Devil's advocate

[sadoldgit]

Lights blue touchpaper.......Something to think about.

 

We have recently put in bids for 3 midfielders and chosen the cheapest one. We were recently after two centre halves and pulled out of the bidding for the expensive one when our offer for the cheaper one was accepted.

 

Obviously cost isn't an indicator of whether they will turn out to be the best buys but do you see where this is leading?

 

If a previous CEO (who shall remain nameless) had done this the Board would be in meltdown about penny pinching - not knowing anything about football - not wanting the best players at the club blah blah blah.

 

But Nicola Coretese does it and not a peep.

 

He Who Must Not Be Named fell out with the Echo and it was all down to him. Nicola does it and the Echo are the ones at fault (even though they did nothing wrong in printing a story that was already in the public domain).

 

I hope these players turn out to be a huge success for SFC and only time will tell if the CEO was right to "penny pinch" (but to be honest I still think we are nowhere near the standard of Leeds or Norwich yet) but I have to say that the shadow of financial prudence that was so hated by a former CEO still looms large over the SFC accounts dept and wonder how long it will be before those who are currently creaming their jeans over the fact that we have cash to spend start to see that we are not actually going for the best in many cases, but for the "affordable."

 

Nothing wrong in that and I have always believed that our club should live within its means (not sure what those means are now but you get my drift).

 

No doubt NC will eventually get the same treatment as You Know Who if we do not get promoted in the next 2 seasons, but it is interesting that although they seem to be cut from the same cloth, one is currently a hero and one a zero.

 

Stands well back and awaits fireworks.

[John B]

Lights blue touchpaper.......Something to think about.

 

We have recently put in bids for 3 midfielders and chosen the cheapest one. We were recently after two centre halves and pulled out of the bidding for the expensive one when our offer for the cheaper one was accepted.

 

Obviously cost isn't an indicator of whether they will turn out to be the best buys but do you see where this is leading?

 

If a previous CEO (who shall remain nameless) had done this the Board would be in meltdown about penny pinching - not knowing anything about football - not wanting the best players at the club blah blah blah.

 

But Nicola Coretese does it and not a peep.

 

He Who Must Not Be Named fell out with the Echo and it was all down to him. Nicola does it and the Echo are the ones at fault (even though they did nothing wrong in printing a story that was already in the public domain).

 

I hope these players turn out to be a huge success for SFC and only time will tell if the CEO was right to "penny pinch" (but to be honest I still think we are nowhere near the standard of Leeds or Norwich yet) but I have to say that the shadow of financial prudence that was so hated by a former CEO still looms large over the SFC accounts dept and wonder how long it will be before those who are currently creaming their jeans over the fact that we have cash to spend start to see that we are not actually going for the best in many cases, but for the "affordable."

 

Nothing wrong in that and I have always believed that our club should live within its means (not sure what those means are now but you get my drift).

 

No doubt NC will eventually get the same treatment as You Know Who if we do not get promoted in the next 2 seasons, but it is interesting that although they seem to be cut from the same cloth, one is currently a hero and one a zero.

 

Stands well back and awaits fireworks.

 

Very interesting post SOG of course there are double standards but that was to be expected

[keithd]

I'm sure when the former CEO too over sure and that scenario existed no eyelids would have been batted.

 

Its all about giving people a chance, to prove themselves. Cortese has pretty much done nothing wrong to date, but then again he's only been at the helm 6 months. Who's to say it was penny pinching, who's to know whether the players demands were not outrageous, seeing we are a club with money then asking for outrageous bonus's, one's which would upset the changing room.

 

Devils advocate position taken i appreciate, but to my mind there's nothing there to advocate over. Is there such a phrase.....??

[Joensuu]

SOG,

 

where is your evidence that at any point we opted for the cheap option?

 

Perhaps Plymouth wanted more than financially crippled Palace? Perhaps Exeter's experienced youngster with bags of potential was chosen over a defender Coventry don't even want to play? I'd think you'd have a point if we raided Crawley and not Southend in this window...

 

You'd only jump to the conclusion you have if you had an agenda. The former chairman has departed - get over it.

[Greenridge]

Have you considered it could be purely coincidental that in the two examples you quoted it transpired that the 'cheaper' of the players were signed. I think you are missing some basic understanding of transfer conditions if you are thinking the transaction price is the be-all and end-all indicator (even though you state this yourself?).

