t looking forward to becoming a potential also ran again.

[Ted Maul]

I had this debate with Derek a few weeks back and don't wish to cover old ground. The facts are;

1) Obviously everyone who supports the club wants promotion this year, you don't need an economics degree to figure out that this is our preferred option. However...

2) There are and have been clubs in a far worse position than us, end up on the brink of going out of business and bounce back far quicker than the mythical 16 years that is thrown around this thread.

So to conclude, whilst promotion is obviously the aim, if it doesn't happen it is no guarantee that we become the same club we were back in the 90s. There are too many examples of clubs our size who have come back from far worse in quick time with the right owners in place. Every season we spend out of the top flight Lai's returns are dwindling and we're closer to him selling up.

[MassDebater]

It sucks the big one, after many years of being well balanced and oft cited a model way to run a smaller club... What can I do? Bugger all, I could march, shine my phone light or chant about lai... the last i will probably do, the former I think are just ways to make people be able to say they did something and helping them deal with a situation totally out of all of our control. This vague hope of causing enough embarrassment to affect change, really is straw clutching. Maybe if the march took place in China then maybe...

Ultimately, my life has so many other real, and important things in it, that football now comes way down the list.

---

I had this debate with Derek a few weeks back and don't wish to cover old ground. The facts are;

1) Obviously everyone who supports the club wants promotion this year, you don't need an economics degree to figure out that this is our preferred option. However...

2) There are and have been clubs in a far worse position than us, end up on the brink of going out of business and bounce back far quicker than the mythical 16 years that is thrown around this thread.

So to conclude, whilst promotion is obviously the aim, if it doesn't happen it is no guarantee that we become the same club we were back in the 90s. There are too many examples of clubs our size who have come back from far worse in quick time with the right owners in place. Every season we spend out of the top flight Lai's returns are dwindling and we're closer to him selling up.

I somewhat agree with the thoughts behind this, I would ask how many of the bounce back clubs were bought for £150m+ before turning to shit though? That's a fairly large elephant in our room...