Is this the way to (Amarillo) relegation?

[Ciderup]

You say that, when Championship clubs go down to League One with that attitude they have a shit season, I mean look at what we did in our first season, and look at what Sheffield United have been doing the past few seasons. They thought it would be easy... safe to say it wasn't.

We had a whole plethera of crap to shift though while MK don't. There shouldn't be any demons for them in L1.

 

[DippyDon]

Looking at it, as long as we keep the majority of our squad we should be fine, we just need to add a couple of good strikers and get rid of some of the crap ones we have now.
Looking down I can't see a scenario where unless we lose the majority of the squad, or Robbo leaves and the new manager is absolutely awful where we aren't going to be challenging for promotion. The teams that could be there just don't look terribly challenging at the moment. (Obviously it won't be easy but still)

 

[BetterCallSaul]

I think we'll finish 8th

 

[DippyDon]

I think we'll finish 8th

You could literally say any position at the moment though, we have no idea what the squad will be like. I'm an optimist which is why I said promotion challenge, well that and the fact that for league one our squad is more or less very decent

 

[BetterCallSaul]

I just think we won't start the season very well and we'll sort of level out. Finishing strong but not making the play-offs. And I'll be quite happy with that in all honesty.

 

[Ciderup]

I just think we won't start the season very well and we'll sort of level out. Finishing strong but not making the play-offs. And I'll be quite happy with that in all honesty.

I still don't get this BCS WTGR. What's the point in playing if you're happy NOT to go up? I'm not having a pop but it doesn't sit right at all with me bud.

 

[Walkley_Owl]

It's fucking embarrassing that's what it is, the idea of football is to play at the highest level why would you begrudge yourself that just cos your first real foray into the 2nd tier is ending badly?

Show some fucking pride in your club, do you really want to be hosting the likes of Gillingham or Burton (WTGR to those clubs) or be having the likes of Newcastle, Villa, Sunderland, Leeds etc at your stadium?

Villa fans may be hating this season but pound to a penny they'd love to stay up.

 

[DippyDon]

I still don't get this BCS WTGR. What's the point in playing if you're happy NOT to go up? I'm not having a pop but it doesn't sit right at all with me bud.

I can understand it in the short term for us, I'd be happy with top half league 1 until the new training ground is completed (We have only bought land so far) as it will give us a better platform to go from and should help encourage better players when we do finally make the jump to a stable championship club, which will happen at some point

 

[Ciderup]

I can understand it in the short term for us, I'd be happy with top half league 1 until the new training ground is completed (We have only bought land so far) as it will give us a better platform to go from and should help encourage better players when we do finally make the jump to a stable championship club, which will happen at some point

Why can't you do that and get promoted though? It's gonna cost you a fair old wedge being relegated so surely it's better to come back up, pocket the £££ and possibly yo yo between the Championship and L1 for a few years while improving the infrastructure? Less money = less chance of the training complex doesn't it?
A pure guess but relegation must cost at least £5M?

 

[DippyDon]

Not a clue at finances, I guess personally it's more to stop the fans moaning, we've been a very sustainable club since Robbo has come in and improved the entire club and everything has been fine, we carried on with that this season and now the fans are moaning that we didn't spend enough, even though we don't have much money in the first place, and that we should throw everything we have at staying up.

Thing with us is that we are a club that players want to play for in league one because the stadium alone is enough to draw in players, in the championship we've found recruitment so tough, partly down to losing Andy King in the summer, partly because we can't afford big wages, and partly because our training ground is a glorified recreational park.

I don't overly care about us being a yo-yo club, but I think it'd be easier on the management if we don't have to change focus every season because we are up and down when we need this training complex more than a few expensive players that will be with us for a season or two.

But then again, that's just me. BCS will more than likely disagree

 

[Ciderup]

Not a clue at finances, I guess personally it's more to stop the fans moaning, we've been a very sustainable club since Robbo has come in and improved the entire club and everything has been fine, we carried on with that this season and now the fans are moaning that we didn't spend enough, even though we don't have much money in the first place, and that we should throw everything we have at staying up.

Thing with us is that we are a club that players want to play for in league one because the stadium alone is enough to draw in players, in the championship we've found recruitment so tough, partly down to losing Andy King in the summer, partly because we can't afford big wages, and partly because our training ground is a glorified recreational park.

I don't overly care about us being a yo-yo club, but I think it'd be easier on the management if we don't have to change focus every season because we are up and down when we need this training complex more than a few expensive players that will be with us for a season or two.

