You know what, stuff it

[Rhys Lightning 63]

I look forward to relegation, I'm bored with the Premier League now, due to my age and upbringing, it's the only league I've seen us in and quite frankly I'm done with it. Yes it's the greatest league in the world of all that, but it's time for something new. For years whenever 3rd Round Draw day comes around, I've prayed for us to get the likes of Blackpool, Bournemouth and Brighton away, if we go down, we get to do just that.

Time for new faces (with £60m for finshing bottom and a great academy, I can see us doing well in the Championship), both with our team AND the opponents.

[manxman]

So you'd be happy with going down, to getting promoted straight away?

[Rhys Lightning 63]

So you'd be happy with going down, to getting promoted straight away?

Yes. Gives us a trophy as well.

I suppose I should stress at this point, I DO NOT WANT us to go down, but would I be distraught over it? No. I'd just see it as a new direction for this club (I just hope we don't do a Portsmouth or Wolves in the process, rather a Newcastle instead)

[jarv]

I remember when we had a good 2nd division team in the 70s. It was fun going to CC.

Personally, in a few years I am consdering returning to UK and retiring back in Scotland. It will give me the opportunity to watch Fulham more often. Carlisle, Darlington, Doncaster, Middlesborough......they are not too far away. :005:

[Jamie88]

So you'd be happy with going down, to getting promoted straight away?

Yes. Gives us a trophy as well.

I suppose I should stress at this point, I DO NOT WANT us to go down, but would I be distraught over it? No. I'd just see it as a new direction for this club (I just hope we don't do a Portsmouth or Wolves in the process, rather a Newcastle instead)

I know exactly how you feel, and I admit sometimes I have viewed things like this. We would all like to think we would bounce straight back up again to the PL, but my fear is that we wouldn't, and we could do a Portsmouth/Wolves and just sink further. It would hurt all the more the fact of what we have achieved in the last 15 or so years.
In the bigger picture I think you cannot beat playing in the PL. Yes we have had to endure an horrific display of football for over a year, but things will not be like this forever. If we survive, get a new manager on board and our youth flourish, I still think we can have a strong future and compete for Europa League places again..and that is where we should be, not getting by playing the likes of Yeovil and Doncaster every week.

[Basil]

I would take going down if you guaranteed an immediate return for sure.

[premFlem]

How much of that 60mil would the club see......how long would the academy remain"great"....ask charlton bolton blackburn middlesboro wigan birmingham wolves pompey etc etc where they'd rather be. Its best avoided trust me I did 25 years there and the prem is the place to be.

[grandad]

A few years ago I saw a league table giving every club´s statistical position. We were, I remember, 8th in the second tier. We have, therefore been punching above our weight for the last 13 seasons. I don´t want our love affair with the Prem to end but if it does then so be it.
However, if Khan realizes how much he stands to lose if we do get relegated this season he had better do something PDQ. Khan will not be saying "Stuff it" to 200 million.

[Fulham1959]

I would take going down if you guaranteed an immediate return for sure.

Unfortunately, no such option exists.

[Classic94]

Relegation is not a good thing. I wouldn't ever want us to go down.

This is what needs to happen: We need to stick out the season by changing the manager, investing in January, before wholesale changes over the summer. If this happens, we have a shot at survival. But it's a big 'IF'. At present, I'm not sure we have the personnel at the club to oversee this. The board are clearly not ruthless enough - Jol's continued presence is proof of that.

[DukeTyrion]

For me, there is a Silver lining to relegation.

I haven't been to Wembley (yet). I decided many years ago, that my first visit to Wembley will be to see Fulham. Unfortunately we never get close in the cups and our promotions have all been automatic.

So, if we do go down (which obviously no-one wants), at least there is an outside chance of my first Wembley visit via a play-off final.

[bill taylors apprentice]

I have followed our club for over 50 years and while I can sort of see what you are saying, be very careful of what you wish for.

[One Martin Thomas]

We've had a good run in the Premier League.  MAF did us proud.  I do not want this current "crop" to undo all the good in one short season.  Especially in the manner they currently are !

[Burt]

It's a risky business...

We would be more likely to do a Wolves than a West Brom.

[Burt]

087.gif you sir a are a moron

Who? Me?

[Burt]

087.gif you sir a are a moron

Who? Me?

Regardless...quit the personal abuse.

[MJG]

Relegation would be a disaster. The championship is bloody hard and we would have to clear out 75% of the first team squad because of the wages.
We would then HAVE to get back up at first attempt or i would fear the worse for our long term future.
The U21's I believe would have to step and make up 30-40% of the 18 matchday squad.

We just produce money on a matchday compared to other clubs and would need the backing for Khan to balance the books. Something I'm not convinced he really understands. And thats even before you talk about investing in players.

Its been a great ride but all I can see with Jol still around is the championship next season.

[ScalleysDad]

This was discussed at length yesterday and on the train coming home. The lack of investment, just compare the Swansea bench to ours yesterday, is killing the squad. Jol or RM can move players about like chess pieces all they want but there are still no foundations to a style of play, a spine worthy of the name or a changeable line up appropriate to specific games. At the end of this season some of these chess pieces will be gone, some I suspect will choose to move on, so it is another rebuilding project to suffer through. You simply cannot rebuild in the Prem and come January who on earth is going to come to a Club in the bottom three with possibly hardly any more points than we have now?
I get the points about Prem survival being the be all of everything but the current plan is not working, it stands to get worse and sooner or later we will be copying Derby. We have a great Academy, we have players developing out on loan like Dan Burn and we have a new coaching team. We have the resources to challenge in the Championship without half of this current rabble, (way under half of the possession AGAIN), so do we just get on with it and  'suffer' a season of rebuilding and actually competing. We are not renewing ST's next season unless there is fundamental change, a Somerset cricket ST beckons, but strange as it might seem I would renew one of our seats to be part of this 'revival'.

[Rhys Lightning 63]

W

This was discussed at length yesterday and on the train coming home. The lack of investment, just compare the Swansea bench to ours yesterday, is killing the squad. Jol or RM can move players about like chess pieces all they want but there are still no foundations to a style of play, a spine worthy of the name or a changeable line up appropriate to specific games. At the end of this season some of these chess pieces will be gone, some I suspect will choose to move on, so it is another rebuilding project to suffer through. You simply cannot rebuild in the Prem and come January who on earth is going to come to a Club in the bottom three with possibly hardly any more points than we have now?
I get the points about Prem survival being the be all of everything but the current plan is not working, it stands to get worse and sooner or later we will be copying Derby. We have a great Academy, we have players developing out on loan like Dan Burn and we have a new coaching team. We have the resources to challenge in the Championship without half of this current rabble, (way under half of the possession AGAIN), so do we just get on with it and  'suffer' a season of rebuilding and actually competing. We are not renewing ST's next season unless there is fundamental change, a Somerset cricket ST beckons, but strange as it might seem I would renew one of our seats to be part of this 'revival'.

Well I'm not renewing my season ticket next year as I'm (grades permitting) moving to Stoke to study for a masters in Broadcasting, so regardless of how this season turns out, I won't be at Craven Cottage to see the next man in charge

[win-dup]

many people thought like you when we were relegated in 1969 and what a total disaster that was for the club. Trust me, when you've seen Fulham lose 6-0 at home to Port Vale in Div 3 in front of less than three thousand people you NEVER want to be relegated,