I imagine its cope more than anything else. No one can seriously make a case for enjoying relegation, though many have tried on here over the years. "Oh at least we wont be getting beaten every week" etc and all those cliches. For Leicester its going to be particularly bad because the EFL are waiting for them with glee so they can take them to the cleaners for financial issues, and unlike the PL, the EFL dont **** around when it comes to punishments for non compliance.
Relegation is ****. You can take a silver lining from it if there are new grounds to visit or a first match against a rival for a while or even just there being more games (without VAR) but in every respect it’s pretty crap. Mostly crapper towns less easy to get to. Feels like we play Blackburn about 14 times per season.
I've certainly got more to look forward to next season than if we stayed up. Literally the only down side is that we'll have less 3pm KO's which is a shame as that used to be a benefit. Arguably these last two seasons have proven I was right all along about wanting to be in the championship.
I have 3 hopes for next season: - Don't finish second - Finish above the skates - Take at least 4 points from them
Why dont you want to finish second? Do you mean 2nd or below, as in like, "we must win the league" or are you okay with finishing anywhere as long as its not second?
Not hard to take a silver lining when you have been as poor on the pitch as we have this season ... in all my years of going, and I've seen some right dross - including several games home and away the season we were relegated to League 1 (2007) - but nothing as toothless and depressing as the performance I witnessed at West Ham ... Looking forward to a much younger energetic squad / team stepping out and, hopefully (PSR aside), mounting a promotion challenge...
Yeah, if you win I would definitely prefer to finish second than rely on the lottery that is the Play offs, even if you finish on much higher points than your opponent. Just ask Sheffield United......
Sheff Utd only finished that many points ahead because we played the kids and reserve players for the last 5 or so games. We lost them all and Sheff Utd were going full throttle for 2nd place. If we had have continued all the way to the last game, it would have been no more than a handful of points between us. I take your point though, I’d far rather finish 2nd than having to go through the playoffs.
You never enjoy relegation - but if it's inevitable you take it on the chin and look to the future... As SAF points out, we have the leading Sports Lawyer in the world acting for us - as he is for Citeh - that can only be of benefit and potentially there are deals to be done - one, which seems to be getting more publicity, is to take a one-off points deduction now, I.e. for the season just ended - that would mean we finish bottom or second bottom so would cost us £3m to £6m regarding PL place money ... Who knows? - but de Marco will almost certainly get us the best outcome possible... it's what he does. It's not all doom, gloom and despondency at the club - 2 outstanding kids, Monga and Evans signed 'Scholarship' deals over the weekend, and Oluko, who made his debut against Bournemouth, signed a first professional contract having turned 17... Our first team squad for next season may well have over 50% academy lads, which is great for the club (and fans) but also shows that the investment in Seagrave is starting to pay dividends - part of a necessary business model change whilst PSR continues to restrict the spending of clubs with ambitious owners below the Big 6....
...just ask Sunderland - a day that will stick in the memory of their fans for years ... which finishing second doesn't - unless you're Arteta
I think Libby means he knows they won’t finish 1st and he doesn’t want to finish 2nd and get automatic promotion doesn’t mind the play offs so long as they get to Wembley and lose because he doesn’t want promotion to the Prem ever again but enjoys a day out at Wembley He loves it when they lose in the Prem so they go straight back down Libby’s a bit ill and traumatised
Indeed, like I said, if you win. If you offered me a guaranteed play off win or second, im taking the play off win. But if you are offering me instant promotion or a play off lottery, I am taking second place every time.
Copium mate, is what it is. I remember when Southampton were a decent side under Poch, and when they had Lalana and Lovren and Mane and Lambert, before Liverpool came along and basically bought half their first XI. Thats what you should be aiming to replicate Libby, not days out to ****ing Milwall and Stoke.
I forgot about Nathaniel Clyne and Van Dijk as well. So its Southamptons fault that Liverpool have been winning silverware in recent years. That alone makes you deserve relegation
