For those hoping for a Sugar Daddy to turn up

[dubai_phil]

It seesm we are not the only club trying to cut spending to become financially stable

 

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/football/leagues/premierleague/chelsea/3367039/Roman-Abramovich-sacks-15-Chelsea-scouting-staff-in-bid-to-cut-club-debt-Football.html

 

........Abramovich attempts to cut club debt

Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich is said to have sacked two-thirds of his scouting team in what seems to be a bid to cut the club's ever mounting debt levels.

 

..........With a total debt of over £736m, sacking the £100,000-a-year scouts will only scratch the surface in balancing the books - something Abramovich wants to see done by 2010.

 

Further evidence of the London club being hit by the current financial storm is the fact that manager Luiz Felipe Scolari has been told not to spend anything in the January transfer window.

 

Now I know we also want a takeover for political reasons, but as I have pointed out a number of times, people who have "money" are keen not to spend it during these uncertain times.

 

Many fans have talked about needing to have HOPE. Well, IMHO what we should be doing THIS season is simply HOPING we survive long enough so that peope with money start to spend it again and then buy us.

 

Cue bitterness and division, enjoy

[Roman]

And so far - I think - every penny of Abramovich's largesse remains on Chelsea's books as debt.

 

If Roman walks away, it'll be fun watching Chelsea racing past us into League 1.

[krissyboy31]

........Abramovich attempts to cut club debt

Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich is said to have sacked two-thirds of his scouting team in what seems to be a bid to cut the club's ever mounting debt levels.

 

..........With a total debt of over £736m, sacking the £100,000-a-year scouts will only scratch the surface in balancing the books - something Abramovich wants to see done by 2010.

 

LOL.... Even David Copperfield couldn't make something that big disappear.

[saintjay77]

And so far - I think - every penny of Abramovich's largesse remains on Chelsea's books as debt.

 

If Roman walks away, it'll be fun watching Chelsea racing past us into League 1.

 

Cant see him just walking away TBH and I cant see anyone wanting to buy him out either. The club is in debt on the back of Roman having so much dosh and can bail them out if needs be. No idea why someone with so much money would put the club in so much debt as opposed to paying up front though.

[Capel Saint]

It has always puzzled me that Abramovich has deemed his expenditure on Chelsea as a loan and not just writing it off. I wonder what will happen to Chelsea when he gets bored of Prem football?

[eurosaint]

Cant see him just walking away TBH and I cant see anyone wanting to buy him out either. The club is in debt on the back of Roman having so much dosh and can bail them out if needs be. No idea why someone with so much money would put the club in so much debt as opposed to paying up front though.

 

Perhaps it is beneficial to his tax situation ??

[Badger]

LOL.... Even David Copperfield couldn't make something that big disappear.

 

Or Mr Micawber for that matter.

 

"Annual income twenty pounds, annual expenditure nineteen nineteen six, result happiness. Annual income twenty pounds, annual expenditure twenty pounds ought and six, result misery "

[dubai_phil]

It has always puzzled me that Abramovich has deemed his expenditure on Chelsea as a loan and not just writing it off. I wonder what will happen to Chelsea when he gets bored of Prem football?

 

IMHO it could always simply be a way of getting money out of somewhere should that world change and he cannot get back home. OK so he is a billion dollars out of pocket which if his "sources of finance paid off" and he got only 50 mil back here in the UK by selling up, he'd have a fun life....

 

Which is an allegedly way of saying, well it could be money laundering.

 

Still, to get his money back he only has to halve Cashley's weekly salary...

 

But nice to see confirmation in the media that even the richest club owner hasn't got the cash to splash anymore, which comes back to "hurry up and end the recession back home you lot so they can start to spend money and we can get bought!"

[SNOWY]

It seesm we are not the only club trying to cut spending to become financially stable

 

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/football/leagues/premierleague/chelsea/3367039/Roman-Abramovich-sacks-15-Chelsea-scouting-staff-in-bid-to-cut-club-debt-Football.html

 

........Abramovich attempts to cut club debt

Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich is said to have sacked two-thirds of his scouting team in what seems to be a bid to cut the club's ever mounting debt levels.

 

..........With a total debt of over £736m, sacking the £100,000-a-year scouts will only scratch the surface in balancing the books - something Abramovich wants to see done by 2010.

 

Further evidence of the London club being hit by the current financial storm is the fact that manager Luiz Felipe Scolari has been told not to spend anything in the January transfer window.

 

Now I know we also want a takeover for political reasons, but as I have pointed out a number of times, people who have "money" are keen not to spend it during these uncertain times.

 

Many fans have talked about needing to have HOPE. Well, IMHO what we should be doing THIS season is simply HOPING we survive long enough so that peope with money start to spend it again and then buy us.

 

Cue bitterness and division, enjoy

£100,000 a year scouts! Unferkinbelievable.

[stevegrant]

£100,000 a year scouts! Unferkinbelievable.