But then again, that's just me. BCS will more than likely disagree

Wouldn't a couple of seasons bouncing between the 2 divisions make that recruitment easier than staying in L1 as the higher division means more cash? It's not a great plan, financially, WTGR, when the Championship, with its' higher turnover means more £££.
If City ever had the idea of staying down as we would win more, there would be a riot, absolute carnage! You get as high as you can as quickly as you can. Look at Brentford for example, they survive up here with a very old fashioned stadium, no non match day facilities and a turnover which has to be a lot lower than yours and they don't want to go back down and stay there.

 

[DippyDon]

Wouldn't a couple of seasons bouncing between the 2 divisions make that recruitment easier than staying in L1 as the higher division means more cash? It's not a great plan, financially, WTGR, when the Championship, with its' higher turnover means more £££.
If City ever had the idea of staying down as we would win more, there would be a riot, absolute carnage! You get as high as you can as quickly as you can. Look at Brentford for example, they survive up here with a very old fashioned stadium, no non match day facilities and a turnover which has to be a lot lower than yours and they don't want to go back down and stay there.

Like I said it's just a personal opinion, but I'm one of the nutters that actually prefers league 1 (Also I'm in uni and I've been to enough grounds to not get upset at missing any in league 1), I'm sure the management of the club will have a plan in place, and summer transfer business will prove that they'll try and get back straight away

 

[BetterCallSaul]

I would like to stay up and play Villa, Newcastle et al. But the fact of the matter is we aren't good enough for this league and wot e for sometime. We have to sort out all the off field stuff first like the training ground, as Dippy says.

Until that happens I'd rather be a decent league one team where I get to see us win more than we lose and score goals.

There's no point being in the championship if we can't sustain it, and we can't yet.

In all honestly I probably wouldn't have renewed my season ticket for next season if we stayed up. The season would have been exactly the same as this one as we don't have the money or infrastructure to improve. And I can't handle it, I've not seen us win away from home all season and I fucking hate it.

Id rather see us play at Fleetwood, Accrington and Shrewsbury and win than Wednesday, Forest and Derby and lose.

 

[Ciderup]

Like I said it's just a personal opinion, but I'm one of the nutters that actually prefers league 1 (Also I'm in uni and I've been to enough grounds to not get upset at missing any in league 1), I'm sure the management of the club will have a plan in place, and summer transfer business will prove that they'll try and get back straight away

It's not a criticism DD, far from it. Very defeatist though WTGR. You HAVE to come back up or promotion was a waste of time IMHO. At least you would know what to expect next time.
My other issue is that the Championship will only get stronger and richer and being out of it COULD leave you even further behind.
I see no reason why any club would want to stay down, none at all.

 

[BetterCallSaul]

Promotion was a waste of time hahaha it's made us go backwards as a club.

 

[Ciderup]

Id rather see us play at Fleetwood, Accrington and Shrewsbury and win than Wednesday, Forest and Derby and lose.

I cannot agree with this at all. Training ground apart, you have stunning facilities, absolutely stunning. WTGR, it sounds like an excuse to me. Of course you have struggled at this level, so have we and we've been here before!
Go down and come back up quickly and you'll know what you're up against next time.

 

[Ciderup]

Promotion was a waste of time hahaha it's made us go backwards as a club.

I bet your financial bloke doesn't think so. I would bet your turnover is up 50%?

 

[Walkley_Owl]

In all honestly I probably wouldn't have renewed my season ticket for next season if we stayed up. The season would have been exactly the same as this one as we don't have the money or infrastructure to improve. And I can't handle it, I've not seen us win away from home all season and I fucking hate it.

Id rather see us play at Fleetwood, Accrington and Shrewsbury and win than Wednesday, Forest and Derby and lose.

That, in my opinion, is fucking ridiculous, smacks of the new age football fan, when things don't go right they bitch and moan and desert the club. I've no respect for your club as you know but if some of your fanbase are even remotely in the same mindset then the club will struggle long term.

 

[DippyDon]

We were always going to be relegated this year, I guess the next time we are in the championship will show what we've learnt as a team, but as a club I want us to be able to compete, and at the moment players that are needed to make us better in this league take one look at the training ground and leave

I bet your financial bloke doesn't think so. I would bet your turnover is up 50%?

