Would you prefer to beat Brentford in the playoff final or go up automatically?

[ffc73]

Automatic

[H3Matt]

I'd rather finish second. I don't think my anxiety could handle another Wembley trip. Fantastic day but you it's not a game you want to lose...

[I Ronic]

Automatic Promotion give the players more rest, the coach more time to prepare and the DOF time to get players. 63% of the time the playoff team goes straight back down first season.

Whilst I would prefer the certainty of the playoffs, I resent any suggestion that our terrible mistakes in 2018 were in any way excused by the fact that for a couple of weeks in May, we knew there was a good chance of going up but could not be certain.

Would also be interested to know what percentage of the time the team finishing 2nd went straight bsck down in the period you sampled. In the last 5 seasons it's 60%.

I think there's the top half of the Premiership and then there's the bottom half and the top half of the Championship lumped together. With three teams from that ghost league swapping places each season. The parachute payments will strengthen the top half of the Championship as time goes on.Clubs will modify their contracts and hold onto the majority of their teams (which to be fair is already happening)I wouldn't be surprised (or that disappointed overal) if we become a bit of a yoyo team in the coming years. Now none of this will come as a surprise to anybody on here.
   Fair play has only really secured half the Premiership their place in that league, stopped a few very rich individuals from going for broke and a few clubs from going bust. The only way that will change is when a handful of clubs break away from the top and a European super league is finally formed.
Back to the subject. Automatic for me as well. As mentioned more rest and more time to plan.

[filham]

Automatic please. I don't think my dicky ticker could take another play off.

Auto for me also, despite the Wembley experience being delicious last time, the stress is too much for The Old Sods Army.
Champions if you please.

Agree

Agree, not sure I could even cope with the time leading up to Wembley let alone the match itself. Pleased to have experienced , and survived, the play off final but once was enough. Another final really should come with a health warning.

[Whitesideup]

Definitely automatic. The disappointment of losing the play-offs is absolutely massive and always a risk.

However, were Fulham to get promoted, I would not have anything like the same degree of hope I had last time. It would be a case of expect the worst, but hope for the best. In a way that reduction in expectation relieves some of the pressure on me at least, and therefore the tension of the play-off games, though probably not the players.

[The Swan]

What a question. Go up automatically please. I could not live through another play off final.

[Riversider]

Might I suggest that Brentford are the last team we would want to face in the play offs, our record against them is horrendous,  we are the team they would choose to face, we should avoid them at all cost,
And there is the small issue that they are a bloody good side with pace all through the team.

[Chesh]

Before anyone else replies stating the obvious risk of losing to Brentford in the play offs, the question starts with the proviso that we are promoted.

In other words, looking back after the event, will it have been better to have gone up automatically or to have finally got one over those inbreds and wave good-bye again.

Personally, it's the latter - but for obvious reasons I wouldn't want to take the risk, so that's only in hindsight.

Yes, Brentford are a well run club, but a large percentage of their fan-base despise us (jealousy mainly from when we left them behind in the 90s), and for those of us who know quite a few, it would mean a lot to put them in their place.

[Jimpav]

The rivalry against Brentford always seems a bit one sided, so I wouldn't take much added pleasure in beating them in the play offs - although if the boot was on the other foot....

[WindyCity]

Can't believe this is even a question.....auto is ALWAYS the preferred method......

[Southdowns White]

Can't believe this is even a question.....auto is ALWAYS the preferred method......

I set the question. It was only a bit of fun and yes either way we would be promoted, I was interested to gauge if anyone had a real local rivalry with brentford. For me getting promoted beating that lot from the dog track would be worth waiting a few weeks for. Regarding this question, it's auto promotion for me every time. Lets hope we can put a run together as the Brentford scenario could be a real possibility.

[ALG01]

automatic is a no brainer
first you have no doubt you are up and do not end up in a lottery
second you have more time to plan for the season that is to come
third there is never a guarantee who you play and forrest and brentford or even leeds may well be better suited to play off stuff
Third, will my heart stand another playoff drama?!

Let's go up as one of the first two

[Woolly Mammoth]

I have no truck with Brentford, even if some of them are bitter for some reason.
But i still would rather be automatic promotion. Even with that glorious day we had at Wembley which I would not change, a defeat at Wembley would be a hard set back to take.

[AnOldBrownie]

Playoff beating Brentford. Theyve held it over us for far too long so it would be lovely to stick it to them in front of everyone. Beating Villa saz one of the sweetest if most stressful days of my life following Fulham, made all the better by their piping up and media fawning before the final.

I know it's the American in me, but I'd take a playoff win ...except I do think having added time off to prep the team for the EPL is a bonus.

[Fulham 442]

Playoff beating Brentford. Theyve held it over us for far too long so it would be lovely to stick it to them in front of everyone. Beating Villa saz one of the sweetest if most stressful days of my life following Fulham, made all the better by their piping up and media fawning before the final.

I know it's the American in me, but I'd take a playoff win ...except I do think having added time off to prep the team for the EPL is a bonus.

Would you pop over for the playoffs then as that is your preferred choice?