Was there at last game v Charlton when we got relegated from Prem in 2004.
It had been 2 years of downward spiral, players being sold, manager after er manager coming in and nothing being able to arrest the slide and then the realisation that it was happening and Alan Smith in tears on the pitch.
That was a better side than this, a side that had reached Champions League semi finals that was broken up quickly after 12 years of top flight football.
It shows how different an era it is now that despite spending a relatively high amount last season we're fighting for survival this season.
If we go down I don't think the consequences will be so dire, with parachute money etc, but it needs ownership that know what they're doing instead of focussing on Amazon documentaries and meaningless partnerships like Rocnation and tours of Myanmar.
Pre season tour of Australia is going to be a killer for preparation, especially with World Cup disrupting the season.
Whomever stays up deserves it, whomever goes down deserves it and unlike last time, this time I just feel meh.
We're so used to lower league football that the prem has felt like a bit of a long weekend away and now back to the grind.
Having said this, if we go down on Sunday I think that there will be a lot of emotional farewells from the players and younger fans who haven't been through relegations before will be hit harder than us longer in the tooth fans.
But once dust has settled, either way, club needs a rebuild.
It needs an owner who can commit to the football club, it needs a recruitment policy that develops first team with a better hit rate, and doesn't fritter money away, it needs to develop the academy so that they can get back to elite level and they need to back the coach now they have him.
I want Marsch to succeed. I don't think he's the right man but I want to be proven wrong and that needs the club to back him properly.
They also need to sort out ownership, having multiple parties involved does not work and I feel it's no co-incidence that the greater the level of 49er ownership the more we have lost our way.
This is a pivotal off season for our short and medium term future.
We have little or no track record in big matches for years. Play of final after play off final, play off semi finals etc.
It's time to break that.
We know now that a draw is not enough, we HAVE to win, I hope we throw everything at this and give it a go and who knows!
Some finalish thoughts
posted on 20/5/22
comment by Batty 🇺🇦 (U4664)
posted 1 hour, 30 minutes ago
Don’t see him as a regular starter for anything other than a relegation fodder team in the Prem. Not a slight on him, he has a bit of magic about him but still just a kid with a bit to learn.
^^^^^
Milky, imagine him at a Southampton or Brighton. Both
clubs aren't afraid of youth. And both could offer him Prem wages and plenty of opportunity to develop. While being in the shop window for bigger Prem clubs.
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Yeh fair shout Bats. I think he’s a bit of a gamble as a starter for a premier league team and might well find himself benchwarming again - but the two sides you picked are short of firepower
posted on 20/5/22
A couple of points.
First, we are not down yet. Burnley playing a third cup final in a week, without Lawton, against Toon and Callum Wilson, is a big ask. Toon look good right now. I think the best they can get is a draw. We win at Brentford and we are safe.
If we go down, it will be nothing like the lastime, when we went down with a better team. The club was in a financial tailspin back then. This time, we are stronger financially, and we will have parachute payments and player sales to boost our funds. The gulf between the Premier League and the Championship is massive. Every year, relegated teams bounce back or make the play-offs. So, relegation won’t be the end of the world for us. However, Radz must resist the temptation to rely on Bielsa’s boys to get us back up. Their day is done. By all means, use them as squad players, but they are not the future of LUFC.
We have some fine young talent that will thrive in the Championship. If we can bring in a couple of tried and tested players, we will be fine. I have a hunch that JM and the Red Bull approach is better suited to the Championship…but I would rather not see this theory being tested.
A final word on our management team. Yes, they have made serious errors of judgement, but they have also restored a lot of pride in our club, and put us on a good financial footing, going forward. Radz will be hurting right now, as will Orta and Kinnear. As fans, we should be supporting our board, as we should be supporting our players.
posted on 20/5/22
comment by Shaun M - Everywhere you go, always take Raphinha with you! (U9955)
posted 4 minutes ago
We deserve to go down. We are clearly the 3rd worst team in the league which is a frigging disgrace compared to last season. If we get relegated, we can have no complaints whatsoever. We aint run like a premier league club thus don't deserve to be one.
However, we have 1 shot at staying up and its arguably the biggest game we've had for about a decade and we do have a chance, albeit a slight one.
Regardless what league we end up in come Monday morning, the club needs to change drastically and lessons HAVE to be learned going forward. 16 years it took, to fall after just 2 .......
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Although the goal difference might suggest otherwise I don’t think we are worse than Burnley. Certainly not if we’re able to get close to a full side out. But take your point… if we’re not 3rd worst we’re 4th worst. Whichever of us or Burnley go down , neither can have much complaint
posted on 20/5/22
Money wise, biggest game decades and the end result isn’t even our hands. I can’t us getting anything, really can’t, but crossing everything.
posted on 20/5/22
Not sure where all this confidence in Newcastle comes from. A good win against an out of sorts arsenal doesn’t make them brasil. They’ve been generally solid but not spectacular on their travels - Burnley Newcastle is a pickem for me.
posted on 20/5/22
I wonder if Newcastle would be where they are now if they hadn't become the richest club in the world over night!..
posted on 20/5/22
Obviously the financial implications of relegation are very important to consider but assuming best case scenario we stay up then with expected £120mllion for KP and Raph plus tv money the squad should be able to strengthen with at least half a dozen new first team players meaning we get to experience at the very best mid to lower mid table position with no more than 12 wins if we're lucky.
Or we go down only get £60million for Raph and KP parachute money and again strengthen the squad with 6 new first team players and realistically enjoy a top 6 finish if not top 2 and promotion with at least 24 wins.
Just trying to soften the blow and convince myself relegation isn't bad.... no it isn't bad it's gut wrenchingly depressing and heart breaking.
posted on 20/5/22
Macca, what if Radz & the 49ers say fck it and flog us
on to another chancer and pocket a healthy profit even
after relegation. That would be a mess.
posted on 20/5/22
Batts.. nothing would surprise me anymore with Leeds, hopefully not though and 49ers will surely recognise the rewards for a quick return if we do go down.
Still we don't half attract some right old Arthur Daley chancers and shysters though.
posted on 21/5/22
Even if we win, we could still go down ! What happens happens, no use predicting - with 'ifs', one could put Paris in a bottle(French expression).