Press-tige

[dave.woodhall]

Bit of controversy there...

http://thebirminghampress.com/2016/12/onwards-and-upwards/

[Rudy Can't Fail]

Nothing controversial there, I think you nail it. The point about promotion is interesting but history shows that teams that know what they're doing, have a plan and rhythm to their play, are the teams to stay up. Right now we're still in the pub car park with out attacking play. Considering what we have it's an embarrassment (of riches) and Bruce needs to work on it.

Hoping that new signings in January will immediately answer all our attacking problems is nothing more than wishful thinking. It's still early in the season and tonnes of points yet to play for but we need to step it up a level. Hard work, as great as it is to see it finally return, is standard in this division and not enough to see us go up.

[olaftab]

I agree that this team will get thrashed in the PL every week if we were to make it this season through the play offs.

[Toronto Villa]

We have momentum and a bit of chemistry but it is like a flickering light. It's very jittery and it feels forced. We could click any time of course but I think until he is able to fix certain positions we will be like this for a bit. And we certainly don't have anything like the required quality or cohesion to survive in the PL. It will come.

[peter w]

The team would struggle because it's currently full of Championship players. We'd have to rebuild again in the summer should we go up which would be another period of trying to get the team used to each other. We'd be one of the favourited to go straight back down. Still, I don't 'promote' the idea of staying down for another season. We'd still be stuck with Championship players.

[Andy_Lochhead_in_the_air]

Maybe better not to get promoted ? I beg to differ ! Where's the guarantee that we would storm the division at the second attempt ?

It's a bit like the politicians we have heard all our lives promising jam tomorrow - cut backs, austerity, pain now so we will then all be better off later.  Rubbish !

What do want ? Promotion !
When do we want it ? Now !

[Old Kodjia]

I think that the "not get promoted this time around" is the controversial point that Dave highlighted in his post.

I agree.  That is what my brain tells me.  However, as a fan, my heart overules my brain every time.  I'd sooner go up this season and take our chances.  The point about being unable to exploit spaces fits very well with our status as a championship side.

Returning to the point about promotion, if we were to go up this season, you would expect high funding in the summer and hopefully 3 worse teams than us next season.

[darren woolley]

Spot on Dave.

[Brend'Watkins]

This team would do marginally better than the one that took us down but we'd still go down.  There's only Grealish, Kodja and Ayew maybe good enough for the step up in our squad. Chester possibly too. But we have to aim to get up and then see what Tony is prepared to do to keep us there.

[Clark W Griswold]

I definately see your point as this team would really struggle in the Premier league, and in all fairness it would be a lot of fun if we clicked into a team that can storm this league next season. I do think that if we go up the money will be there to really improve, certainly to the point of being better than between 3 and 6 clubs in the premier league so I think we'd be fine scraping up this season, as we have Xia and Bruce behind us.

[Cleybrooke]

Once this team clicks, which may well be next season, then there will be no stopping them.

Thing is, how many would last in the prem? Four? Five? If we need to rebuild once we get there then why not get to the prem sooner rather than later?

[Chico Hamilton III]

so I think we'd be fine scraping up this season, as we have Xia and Bruce behind us.

We get promoted, Bruce will get the sack after a struggle in the top flight. It's what he does and it's what a fair few people on here suggested would happen when we signed Bruce. Harsh reality. He's a manager to get teams promoted.

[aj2k77]

This team would get hammered in the Premier League but we wouldn't be starting the season with this team, I've no doubt that the Dr would reach in to his pockets and spend another £50m on a handful of players again that would strengthen us.

[Villafirst]

No, worry about the Premier League when we've got promotion. If Watford, Bournemouth, Burnley etc., can survive, then surely Villa can with the Multi-Millions in TV money backed up by Dr Xia's Millions?

[damon loves JT]

Every day we spend out of the top flight is a day where we fall further behind.

As a general rule: if you waited until you were 'ready' you would never *do* anything at all.