Promoted teams

[sydneysaint17]

Haven't seen much about them on here so thought I'd post as it could be a factor in our future.

 

Leicester are apparently going to be spending considerable amounts with the aim of pushing top 5! If they spend a lot of money and they spend it well, then theres no reason why they can't in my opinion. Apparently have £180m to spend over next 3 seasons.

QPR are another one that, if they come back up, will most likely splash the cash. Their track record isn't great, but if they learn from previous mistakes, they certainly have the financial muscle to pull of some decent signings.

Burnley are a good side, however problem don't have the same level of financial backing. May also lose key players.

Derby look decent enough. Would need strengthen significantly to be competitive IMO.

 

The teams going down are worse than those likely to come up in my opinion. Where does this leave us? If, and its a big if, Leicester and QPR were to spend £60-80m each and buy some quality players, would it affect our goals of breaking into the top 5/6? Is the potential of greater competition making RK and KL reluctant to spend?

 

Thoughts?

[sydneysaint17]

No idea - sounds a lot to me. We came second in Championship whereas they've won it, we've since had 2/3 academy establish themselves as regulars (Shaw, Chambers, Ward Prowse) and have only spent £60m in two seasons (30m wasted on Osvaldo and Gaston). If they spent £60m a season and it was spent well I can certainly see them giving us a bit of competition around the 7th/8th mark, if not higher.

[John Boy Saint]

QPR spending £60-80m! Uncle Tony will be standing in the headmasters office dropping his trousers for another 6 of the best not sure he will poke up with that. With a wage bill last season in the prem bigger than the income, £65m debt from last season just gets added to the existing debt! They are more like £170m+ in debt.

That play-off game last night you could see how uneasy he was, stay in the championship and apparently they get a transfer embargo for such debt, and for him no way of seeing any of that massive amount being eased, or get to the Prem take the fine and see a chance of the slide bring slowed.

Derby beat them in the playoff final and they won't be needing to send probes into space in search of Black Holes a bloody great big one will be appearing just round the back of the old BBC!!

[jayrivers]

£180m over three seasons isn't near enough even if spent well, unless they have lots of great adacemy players to come in too?

 

Agree with that - We've spent something in the region of £60m and have a lot of academy players that are probably worth that again. But even then we'd be looking at another £60m to hit the top 5.

 

Although arguably if all our signings had the same effect as the more positive ones maybe we would be doing a lot better?

[sydneysaint17]

Makes no difference. Teams that win it were just better at getting points in that league. QPR under Warnock were set up to do that, but with players who were championship efficient and with very little ability to do it in the premier league. Saints had young players, unknown quantities, potential. It wasn't as suited to the championship, could be erratic but it's the best way to go up as it prepares you more. Swansea did the same, played the best football and went up in the playoffs, far better prepared than the 2 automatically promoted sides who'd gained far more points.

 

You can't be black and white about that league. We had a squad infinitely better than Reading in terms of quality and potential for a higher level. Yet they won the league being organised and experienced. If you just want promotion at all costs then fine, but if you're trying to build something longer term you need to go up the right way.

 

Agree with all of that and maybe the point about them winning the league isn't really relevant. Maybe our squad was better suited to the Premier League, but we have also transformed our squad substantially since we went up. It's not as though they've got a poor squad though, some good young players like that Liam Moore, mixed in with a bit of experience with Vardy/Nugent. If they're willing to spend and build their squad up, as we did with Rodriguez, Clyne etc. but spend DOUBLE what we did, then they're certainly giving themselves a good chance of progressing and thus providing us with some competition.

 

All of that said; spending the money is one thing, spending it well is another. They're also not exactly a glamour club, so it won't be easy to attract players without paying them a fair bit.

[sydneysaint17]

Agree with that - We've spent something in the region of £60m and have a lot of academy players that are probably worth that again. But even then we'd be looking at another £60m to hit the top 5.

 

Although arguably if all our signings had the same effect as the more positive ones maybe we would be doing a lot better?

 

True. Academy players current value and potential value is different though. A 27 year old peaking left back returning 1 assist and no goals who has had a solid season defensively is not worth £30m. The point about spending another £60m actually reinforces the view that Leicester could progress as thats exactly what they intend to do!!