Particularly given that the players they'd be looking to buy shouldn't really need "scouting" in the true meaning of the word, i.e. the player's an unknown and they want to learn a bit more about him before deciding whether to try to sign him. All the players Chelsea would be interested in buying are already high-profile. It doesn't take a scouting network to know who the top players in each of the European leagues are, to be honest.

[Doctoroncall]

It's believed that ~15 scouts have been asked to go... wtf are Chelsea going with ~22 scouts in the first place!!!

[Doctoroncall]

Particularly given that the players they'd be looking to buy shouldn't really need "scouting" in the true meaning of the word, i.e. the player's an unknown and they want to learn a bit more about him before deciding whether to try to sign him. All the players Chelsea would be interested in buying are already high-profile. It doesn't take a scouting network to know who the top players in each of the European leagues are, to be honest.

 

I suppose it's more for scouting the youth, but still OTT, unless anyone knows that they have a collection of world beating youngsters?

[stevegrant]

I suppose it's more for scouting the youth, but still OTT, unless anyone knows that they have a collection of world beating youngsters?

Given that our youth team beat theirs 4-3 last month, I'd suggest that may not be the case

 

I don't see why the likes of Chelsea bother with a youth set-up, now they've got a seemingly-bottomless pit of Russian Roubles to spend on players, I'll be very surprised if any player breaks into the first team from their youth academy.

 

The last player to come through Chelsea's youth system and get a regular place in the team is John Terry, who made his Chelsea debut ten years ago.

[saintjay77]

Given that our youth team beat theirs 4-3 last month, I'd suggest that may not be the case

 

I don't see why the likes of Chelsea bother with a youth set-up, now they've got a seemingly-bottomless pit of Russian Roubles to spend on players, I'll be very surprised if any player breaks into the first team from their youth academy.

 

The last player to come through Chelsea's youth system and get a regular place in the team is John Terry, who made his Chelsea debut ten years ago.

 

Dont they have to have a youth set up as part of the FA rules? kinda sucks as a rule when the 1st team is made up from top class players groomed from around the world but i suppose other teams benifit from there cast offs and kids that dont make it.

 

We have cork who I would be very surprised if he ever got into Chelsea's 1st team.

[Doctoroncall]

Given that our youth team beat theirs 4-3 last month, I'd suggest that may not be the case

 

I don't see why the likes of Chelsea bother with a youth set-up, now they've got a seemingly-bottomless pit of Russian Roubles to spend on players, I'll be very surprised if any player breaks into the first team from their youth academy.

 

The last player to come through Chelsea's youth system and get a regular place in the team is John Terry, who made his Chelsea debut ten years ago.

 

I was thinking about scott sinclair, however he was poached from bristol rovers. I think this is the case with 90% of their scholars.

[stevegrant]

Dont they have to have a youth set up as part of the FA rules? kinda sucks as a rule when the 1st team is made up from top class players groomed from around the world but i suppose other teams benifit from there cast offs and kids that dont make it.

I think there may well be some sort of rule, but there's nothing that states how much needs to be invested into youth development. We've spent a hell of a lot on it since the Academy in its current guise was launched, and I'd certainly argue that we've reaped the benefits of that investment both in terms of bringing through players who have contributed to the first team and their subsequent sale price.

 

It just seems such a futile exercise, and the only reason young players go to academies at the likes of Chelsea is for the prestige and possibly money. They get it into their head that they've actually got a chance of getting into the first team when the reality couldn't be further from the truth. They'd be better off going to a club where it wouldn't be quite as prestigious but where the chances of getting first team football are infinitely higher.

 

We have cork who I would be very surprised if he ever got into Chelsea's 1st team.

I agree, and I suspect he'll end up leaving Chelsea at the end of this season in search of permanent first-team football. I don't imagine it's much fun being shipped out for a year or six months to different parts of the country, particularly for a young player.

[stevegrant]

I was thinking about scott sinclair, however he was poached from bristol rovers. I think this is the case with 90% of their scholars.

Sinclair actually made his senior debut for Bristol Rovers, and then saw playing for Chelsea's academy and reserves as a step up... quite a sad state of affairs.

 

It's interesting to note that there are actually two entries for Sinclair on Soccerbase - one of which notes his two substitute appearances for Bristol Rovers in the 04/05 season, the other of which suggests his career began at Chelsea.

[krissyboy31]

I was thinking about scott sinclair, however he was poached from bristol rovers. I think this is the case with 90% of their scholars.

 

To be fair, many of our youngsters have started their academy education elsewhere.

[saintjay77]

I think there may well be some sort of rule, but there's nothing that states how much needs to be invested into youth development. We've spent a hell of a lot on it since the Academy in its current guise was launched, and I'd certainly argue that we've reaped the benefits of that investment both in terms of bringing through players who have contributed to the first team and their subsequent sale price.