Yes they are, but our expenditure is up by more than 50%, so percentage wise we are worse off this season

 

[Madejski]

If it wasn't for the money that Premierleague football brings, I would agree with what you're saying for an argument to the Prem/Champ. Unless you can challenge top half of the Prem, that level is dull.

Though I can't understand how League 1 is any better than the Championship, no matter how poor you are at this level.

 

[BetterCallSaul]

I cannot agree with this at all. Training ground apart, you have stunning facilities, absolutely stunning. WTGR, it sounds like an excuse to me. Of course you have struggled at this level, so have we and we've been here before!
Go down and come back up quickly and you'll know what you're up against next time.

Unlike you we don't have the money to attract players.

Our training facilities are literally high schools

 

[BetterCallSaul]

That, in my opinion, is fucking ridiculous, smacks of the new age football fan, when things don't go right they bitch and moan and desert the club. I've no respect for your club as you know but if some of your fanbase are even remotely in the same mindset then the club will struggle long term.

I don't care for seeing my team play against teams in nice stadiums who beat us every week. Where is the fun in that in all honesty? I want to see my team win not constantly lose.

 

[BetterCallSaul]

If it wasn't for the money that Premierleague football brings, I would agree with what you're saying for an argument to the Prem/Champ. Unless you can challenge top half of the Prem, that level is dull.

Though I can't understand how League 1 is any better than the Championship, no matter how poor you are at this level.

Easy for you to say though if we're being honest, you can challenge and win games. We don't even put up a fight. Its horrific and we don't have the money to bring in better players to change it.

 

[Ciderup]

I swear you think EVERY club at this level has state of the art training facilities? They don't! Having a training centre isn't the be all and end of any issues.
This reeks of a lack of ambition to me. I would wager that you won't find ANY club in L1 that doesn't want to have a pop up here apart from yourselves.

 

[Ciderup]

I don't care for seeing my team play against teams in nice stadiums who beat us every week. Where is the fun in that in all honesty? I want to see my team win not constantly lose.

It's called 'competition' and the higher you get, the tougher it gets. We got stuffed a fair few times this season by very good sides but we aspire to be at their level.
Simples.

 

[BetterCallSaul]

We've had a pop and found we are massively under prepared. Footballers don't want to join a team who can't pay them level playing field wages and offer them actual training facilities.

How could we convince a Ayer to join when they have to constantly at at schools?

It's a joke. We aren't ready. It's not lack of ambition it's being realistic about our situation. The club isn't ready for championship football as they've proven.

They need to sort everything out first so that we can then spend money on the team. And that's years away.

 

[Ciderup]

Unlike you we don't have the money to attract players.

Our training facilities are literally high schools

We bought ONE player for money last summer, ONE!! You've been listening to that scouse ponce again haven't you?
As for 'not ready for Championship football', why build a Premier league stadium? With that attitude, WTGR, you should have built a Shrewsbury / Chesterfield type stadium shouldn't you?

 

[JJH]

I swear you think EVERY club at this level has state of the art training facilities? They don't! Having a training centre isn't the be all and end of any issues.
This reeks of a lack of ambition to me. I would wager that you won't find ANY club in L1 that doesn't want to have a pop up here apart from yourselves.

As correct as this is, most of their fans acknowledge that they wouldn't really be able to compete at this level financially, much like MK currently can't.

People have already spoken about the potential teams coming into this division - Burton, Walsall, Gillingham etc and I think they'd all do what MK have done. Rotherham have done well in fairness to them - but I don't know their financial situation well enough to comment.

MK have the stadium, they'll soon have the training ground, now they just need the investment from somewhere, or to generate the revenue themselves.

 

[BetterCallSaul]

It's called 'competition' and the higher you get, the tougher it gets. We got stuffed a fair few times this season by very good sides but we aspire to be at their level.
Simples.

The difference between Bristol City and MK Dons is how much moment your owner has. You can afford better, more expensive loans and players. (Tomlin, Kodjia)

 

[DippyDon]

I swear you think EVERY club at this level has state of the art training facilities? They don't! Having a training centre isn't the be all and end of any issues.
This reeks of a lack of ambition to me. I would wager that you won't find ANY club in L1 that doesn't want to have a pop up here apart from yourselves.

It's not that we don't want to have a go, I think this season proved that we can certainly match some of the big teams, but we need a squad that can compete every game, not just when they feel like it. And to do that you either need to be able to offer them the money that you can, or in our case we need to prove to them that we are the right fit, we need the facilities for that and up here the stadium isn't enough