Stepping Back, Was Relegation Worth It?

[PaulUMD]

Obviously emotionally and in terms of finances there's no question how terrible it was to go down, but thinking back at that team and the state of the squad at the time, it may have been good long term to go down and rebuild. 

Clearly, Jol/Magath were not good enough on the touchline.  The cornerstones of the Woy years were either aging or gone.  New ownership and front office turnover.  Lots of roster issues, the Mitro disaster, lots of loan ins and outs and desperation to stay up. 

I suspect if we were able to stay up it would have led to more managerial turnover, relegation battles, and no real chance to reassemble a squad that could perform at the level we had seen in years before.  Consistently in the top half, competing for a Europa spot, etc. 

So after 4 years, we've gone from that mess to a squad consisting of lots of young talent, a teenage wunderkind, an attractive and effective style of football and a manager who has the chops to take us to the promised land.  We'll have a good war chest to upgrade at a few positions of need, and I think we could make a good 3-5 year run with this core of players.  The future is very bright and the components are in place to make it happen.

So maybe the pain was worth it for a brighter future?  Maybe not.  But I'm not sure we'll look back at the Championship adventure as a bad experience. 

[NogoodBoyo]

Some very perspicacious views there.
Nogood "down and up, isit" boyo

[valdeingruo]

There are teams whose relegations are inevitable, we were one of those teams. Neutrals can pick them being objective, that team just like Sunderland was in free fall, the only difference is in how we handled the relegation. There were so many crucial things that needed to happen for today's outcome to even happen. Everything had to be corrected and thankfully we made enough of the right calls. We did not brute force ourselves into the top flight, it was done with finesse, our foundation is secure. We have a top talent who looks to want to go nowhere, particularly now that our status is assured. I am sure our result disappointed many a top team eyeing a few of our players.  Next season will be an adventure again. Hopefully in a few years we will be calling people who are wanting a relegation to spice things up again, crazy ;) Though seeing the methodical progress of the Jags over the past few years makes me cautiously optimistic on how the next few years will go.

[FulhamKC]

Some very perspicacious views there.
Nogood "down and up, isit" boyo

I don't know what "perspicacious" means, but it sounds like a great word!

I really like your posts, Boyo.

[VicHalomsLovechild]

Some very perspicacious views there.
Nogood "down and up, isit" boyo

I don't know what "perspicacious" means, but it sounds like a great word!

I really like your posts, Boyo.

Me neither but I think it's a Welsh railway station.

[toshes mate]

If you are knocked down you have to get back up again or it is over.  What you do when back on your feet again is so very important and after a number of close shaves with 'annihilation; FFC have come good.  Time to show how good this team really can be without losing a grip on sustainability.

[H4usuallysitting]

I speak to a few Brighton supporter's, and they wish they were still in the championship - maybe we can help them next season

[Pud]

I speak to a few Brighton supporter's, and they wish they were still in the championship - maybe we can help them next season

It's only my opinion but I think the Championship is the more exciting league for a fan. I was bored to death by the Premier League this season and it's full of corporate claptrap. Obviously for the players, the Premier League is where it's at.

[gezkc]

I think relegation was all part of Shahid Khan's masterplan to create a new Fulham in his own image to rise from the ashes like a phoenix and eventually take the Premier League by storm.

Seriously though, I've enjoyed our time in the Championship, bar the first couple of seasons. It's an exciting, very competitive division. I'm glad we're out of it though. Onwards and upwards!

[Holders]

No chance.

The team Khan bought needed investment but how much? I'm sure if he'd put £40m into transfers that first summer, we'd have stayed up.

That sum is dwarfed by what relegation cost. We must have lost £600m in TV money over 4 years.

Precisely, anything else and the risk would have been too great.

Imagine if we'd lost yesterday, lost about 5 of the team, no parachute money next year. It doesn't bear thinking about and we ran it close.

We've got our seat back at the top table, albeit below the salt and the conversation isn't as interesting but it's the place to be if we want more days like yesterday.   

[WolverineFFC]

Obviously emotionally and in terms of finances there's no question how terrible it was to go down, but thinking back at that team and the state of the squad at the time, it may have been good long term to go down and rebuild. 

Clearly, Jol/Magath were not good enough on the touchline.  The cornerstones of the Woy years were either aging or gone.  New ownership and front office turnover.  Lots of roster issues, the Mitro disaster, lots of loan ins and outs and desperation to stay up. 

I suspect if we were able to stay up it would have led to more managerial turnover, relegation battles, and no real chance to reassemble a squad that could perform at the level we had seen in years before.  Consistently in the top half, competing for a Europa spot, etc. 

So after 4 years, we've gone from that mess to a squad consisting of lots of young talent, a teenage wunderkind, an attractive and effective style of football and a manager who has the chops to take us to the promised land.  We'll have a good war chest to upgrade at a few positions of need, and I think we could make a good 3-5 year run with this core of players.  The future is very bright and the components are in place to make it happen.

So maybe the pain was worth it for a brighter future?  Maybe not.  But I'm not sure we'll look back at the Championship adventure as a bad experience. 

No.

It started in the summer of 2011 looking back, maybe before. Hughes used the word ambition. He was right in the literal sense, although probably wrong in that he meant "ambition" as in spending MAF's money. I think Fulham has only regained its ambition since Slavisa took over, not due to relegation. His style of play and attitude toward younger players exemplifies this.

Yesterday was nerve wracking not just because of promotion, but what it meant to the club's ambitions to progress. FFP was going to become an anchor for the club. The vultures were coming for so many of the players. Now, the club can continue to build. We can watch this team take its talents to where it belongs on the biggest stage in the world.

I enjoyed this season immensely, certainly much more than the relegation season. It had nothing to do with the league or money.