One of the best things about winning the playoffs is

(aside of course from the absolutely amazing day that Monday was) that the season is over, our job is done and I can now head off into the summer completely relaxed, enjoy the test matches, play a bit of golf and look forward to next season without worrying about our squad being dismantled and indeed looking forward to (but not overly concerned about) seeing who we will sign.

I just feel incredibly chuffed and relaxed about everything this week and I know we will buy some decent players this summer. And although i think we can and will stay up next season I'm also more relaxed* about whether we do stay up because having done the prem recently, gone down and had a great season I don't think it would be the end of the world if we went down again and i'm pretty confident that under Neil whatever happens next season is going to be a LOT more enjoyable/less frustrating than under Hughton.** We may well go down but we will be a challenge for any team in most games.

I think Monday really scratched a massive itch for me and has brought a bit of closure on the yearning to just see us play and win in some form of cup final. i know its only the playoffs and not the FA Cup but 28 years i've been going to watch this club and waiting for a day out like that. I'm pretty convinced that even if we got to Wembley again and won again it wouldn't be quite*** so good as the day we've just had was just because of the novelty factor of going there and winning for so many fans in my generation and younger. I've seen us in Europe, i've seen us finish third, fourth and fifth in the prem, i've seen us at the Millenium, I've seen us get promoted and all were amazing but that day on Monday was right up there with all of them.

* You can remind me of this when i'm ranting when we go two down at West Brom in October

** All I ask is please, please, please can we do Liverpool this time around.

*** Would still be pretty amazing though i'm sure and i'm hungry for more - perhaps it will convince the club to start taking the Cups seriously again.

Posted By: Jim, May 28, 09:49:43