Derby County fans need to buckle in for a bumpy ride and accept it could be years before their club is back where they believe it belongs, if it survives the current crisis.
Football club executives who have faced financial meltdown and come out the other side warn that sorting out debts and finding the right buyer is a huge challenge, but assuming it can be done, that is only the beginning of the road to recovery.
Once stable, the club's culture has to change, too, so everyone from the cleaner to the centre forward gives their all for the cause, and understands the importance of value for money.