How bad would relegation be?

[Royal_jimmy]

Fair to say 70% of fans think relegation would be an utter disaster for the club.

[YorkshireRoyal99]

We've already sorted out most the earners going, which leaves 3, who would all be easy to move on for modest fees.

Yes, if we lived in an ideal world, which we don't. Having said that we'd command a solid fee for Puscas should Pisa get promoted so I suppose anything is possible.

I'm not talking about an ideal world I'm talking about a conservative view of the real one.

But you aren't because you're saying that it's easy to move on 3 high earners from a relegated club, when it just simply isn't as easy as that. Many relegated clubs have discovered that moving high earning players on can be difficult, not just from the Championship to League One, but L1 to L2 and Prem to Championship etc.

I don't doubt it's possible, but it's certainly not a straightforward task.

[Hound]

Yes, if we lived in an ideal world, which we don't. Having said that we'd command a solid fee for Puscas should Pisa get promoted so I suppose anything is possible.

I'm not talking about an ideal world I'm talking about a conservative view of the real one.

But you aren't because you're saying that it's easy to move on 3 high earners from a relegated club, when it just simply isn't as easy as that. Many relegated clubs have discovered that moving high earning players on can be difficult, not just from the Championship to League One, but L1 to L2 and Prem to Championship etc.

I don't doubt it's possible, but it's certainly not a straightforward task.

With some players yes. Realistically there would be no shortage of interest in the 3 mentioned. You can't tell me there wouldn't be a queue of clubs trying to pick Joao (20 odd goals last year and just good), Meite (1 goal in every 3 from RW) and Ejaria (young, well rated generally) up for a small fee - between 1-3m worst case. Be painful to see that happen mind you.

Moore I'd worry about still, so desperately hope Stoke want him. Puscas is going whether Pisa get promoted or not from the sound of it.

[Snowflake Royal]

I'm not talking about an ideal world I'm talking about a conservative view of the real one.

But you aren't because you're saying that it's easy to move on 3 high earners from a relegated club, when it just simply isn't as easy as that. Many relegated clubs have discovered that moving high earning players on can be difficult, not just from the Championship to League One, but L1 to L2 and Prem to Championship etc.

I don't doubt it's possible, but it's certainly not a straightforward task.

With some players yes. Realistically there would be no shortage of interest in the 3 mentioned. You can't tell me there wouldn't be a queue of clubs trying to pick Joao (20 odd goals last year and just good), Meite (1 goal in every 3 from RW) and Ejaria (young, well rated generally) up for a small fee - between 1-3m worst case. Be painful to see that happen mind you.

Moore I'd worry about still, so desperately hope Stoke want him. Puscas is going whether Pisa get promoted or not from the sound of it.

Exactly. These players aren't overpaid or failures or old. They're talented, appropriately paid and in their prime.

It's win win. We sell them and we get cash and free up wages for twice the L1 players, we keep them we have players who will dominate L1 and it's just 3 on high wages and very few left over on even lower Championship wages.

[kirkrich]

I would imagine every club who has been relegated has thought exactly the same, 'we'll bounce straight back up as our squad are to good etc'. It simply doesn't work like that, relegation would be a disaster. We could be stuck in L1 for years and never really recover. I am genuinely worried for Reading, we would not be seen as an attractive side to join, either as a player or manager. Sorry to be a Debbie Downer!

[Hound]

I would imagine every club who has been relegated has thought exactly the same, 'we'll bounce straight back up as our squad are to good etc'.

well thats every club except us, coz literally no one has said that

[Snowflake Royal]

I would imagine every club who has been relegated has thought exactly the same, 'we'll bounce straight back up as our squad are to good etc'. It simply doesn't work like that, relegation would be a disaster. We could be stuck in L1 for years and never really recover. I am genuinely worried for Reading, we would not be seen as an attractive side to join, either as a player or manager. Sorry to be a Debbie Downer!

