Fulham’s start to their Sky Bet Championship campaign must be seen as nothing entirely new, with many teams finding the drop from the top tier particularly difficult. In this article I will assess the potential factors impacting upon clubs that find themselves in the bottom three at the end of the season. So, why the relegation struggle?
The losing habit is one of the main points that must be considered while analysing relegated clubs, with momentum playing a key part in the fortunes of most teams in the division. It’s quite possible that, without a major overhaul of the playing squad, teams simply lose that winning feeling; a feeling you need to regain quickly if you want to stay afloat in the Championship. Of course, it’s the players that must rediscover their ability to win, while it’s the manager’s duty to motivate and inspire his troops, troops who perhaps may not be used to the ‘Championship way’.
Injecting positivity into a relegated side is paramount in order to rid the hangover of a relegation; whether it’s team bonding exercises, or simply fresh pre-season training methods, getting a team full of happy players can only be a good thing. Again, take Fulham’s pre-season activity as a casing point; under the stewardship of Felix Magath, signing Ross McCormack seemed like a great idea on paper, even for a reported £11m. But is this really the case? Imagine being a young striker at Fulham, ready to seize your opportunity in the league below. With McCormack in, many Fulham players may feel particularly isolated and devalued by their manager; throwing cash at a problem isn’t always the best solution, a point proven by the team’s lacklustre start to the season.
Another issue is that the gap between the second tier and the Premier League is ever growing, monetarily speaking at least. This means that top-flight clubs can afford to pay their prized assets as much as they like and upon relegation, money constraints become much more apparent. Of course, there’s a direct correlation between money and motivation – it’s here where the problem lies for most teams.
Many also have a wage-reduction rule in place, whereby certain players have their wages capped upon relegation; it’s clauses in contracts such as these which leads to morale levels of ‘big-time’ players dropping and in turn, impacts on their performances.
The style of football on offer in the Championship may also present a problem for established Premier League sides that face the drop. In a tough league of hustle and bustle, a team of good characters can take you a surprisingly long way. Take Burnley during the 2013/14 season, who were amongst the relegation candidates at the start of the campaign; manager Sean Dyche got the team playing the right way, achieving a 2nd place finish in the process.
To conclude, there are numerous factors that impact upon relegated sides. For sure, it’s not easy to bounce back straight away, especially given the wealth of established Championship talent in the division. Whether it’s simply the losing habit, issues with money and motivation or a different style of play, each relegated side will be caused problems one way or another in this tough, competitive division.
What do you think is the main cause of a relegation hangover? Use the hash-tag #RelegationStruggle to give your thoughts.
Thank you for reading. Please take a moment to follow me on twitter –@rossowenwatson. Support LWOS by following us on Twitter – @LastWordOnSport – and – @LWOSWorld and “liking” our Facebook page.
For the latest in sports injury news, check out our friends at Sports Injury Alert.
Feel free to discuss this and other footy related articles with thousands of fans at r/football.
Have you tuned into Last Word On Sports Radio? LWOS is pleased to bring you 24/7 sports radio to your PC, laptop, tablet or smartphone. What are you waiting for? GO!
Main Image