 

There is huge difference between spending little or no money as certain previous regime's have done as opposed to spending wisely and not being taken for a ride just because we have a few pennies in the bank. It's called astute business practice.

[Greenridge]

Very interesting post SOG of course there are double standards but that was to be expected

 

Enlighten us to what is 'interesting' about the post John. Before you do though take a minute or so to read the few posts after yours and you will see that SOG is really talking twaddle I'm afraid.

[INFLUENCED.COM]

I think it was stated from the off things would be run with financial prudence, however, along the way this has kind of conflicted with a couple of things, for instance, a shirt sponser would have offered a capital injection which could have been offset against player purchases as well as development of Staplewood, so for me, as much as they said spending will be relative to income, right now, despite what sog suggests, I don't believe that to be the case and would add, I am happy for NC to dip into ML's pocket.

 

Should we not get promoted in the next 2 seasons will NC even be here to receive that 'treatment'

[notnowcato]

Practically a new side on the pitch and we're "penny pinching"?

 

Whose to know who our real targets were and maybe we actually ended up getting the players we wanted on the cheap. If so, fantastic.

[thorpie the sinner]

The only thing I would say is, if we highlighted three players that we wanted and all were available, wouldn't it be common business sense to opt for cheaper option!!! leaves money for other things!! And we did buy Fonmte who looks class!!

[hutch]

Reading these boards, you could get the impression that we're throwing money around. "We're the Man City of league 1"

 

I actually think we're being conservative and prudent. Mellis & Trottman left and had to be replaced. Murty, Jaidi, Perry & Connelly are coming to the end of their careers, and have to be replaced.

 

We brought in 4 on fees - Fonte, Seaborne, Barnard & Puncheon. All bought cheap, in a depressed market. I believe all 4 will be worth considerably more in the future, so that is good investment. As long as the squad wages are covered by the income, and I believe that they are (or thereabouts), then no problem. We will lose some of the current squad members in the summer.

 

Would we be any better off, playing-wise, with Ward & Stock (or Danns) instead of Seaborne & Puncheon? Who knows.

 

We got our fingers burned once. No need to do it again, just look down the road.

 

I'm happy with things the way they are.

[MbaleSaint]

What you haven't considered is that players we bid for may have turned us down. Crystal Palace say we bid for Danns (and the clubs agreed a deal) but he decided not to leave, presumably because he didn't want to drop a division.

[Block 5]

Lights blue touchpaper.......Something to think about.

 

We have recently put in bids for 3 midfielders and chosen the cheapest one. We were recently after two centre halves and pulled out of the bidding for the expensive one when our offer for the cheaper one was accepted.

 

Obviously cost isn't an indicator of whether they will turn out to be the best buys but do you see where this is leading?

 

If a previous CEO (who shall remain nameless) had done this the Board would be in meltdown about penny pinching - not knowing anything about football - not wanting the best players at the club blah blah blah.

 

But Nicola Coretese does it and not a peep.

 

He Who Must Not Be Named fell out with the Echo and it was all down to him. Nicola does it and the Echo are the ones at fault (even though they did nothing wrong in printing a story that was already in the public domain).

 

I hope these players turn out to be a huge success for SFC and only time will tell if the CEO was right to "penny pinch" (but to be honest I still think we are nowhere near the standard of Leeds or Norwich yet) but I have to say that the shadow of financial prudence that was so hated by a former CEO still looms large over the SFC accounts dept and wonder how long it will be before those who are currently creaming their jeans over the fact that we have cash to spend start to see that we are not actually going for the best in many cases, but for the "affordable."

 

Nothing wrong in that and I have always believed that our club should live within its means (not sure what those means are now but you get my drift).

 

No doubt NC will eventually get the same treatment as You Know Who if we do not get promoted in the next 2 seasons, but it is interesting that although they seem to be cut from the same cloth, one is currently a hero and one a zero.

 

Stands well back and awaits fireworks.

 

I can't believe I just wasted my time reading this guff.

[saintmonkey1979]

An interesting point of view. When Rupes fell out with the Echo he actually insulted them directly - some Star Trek anology as I recall. When Cortese fell out with the Echo, it was down to the paper breaking an accord and a courtesy. Quite a difference IMO. As for penny pinching, not paying over the top for wages is hardly that. We have spend alot of money under MC & ML and now have one of the best squads in the division. We are in L1 and have spent more than most PL clubs this last month if not this season. The quality of players brought in has only strengthened us. At the present time I cant identify a bad signing under the new regime, with 15 or so players brought in, that is not a bad ratio and suggests that the money isn't being wasted. Much unlike RL, whose transfer record was hit and miss at best and penny pinched his way into feilding a team of academy graduates. Really there is no comparison between the to of them.

