Serious question - Are we better off relegated?

[GRUMPY BLADE]

I'm basing this on if we manage to stay up and have to face trips to Forest, Leeds, Middlesbrough etc instead of Bury, Oldham Carlise etc will the management team feel that we would be better off with seasoned pro's who are other clubs rejects like we have during the last two seasons.

Would survival stop the chance to blood youth and stop us taking a chance with an upcoming player who the club think might hack it in the third but not be up to the second division yet?

Would staying up hold us back?

For the record I really do not want us to go down and still think we might just scrape out of it.

 

[Bergen Blade]

Staying up would enable us to attract better quality up and coming players, and recruiting from abroad would be easier. Having said that, it's a fair point; the pressure on Adams could possible restrict him from building a new and exciting squad, and make him go for the 'tried and tested' instead.

 

[Revolution]

No, absolutely not. I have no faith in the present regime to arrest our slide whichever league we are in, and I'd rather have a relegation fight in a higher division, thanks very much.

 

[raul]

Serious answer - no.

 

[Selly]

No - relegation is not, and never will be, a good thing.

Especially for Sheffield United. Even if we do have a reasonable record of bouncing back following relegations in teh last 30 years (PL relegation notwithstanding)

 

[Revolution]

Especially for Sheffield United. Even if we do have a reasonable record of bouncing back following relegations in teh last 30 years (PL relegation notwithstanding)

Our record in the last 20 years is less than stellar in this regard...

Sometimes being relegated can work out okay - I know Norwich fans who say this about their time in league one, and it was arguably beneficial to us in 1988, but:

1. You can never know this in advance;

2. In the vast majority of cases, it's a bad thing; and

3. The financial disparities between the divisions are so wide now that it is overwhelmingly more likely to be a bad thing.

 

[S64 Blade]

I'd go for no as well. Mainly because of the implications this could have on the academy at a time when it is starting to flourish.

However, yes does seem like a plausible answer. Although only on the basis that it would get rid of a lot of dead wood and maybe avoid the loanee curse of the past two seasons. Even so, this can be avoided if we actually manage to stay up - as long as the board back Adams to bring in a better calibre of player than Doyle et al.

 

[SteelCity Blade]

I know where you're coming from but to me its a no brainer.....we would have been much better off staying up. We're going to lose a lot of revenue by going down and although it will force our hand in giving youngsters more of a chance, this policy should have been enforced next season regardless of the division we are in. Developing young talent should be a product of the manager and the club's philosophy.....not because we are in the lower leagues and cant attract players (in other words we shouldnt be doing it as a last resort / by default).

No team is ever better off relegated in my view. Some will see us going down as an opportunity to get poor players and big earners off the books. It wont be that simple and if we're going to want/have to carry anyone we're better off doing it in a higher division. IMO getting rid of unwanted players would be a lot easier in the Championship than it would be in League One. We desperately needed to avoid relegation this season and it is seriously bad news that we are now on the verge of it.....but now it is imminent we have to make sure it doesnt become catastrophic. This summer will be a crossroads in the club's history - sink or swim time Kev and Trev!

 

[CopenhagenBlade]

I'm basing this on if we manage to stay up and have to face trips to Forest, Leeds, Middlesbrough etc instead of Bury, Oldham Carlise etc will the management team feel that we would be better off with seasoned pro's who are other clubs rejects like we have during the last two seasons.

Would survival stop the chance to blood youth and stop us taking a chance with an upcoming player who the club think might hack it in the third but not be up to the second division yet?

Would staying up hold us back?

For the record I really do not want us to go down and still think we might just scrape out of it.

I was thinking the same thing Grump, just as I had accepted the fact that we were down and we would have a bit of a clearout and give the youngsters a chance then we show some fight. Realistically we are down and most of the '1st team' players will be leaving the SUFC ship but after the weekend there is a glimmer of hope and if we do stay up I would imagine that a majority of the players would stay and we would buy experienced players and not give the youngsters a chance. I don't think that we should throw more than 4-5 kids in at once but with Morgan, possibly Quinn & Hendo, if they take a pay cut, Simmo or a new keeper. I would also imagine that Doyle & Collins will start a fair few games then we are left with Lowton, Maguire, Slew, Tonne, Philli as regular starters with a few other kids pushing on a less regular basis.
Want to stay up but can see some benefits if we go down but only if we can get up within a season.......Easier said than done

 

[Flatulent_Bob]

I think the kids will be blooded and the old guard moved on regardless of the division.

