Clubs that have been relegated

[fredm]

When you say baffling it is on the face of it, but if you think that experience costs and we didn't have the money/wouldn't spend it, then may be not so much.

And how much money will be available in the summer if we go down?  I think that the figure will not reflect what will be required to replace the players that leave.  Those who think only one or two will leave are, IMO, living in cloud cuckoo land. The likes of saints, Fulham, west ham, etc if they are in the PL next year, will soon be circling round our players, offering us peanuts but the chance of playing PL football to them. What do you think their response will be?

I am very afraid that if we are in the Championship next year we will be making up the numbers in mid table with a very different set up to those in the squad now.

[Pete3206]

So who in The Championship has a brilliant squad, packed with household names? Villa will have to adjust according to their means, but it doesn't necessarily mean they can't complete in that division.

[fredm]

Well the present squad were not good enough at Millwall who are an average Championship side and were not good enough at Bradford. Just saying I do not think that, if relegated, we would walk straight through the Championship as there is some decent teams in there who are also battling trying to get up.

[Dave]

Well the present squad were not good enough at Millwall who are an average Championship side and were not good enough at Bradford.

But that doesn't mean that they have better teams than we currently do. Anymore than it means that we are better than Liverpool or Swansea just because they lost to us.

[damon loves JT]

All of the teams in that list have one thing in common.

They are not the Villa. Bollocks to them

[martin o`who??]

The lack of experience not coming in during January was baffling at the time and still baffling now.

The young kids were crying out for some experience around them so who did we sign?, 2 players who`ve never kicked a ball in the Premiership, absolutely frikkin mystyfiying.

[tomd2103]

If we go down (sadly it's beginning to look more likely by the week) then we need to get it right in the summer if we are going to be competitive in the Championship.  Unfortunately I just don't think we have the right people at the club to put plans in place for that transition.

I think it looked less likely after Everton and West Ham, but then more likely affer Arsenal.  Expect a lot of that over the next 11 games!

Agree John, but just when it seemed like we might have had a bit of momentum after the West Ham game, we go and suffer a morale sapping defeat at Arsenal.  Another one of those against Man City and we're going in to our two make or break games on a downwards curve (just like the Wigan and Southampton games).     

[tomd2103]

When you say baffling it is on the face of it, but if you think that experience costs and we didn't have the money/wouldn't spend it, then may be not so much.

And how much money will be available in the summer if we go down? 

We should be looking at around £30m from selling Benteke, Bent and N'Zogbia alone, so hopefully there will be some money available. 

[tomd2103]

Well the present squad were not good enough at Millwall who are an average Championship side and were not good enough at Bradford. Just saying I do not think that, if relegated, we would walk straight through the Championship as there is some decent teams in there who are also battling trying to get up.

True, but again with the right squad management I think we could do it.

I would look at playing a 4-4-2 and keeping:

GK - Guzan / Marshall / Siegrist

RB - Lowton / Herd / Lichaj

LB - Bennett / Stevens

CB - Vlaar or Dunne / Clark / Baker

RW - Albrighton / Holman

CM - Westwood / Delph / Sylla / El Ahmadi / Gardner / Bannan

LW - ?

ST - Gabby / Weimann / Bowery

On top of that lot, I would a CB who is experienced at that level, a physical presence up front and two out and out wingers.  The money we got from the players being sold would easily cover those purchases with some to spare. 

I have to say that just going through that is a really depressing thought.

[Greg N'Ash]

Personally I think the standard of football overall in the premiership has been very poor this season and i don't think there's too much difference between the bottom third of the prem and the top third of the championship. If we go down and flog the better players, then the gap-year tour of the less exalted footballing hotbeds in the UK could become a bit more permanent

[Rip Van We Go Again]

Personally I think the standard of football overall in the premiership has been very poor this season and i don't think there's too much difference between the bottom third of the prem and the top third of the championship.

Then style of play is quite different Greg.
In the Championship there is far more hoofball and i've lost count of the amount of turgid games i've seen with a lack of clear cut chances.

[Drummond]

I think Greg has a point though, whilst you're right RVWGA, the way that promoted clubs are managing to hang on for a season or two, think Norwich, Baggies, West Ham, Swansea, Stoke for example means the gulf isn't that wide, except right at the top.

[eastie]

Impossible really to predict how we will do if we do go down as the squad could be very different come august - lets hope we never have to find out.

[JUAN PABLO]

how depressing Albrighton and Holman in the championship

[JUAN PABLO]

On top of that lot, I would a CB who is experienced at that level,

you reckon?       what about one last January when it was more important ;/