I think the fact that our leading scorer left in January for three successive seasons recently tells it all, particularly as I think all three were still leading scorer at the end of the season. We all know that most of the current squad, or the first team players at least, will be gone by the end of June. The loan players will go back, the contracts till the end of the season (and what bargains Frimpong and Lawrence are looking!) will walk away, some of the donkeys won't be retained and we'll be very lucky to keep hold of Jennings and O'Grady. Our recruitment next season will make the influx of Rochdale players a couple of years ago look like the arrival of the galacticos. Yep, we're in for a rocky couple of years, but if we stick through it (and stop changing our manager) we've probably got an extended period of mid-table League One football to look forward to and, you know what, after what we've been putting up with over the last few years (the incredible run towards the end of last season apart) it doesn't really fill me with that much dread. And what's more, once we steady the ship in League One I have a feeling that we'll start witnessing bigger teams than us coming down and going straight through the division, as they start to feel the affects of their overspending. I tell you, the football league in 10-20 years is going to look very different to the way it looks now and the best that teams like Barnsley can possibly hope for is to still be there.
To still be in the league is the best we can hope for? Christ, the future is bleak! We won't stop changing managers. Because there's no plan and no vision.
Pretty much how I see it though I think we will flirt with the play offs if Danny is still here. Not get in them but be top mid table just because he's a good manager
Agree with pretty much all of that. Historically we have spent all bar 6 years in the 34 I have supported them in the second tier. Going forward I think, unfortunately, that we will have to get used to our natural level changing. We will become a natural level 3rd tier side, with the occasional 1 or 2 season stay in the second tier. A bit like Peterborough. That's where our finances will put us, and it is all about the money. We have to kepp Danny in my opinion because I believe that he is the best chance we have got of a serious shot at getting back in the next 2 years. If we go beyond that period without an immediate return then I think it could be a decade or more in league 1.