If we get relegated

[James]

Relegation is definitely something no-one wants to see happen, but I don't see it being the end of all things that others would describe.

 

At boardroom level, the worst case scenario is not as bad as it was 12 months ago. Some clubs are unable to rebuild after a relegation, as they have found that loanees increase financial restrictions. Certainly the fact that all debt tied to the club has been paid off means that the club has full command over its own finances, even if Ashley decides to bail out on us. Ashley would need to make a choice however, he'd have to back us or leave, as the priority must be to get promoted the following season, and if he wont back us the valuation of the club would decrease exponentially each year, then he needs to sell and cut his losses. Whatever, it is in whoever owns the club's best interests to secure immediate promotion, and there shouldn't be any immediate financial issues that can hold back our dealings.

 

Looking at management, I think there is no better man for the task than the man already at the helm. Of the three club sides Keegan has overseen, he has got them all promoted in style. Keegan is rare in that he is one of the few people out there who has gone to clubs that were quite honestly below him, and has used his own quality to improve them. If Keegan does go though, the obvious candidates are a bunch of mediocre people who at very best could get us avoiding Premiership relegation next season. We should do what Juventus did and look for someone ambitious who has the potential to grow with the club. The standout candidates would be Boothroyd, Pardew, Ince, Adams and Shearer.

 

The club will certainly haemorrage players. No chance of keeping Owen, he'd end up at West Ham or something similar. Clubs will almost certainly try to poach Martins, Beye, Faye, Butt, Duff, Cacapa, Carr, Geremi, Given, Smith, Viduka, Enrique, N'Zogbia, Milner, Taylor, Rozehnal. Not much of a team left, but apart from where there are contract issues, we will find ourselves in a relative position of power to not be bullied into selling, and I believe that Keegan may be able to persuade a couple of players to follow Keegan's example as a player, and remain at the club.

 

I can see us being left with some bare bones regardless, and before signing anyone, I'd imagine that we'd be left with:

Harper, Krul, Soderberg

Taylor, Edgar, Kadar, Tozer

Milner, Lua Lua

Carroll, Ameobi, Zambrella.

 

It would be interesting to see how many of these players would be good in the Championship. This looks terrible in all honesty, but some people believe that there has been a disease at  the club where players with big reputations have come here for a final payday more than anything, and relegation would certainly cure us of that disease. Additionally, it would give development players more of a chance to develop by playing in first team games. What if we were to keep Wise and Veterre working on this development outlet? Perhaps we could persuade ten more very promising young players to come into the club by offerring the opportunity to develop into a top quality player by playing games and getting their team promoted back into the top flight.

 

Regardless, these wouldn't be enough, but there are very good Championship players who we could attract then sell on 18 months down the line. If we could sell the potential of the club, the likes of Koumas and Jason Roberts would come and give us the quality we need to dominate the Championship. Then we could hope that the next season, the developmental players would be holding their own, so that we could then replace Koumas and Roberts with Premiership standard players to hopefully complement a new batch of talented youngsters.

 

Some fans might stop going to games, although perhaps these are the fans the club doesn't need right now. I reckon we could keep a raucous crowd, high in numbers that could create a fortress, plus possibly an injection of more youth into the crowd.

 

All in all, I think that if we went down, which again I must emphasise that I hope doesn't happen, we would come straight back up in style, and build a better platform for our Premiership future than we can build at this exact moment.

[hakka]

I can understand why this thread has been started, but surely we should wait until we are relegated before discussing this thread? I mean we will have all summer to talk about if it happens.

 

Right now everyone should try to be positive, especially fans.

[Guest alex]

You've inadvertently cheered me up there James.

[ChezGiven]

The point about the debts and the impact of the drop is actually a good one meaning that i would be very confident of coming straight back up as we would be the strongest club financially by a country mile in the history of the championship.

 

Apart from that, not going down is my strong preference

[hakka]

not going down is my strong preference

 

Just tell him no means no.

[hakka]

Relegation is definitely something no-one wants to see happen, but I don't see it being the end of all things that others would describe.

 

At boardroom level, the worst case scenario is not as bad as it was 12 months ago. Some clubs are unable to rebuild after a relegation, as they have found that loanees increase financial restrictions. Certainly the fact that all debt tied to the club has been paid off means that the club has full command over its own finances, even if Ashley decides to bail out on us. Ashley would need to make a choice however, he'd have to back us or leave, as the priority must be to get promoted the following season, and if he wont back us the valuation of the club would decrease exponentially each year, then he needs to sell and cut his losses. Whatever, it is in whoever owns the club's best interests to secure immediate promotion, and there shouldn't be any immediate financial issues that can hold back our dealings.

