STUHILL

Be Crystal Palace!

That's the thing. Brighton are the new poster boy club, just like we were for many years. Look behind the curtain though and at the finer details, and you can see similar patterns emerging. Maybe, they will now adjust their plans due to seeing how we got burned. They will likely have to keep selling their best players, rather than what we tried. Lets hope they don't have stubborn players who run down their contracts too! I expect their Manager to be off this Summer or into next season too. They could continue their success, but it won't last, never does with clubs that size. They just have to hope they don't fall quite as hard as we have. They didn't rise as high though!

The huge difference though, is the PL money we get for getting Promoted, and also falling under PL financial rules for next season, which I believe means we can lose more. I'd prefer to rebuild in the Premier League, with more incoming money and a less financial restriction. We may be able to reduce the point deduction too, and if other clubs are penalised, there is always a slim chance we do manage to stay up... like 5% but still!

As I said, things happen! A Manager gets snatched away. One or two replacements don't settle or don't deliver on their promise. A key injury or two at the wrong time. European football stretches the squad too thin etc etc. Brighton are only one or two of those away from dropping down the league. May not happen next season or even a handful after, but it will eventually. That is why clubs have always struggled to break that top 6 dominance on a regular basis. We had a great go at it, but 'things happen!' Then it snowballs. I like Brighton a lot, but as someone else just posted, £400million in debt and a very sort after Manager, with more of their stars likely sold in the Summer. They will always be on a knife edge, just like we were. We just decided to stab ourselves multiple times on the way down!

Next season will be a mess, but getting promoted will no doubt be a massive help in offsetting that. We are likely to come straight back down but I'd take that over not going up and no chance of going up the season after with a points deduction and player fire sale. You're right that it will be the season after at the earliest, we will likely be free of charges and deductions, but I still think we can build after that and rather quickly compared to many other Championship clubs other than the relegated 3 each season. 2-3 years before we can start looking like a competitive, playoff chasing team again, not 5-10 years of doom and gloom IMO.

Absolutely this! Brighton are on the exact trajectory we were on. They will have to make the same decision soon too. Either stop selling key assets each season, in an attempt to maintain top 8 finishes and European football OR keep selling their best players and sooner rather than later, increasingly expensive replacements on higher wages, flop, form nose dives and a relegation battle ensues, with fans demanding more investment. They will either break rules to stay up there OR stick to the rules and find themselves in a relegation battle over the next few seasons due to their Manager and best players being snatched away.

Totally agree, but he won't be selling the club anytime soon, and his biggest crime is to overspend but still write much of that off. He should sack Rudkin and Whelan, get in a new board with a competent rebuild plan, and then take a back seat in terms of decision making. I'd like to click my fingers and get a new Billionaire owner in, but we are stuck with Top for now. Sacking those below him would be a step in the right direction.

why do you think that? We ran out of money back then. That is not the case this time. We still have a billionaire owner. Far richer than most other clubs. The club's future existence is not threatened, just our position in the leagues. I think most likely scenario, is that we will be battling midtable in the Championship either next season or the season after. We will be restricted on what we can spend, but still remain competitive in the Championship and look to build on a tight budget, with another promotion push in 2-3 years, likely playoffs with clubs coming down. I certainly don't see a 5-10 year period of doom and gloom.

A bad Managerial appointment, a handful of expensive player flops and some key injuries at the wrong time - the wheels can truly come off in spectacular fashion. I suspect many Premier League clubs are on the edge of repeating our failures. Ambition seems to come at a high price in the PL. Not to dismiss the sheer incompetence of our board, but surely the PL should look at these restrictions again. There should be protection against clubs bankrupting themselves, but that should not come at the cost of restricting investment and ambition. Simply, if an owner has the money, let them spend it and allow a club to become a bigger club! All the effort and attention by the PL, should be directed at the incoming owners and making them 100% accountable for the future of the club, by depositing a safety net fund, and increasing that for every penny more they want to invest.

