The "If we go down" thread

[SissokoWasGood (BoL)]

Well if we went down our starting 11 first day of next season would be vastly different to if we stay up so need to take that into account

After reading your post I checked on Leeds who got relegated in 2004 and I bet a large proportion of their fans thought they’d bounce straight back. They eventually came back to prem in 2020 so 16 years incl 3 in league one

Not saying that will happen to us but in no way is relegation anything but a disaster

I agree we need a reset which has to happen relegation or not

Leeds were unwinding the financial gamble of trying to make the CL without the sustained revenue to underpin that push. We’ll be in a much healthier position, hopefully a position of strength relative to the rest of the league, and with a cohort of young players who can lay the foundation of a new culture because the one in our first team right now has been utterly broken.

We will have to get the right manager and the right Championship experience around them to handle all the games. But I really think there is something to a much needed reset. It is frankly insane that we are talking like this after the vibes we saw at the parade not even a year ago, but here we are. The first team is rotten, and it needs rooting out.

 

[thfcsteff]

Thoughts on how will players like Van de Ven, Romero, Porro, Vicario be looked at as returning players in 20 years time if relegated would it ruin the legacy built in Bilbao?

A great question...will think about this.

 

[thfcsteff]

It’s not a legacy.

That competition was a joke last season, was fantastic to qualify for the CL, but heralding it as some kind of glory was nonsense.

The glory in football is in consistent challenge at the top of the game.

I’d give that trophy back for a top 5 finish this season in a heartbeat.

1980/81 to '87 says 'hi' and 'you're wrong'...

 

[thfcsteff]

Take away the banter & humiliation and a year in the Championship has a lot to offer as an experience.

After the last two years I think I'd prefer a reset than an endless circling of the drain year after year. Like pulling off a plaster theres something to be said for getting it over and done with as quick as possible.

I have to say, as much as I do not want this to happen, it will absolutely be the line I immediately adopt if it does.

 

[El Dante]

I think best to accept it, if it happens, and we’d get rid of players that don’t want to be here. I’d be gutted to lose some of those that I named earlier. But, it’s football, players move on, the club stays. We’ve lost a lot better players than we have here now, I mean that’s kinda why we’re in this mess. But we keep moving. If I can be in a strong career role by end season then, if offered a season ticket, I’d be tempted to buy one.

Also ultimately, so what if we’re not under the lights in the highest glamour. Ultimately you want to watch your team play matches and hopefully win and to an extent it’s irrelevant which competition. Do you really think lower league club supporters enjoy their wins any less than those that support Premier League clubs?!

This might also allow for the supporters to become connected with the team again. We will have players that want to be here and it will be clear. And supporters who will give their all as they’ve stuck with us at the darkest of recent times.

So no, I don’t want it to happen. But if it does I will be loud and still support us until my last day, whatever league we play in.

 

[FolkestoneSpur]

Lincoln away! It’ll be exotic. I’m quite looking forward to it!

Our derbies will be Millwall (if they don't go up) Charlton (if they don't go down) and QPR.

Take away the banter & humiliation and a year in the Championship has a lot to offer as an experience.

After the last two years I think I'd prefer a reset than an endless circling of the drain year after year. Like pulling off a plaster theres something to be said for getting it over and done with as quick as possible.

This is where I'm at now, the hardest of resets and pray big lessons learnt or new owners.

 

[Daisuk]

Our derbies will be Millwall (if they don't go up) Charlton (if they don't go down) and QPR.

This is where I'm at now, the hardest of resets and pray big lessons learnt or new owners.

I was about to say Leicester, but they seem to be going even further down! Damn. I've been to both Millwall and QPR! QPR being quite docile, and Millwall utterly crazy. Millwall will be interesting, I reckon. Been a long time since we played Charlton.

Would love for us to stay up, obviously, but really preparing for us to go down. I just don't see us staying up. I fear us doing more of the same when we're down, but I feel quite optimistic it'll be allright for us eventually.

 

[FolkestoneSpur]

I was about to say Leicester, but they seem to be going even further down! Damn. I've been to both Millwall and QPR! QPR being quite docile, and Millwall utterly crazy. Millwall will be interesting, I reckon. Been a long time since we played Charlton.

Would love for us to stay up, obviously, but really preparing for us to go down. I just don't see us staying up. I fear us doing more of the same when we're down, but I feel quite optimistic it'll be allright for us eventually.

Yeah I'm resigned to it now so the only way to go is to put a positive spin.
I love Loftus Road but so small there won't be many away tickets available.
I've been to Millwall a few times over the years the last being a pre season friendly around 2003 and a we got rushed by about 200 of them as we came out of the away end and two Spurs fans got chucked on the tracks at South Bermondsey, lovely bunch.

 

[Ace Face]

If I’m completely honest, despite the lack of prestige plus the gargantuan amounts of brick well all have to take, I may enjoy watching the games more if we do get relegated given how utterly dull and VAR-ridden the PL games have become.

Plus we would clear out much of the players I have zero affection for and allow us to incorporate academy players who I genuinely hope can rebuild our identity and club culture.

Controversial, maybe, but I don’t know how much more of the past few years I can take at this point.

 

[demotw]

Why are we assuming we would lose so many players? There may be players unhappy to play a level down but I very much doubt for one season we will be under any pressure to sell anyone we don’t want to (think Villa rejecting us on Grealish). Of course the longer we stay down then that changes without investment but it’s a moot point anyways as not going to happen.

Until it’s mathematically impossible I will continue to cheer these self destructive players in the hope they actually start playing, besides I think we are just planning to emulate Leicester - nearly get regulated then win the league the next year