This would make sense if there was any sign anyone actually thought we'd definitely bounce back straightaway. Or if there weren't plenty of examples of clubs who do.

Fact is, the ones who spend years and years not getting back are the exceptions not the rule.

[Stranded]

I would imagine every club who has been relegated has thought exactly the same, 'we'll bounce straight back up as our squad are to good etc'.

well thats every club except us, coz literally no one has said that

Especially as come 1st July, we won't actually have a squad.

[NathStPaul]

I would imagine every club who has been relegated has thought exactly the same, 'we'll bounce straight back up as our squad are to good etc'.

well thats every club except us, coz literally no one has said that

Especially as come 1st July, we won't actually have a squad.

It will be the Derby County experience won't it? Scrambling around for older players who have been released, none of whom will want to come to us so will leave it until the last possible second to join after exhausting all their other options.

[Hound]

well thats every club except us, coz literally no one has said that

Especially as come 1st July, we won't actually have a squad.

It will be the Derby County experience won't it? Scrambling around for older players who have been released, none of whome will want to come to us so will leave it until the last possible second to join after exhausing all their other options.

no doubt it. We'll still be a decent option for many players, and there will be thousands of free agents. Depends on who takes over the management and recruitment, and when they are in place. It really shouldn't be the case that we suddenly decide in July to look at who is left over, we should be planning the minute we know where we are playing next season

Of course with the shambles at the moment nothing is certain though

[Snowflake Royal]

well thats every club except us, coz literally no one has said that

Especially as come 1st July, we won't actually have a squad.

It will be the Derby County experience won't it? Scrambling around for older players who have been released, none of whom will want to come to us so will leave it until the last possible second to join after exhausing all their other options.

Not exactly been a disaster for Derby on the pitch.

[NathStPaul]

Especially as come 1st July, we won't actually have a squad.

It will be the Derby County experience won't it? Scrambling around for older players who have been released, none of whom will want to come to us so will leave it until the last possible second to join after exhausing all their other options.

Not exactly been a disaster for Derby on the pitch.

No it hasn't, was referring more to the lucky dip of free agents we will be at the mercy to. I think Wayne Rooney has a certain amount of pulling power which helped them get in some decent pros, I worry we won't have that luxury in the summer. Just hope we have someone decent ready to take over as soon as Paunovic's contract expires.

[Stranded]

well thats every club except us, coz literally no one has said that

Especially as come 1st July, we won't actually have a squad.

It will be the Derby County experience won't it? Scrambling around for older players who have been released, none of whom will want to come to us so will leave it until the last possible second to join after exhausting all their other options.

I think it will be a little different in that whilst we will be limited in wages, we won't be in contract length. So we could offer deals that perhaps have built in pay rises based on retaining Champ status after the next two years.

The culture at the club clearly hasn't been good but this summer will be the clean sweep we've failed to really do for a long time.

[URZZZZ]

I'm not talking about an ideal world I'm talking about a conservative view of the real one.

But you aren't because you're saying that it's easy to move on 3 high earners from a relegated club, when it just simply isn't as easy as that. Many relegated clubs have discovered that moving high earning players on can be difficult, not just from the Championship to League One, but L1 to L2 and Prem to Championship etc.

I don't doubt it's possible, but it's certainly not a straightforward task.

With some players yes. Realistically there would be no shortage of interest in the 3 mentioned. You can't tell me there wouldn't be a queue of clubs trying to pick Joao (20 odd goals last year and just good), Meite (1 goal in every 3 from RW) and Ejaria (young, well rated generally) up for a small fee - between 1-3m worst case. Be painful to see that happen mind you.

Moore I'd worry about still, so desperately hope Stoke want him. Puscas is going whether Pisa get promoted or not from the sound of it.

