Would a spell in League One actually be a good thing?

[IslandExile]

Things are now really bad.

Worst squad we've had for a very long time.

Newbie manager who seems to be having little impact.

One failed takeover after another.

I was afraid of us being relegated but I'm now starting to see that there could be a positive side to it.

Chance to regroup. Clear the decks. Review the management team - at the very least. Thank the players out of contract or not pulling their weight.

Build a team around the quality youngsters. Establish a way of playing. Win a few games, heck score a few goals even.

Forget Sunderland and Portsmouth, there are enough examples of teams that have dropped down and come back much stronger..... Southampton, the Dirties, Leicester, and this season: Hull.

Heck even Derby in the 80s - thanks to Arthur Cox. And for those of us who lived through it, it was a lot of fun, a damn sight more than we're having at the moment.

So, it may not be such a bad thing.

The counter argument is that we won't find a buyer, Mel will pull the plug in terms of cash and we'll go into Administration and sink further into the mire.

Edited April 16, 2021 by IslandExile

[desirelines]

Not with Rooney at the helm it wouldn’t 

[Andicis]

None of the things we can do in league one are things we can't do in the Championship. We'd just be poorer. 

[Rammy03]

I will never say that relegation to League one would be a good thing. Never. Trust me on this one we absolutely have to stay in this division.

[Cisse]

No. We need a new owner with a fire in his belly and a clear idea what we need to do and how to achieve it.

[Kernow]

Too many variables. It could be beneficial. It could be disastrous.

If we went down, obviously people would hope we could do a Leicester or a Wolves, or a Sheffield United to some extent. If we went down, won the league at a canter and then found ourselves back in the Championship on a high in 2022/23, then it wouldn’t be the end of the world. We’d have more fun and probably be in a stronger position than just treading water as a mid-table or bottom half side in the same period.

However... financially it could be a disaster. Finances are already iffy to say the least, but to compensate for reduced income the few players of real value we do have will almost certainly be sold. Big clubs going down to League 1 and getting stuck there for at least a few seasons is more common than clubs using it as a springboard and momentum for a quick double promotion. With the state we are in, I think we would be more likely to be like Ipswich or Sunderland than we would Leicester.

For that reason, it really isn’t worth thinking about. Our best players poached for a cheap. Stadium half full at best. Getting knocked out in the FA Cup first round on a regular basis, our only hope of minor success being in the Papa John’s Trophy. It doesn’t bare thinking about... desperate for it not to happen.

[Tyler Durden]

I can't think of any positive whatsoever of us going down. Well if it means Rooney is removed then I would count that but at a ridiculous price to achieve 

[RadioactiveWaste]

No it would not be a good thing.

If it happens, we need to make the best of it.

[Curtains]

No 

Would not want to renew my season ticket at all .

I hate 3rd Div football. 
 

 

Edited April 16, 2021 by Curtains

[maxjam]

The first season I started following Derby we were relegated from the old Div 2 to Div 3 ?

Whilst I don't want to drop down you have to look at the positives.  The squad has been in decline for a few seasons now and anyone thats not blinded by devotion to the Rams has seen this coming for a while now. 

Relegation will give us a chance to regroup and maybe lose the psychological burden of being Championship nearly men.  Assuming we do go down, gaining promotion from Div 1 at some point will at least instill a winning mentality and we'd come into the Championship again full of belief.

[Tamworthram]

3 minutes ago, Curtains said:

No 

Would not want to renew my season ticket at all .

I hat 3rd Div football. 

Everyone to his own. A fool and his money and all that but I'll definitely renew regardless. It's been a terrible season (just thank our lucky stars we haven't had to attend) and whilst the two play off finals I've witnessed were painful at the time, there were some good times along the way.

If we go down, I don't for one moment think we'll be a major force in the division but Derby are my team and I'll still be there for the good and bad times to come. 

Edited April 16, 2021 by Tamworthram

[G-Ram]

On a serious financial note i wonder if any of our players have a relegation wage reduction clause in their contracts.

I'd be surprised if any do based on previous league positions. If we go down i think we're going to be in serious financial trouble. It'll be fire sale and the under 23s being promoted to the 1st team. 

If we go id honestly be happy with a takeover where someone just sorts us out & runs us properly, make sure we still have a club and rebuilds. We're in a massive mess on and off the pitch  

[Curtains]

1 minute ago, Tamworthram said:

Everyone to his own. A fool and his money and all that but I'll definitely renew regardless. 

No chance for me although I’ve already paid for it so not sure what choices I will get. 
 

But I’m not interested in Div 3. 
 

[Gone]

Financially no, but as a fan it’s were I started and not bothered to be there again, why not. I’ll support this club whatever league they are in, I’m a Derby fan and always will be whatever the opposition. Come on you ducking Rams, always and forever ??

[YouRams]

Sunderland, Ipswich, Charlton etc etc will tell you it’s not always a good thing, as I said in match day thread this lot would not get us out of league one it’s a complete rebuild whichever league were in, I’d rather be doing that one league away from the Prem than two or we could be stuck down there. 

[Curtains]

2 minutes ago, G-Ram said:

On a serious financial note i wonder if any of our players have a relegation wage reduction clause in their contracts.

I'd be surprised if any do based on previous league positions. If we go down i think we're going to be in serious financial trouble. It'll be fire sale and the under 23s being promoted to the 1st team. 

If we go id honestly be happy with a takeover where someone just sorts us out & runs us properly, make sure we still have a club and rebuilds. We're in a massive mess on and off the pitch  

Players have let us fans down .

They have 4 games to get some Pride for themselves 

[Turnstile]

What / who are you comparing the youngsters too to say they are quality.Going down would be a disaster.Loss of more income ,loss of “Quality” Youngster’s .A return to journey men carpetbaggers .100% we need to stay up.

[cannable]

God no. There are arguments in some circumstances. If we’d have gone down in 08/09 under Clough I believe we’d have cleared the wage bill two years earlier than he managed. 

This time? We are crap because we’ve slashed the wage bill. It’s more than halved since Rowett and the scary thing? It’s still roughly equivalent to 14/15’s. 

We’d have less money than we have now to rebuild if we go down. We probably don’t come back up for a few years. 

Edited April 16, 2021 by cannable

[RoyMac5]

1 minute ago, Turnstile said:

What / who are you comparing the youngsters too to say they are quality. Going down would be a disaster. Loss of more income, loss of “Quality” Youngster’s .A return to journey men carpetbaggers .100% we need to stay up.

?

But think of the opportunities! Huh?!

[England Ram]

The financial implications alone would cripple us even more. 
So no, any possible rebuild is better done from the Championship.  
BUT. We have no god given right to stay up and if we go down it will be because we deserve it.