 

As of this moment, NC hasn't used club money (as reported at the time) to fight a personal liable case against a national paper either. I know who i'd rather have running our club.

[sadoldgit]

Indded it was. I just wonder, for all the talk of Marcus's wedge and the desire to get us out of the 3rd Divsion, whether some people are slightly underwhelmed about our team?

 

Whenever you look at truly sucessful teams they hae tight defences, forwards who can hold the ball up and score lots of goals, but the main key is the midfield. Do people think that we can compete with the likes of Leeds and Norwich with our current midfield set up? Puncheon might make a difference but he is not the type of player we need to bring in to run midfield.

 

The new regime are obvioulsy ambitious for the club, but not to the extent that they are going to throw money at it willynilly. I know that Delldays for example already thinks we have spent enough to guarentee promotion this year or next. Personally I think we are still short in certain departments and wonder whether some of these "cheaper" options might just come back to haunt us down the line. It will be interesting to see what happens in the transfer market in the summer.

[Toadhall Saint]

SOG

 

Comparisons can always be draw but in most cases those comparisons are based on a perception and not necessarily fact. Not sure NC can be accused of penny pinching TBH - if RL was still in charge we wouldn't have a team to speak about - he would have sold what little we had left (AL for instance). With NC we have kept our prize asssets and infact strengthened the whole squad. If the players we have brought in for lesser amounts turn out to be carp then we have not lost too much if they prove to be a success then we will in effect have made money.

 

At the mo' NC has the trust of the fans and appears to have all things SFC at his heart. I'm not sure RL ever had that.

 

In this instance and IMHO NC & RL is not a good comparison (especially where the cost/type of players is concerned.

[Fitzhugh Fella]

I think the main difference between old and new regimes is the money being spent now is "private" money and under previous Chairmen the money being spent was technically the "club's" money.

 

ML doesn't have to cough a penny if he doesn't want to which is the point I was trying to make in the summer when he took over. Who are we to tell him how much to spend?

 

I would be interested to know, however, now the club does not have to service a debt whether or not our income matches our outgoings putting to one side expenditure on transfers.

[shurlock]

Lights blue touchpaper.......Something to think about.

 

We have recently put in bids for 3 midfielders and chosen the cheapest one. We were recently after two centre halves and pulled out of the bidding for the expensive one when our offer for the cheaper one was accepted.

 

Obviously cost isn't an indicator of whether they will turn out to be the best buys but do you see where this is leading?

 

If a previous CEO (who shall remain nameless) had done this the Board would be in meltdown about penny pinching - not knowing anything about football - not wanting the best players at the club blah blah blah.

 

But Nicola Coretese does it and not a peep.

 

He Who Must Not Be Named fell out with the Echo and it was all down to him. Nicola does it and the Echo are the ones at fault (even though they did nothing wrong in printing a story that was already in the public domain).

 

I hope these players turn out to be a huge success for SFC and only time will tell if the CEO was right to "penny pinch" (but to be honest I still think we are nowhere near the standard of Leeds or Norwich yet) but I have to say that the shadow of financial prudence that was so hated by a former CEO still looms large over the SFC accounts dept and wonder how long it will be before those who are currently creaming their jeans over the fact that we have cash to spend start to see that we are not actually going for the best in many cases, but for the "affordable."

 

Nothing wrong in that and I have always believed that our club should live within its means (not sure what those means are now but you get my drift).

 

No doubt NC will eventually get the same treatment as You Know Who if we do not get promoted in the next 2 seasons, but it is interesting that although they seem to be cut from the same cloth, one is currently a hero and one a zero.

 

Stands well back and awaits fireworks.

 

Who knows the ins-and-outs of the deals - maybe there's point of principle about not being held to ransom - more likely when the particular players we were chasing were asked to drop a division - alas he who shall not be named never faced that dilemma because we never went for higher profile players; maybe the players we've gone for are indeed better or to the extent that they've been playing at a lower level have greater potential or hunger.