I think Simon Jordan said recently that the PL should not be stifling investment in clubs, and if Billionaires want to spend, they should BUT every penny they spend should be backed with the same amount in an account that is there to bail the club out if ever needed. No risk should be placed on the club itself. The initial motivation of FFP was to reduce the risk of clubs going bankrupt, but has actually been used to prevent clubs like Leicester with money to spend, from actually spending it, and stop them challenging the Big 6. Rules need to change, but I imagine that won't happen for many years and we will be one of the worst hit by FFP before it ever gets closed to changing.

Will we not have to sell a number of our better players (not many!) to cover upcoming losses? Then, be restricted on this Summer's spend also? I think we will get 9 points deduction but maybe our legal battle will do enough to reduce that to 6. All guess work though

I doubt it will ever come to that. City will be paying millions in legal fees, that the Premier League can't and won't want to compete with. They will delay it for years or come up with a settlement that looks strong on paper but actually barely impacts Man City. Rules will be changed to shield the Big 6 and City will receive a fine that seems a lot but they can cover easily and probably a points deduction that barely stops them making 4th spot for 1 season.

I get that, but in terms of going bust. I imagine it still helps having a Billionaire Owner who's biggest crime has been to overspend. I am seeing us a Championship club for the foreseeable future now as even if we do go up, I imagine it will be very likely we will come straight back down.

Next season. I think we either get promoted and come straight back down again due to starting on minus points and having to sell players OR We miss out on promotion, take a points deduction for next season, have to sell players and likely struggle to get anywhere near promotion Long-term impact could be bad, but I think we will be stuck in the Championship for the next few years whilst we try to get everything back in order. I don't see it being worse than that, but seems like a lot of people think we will be the Leeds of the 90s in how far we fall and struggle to recover

Top isn't leaving, so we need to move that thought to the side for now. I suspect he knew full well what was happening and allowed us to push ahead regardless. However, the smartest thing he can do right now, is to throw Rudkin and Whelan under the bus. There has to be at least some accountability at the top. Sack them, and bring in someone for the huge rebuild required.

If Billionaire Top is sticking around and we do fight this with a small level of success, similar to how Everton have and maybe Forest will, i.e less harsh deduction, then why are we going to be the Leeds of the 90s? Surely, we take the point deductions, get our finances back in check (may take some time, especially if don't go up), but then start the rebuild with Billionaire backing and still a very attractive club for many young and talented players to come to whether in the Premier League or Championship. Not saying we will ever be a force in the Premier League again, but we can surely compete with a dozen or so other clubs fighting to get there and stay up. In the meantime, seems like FFP may get a big shake up and may even loosen the restrictions on owners, as the Premier League will suffer financially if it continues to stifle Billionaire owners (rightly OR [mostly] wrongly!) Just not seeing the Leeds implosion of the 90s comparison OR am I missing a lot of the finer, scary details?

If he intends to stay (likely!) He needs to throw them both under the bus now! I am sure he was fully aware and may have even pushed for this overspending, but people have to be sacked for this gross mismanagement.

Incoming pile on from the media and other fans Ah well, least we won the Premier League and FA Cup and bathed in glory for a brief time See you all Away at Cheltenham Town in a couple of years. P.s. First time I am saying this... Bring back Big Nige for the inevitable rebuild with youngsters!

I don't care if Top was fully aware of all this, he has to sack Whelan and Rudkin no matter what! This is going to take a monumental turn around and these two can never be trusted again.

Ah well, EFL for the next 10 years. No VAR though, yayyy....

How is this compared to Everton and Forest out of interest? Top isn't going to sack himself, but all those directly below him should be kicked out immediately and not play any role in cleaning this mess up.

People have to be sacked for this surely?!

Judging by how we are playing this and the club's constant statements on wanting 'proportionately determined' punishment, I imagine we are well over the limit

I am actually quite happy it is now between 3 teams for 2 spots, with Southampton unlikely to make up that gap now. I still think Ipswich will wobble in these final 7, especially if they pick up a key injury or two, which may have happened today already. Will all be for nothing unless we build on today though.

Even if mathematically unable to get a top 2 finish, Russel will still moan at the press and say they have been written off unfairly and will prove people wrong...