Am surprised a Champ club didn’t take a punt on Bannan last summer, getting on a bit but thought he was a decent player. Looking at Wednesday’s outgoings as they are the most similar to us in terms of relegated teams last season, they too seemed to lose a fair few on free transfers but aside from a couple of younger players, few for fees

[YorkshireRoyal99]

But you aren't because you're saying that it's easy to move on 3 high earners from a relegated club, when it just simply isn't as easy as that. Many relegated clubs have discovered that moving high earning players on can be difficult, not just from the Championship to League One, but L1 to L2 and Prem to Championship etc.

I don't doubt it's possible, but it's certainly not a straightforward task.

With some players yes. Realistically there would be no shortage of interest in the 3 mentioned. You can't tell me there wouldn't be a queue of clubs trying to pick Joao (20 odd goals last year and just good), Meite (1 goal in every 3 from RW) and Ejaria (young, well rated generally) up for a small fee - between 1-3m worst case. Be painful to see that happen mind you.

Moore I'd worry about still, so desperately hope Stoke want him. Puscas is going whether Pisa get promoted or not from the sound of it.

Exactly. These players aren't overpaid or failures or old. They're talented, appropriately paid and in their prime.

It's win win. We sell them and we get cash and free up wages for twice the L1 players, we keep them we have players who will dominate L1 and it's just 3 on high wages and very few left over on even lower Championship wages.

There would of course be interest, but it's who would be interested which is the issue. The issue we would have is that, if we were to go down, they would improve a lot of sides' first XI from outside the play off positions this season, but who would be able to afford their wages? Sheff United, Middlesbrough, Stoke etc might be able to do but Blackpool, Luton, Millwall, Preston etc won't and won't pay their wages. The clubs that you'd imagine can definitely afford their wages and fee will probably end up looking at other players as well.

So yes, selling them would be a win-win situation, but it's who would take them. There probably is someone out there willing to match their fee and wages in the Championship that would improve their team, but it's not like we would have half a dozen realistic clubs that each could go for. It obviously depends who comes down as well e.g. Meite might be a decent option for someone like Watford.

[Hound]

at a guess who would be interested:

3 teams who come down from Prem, WBA, Blackburn, QPR, Huddersfield, Forest, Sheff Utd, Stoke, Hull, Cardiff, lots of clubs from abroad.

[Forbury Lion]

Fair to say 70% of fans think relegation would be an utter disaster for the club.

and the other 30% lack the ability to think.

[Forbury Lion]

But you aren't because you're saying that it's easy to move on 3 high earners from a relegated club, when it just simply isn't as easy as that. Many relegated clubs have discovered that moving high earning players on can be difficult, not just from the Championship to League One, but L1 to L2 and Prem to Championship etc.

I don't doubt it's possible, but it's certainly not a straightforward task.

With some players yes. Realistically there would be no shortage of interest in the 3 mentioned. You can't tell me there wouldn't be a queue of clubs trying to pick Joao (20 odd goals last year and just good), Meite (1 goal in every 3 from RW) and Ejaria (young, well rated generally) up for a small fee - between 1-3m worst case. Be painful to see that happen mind you.

Moore I'd worry about still, so desperately hope Stoke want him. Puscas is going whether Pisa get promoted or not from the sound of it.

Why didn't we target relegated clubs for new signings?

[URZZZZ]

Fair to say 70% of fans think relegation would be an utter disaster for the club.

and the other 30% lack the ability to think.

Mmm not sure. Chances are that if you’re finding yourself near the bottom each season (aside from last season), you’re going to drop eventually anyway. We’ve been saying for 3/4 summers now that “this is the summer to rebuild!”. Yet it doesn’t happen

I still think we’ll be OK in the end but at what point is enough enough? Got to think about how you can move the club forward in the long term, finishing 18th-20th isn’t that. So whilst of course relegation isn’t a good thing, it could be a chance to properly rebuild the squad which we’ve been in dire need of for a while now

[Hound]

Fair to say 70% of fans think relegation would be an utter disaster for the club.

and the other 30% lack the ability to think.

depends exactly what is meant by an utter disaster. If playing L1 football for 4-5 years is a disaster, then yes it may well be.