 

Your argument totally falls down when you look the money we've been spent in total - enough to rival prem league teams and not a million miles away from our season of recklessness (2006/07) at the height of the general insanity. I can't imagine he who shall not be named ever spending that in the CCC let alone L1, even if he had greater resources. Suggests we are more than happy to put our money where our mouths are...

Edited 3 February, 2010 by shurlock

[sadoldgit]

Enlighten us to what is 'interesting' about the post John. Before you do though take a minute or so to read the few posts after yours and you will see that SOG is really talking twaddle I'm afraid.

 

Really? So we duck out of a deal for a decent proven centre half and sign someone from Exeter who many here slated? Danns or Puncheon or the Scottish fella, which was cheaper? Which one did we sign?

[sadoldgit]

I think the main difference between old and new regimes is the money being spent now is "private" money and under previous Chairmen the money being spent was technically the "club's" money.

 

ML doesn't have to cough a penny if he doesn't want to which is the point I was trying to make in the summer when he took over. Who are we to tell him how much to spend?

 

I would be interested to know, however, now the club does not have to service a debt whether or not our income matches our outgoings putting to one side expenditure on transfers.

 

I agree Duncan. I also agree that it is MLs call how much he spends and when. He doesn't have the same financial constraints as Lowe but he still seems to have a close eye on the purse strings and I can't blame him for that.

[Avenue Saint]

Really? So we duck out of a deal for a decent proven centre half and sign someone from Exeter who many here slated? Danns or Puncheon or the Scottish fella, which was cheaper? Which one did we sign?

 

you are wrong im afraid, Git. All assumptions.

[Wes Tender]

Your argument might have some credibility if it wasn't so easy to produce examples of the opposite scenario. We bought Lambert and Barnard as two of the top scorers in the division when their clubs did not want to part with them, but the amount of money offered and the wages we were prepared to offer the players made it virtually impossible for them to refuse.

 

How do you justify the comment that Lowe and Cortese are cut from the same cloth? That really is a laughable statement to make.

 

Also, the scenario that we are now in is totally different between the tenure of Lowe and that of Cortese/Liebherr. Before, we were run by minor local Solicitors and Accountants with a Chairman from a background of middling success in the City, but who subsequently owned a little retirement homes business. All of those connected with the club in its 125 year past have been minnows compared with the wealth that is possessed by Liebherr. It is also arguable that we have also never had such a high profile Chairman as Cortese.

 

So any comparisons between this current regime and the last one, are totally spurious.

[Scummer]

The OP completely ignores the fact that we've spent more than anyone else in our division, have bought two of the top 4 goalscorers in League 1, bought the captain of a promotion chasing team, bought a top rated player from the league above, etc etc.

 

I wouldn't call that penny pinching.

[John B]

Enlighten us to what is 'interesting' about the post John. Before you do though take a minute or so to read the few posts after yours and you will see that SOG is really talking twaddle I'm afraid.

 

Airst of all it is exremely rude to call SOG's post twaddle he is raising an interesting point.

 

 

This is a Forum open to discussion not a forum where NC is right and RL is wrong.

[Gemmel]

I would be interested to know, however, now the club does not have to service a debt whether or not our income matches our outgoings putting to one side expenditure on transfers.

 

Outside of the expenditure on players, I'm sure we are running at or close to break even. We also have a large squad that will almost certainly be reduced over the next 12 months, but for every 3 lower players that are replaced by one of genuinely quality, i doubt the salary levels will change much.

[View From The Top]

The OP completely ignores the fact that we've spent more than anyone else in our division, have bought two of the top 4 goalscorers in League 1, bought the captain of a promotion chasing team, bought a top rated player from the league above, etc etc.

 

I wouldn't call that penny pinching.

 

But SOG misses cracking one off over the previous chairman so it's no surprise his agenda is one of criticisim.

[shurlock]

Airst of all it is exremely rude to call SOG's post twaddle he is raising an interesting point.

 

 

This is a Forum open to discussion not a forum where NC is right and RL is wrong.

 

I thought twaddle was being quite polite

[John B]

Outside of the expenditure on players, I'm sure we are running at or close to break even. We also have a large squad that will almost certainly be reduced over the next 12 months, but for every 3 lower players that are replaced by one of genuinely quality, i doubt the salary levels will change much.

 

I agree with you but the salary levels are lower than last season gate revenues are probably up and the Stadium is Rent free.