 

Looking at management, I think there is no better man for the task than the man already at the helm. Of the three club sides Keegan has overseen, he has got them all promoted in style. Keegan is rare in that he is one of the few people out there who has gone to clubs that were quite honestly below him, and has used his own quality to improve them. If Keegan does go though, the obvious candidates are a bunch of mediocre people who at very best could get us avoiding Premiership relegation next season. We should do what Juventus did and look for someone ambitious who has the potential to grow with the club. The standout candidates would be Boothroyd, Pardew, Ince, Adams and Shearer.

 

The club will certainly haemorrage players. No chance of keeping Owen, he'd end up at West Ham or something similar. Clubs will almost certainly try to poach Martins, Beye, Faye, Butt, Duff, Cacapa, Carr, Geremi, Given, Smith, Viduka, Enrique, N'Zogbia, Milner, Taylor, Rozehnal. Not much of a team left, but apart from where there are contract issues, we will find ourselves in a relative position of power to not be bullied into selling, and I believe that Keegan may be able to persuade a couple of players to follow Keegan's example as a player, and remain at the club.

 

I can see us being left with some bare bones regardless, and before signing anyone, I'd imagine that we'd be left with:

Harper, Krul, Soderberg

Taylor, Edgar, Kadar, Tozer

Milner, Lua Lua

Carroll, Ameobi, Zambrella.

 

It would be interesting to see how many of these players would be good in the Championship. This looks terrible in all honesty, but some people believe that there has been a disease at  the club where players with big reputations have come here for a final payday more than anything, and relegation would certainly cure us of that disease. Additionally, it would give development players more of a chance to develop by playing in first team games. What if we were to keep Wise and Veterre working on this development outlet? Perhaps we could persuade ten more very promising young players to come into the club by offerring the opportunity to develop into a top quality player by playing games and getting their team promoted back into the top flight.

 

Regardless, these wouldn't be enough, but there are very good Championship players who we could attract then sell on 18 months down the line. If we could sell the potential of the club, the likes of Koumas and Jason Roberts would come and give us the quality we need to dominate the Championship. Then we could hope that the next season, the developmental players would be holding their own, so that we could then replace Koumas and Roberts with Premiership standard players to hopefully complement a new batch of talented youngsters.

 

Some fans might stop going to games, although perhaps these are the fans the club doesn't need right now. I reckon we could keep a raucous crowd, high in numbers that could create a fortress, plus possibly an injection of more youth into the crowd.

 

All in all, I think that if we went down, which again I must emphasise that I hope doesn't happen, we would come straight back up in style, and build a better platform for our Premiership future than we can build at this exact moment.

 

If we did get relegated, it would be interesting to know which players would stay with us and which would leave.  I think more would stay from that list than you state, although whether we'd want them to stay or not is another matter.

 

Some good youth options to build a first team on, but again it may be that these guys arn't ready for a Championship Promotion push season.  The Championship is a tough place, a lot of teams can sneak out wins from the top teams at times.  This season there is nobody running away with it.

 

If we do get relegated, we shouldn't expect to be straight back up.  It doesn't always happen like that, especially if you got to re-build your first team from scratch. 

[Gash]

I think alot should stay and get you back up and face responsibility. But some that should stay, you probably wouldnt want stay even at championship level!

 

I think this is too early, i dont think it will happen personally.

In the long run, it might actually do newcastle a favor not being able to attract the top players and getting the better players from the championship, because the "top" players seem to think they have nothing to prove and are too good!

[AlanSkÃrare]

I think many of our players would feel ashamed of themselves if we get relegated and therefore decide to stay on, at least that is what I would expect them to do. N'Zogbia, Given, Martins, Owen, Emre, Faye, Beye and Enrique would probably leave though.

[Guest louiseville_lip]

One thing is for certain, we're not too big to go down.  Manchester United have been down, Leeds went down, the mackems are up and down more than Jodie Marsh's g string.  If you have lived through the darkest days of NUFC's history in the last 25 years, a relegation this season would be really bad, but it wouldn't begin to touch the lowest ebbs of the McKeag era.

 

In a sick way I'd very hugely intrigued by what crowds we can pull in, it would certainly be more than the 30,000 mentioned by some.  It might reinvigorate the crowd as well, you never know.  If you look at most of the people in the East Stand and Leazes, it's the same folk that were there in 1993, and they've all grown old and miserable together. 

