From what I'm led to believe, the club didn't plan on getting promotion last season, so the foundations that Warnock wants to lay haven't been given long enough to set and be built on.

There's been a lesson learned here from when Malky was here. He was given 3 years to get us to the Premier League. After a more than successful first season, the board and Tan decided to abandon that plan and get promotion the following year, which we did. We hadn't laid enough foundations, particularly. Most of the good work Dave Jones did was undone when we were left with such a threadbare squad on his departure. Had we managed to win promotion under Jones, I feel we would have stayed up and had a chance of getting established. However, new owners, new manager etc.

A few points in response -

1. It's a dangerous game for us to think if we go back down, we'll have a squad that'll get us back up. I appreciate that's a different angle from being a force in the division. Our defence is ageing (during next season Bamba will be 35, Peltier 33, Connolly 32, Manga 31, Etheridge and Bennett 30) and will need freshening up (on the same note I can't believe Paterson is only 24). What will Warnock's future be? He'll be 71 during next season and his contract is due to expire then.

2. I don't think he's under any danger of being sacked. He's also said he's not bothered if he was, either. He's got a free run at this. It's probably his last chance at Premier League level. If he leaves, would he want another job?

3. That's probably right. We had some money to spend and Warnock used it where he thought it was most needed. I think the hope was for Zohore to make the step up and show his quality. Sadly he hasn't and it's affected us big time.