Staying in the Championship gives us the option of keeping/attracting more of the type of players who fit in with the new way of doing things.

What it would mean is we could look at a high standard of young players from leagues. The likes of Smithies for example if Huddersfield don't make it might be a possible target, where as if we go down we have no chance and will be looking elsewhere for a younger keeper.
Personally (and I don't think it will happen this is purely pie in the sky) but I'd be happy to lose most of the old guard if we could get the likes of Smithies or even Cork (wages might be an issue) in to work alongside our young defence. If we go down we will be looking at the likes of Tommy Lee.
In short if we stay up we are able to build from a better level, and attract better players.

 

[GRUMPY BLADE]

I think the kids will be blooded and the old guard moved on regardless of the division.

Staying in the Championship gives us the option of keeping/attracting more of the type of players who fit in with the new way of doing things.

What it would mean is we could look at a high standard of young players from leagues. The likes of Smithies for example if Huddersfield don't make it might be a possible target, where as if we go down we have no chance and will be looking elsewhere for a younger keeper.
Personally (and I don't think it will happen this is purely pie in the sky) but I'd be happy to lose most of the old guard if we could get the likes of Smithies or even Cork (wages might be an issue) in to work alongside our young defence. If we go down we will be looking at the likes of Tommy Lee.
In short if we stay up we are able to build from a better level, and attract better players.

I agree in theory but if we do survive will the pressure to not be in the same position again mean a player like Doyle [ex Cov] is a better bet than someone like Smithies? If your the manager would you take experiance over youth when your job reliles on it?

Youth is less of a risk the lower down the leagues you are?

 

[lenners]

Going down will mean horrendous losses and the likelihood of an extended spell in the 3rd division.
Not sure how anyone's going to be better off.

 

[CopenhagenBlade]

Going down will mean horrendous losses and the likelihood of an extended spell in the 3rd division.
Not sure how anyone's going to be better off.

But we would get the soul of the club back with young players that we have developed and from the local area...

 

[Jim Chimmerney]

But we would get the soul of the club back with young players that we have developed and from the local area...

Nice one !! I tried this last week.....it didn't work.

I still think we will be a decent 'draw' and carry some clout in the 3rd tier player wise but obviously it would be harder to attract anyone from higher up. Then again, if we can keep the likes of Willo, Hendo etc then we're already starting off with some decent players for that division. Blood in the kids, add a few proven players at that level and we would have every chance IMO.

If we had a crystal ball and could predict coming straight back up then going down would serve us well in the long run as a successful season, even in the 3rd division, would bring more fans through the turnstiles than staying in this division. Unlike Len, the last few weeks has given me more hope for next season should we go down.

 

[lenners]

But we would get the soul of the club back with young players that we have developed and from the local area...

And they wouldn't be sold if they're any good because...

 

[Bladesway]

I wonder how many more times we can ask the same question on here? The answer to this same questions is still no. There is no single positive to come from relegation. Less money, smaller crowds, lesser quality players.

 

[Jim Chimmerney]

I wonder how many more times we can ask the same question on here? The answer to this same questions is still no. There is no single positive to come from relegation. Less money, smaller crowds, lesser quality players.

It's not the going down it's what you do after. Ask people on here to name their favourite season and plenty will say the season we spent in the 4th. Yes we have to bounce back and that's a massive leap of faith but positives COULD come out of relegation.

 

[Micalijo]

Yes, if it means Adams is booted out.

 

[BladeHearts]

I am still desperately hoping that we stay up and would be ecstatic beyond belief if we did................ however, I dont feel it will be the end of the world if we do go down as long as we use it as an opportunity to rebuild our club with a strong emphasis on homegrown talent.

 

[Bladesman]

And they wouldn't be sold if they're any good because...

Exactly if the club could make an actual promise to keep our talentend youngsters for more than 5 minutes then we would actually have something to build on.

I just know if a bid comes in this summer for Lowton or Slew the chances are high that a sale is on the cards.

A mission statement from the club needs to be a good one in the summer to atleast show we have some ambition and direction that isnt further down the footballing ladder.