 

It just seems such a futile exercise, and the only reason young players go to academies at the likes of Chelsea is for the prestige and possibly money. They get it into their head that they've actually got a chance of getting into the first team when the reality couldn't be further from the truth. They'd be better off going to a club where it wouldn't be quite as prestigious but where the chances of getting first team football are infinitely higher.

 

 

I agree, and I suspect he'll end up leaving Chelsea at the end of this season in search of permanent first-team football. I don't imagine it's much fun being shipped out for a year or six months to different parts of the country, particularly for a young player.

 

Yeah I very much doubt there is a limit clubs have to spend and we have spentemore than most at a guess. Shows how well it can work when it has been our bread and butter for years now.

 

The win/win scenario would be that we become a very good young team and we start to attract the next Ronaldo's and Henry's into our youth set up. If we can install some loyalty into the kids we bring in and we become a stong team in the prem then we could demand much higher prices or afford to keep the kids we want. Have to have very rose tinted glasses on to be able to see that far in the future though.

 

Honestly speaking I think being in the CCC will cost us too many of the promising youth year on year and it will be a hell of a struggle to try to get back in the prem. Would be very nice to become the UK's answer to Ajax though.

[Weston Super Saint]

Perhaps it is beneficial to his tax situation ??

 

LOL @ the idea of Abramovich bothering to pay taxes

[stevegrant]

Honestly speaking I think being in the CCC will cost us too many of the promising youth year on year and it will be a hell of a struggle to try to get back in the prem. Would be very nice to become the UK's answer to Ajax though.

I'd expect the likes of Chelsea and Pompey to hoover up a fair amount of the local young talent at the moment, so you're right in saying that our league position will cost us a fair bit in terms of the talent available, although when the **** inevitably hits the fan down the road they'll be in an even worse situation than us and without the "giving youth a chance" reputation that we've established.

 

Speaking of Ajax, one thing that astounded me when I was watching their game against Villa recently was the "expert" co-commentator (can't remember who it was - might have been Chris Waddle) said he couldn't understand Ajax's long-term strategy of bringing countless technically-gifted players through the youth ranks in order to blood them in the first team and then sell them on for big money. It seems as though some people in football still don't have any appreciation of the real world, even when they've been out of the Premier League bubble for a number of years.

[Baj]

It's also that practise that enables them to buy the best of their nations talent... and in some circumstances hold on to them... I'd love to see Huntelaar in the prem, but Ajax seem certain to hold onto him again despite £30m+ bids from the likes of Arsenal

[saint1977]

Sinclair actually made his senior debut for Bristol Rovers, and then saw playing for Chelsea's academy and reserves as a step up... quite a sad state of affairs.

 

It's interesting to note that there are actually two entries for Sinclair on Soccerbase - one of which notes his two substitute appearances for Bristol Rovers in the 04/05 season, the other of which suggests his career began at Chelsea.

 

It's because Rovers are only a Centre of Excellence whereas the Academy clubs will always get the best young players, as we traditionally have (Theo, Bale etc). Even though Sinclair had broken through, the argument would be that the better coaching would make him go the extra mile in his career. Not sure I totally agree, young players were traditionally blooded in the lower leagues - David Platt didn't do badly being at Crewe for example.

 

A warning to Lowe and Wilde though - dilute the formula at your peril, Academy status can be given and taken away.

[Capel Saint]

Dont they have to have a youth set up as part of the FA rules? kinda sucks as a rule when the 1st team is made up from top class players groomed from around the world but i suppose other teams benifit from there cast offs and kids that dont make it.

 

We have cork who I would be very surprised if he ever got into Chelsea's 1st team.

 

Which is why Walcott chose Saints rather than Chelsea, if my memory serves me correctly. Chelsea wanted him but he knew he would struggle to get into their 1st team so he chose Saints as he knew he would get more 1st team opportunites. If only more gifted youngsters thought like that!

[saint1977]

Which is why Walcott chose Saints rather than Chelsea, if my memory serves me correctly. Chelsea wanted him but he knew he would struggle to get into their 1st team so he chose Saints as he knew he would get more 1st team opportunites. If only more gifted youngsters thought like that!

 

It's also down to sensible parenting - Theo comes from an encouraging and balanced background. Some parents are just not grounded in reality in relation to their "prodigy".

[Capel Saint]

It's also down to sensible parenting - Theo comes from an encouraging and balanced background. Some parents are just not grounded in reality in relation to their "prodigy".

 

Alas that is true!

[saint1977]

Alas that is true!

 

Just look at another sport - Anthony Hamilton, Lewis's dad. He shows that you can be ambitious but also treat people with respect and has helped Lewis make the right decisions and forge the right alliances and not always the ones that are the most trendy. The Hamiltons and Ron Dennis of McClaren have shown each other a lot of loyalty and invested a lot in Lewis between them - if that was football, the dad would have told the son to go to Ferrari because the agent had put a £250k bung in his pocket.