Common denominator
So what did these clubs share that made them able to rise back up to the Premier League? Decent finances. The key to being relegated is to make sure that when you go down you can afford to go down. People might suggest that Newcastle went down with over £100m debt but ultimately they have a large fan base and each club can afford different levels of debt depending upon their support. Similarly whilst West Ham do have debt the £35m they owe is more than manageable for a club of their size.
Too many clubs panic buy when they see relegation on the horizon and it is an incredibly risky tactic. If it works the fine your team survives for another season, but what then? Do you struggle the next season too? It is not sustainable. You cannot panic buy forever, clubs that go down with their finances in relative order stand themselves in much better stead than those in the Premier League whose spending spirals out of control in a bid to stop the rot.
Just look at a club like Charlton. They had plenty of money after the sale of Darren Bent but instead of spending it wisely they went through a succession of managers who wasted their money. The result was that when they were eventually relegated they had no money to rebuild causing them to be relegated even further.
Relegation doesn’t have to be a disaster, as long as clubs are prepared for it and act accordingly. It almost seems better to wait until one has been relegated to bring in new players in order to win promotion straight away than it does to buy players in order to prevent your club from being relegated in the first place. Obviously it helps to have a large fan base and reputation as clubs like Newcastle and West Ham do. It is easier to draw crowds and attract players but for anyone who says that is the only reason they were successful in the season after they were relegated is wrong. If that were true then why do not all the big clubs who get relegated immediately win promotion.
There is obviously no exact formula or specific tactic for turning relegation into an advantage, but the prospects it provides are there for all to see. Yes there are grave financial implications but with the careful management of Premier league parachute payments the apocalypse might not seem so near. Shedding unwanted players from the wage bill and starting afresh is key to the growth of clubs who have stagnated after years in the Premier League. As long as clubs have been sensible financially whilst in the top division they can enjoy success in the second tier of English football.
Follow Hamish on Twitter @H_Mackay
Written by Hamish mackay for FootballFanCast.com
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