Promotion...a double edged sword.

Being a big club I think we belong in the Premier League, As an overseas fan no matter what league we are in I'm watching because my team is playing. Rarely do I look at the line ups of the team we'er playing, although that may change if we go up.

Promotion - To pay more money to sit in the same seat, in the same stadium, watching the same players, win less often.

I found it hard to get too enthusiastic about promotion in recent seasons mainly due the bizarre transfer policy. If we'd somehow fluked our way up under Lamouchi imagine the kind of no-hoper mercenaries and chancers who'd have pitched up as we blew the promotion bounty on twenty random new players. I'm a lot more positive now the management seem to have at least some control.

The biggest downside for me is VAR, but no doubt that will find its way into the Championship soon enough anyway. Biggest positive is getting to gape at the likes of Dele Ali and Ross Barkley. Don't forget your cameras

The aim must be to emulate the likes of Brighton and Burnley and establish ourselves rather than yo-yoing like Norwich. That said - all the fans of the survival teams have to look forward too is another mainly winless year and surviving. I am confident that given the backing we would do ok next year in the premier league under Cooper. We would probably try and hang onto Johnson and Worrall and maybe try and do a deal for Garner and Davis. I doubt we would bother with Zinkernagel and Lowe and no chance of keeping Spence. So we would need a bit of investment. I would enjoy seeing us playing in the top level again and I will admit that I would probably get a a season ticket for me and my son and only manage half of the games - but seeing the likes of Liverpool and Citeh at the CG regularly would be great. I also have plenty of mates who are West Ham, Spurs and Arsenal so would give us an excuse to all travel up for the games with them in the away end and have a few beers. I would take it if we can manage it and be excited about it but would be surprised if we made any real impact other than a battle to avoid relegation

We have got to be positive and like has already been said try and emulate the likes of Brighton, I would guess their fans have been pretty happy over the past few seasons with playing big teams, pulling off quite a few shocks, bringing in some decent players, seeing some decent football, just take a look at their win against arsenal. On the other hand We have to start somewhere and maybe becoming a yo-yo club is the start. However Brentford have had a good first season in the prem and with no disrespect to them we are a bigger club. We should be able to attract quite a bit of attention if we do go up to the prem, not saying we have been as big as villa over the last 30 years but we are deffo a club that is closer in stature to them than Brentford. We might be able to bring in some really good solid signings that aren't going to break the bank and give us a good foundation to form a prem team, especially under Cooper's guidance.

Agree, probably nobody agrees with the way it's run apart from the top clubs, personally I don't think we should now be focussing on reasons why it wouldn't be nice to be there when that's what we have been battling to do for many years. Let's enjoy the ride and trust the club to get things right if we do go up and even if we come back down again.

Personally l don't give a monkeys who were playing, getting all goggly eyed over a few footballers at Man city or Liverpool might be alright for kids, but those days are long gone for this cat. 'If' we get promoted, then nothing less than mid table will satisfy me, and l believe with the right backing Cooper can achieve that. If we go straight back down then this Loving feeling will all be forgotten about and if l remember I'll check back on this thread.

I think we should always aim for promotion and then strive to finish as high as we can - investment if we go up is essential, I don't fancy watching us become a yo-yo club like Norwich. My main fear with promotion is the expectation and rash decisions - if we go up and struggle up until Christmas, I would hope we keep faith with Cooper rather than sacking him and ending up with a so-called 'survival expert'.

Just read that there is a small chance Davis might be back for the play offs which would be a huge boost. No word on Grabban as yet. I think Colback has done a good job at left back.
Finishing second was and is a tall order.
Assuming we finish in the play offs I think we have as much chance as anybody else.