[shurlock]

Btw, do we even know who was at the top of AP's shopping list? Was Ward first choice before Seaborne or Puncheon behind Danns, Stock etc?

[Gemmel]

Btw, do we even know who was at the top of AP's shopping list? Was Ward first choice before Seaborne or Puncheon behind Danns, Stock etc?

 

Exactly and I'm not even sure AP was top of Nicola's

[hutch]

I'm sure the gate revenue is up. Every cup game (and the TV revenue and prize money) is a bonus.

[Wes Tender]

But SOG misses cracking one off over the previous chairman so it's no surprise his agenda is one of criticisim.

 

Exactly. Playing devil's advocate is the preserve of somebody intelligently attempting to bring in some balance to a debate. SOG's position is compromised by the stance that he has taken too often in the past of defending the position of the past regime, when most would have said that it was indefensible.

[croydonsaint]

Reading this post, i am wondering what set of circumstances would lead to no criticism or soul searching for potential problems.

I suppose it is the nature of a forum i guess, but some peoples comments are so based on their own limitations in terms of how they judge/view the world, rather than fact. I am talking generaly and not specifically this post.

Ive read threads where people are commenting on the amount of money we are spending, so if we had chosen the most expensive options, i could see a thread, like "why are we chosing the most expensive players in these depressed times".

 

I think for now at the very least i would put my faith in M.L. on the basis that im sure along away hes had some luck, but there is no way he has achieved such financial and private success with out some very sound judgement.

 

Lets just count ourselves lucky we have gone so far in such a short time, lets be realistic, and patient and why not just enjoy the ride because i reckon we will be back in the premiership within 5 years...

[Rebel]

I don't think the current owners will really splash the cash until the summer.

 

This season we have an outside chance of the play-offs and we have strengthened the team a little bit in the January window to make sure we finish in the top half and still have an outside chance of making the play-offs.

 

However I think Cortese and Liebherr are running the club wisely - and making sure the wage bill is met by current revenue. Certainly for this season. The time to gamble is next season - the odds are against us this season!

 

This season is all about steadying the ship and building the foundations for the next few seasons.

 

We should see any trips to Wembley, a good FA Cup run as the jam in the cake. Beating Portsmouth in the Cup and winning the JPT would really be the icing on the cake!

 

The cake itself is finishing in the top half this season and starting next season on 0 points and not -10 as favourites for promotion!

 

In the summer with Wotton, Thomas, Murty, Connolly, Waigo, Ostemboor, Antonio and Perry all out of contract and a lot more space on the wage bill I think we will see some real money spent on transfer fees to put together a squad good enough to get automatic promotion.

 

Hopefully we will get rid of some of the deadwood in the summer as well - Pulis, Molyneux, Holmes et al.

[Saint_clark]

We would not have spent nearly £3million in League One with Lowe in charge.

[hutch]

We would not have had nearly £3m to spend with Lowe in charge.

[Foxstone]

I think the main difference between old and new regimes is the money being spent now is "private" money and under previous Chairmen the money being spent was technically the "club's" money.

 

ML doesn't have to cough a penny if he doesn't want to which is the point I was trying to make in the summer when he took over. Who are we to tell him how much to spend?

 

I would be interested to know, however, now the club does not have to service a debt whether or not our income matches our outgoings putting to one side expenditure on transfers.

 

Nail on head !

 

Markus is in the position to spend as much or as little of his cash as he likes, and leaves it to Nicola to drive the deals.

 

I would imagine that Nicola and Pards drew up a list of primary targets and contingency secondary targets in case the primaries could not be landed. Very sensible too.

 

We got Fonte & Barnard which were certainly primary targets with the addition of Antonio on a loan extension, where perhaps Puncheon, Seaborne and Otsemobor were secondaries but none the less targets anyway.

 

All told - very good business done all round.

 

Appreciating Rupert's propensity towards financial prudence as one thing, but assuming the money was available to him would he really have sanctioned Barnard's transfer with £1 already spent on Lambert to use him as a back-up? I somehow doubt it !

 

ML+NC have shown great ambition in investing in the club this window for a push for the play-offs while I am certain Rupert's natural style would have settled for the opposite.

[John B]

 

ML+NC have shown great ambition in investing in the club this window for a push for the play-offs while I am certain Rupert's natural style would have settled for the opposite.

