Positives if we are relegated

[mervyn]

Last Summer several posters, including me I’m sorry to say, predicted that because of our relative size and financial clout we may have to become a yo-yo club before becoming established in the Championship. What leaves me gutted is that prior to SS’s departure we looked so secure.

So, as fans I feel we need to grow some gonads if the worst happens, accept that we are back in league 1 in the best possible ownership hands, and continue with SH’s plan. 12 years ago we’d have given anything for this scenario.

 

[PL2 3DQ]

If we get relegated we'll have one of the lowest budgets again although we'll probably have good season ticket sales, good shirt sales and good club shop sales.
Unless we find an investor willing to sensibly spend money throughout the team.
This season we put all our financial muscle on two players - one has worked out for 3/4 of the season and the other had done just OK.

 

[ChurPev]

At least we can’t have Cheltenham away on Boxing Day!

 

[Mr Gillingham]

Compl

Just to lessen the nerves slightly:

League one should be financially much weaker next season than when we were last there - With Portsmouth, Derby and possibly Bolton coming up the big clubs will mostly have left the division. (Although Wrexham will no doubt continue to have vast sums invested).

With,by League One standards, huge season ticket sales (which I think will largely hold up in league one), hospitality income, and sales of Cooper, Whittaker Hardie and Gibson, all of whom are too good for league one, we should have one of the highest playing budgets in the division and have some left over for investment in facilities without requiring more money put in. Some of our other players not quite up to championship standard at the moment may thrive a division below.

We will be big fish in a small pond again.

Complete rebuild needed. What club would buy Hardie? None in the Championship for starters

 

[Green Flash]

Compl

Complete rebuild needed. What club would buy Hardie? None in the Championship for starters

Disagree, goal scoring strikers are very hard to come by and when Hardie is fully fit and getting decent service he would be a very useful asset for a mid table championship club

 

[Balham Green]

There will be a wave of despair around Home Park if we go down. We need someone appointed very quickly who will lift the mood and provide hope similar to the way I thought Ryan Lowe did last time we went down.
Personally I'll be frustrated but have learnt to enjoy the highs and ride the lows. Cant do anything about it.

 

[Mr Gillingham]

If we get relegated we'll have one of the lowest budgets again although we'll probably have good season ticket sales, good shirt sales and good club shop sales.
Unless we find an investor willing to sensibly spend money throughout the team.
This season we put all our financial muscle on two players - one has worked out for 3/4 of the season and the other had done just OK.

What do you mean again. Argyles budget last season was about 8th biggest, if in league one next season it will be top 5

 

[Balham Green]

Disagree, goal scoring strikers are very hard to come by and when Hardie is fully fit and getting decent service he would be a very useful asset for a mid table championship club

He is fully fit. Teams wont spend money on a half a season player.

 

[Balham Green]

What do you mean again. Argyles budget last season was about 8th biggest, if in league one next season it will be top 5

I read recently it was 7th highest last season

 

[WoodsyGreen]

If we get relegated we'll have one of the lowest budgets again although we'll probably have good season ticket sales, good shirt sales and good club shop sales.
Unless we find an investor willing to sensibly spend money throughout the team.
This season we put all our financial muscle on two players - one has worked out for 3/4 of the season and the other had done just OK.

Did you mean if we don't get relegated?

 

[SurreyGreen]

It is obviously my opinion, but I enjoyed more the seasons when we were competing for play-offs/ promotion in L1/2 than this one in the Championship. The first half of the season was enjoyable, but as many have pointed out, not sustainable as we were outperforming on many metrics, finishing every chance with wonder goals, and the downturn was likely to be round the corner. Of course I would love for us to challenge for the top positions (or even midtable) in this league but that is very unlikely due to the money involved now. Even if we do become a mid-table Championship team, look at the majority of them. They change manager every year and seem pretty unhappy.. PNE change their mind every month about Lowe.

Not trying to be a doom merchant, just stating if we went down and were competitive for a top position I would enjoy it..

 

[Green Flash]

He is fully fit. Teams wont spend money on a half a season player.

Hardie's game relies on an incredible level of physical effort, he needs to be in a squad where he can be rotated, used as super sub occasionally, as he was last year. He also has a very particular style that does not work against every set up. He cannot lead the line for 46 games a season which I accept puts a limit on his value, but as part of a stable of forwards I say he would do an excellent job for a championship team and has got to be worth several million.

 

[Jon with no H]

If we get relegated we'll have one of the lowest budgets again although we'll probably have good season ticket sales, good shirt sales and good club shop sales.
Unless we find an investor willing to sensibly spend money throughout the team.
This season we put all our financial muscle on two players - one has worked out for 3/4 of the season and the other had done just OK.

I think this highlights the problem with trying to establish a foothold in this league, we already have someone who spends money sensibly.

 

[Argy1e]

This season we had the lowest or second budget in the Championship and we are seeing the consequences.

Next season we will have at least a top 4 budget for League 1 (we were 7th last season and three, possibly four, of the teams above us won't be there next year, plus Argyle have continued to grow our income streams). We will see the consequences of that, as well.

It's probably likelier that we'll be a Championship club in 2025/26 if we go down than if we stay up.

If we go down, the sides going down with us this season had higher budgets this season and would do so next season as well, Blackpool and Wigan will both be up there, whoever loses in the play-offs all three of them will have big budgets, Reading could, Charlton always spend a lot. Stockport, Wrexham and Mansfield coming up from League 2 are all big spenders, and I'd expect they'll be spending more than most League One sides do. We'd likely be in there, but I don't think we'd be as high up as people would expect.

 

[Jon with no H]

Hardie's game relies on an incredible level of physical effort, he needs to be in a squad where he can be rotated, used as super sub occasionally, as he was last year. He also has a very particular style that does not work against every set up. He cannot lead the line for 46 games a season which I accept puts a limit on his value, but as part of a stable of forwards I say he would do an excellent job for a championship team and has got to be worth several million.

I agree, he has got a decent return this season in the context of a side that has been up against it all year.

I've just watched the highlights of the Watford game to look at the corner Finn Azaz scored from and it was like Ryan Hardie was a different player top the one we see now, but he was in a side that had Mr Azaz to pass to him.

That's where his true quality would show through, in a team with that little bit of extra quality in the supply, rather than having to chase numerous lost causes punted upfield in his general direction. When your centre forward has to use so much energy trying to keep possession as well as trying to get it back, that's a very vicious circle after 46 games.