Up the Albion: Mark Brailsford on the money league

The crock at the end of the rainbow? As the ancient myth may or may not have gone, at the end of the rainbow lies a pot of gold. Or, in the case of the Premier League, £5bn in revenue for playing in the most watched football league in the world. As promised in a previous column, it’s time to revisit the topic of what would happen if The Albion got promoted.

After the frustration of the draw that felt like a defeat at Wolverhampton Wanderers and a run of results that hint at a faltering challenge for promotion, it may be premature and rather fanciful, but bear with us as it may add perspective to the current gnashing of teeth over the team’s recent indifferent form. So, let us gaze into the Latest 7 crystal ball.

The money league
If Gus does sign a player or two who galvanises the team and gets into the play-off final, what would happen? Firstly, the most valuable game in football means that the winners are elevated into a league full of the richest football clubs on the planet, backed in some cases by nothing short of sovereign wealth funds that most nations can only envy. The top four is an exclusive club which cost Manchester City over £100m to break into.

There appears to be three mini divisions within the league. The bottom third of this league is a dog fight, with unpleasant defeats by hefty margins for those sides that arrive unprepared for the sheer bloody mindedness allied to the skillset of some of the world’s players. Should we be in a hurry to join this gold-plated bunfight? Are we prepared to be the next Southampton or QPR who look embarrassingly out of their depth?

“Are we prepared to be the next Southampton or QPR?”

Gus Poyet is a fascinating manager; he knows what it takes to win at the top level as a player, and is under no illusion that the only way he thinks a team coming up to the top division can hold its own is to play proper football. The journey, that began three years ago against the Saints at St Mary’s launched not just a new manager but a philosophy. The plan approved by Mr Bloom was to be patient and build towards a sustainable future in the Premier League. Mr Bloom knows that sustained success cannot be rushed, hence the new plans for a state of the art academy, an essential part of any successful modern football club.

Growing pains
Though it pains me to say it, Crystal Palace look like a good bet for promotion. Although I do wonder how long they would last (tee hee). So, Gus has a team that’s evolving with a playing style that suits not just surviving but thriving at a higher level. He has young players already coming through and a fantastic academy on the way. This team is going through growing pains and some new payers are still adapting and in the midst of what looks a poor run, The Albion sit comfortably in the top ten. Is it really that bad? Frustrating at times yes, but hardly a crisis, we are not Southampton and Gus is not Nigel Adkins in disguise.
One final point about the Premier League: The UEFA fair play rules have yet to bite, the playing field will still be skewed by some creative accounting to a degree, but it might be best to wait a year or two when the Premier League evens out a little and the academy is providing the next Wilfried Zaha. Then we might reach the end of this lucrative rainbow and unlike 1983, this time we might even stay there. So let’s not be in too much of a hurry, there is an old travel adage, it is sometimes better to travel hopefully than to arrive, so perhaps we should just relax a little and enjoy the ride?