2008-09 Guide for Fans of Relegation Candidates

By: Jeremy | August 14th, 2008

The season is almost here and barring some last minute shuffling of players, which typically occur with the big clubs who are afraid their competitors made just one more big transfer, rosters are pretty much set. For fans of smaller clubs or clubs whose goal is to survive another season in Serie A, our approach to viewing games is filled with the same pressure as the fans of big clubs who will complain if their club makes the UEFA Cup instead of the Champions League or whose President will fire their gaffer because they dont win the Scudetto and finish second to a bittler rival. We are all about survivial.

As a fan, you must first assess the reality of the strength or lack thereof of your team and whether they are actually relegation candidates. At the end of last year Cagliari finished so strong and had a great bunch of players that assuming they could bring them back and maybe add a top or up and coming player, we would be calling ourselves a mid table club and possible UEFA Cup candidate. However, after the summer transfer window, I think we are relegation candidates again this year. This does not come as a shock to Cagliari fans and similarly situated clubs, but every now and then you head into an offseason where you may actually think that relegation is not in your future. Cagliari was lucky not to get relegated last year so despite the boring offseason, we have returned to Serie A and every consecutive year in the top flight solidifies the future of the club. There is nothing worse then being a yo yo club or a club that gets promoted once every 5-10 years only to go back down and not be heard from for sometime. We are trying to get away from that label.

For all relegation candidates, this year brings good news as last years new teams allowed little room for error to survive. Last year saw Juventus, Napoli, and Genoa promoted to the top flight. They had been in Serie B for various reasons, but Juve alone made the new clubs coming up as strong as any group in years. The teams that had barely survived the year before ie Cagliari had to be thinking that the new teams were not going back down so there was simply no room for error to survive and that some decent clubs would be relegated. This turned out to be true as none of the three promoted clubs were ever a threat to be relegated. This may not be the case this year as Lecce, Bologna, and Chievo all bring issues to the table that make them as big a relegation candidate as anyone. Considering the three teams that went down last year, Livorno, Empoli, and Parma, because of the strength of Serie A and the clubs promoted from Serie B, these well known clubs got relegated when they might not this year. The point is that even if you are a fan of Cagliari or another relegation candidate, you should have more positivity this year then you did this time last year because your club is still in Serie A and the new arrivals are no match for last years new teams.

So who is a relegation candidate this year and how do you track them when compared to your team to make Serie A as enjoyable as those fighting for more prestigious positions? Typically I find about eight clubs really need to be worried about relegation. Serie A is so competitive that even a team who could finish in the top half, could just as easily have a scare or two regarding relegation before solidifying their safe position late in the year. In my opinion, the following teams will be worried about relegation pretty much the entire year:
Torino
Siena
Reggina
Catania
Lecce
Bologna
Chievo
Cagliari

I know I am a genius for predicting this and none of you can believe the daring choices I am making. Without having too much intimate knowledge of a lot of these clubs, I do feel that none of them have the depth required to emerge safely to mid table and many of them even lack a dominating type player who can change a game and lead a real winning streak. One of these clubs will likely be this years Genoa(Bologna maybe), but for the most part, most of these clubs will go through more then one manager and will see time in the relegation zone. As Cagliari showed last year, even if the team gets off to a bad start, the winter transfer zone, a never die attitude, combined with bad stretches from the other clubs, can cause you to escape the relegation zone at the end of the year when it counts. Remember its where you finish so dont give up when you are in 20th after 8 weeks.

So here are my suggestions as you get revved up for the season and are probably the most optimistic about your team that you likely will be until you are mathmatically safe:

1. Enjoy the games between the big clubs that you hate. As much as I cant stand Inter or even Juve, I love to watch them play because there is nothing better then watching great players play while also looking at their bench wondering why those players wouldnt rather be on loan at Cagliari getting first team football.

2. Support a big team if even half heartedly. If Im not rooting for Cagliari, I am hoping AC Milan does well. I am not a big fan of them, but I do enjoy supporting them when they play against anyone but Cagliari. Maybe its Paolo Maldini, who knows, but adopt a big club if you havent already. Just dont tell people you are a fan of the big club when you really like your small club. The small club comes first if you are a truly a fan.

3. Watch what other relegation teams are doing. From week one you want to make sure that big clubs arent giving away points to teams that you feel should finish below your club. Watching Siena beat Palermo on the road or tie Juventus at home will drive any Cagliari fan nuts. As this happens and your club is not doing the same, you find your team down further in the standings. While an early season Torino/Inter match up may not seem like much, if Torino picks up points, then your club better do the same when they play Inter or another big team. This is a good way to watch matches of teams that you may not think about too early and will give you an idea that a certain small club may be better then you thought.

4. Dont pretend your team is not a relegation candidate when it clearly is. If you dont think your team is relegation fodder, you are to be commended for your positivity, but that can make reality tougher to swallow come spring when your team is in 15th or lower. Start off with low expectations and as your team pulls off a few wins, then maybe adjust your attitude and set new goals, but dont think you are going to Europe. There will be one of these teams that may finish in the top half of the table, but for the most part these clubs will be fighting it out for survival until the last couple of weeks.

5. Watch the attitude of your teams players. If more of your players, especially youngsters with potential or who are on loan to your club, start talking in the press about dreaming of another club, then this is the sign their mind might be elsewhere and there is internal friction because players arent concerned about their team, but where they want to be in the future. I know players are constanly in articles about prior clubs or where they may get transferred, but watch how they respond. If they do it right, they will show their loyalty to their current club. These stories combined with unsubstantiated rumors can cause teams to go on long losing streaks. Oh and by the way, if your teams players get in fights with each other and one of them gets banned, that is not a good sign. The club will usually freeze out the player who means the least to the teams success.

6. Lastly, remember what your goal is. It is survival. Dont look at how far behind you are from the UEFA Cup spots, look at how many teams are below you. The goal is three teams(duh) to have less points. When you look at it that way, you can lose a lot of games and still be in the chase for survival. If you get down in the dumps because of a bad start, remember the agony and ecstasy felt by Cagliari fans last year. While I dont know what its like to root for a winner since 93-94, feeling all the ups and downs of last year still made it one of the most enjoyable Serie A seasons in some time for me. While all of us hope our teams wont be relegation fodder, reality is a bitch and each of the above mentioned teams is likely to face the issues of relegation. One team might emerge and one team you dont think about may fall to the bottom of the table. While Bologna could be this years Genoa, maybe Atalanta takes their place in the relegation fight. Either way, you can be a supporter of a relegation team and still have a fun year, atleast until you are officially relegated.

So who are my predictions for relegation? As of right now, Im going with Siena, Lecce, and Reggina, but this could change as someone will surprise. But as bad as Cagliari has done this offseason, I feel like we are on equal playing levels with enough teams that we can survive.

Good luck and props to all the fans of smaller clubs, the heart of Serie A.