 

Certainly many younguns wouldn't have been to some great old grounds, where you have some fantastic away days, not just for the football but the beer and craic.  Aways like Chelsea and Arsenal bore me, plastic grounds, plastic crowds, inevitable defeats.  Don't get me wrong I'll be utterly devastated if we go down, but I'm just looking at the positives.

 

The following would be great away days which many of you won't have seen:

 

Carlisle

Forest

Leeds

Hull

Ipswich

Norwich

Sheffield Wednesday

Preston

QPR

Burnley

Blackpool - by the amount of geordies you see every time you go there we could take 10000.

Barnsley

even Colchester and Scunthorpe would be different, hopefully just for one season though, hopefully not at all but you know what I mean.

 

[WarrenBartonCentrePartin]

what team has been relegated before with a billionaire owner?  If we went down, I reckon we could replace those leaving with the cream of the Championship.

[Dave]

I've seen Leeds, t0m/NSG/Flintoff/Stevie/Yorkie*.

 

*Delete as applicable.

[ChrisJbarnes]

might be what we need really. i wont be as devastated as some if we do. i kind of like the idea of actually being able to get tickets without having to pay £40 and phone the box office 50 times! that said, well definately stay up and take off next year. what kind of allocaions do championship teams get (away teams)?

[James]

might be what we need really. i wont be as devastated as some if we do. i kind of like the idea of actually being able to get tickets without having to pay £40 and phone the box office 50 times! that said, well definately stay up and take off next year. what kind of allocaions do championship teams get (away teams)?

 

A Londoner getting to see more Toon matches isn't a good thing that could happen because of relegation. You'll be telling us about how great it is that you'll be getting to watch the Toon at Fulham again next season.

[Guest thommo78]

To think that we could get replaced by Stoke or Bristol City is an absolute disgrace and not worth thinking about...STAY POSITIVE

[toon25]

Great post James, really thought provoking. Like you, I wholly agree that relegation is not worth contemplating, I can't tolerate the thought that, as some else suggested, we may be replaced by Stoke/Bristol, etc.

However, there would be some positives - getting rid of the money grabbing shite that the club currently harbours being one and being able to strip right back to basics being the other. I wouldn't want this for one second, and I think the important thing is to stay positive for the Toon at this moment. That said, I think that one huge step back may be necessary in the long term to go two steps forward.

 

Was actually thinking which of our KK's current first eleven would stay. I thought that:

- Butt, Smith, potentially Barton, Milner, and Harper would spring to mind. Of course I'd happily boil the first three in hot fat rather than keep them here.

[ChrisJbarnes]

might be what we need really. i wont be as devastated as some if we do. i kind of like the idea of actually being able to get tickets without having to pay £40 and phone the box office 50 times! that said, well definately stay up and take off next year. what kind of allocaions do championship teams get (away teams)?

 

A Londoner getting to see more Toon matches isn't a good thing that could happen because of relegation. You'll be telling us about how great it is that you'll be getting to watch the Toon at Fulham again next season.

 

not my point. what i mean is id rather pay £20 and see crystal palace than £48 and see chelsea knowing full well with chelsea were dead on to lose. the championships full of genuine supporters with genuine teams rather than plastic fans and stadiums. its all about the football not the money which would be one pro. bound to be more entertaining than chelsea as well. i like your OP though. id be annoyed if we went down but id take the positives: the genuineness, the fact it would stabilise us and wed come straight up. fans might get back into it. in one sense it would be like the end of shepherd and having a new start which i like the idea of.

[afar]

I wrote something a few years back that relgation that season could even benefit the club in the long term. My reasoning back then was based on the probability that Shepherd may be forced out.

 

Looking back now and with the benefit of knowing the extent of the financial problems the club has had, relegation would have been a disaster back then.

 

Things however now are different, we can cope financially with going down, in fact we'll be able to both attach the cream of the lower league crop and also be in a financial position to bring them in.  To be absouletly honest it's not unfair to suggest that we should EXPECT to come right back up.

 

In terms of loss of players, outside Zoggy, Milner and Taylor, I wouldn't give too hoots about any of the rest of the first team going, Beye and Faye would be a loss but not ireplaceable. I would imagine a lot have relegation clauses built into their contracts, so we'll be pretty powerless to stop them.

 

On the management front I have little doubt KK will stay on to try to rebuild, he's on familiar territory having brought 3 clubs up before, so I have a lot of faith in him doing the job again.