 

 

 

Lowe would not invest money which he did not have but I am really interested to know how much ML will invest to get to the Premier League and stay there.

 

It is not going to be cheap

[ottery st mary]

Saints definitely on the up again and we have Rupes bunnies performing once again..

Where have you been?

 

John B, you and SOG.... Really must let Rupert fade away ..

If you were ever supporters of the Saints rejoin the happy and optimistic support..we are heading back to the top.....

Then again if you can't let Rupes go..you will no doubt continue to revisit this subject at every opportunity..

Funny old game, they say, when other posters bring up anti Lowe subjects..You two naughty boyzz, are right on the case stating that poor old Rupes should be forgotten...

 

Like many on here and most, supporting the mighty Saints, it is quite obvious... we are now...

IN very good professional hands...Peeps who DEFINITELY know what they are doing....Dear old Rupert Lowe is not able to mix in the same company..

 

SOG and John B and your fellow Rupes Ravers suggest... Rupert Lowe very much best forgotten ...

 

COYRs

 

Boyzz please don't send him anymore bloooody letters...

Edited 3 February, 2010 by ottery st mary
spellin

[Saint_clark]

Lowe would not invest money which he did not have but I am really interested to know how much ML will invest to get to the Premier League and stay there.

 

It is not going to be cheap

 

I think a few of the players we have are capable of playing in a promotion chasing CCC side as well to be honest.

[John B]

Saints definitely on the up again and we have Rupes bunnies performing once again..

Where have you been?

 

John B, you and SOG.... Really must let Rupert fade away ..

If you were ever supporters of the Saints rejoin the happy and optimistic support..we are heading back to the top.....

Then again if you can't let Rupes go..you will no doubt continue to revisit this subject at every opportunity..

Funny old game, they say, when other posters bring up anti Lowe subjects..You two naughty boyzz, are right on the case stating that poor old Rupes should be forgotten...

 

Like many on here and most, supporting the mighty Saints, it is quite obvious... we are now...

IN very good professional hands...Peeps who DEFINITELY know what they are doing....Dear old Rupert Lowe is not able to mix in the same company..

 

SOG and John B and your fellow Rupes Ravers suggest... Rupert Lowe very much best forgotten ...

 

COYRs

 

Boyzz please don't send him anymore bloooody letters...

 

I appologise once more OSM for upsetting you but it is only a discussion Forum and SOG brings up an interesting but pointless thread.

 

 

I dont think he is suggesting that Rupert should be brought back but how the forum acts towards NC.

 

 

I am quite happy with the deals done in the transfer Window and look forward to promotion to the CCC which should not be too difficult to achieve by spending a little more.

 

 

Getting to the Premiership and staying there is going to cost quite a lot and I wonder how much they are willing to pay

[John B]

I think a few of the players we have are capable of playing in a promotion chasing CCC side as well to be honest.

 

Yes I agree but it staying in the Premiership that is going to cost money in transfer fees and wages it is fairly easy to say spend £10 m and get promoted from the CCC.

Edited 3 February, 2010 by John B

[Faz]

AP: I need two new centre halves - choose from Fonte, Seaborne & Ward

NC: OK leave it to me to do the best deal within the available budget.

[John B]

AP: I need two new centre halves - choose from Fonte, Seaborne & Ward

NC: OK leave it to me to do the best deal within the available budget.

 

Yes OK a reasonable approach but there is money left over as we did not get Danns

[Channon's Sideburns]

Here's a comparison between Nicola Cortese and Rupert Lowe.

 

Cortese is a hard-hitting businessman who delivers what he has promised and obviously realises that without the fans there is no club. Therefore he sees 'the bigger picture'

 

Lowe is a hard-hitting businessman who delivers little or none of what he has promised and obviously realises that the customers are in fact, lower life form than himself. The only 'bigger picture' he sees is one of a ****ing train.

 

End of. To coin an overused phrase.... 'Simples'

[nodster]

Go away SOG you troll, R**pert L**e struggled to spend £3M in a season in the prem and we've just done it in L1. Don't see any other L1 clubs spending the money we have!!

[ottery st mary]

Ward still not playing? Injured? Massive add ons if he played? Not good enough?

Strange requests re signing on fee?..short contract wanted for some reason....Saints normally want 3 and 1/2 years..... No other club signed him?

Ots is look and see til end of season....

