Blades vs other relegated teams

[Bristol Blade]

I got wondering earlier how we'd compare with other teams recently relegated from the Premiership. With Watford and Charlton, the teams relegated with us, close to administration and relegated again respectively, our position with fairly strong finances and pushing for the playoffs seems a bit better. Then there are teams like Reading, who are struggling, and Middlesborough, who sacked their manager when one point off the top and who have since slumped into the bottom half, despite both still recieving parachute payments. On the other hand, there are teams like Wolves and Birmingham, who have bounced back, and Newcastle and WBA, who look set to do so as well. On the whole though, the finances of just about every team to be relegated since the turn of the millennium are pretty dire.
I guess what I'm trying to say is yes, things could be better, but they could also be a hell of a lot worse. I'm glad we stuck with Blackwell through the rough patch, and I'm glad we have a responsible chairman in McCabe. I suppose one of the biggest irritations though is when McCabe comes out saying, I think it was, that there will be "significant investment with a capital S" and then not delivering, rather than just admitting that we won't be spending anything and indeed might have to sell.

Here's a list of every team to be relegated since 99/00, just for comparison:

1) Man City Prem 5th (Biggest Financial Investment ever in football)
2) Birmingham Prem 8th (Chinese Investment)
3) Sunderland Prem 10th (American Investment)
4) Wolves Prem 15th
5) West Ham Prem 17th (Massive financial troubles)
6) Newcastle Chmp 1st
7) WBA Chmp 2nd
8) Leicester Chmp 5th (Have been through administration and relegation)
9) SUFC Chmp 7th
10) Crystal Palace Chmp 9th (Having financial problems, can't pay staff)
11) M'boro Chmp 11th
12) Watford Chmp 13th (Financial problems, close to administration)
13) Coventry Chmp 17th (Came very close to administration)
14) Derby Chmp 18th
15) Ipswich Chmp 19th (Entered administration)
16) Reading Chmp 20th
17) Wensdy Chmp 23rd (Terrible finances)
18) Leeds L1 1st (Massive debts and entered administration)
19) Norwich L1 2nd
20) Charlton L1 3rd
21) Wimbledon (MK Dons L1 8th) (Entered administration, reformed)
22) Southampton L1 14th (Entered administration)
23) Bradford L2 13th (Entered administration)

 

[tomtheblade]

Good post Bristol. When you compare us to other teams relegated in recent times we're doing alright really, particularly the teams we came down with.

Your list doesn't mention that several of those teams have also been relegated to league 1 as well (then came back up), which is a big factor.

Although i think we're alright at the moment i'm loathe to use that as an excuse to say we can rest on our laurels or really be satisfied with where we are. We have managed to stabilise but then there are other teams who have much worse times than us but then come back and gone on to much higher things. We seem to always stay in the middle.

 

[Elsecar_Blade]

Pah, 9th out of 23? Not even good enough for a Play Off spot.

Seriously, interesting to see. To be fair to the top three (Citeh, Brum and Sun'lun) they were all promoted back to the Premier League before they received investment so they are examples we should be seeking to emulate especially as all three are similar clubs to SUFC (second club in big cities, similar attendances and fanbases).

The interesting one for me there is Wolves. If you think back a year or two, Wolves were getting right on Mick McCarthy's back a couple of years back and they were probably in a very, very similar situation to the one we find ourselves in now. Pruning the squad a little, reducing the wage bill, unpopular manager playing not great football - sound familiar?

The number of clubs below us on that list that have struggled financially is a very sad indication of the state of English football. In addition to the ones you've mentioned, Derby have had terrible financial problems and have been close to administration, Reading could be interesting next year when the parachute money runs out, am pretty sure that Norwich and Charlton have been through bad times recently as well.

We're in the middle ground really: are we with West Brom/Wolves (etc) and well-managed financially and building back to make a challenge OR are we to join the others below us in the coming years?

 

[tomtheblade]

The interesting one for me there is Wolves. If you think back a year or two, Wolves were getting right on Mick McCarthy's back a couple of years back and they were probably in a very, very similar situation to the one we find ourselves in now. Pruning the squad a little, reducing the wage bill, unpopular manager playing not great football - sound familiar?

Wolves, yes, but i also find Birmingham's rise fascinating, considering how much their fans were getting on McLeish's back last season. They ran out of steam big style at the end of the season and only just scraped over the finish line into the auto places.
A couple more weeks to the season and they'd have lost that spot to either us or Reading, and more than likely lost in the playoffs due to lack of momentum. But that didn't happen, and now look at them. Granted they had just come back down from the Prem so had that advantage, but it's an interesting reverse in fortune in such a short time all the same.

 

[Highbury_Blade]

Pah, 9th out of 23? Not even good enough for a Play Off spot.


The number of clubs below us on that list that have struggled financially is a very sad indication of the state of English football. In addition to the ones you've mentioned, Derby have had terrible financial problems and have been close to administration, Reading could be interesting next year when the parachute money runs out, am pretty sure that Norwich and Charlton have been through bad times recently as well.

You can add to that list Middlesbrough. They are in debt by a very large amount apparently, and it's only the bank balance of Gibson that's keeping them going. Remember it was just the results that got southgate sacked, it was the boring football that led to crap attendances that did for him too.

 

[Elsecar_Blade]

I wasn't sure on Boro' so left them out but I'll take your word for it. I think they are a team that need to go back up before parachute monies run out. The way their stadium is emptying suggests they are Reading 2 ... when Johnson leaves (either now or in Summer for sure) they will be the same as when Doyle left the Plastics.

As for Birmingham, I think they are riding the crest of a wave but experience often helps - they have plenty of it. I think the signing of Benitez has also given them that player that can spark a game into life and Hart is a solid keeper. They are a club who are showing that it doesn't take as much as some claim it does.

 

[Bristol Blade]

Seriously, interesting to see. To be fair to the top three (Citeh, Brum and Sun'lun) they were all promoted back to the Premier League before they received investment so they are examples we should be seeking to emulate especially as all three are similar clubs to SUFC (second club in big cities, similar attendances and fanbases).

Yes that is a good point actually. I wonder then whether we would get investors coming in if we were to get promotion? You'd think we'd look a fairly attractive option. I suppose the main difference though between us and City and Sunderland is that they must both be averaging upwards of 40,000.