Relegation is NEVER a good thing and only provides a good way of shifting crap players you should of got rid of well before you got relegated.

 

[beightonblade]

No........

 

[Zlatan]

Serious question - would I be better off with just one arm?

 

[Grecian2000]

Serious question - would I be better off with just one arm?

If you're knitting a jumper and realise you're crap at sleeves, then it could be a yes.

As for the original question: NO, are we fuck. There, still bothered.

 

[Bladesway]

I am still desperately hoping that we stay up and would be ecstatic beyond belief if we did................ however, I dont feel it will be the end of the world if we do go down as long as we use it as an opportunity to rebuild our club with a strong emphasis on homegrown talent.

But we don't and we won't. All that happens is that a bunch of kids play a few games, play well, get the attention of a big team and get sold. Lets be honest we don't even trust the first team coaches to do a decent job in schooling them once they hit the first team.

It won't be the end of the world, of course it won't, but thats hardly a positive to build on is it?

"Right lads, the world hasn't ended so the only way is up from here".

 

[alcoblade]

I couldn't argue that overall it would be a good thing. But if it's true that all but one contract is up for re negotiation upon relegation, then it give us a real opportunity to move on some really expensive dead wood and start again.

It's suggested that we'll lose lots of money but I'm not so sure, in the first year or so. Our gate receipts will probably fall by £1M, and a similar amount from TV revenue. I'd bet the loss of Simmo, Ward and Evans alone would cover that.

Overall, not a good thing. But possibly, depending on how long it takes to come back, not quite the disaster it immediately appears.

UTB

 

[lenners]

I couldn't argue that overall it would be a good thing. But if it's true that all but one contract is up for re negotiation upon relegation, then it give us a real opportunity to move on some really expensive dead wood and start again.

It's suggested that we'll lose lots of money but I'm not so sure, in the first year or so. Our gate receipts will probably fall by £1M, and a similar amount from TV revenue. I'd bet the loss of Simmo, Ward and Evans alone would cover that.

Overall, not a good thing. But possibly, depending on how long it takes to come back, not quite the disaster it immediately appears.

UTB

Wednesday lost several million, without the wage bill we have.
Pretty sure tv revenue is significantly more than £1m and we'll have lost £1m in season ticket revenue alone, before you take into account match-day sales.

 

[alcoblade]

Wednesday lost several million, without the wage bill we have.
Pretty sure tv revenue is significantly more than £1m and we'll have lost £1m in season ticket revenue alone, before you take into account match-day sales.

We lost about £15M at the last count, didn't we?

My point holds, though we're all speculating on exact figures. As per the other thread, there's a suggestion that our wage-bill is stilll around £12M. Relegation could possibly give us a chance to address this. I could see a wage-bill of half that amount (similar to Swansea's) producing a far better squad than the current one - but ONLY if relegation allowed for contract re negotiations. I doubt that, in the first year or so, we'll lose anything like £6M in revenue.

To repeat, I'm not arguing that it will be a good thing overall. Just that there could be a real silver lining to the cloud.

UTB

 

[Pollingtonblade]

ut if it's true that all but one contract is up for re negotiation upon relegation

is this true?

 

[alcoblade]

is this true?

According to E89 on blades mad - who seems to be fairly reliable regarding ITK stuff. The only player who's contract isn't is a striker. Not gospel, but hopeful.

UTB

 

[GRUMPY BLADE]

I couldn't argue that overall it would be a good thing. But if it's true that all but one contract is up for re negotiation upon relegation, then it give us a real opportunity to move on some really expensive dead wood and start again.

It's suggested that we'll lose lots of money but I'm not so sure, in the first year or so. Our gate receipts will probably fall by £1M, and a similar amount from TV revenue. I'd bet the loss of Simmo, Ward and Evans alone would cover that.

Overall, not a good thing. But possibly, depending on how long it takes to come back, not quite the disaster it immediately appears.

UTB

Outside the Prem 80% of TV money goes to Div 2, 12% to Div 3 and 8% to Div 4. Not sure what to pot is to break it down into figures. A percentage is paid equally to all teams in the league with the balance paid as prize money at the season end. Also losing play off finalists usally pocket the Wembley gate money in Div 2 not sure what happens in Div 2/3 playoffs.

Also all Div 2 get a payment from the Prem as well as parachute payments if you qualify.

Income drop is massive.