 

Danns may well be some of the above..Re Ward?...No other club tried to sign him in window?.Definitely wanted very high wages...I suggest...Agents add ons etc..

Undecided if he would have been better for us than Puncheon.....

 

Ward, Danns and Stock may be good players.....Fact is they didn't sign for whatever reason......Let us move on with what we have and win lots of points and win all our cup games.......Saints are on the move......Starting with 3-0 win against Exeter..COYRs

I do not have a clue why any prospective transfers fell through.......BUT, if any of those mentioned and obviously not coming to fruition.... suggest Pards and NC made decisions that were in the best interests of SFC.....

Rupert not worth any further debate..exhausted subject..

 

Forum for debate.....No problem but as requested by SOG many times...Lets leave Rupes to rest in peace.......HE AIN'T THAT IMPORTANT TO US ANYMORE..

 

COYRS

[Faz]

Yes OK a reasonable approach but there is money left over as we did not get Danns

 

AP: I also need a powerful midefielder. get me Puncheon, Danns or Stock

NC: Ok leave it to me to get the best deal within the available budget.

AP: Oh, and can we add one of the leagues leading scorers to the list?

NC: Sure, anyone in mind?

[Wes Tender]

 

Getting to the Premiership and staying there is going to cost quite a lot and I wonder how much they are willing to pay

 

Getting there is probably going to cost a bob or two, but staying there not necessarily so. Here I must acknowledge the one strategy that was employed by he who must never be named that made much sense; the development of the Academy as a source of future less expensive players. It has already been made plain by Cortese's plans for Staplewood that it is a part of the future strategy to produce some home grown talent via this route. The problem with the last lot was that any decent home grown talent was to be utilised as a cash cow to keep us afloat through their sale, rather than as a device to improve our team. Decent players were sold and then part of the proceeds were used to replace them with two or three mediocre players, any surplus profits being used to pay dividends.

 

It would be nice to believe that an academy with great facilities and an ambitious club, could attract our equivalent of Giggs, Scholes, the Neville brothers, Beckham etc that served ManUre for so long. We used to be able to produce some prodigious talent ourselves, such as Shearrer, Le Tiss, the Wallace brothers and more recently Walcott and Bale. But it has always been the case that we couldn't afford to keep those players here if a big club came knocking on their doors.

 

Now, it seems that if we want to keep a player, provided that the player also wants to stay, we can tell other clubs to sod off if we want. I can foresee a situation in five or six years whereby we could have developed a crop of promising youngsters with a love of the club and an afinity with several others from that academy background that encourages them to stay and play for us provided that we pay them a fair sum for doing so.

[Charlie Wayman]

 

... i reckon we will be back in the premiership within 5 years...

 

We would all like that to happen but it won't simply because in each division it will be necessary to build a team that first of all can compete well enough to stabalise our position at the higher level; secondly to re-build again in the higher division to form a side that can outperform everyone else. All other things being equal (which as we will see below they are not), each step of that process can be expected to take between 2/4 years, so we would be looking at between 6 years (very best), 9 years (reasonably) and 12 years if all the cards start to fall over to achieve this goal. These are long periods of time, if we went through it without at least one or more regime changes at pitch level and in the boardroom, we'd be very lucky indeed and somewhat unusual in the modern game.

 

Meanwhile, many of the players that we have now who may get us out of this division will fall by the wayside through injury, age, limited ability, dissatisfaction or even greed. The wastage each year could be quite high because of the rigorous and uncertain demands of the modern game and of course other teams are trying to do exactly the same thing as us.

 

The pool of real talent from which we might hope to build our tomorrows is like a lake of prime fish, everyone trawling for them eventually with finer and finer nets even if one is lucky enough to own a trawler - what happens to the guy with only a fishing line? - so that when the big fish are depleted even the youngsters and minnows get trawled, too early and quickly discarded when 'dead'. The big fish naturally cost more and more as success becomes mandatory for survival so success on the field will have everything to do with economics and virtually nothing to do with ambition or wishful hunches.

 

For these very practical reasons we would do well at present to content ourselves with the ambition of a reasonably quick return to the CCC and establishing ourselves there in the upper half. As a 5-year objective that sounds about right although we may not wish it to be so.

[ottery st mary]

Up the middle for Charlie.....I knew it...You're Jack Hargreaves...Or are you talking about our Fishy friends down the road...

Edited 3 February, 2010 by ottery st mary
spellin once again