 

The one area of worry is the club ownership, I doubt Ashley will stick around, he'll not want his companies being associated with a loser, and relegation kind of brands you as that. I think he'll decide to sell out but who would buy ? These muted foreign investors don't usually see beyond the premier league. The likes of Wigan, Stoke, Bristol City or Reading will seem a more attractive option to them (should they be in the PL) than us. There is just one man who may be interested in taking over. Someone who would like nothing better than Mike Ashley coming to him to take the club off his hands. Step forward our erstwhile ex chairman Freddie Shepherd ! His return unfortunately would ensure the downward spiral would continue.

[Guest Strunz]

...can we take Shepherd and Hall to court for civil damages inflicted on the good name of NUFC and the impact on the North East economy?

 

Raped and abused the club for years without a plan other than lining their pockets.

[afar]

On the topic of those who may stay and who may go, for what it’s worth here’s my list:

 

Jumping ship:

 

Zoggy – I think he’s gone in the summer no matter which league we are in. ₤6M

Duff – Still lives on past reputation and a saleable asset mid table team will pick up. ₤2.5M

Owen – No way in hell, he’ll play for a Championship club, so be no shortage of takers at ₤5 mill.

Viduka – Will be poached by a newly promoted team. ₤1M

Smith – Still has the reputation (outside NUFC of course) as being a decent player. ₤3M

Given – A very saleable asset, wouldn’t be surprised to see him at Villa, Arsenal or Spurs next season. ₤5M.

Emre – Another who will probably be on his way no matter what league we are in. ₤2M.

Taylor – As much as he wants to stay, I don’t think there will be a lack of interest in him from PL teams, KK really needs to sort out his contract but he’ll be off to a Villa, Everton or Spurs team for around ₤4M.

Milner – Another that probably doesn’t want to leave but will be high in demand for around ₤5M.

Beye – Will return to Marsielle on the cheap. ₤750k.

Cacapa – Will return to France or Brazil for a Free.

Enrique – Some Spanish team will look to bring him back on loan for the season.

 

Staying Put:

 

Harper – Has already shown his loyality over a number of years and will relish being No. 1

Butt – Just signed a new extension, I believe, can’t see him wanting to leave and outside the newly promoted clubs don’t see too many takers.

Faye – I get the impression he will stick it through and KK will want him around.

Carr – I don’t know how many years he’s got left on his contract but he’s not going to give up that fat pay cheque.

Barton – Can’t see anyone taking a chance on him and his reputation again.

Ramage – Who’s going to take him?

Hopefully all the promising kids.

 

I make it that ₤34.25 million, even if all KK gets is the money he generates from sales that should be enough to assemble a team capable of bringing us back up.

 

[stozo]

If we go down we'll come straight back up with the most pionts and goals scored in the history of that division.

 

Top scorers in the division at the moment are Kevin Phillips, Sylvain Ebanks-Blake, Ricardo Fuller and Stern John. None of whom would even get close to making it in the Premiership. If we kept even half our squad we'd walk that division.

[Guest LucaAltieri]

If we go down we'll come straight back up with the most pionts and goals scored in the history of that division.

 

Top scorers in the division at the moment are Kevin Phillips, Sylvain Ebanks-Blake, Ricardo Fuller and Stern John. None of whom would even get close to making it in the Premiership. If we kept even half our squad we'd walk that division.

 

Keegan could play up front and finish the Championship's top scorer.

 

All irrelevant like as we'll be staying up.

[James]

fwiw, I can see Birmingham and Wigan sniffing around Butt and Carr.

 

To be honest, I can see Keegan identifying who could get their head down and play if we refused to sell them, and I can see Milner and Taylor staying put, perhaps with some kind of captaincy carrot pushed in front of them.

[midds]

It's like someone being pleased they don't have to buy anymore socks because they've lost both legs in a horrific accident.

 

Relegation was be a disaster for the club. Full stop. 

[S.S.R.]

fwiw, I can see Birmingham and Wigan sniffing around Butt and Carr.

 

 

Snigger.

 

Why would Steve Bruce want with Nicky Butt? He played his own son ahead of him.

[James]

It's like someone being pleased they don't have to buy anymore socks because they've lost both legs in a horrific accident.

 

Relegation was be a disaster for the club. Full stop. 

 

I've never said I'd be happy about it, but if we were relegated, we could either make a complete disaster of the situation with probably more disastrous consequences, or we could try to pull ourselves back up after the initial set back and try to find some positives from the situation and properly build for the future.