Time to be realistic

[OldNick]

i understand most fans on here are realistic to what is to become the norm for a while. We really do have to understand the squad will be cut and shut big time whoever takes over.It seems to me none of the interested parties have a lot of money to play with and so will look at the players wage bill. We will have to get used to the loss of anyone who commands a decent wage.Sadly to some fans it will mean the back of many of their heroes (although many wont be missed)

We will IMO have to accept a lot of hardworking players who we have never heard of .

In time some will get our respect and perhaps become our heroes.

[VectisSaint]

i understand most fans on here are realistic to what is to become the norm for a while. We really do have to understand the squad will be cut and shut big time whoever takes over.It seems to me none of the interested parties have a lot of money to play with and so will look at the players wage bill. We will have to get used to the loss of anyone who commands a decent wage.Sadly to some fans it will mean the back of many of their heroes (although many wont be missed)

We will IMO have to accept a lot of hardworking players who we have never heard of .

In time some will get our respect and perhaps become our heroes.

Really can't think of many that I would be upset to lose in reality. Davis, Gillett, Perry, James & Saeijs are the only ones I would really like to keep, and I'm realistic enough to realise that at least 2 of those are unlikely to stay.

[Mole]

There are no "heros" in our current squad. Any of them can go i wouldn't be particularly bothered.

[dubai_phil]

Mate gave me a copy of the Man U programme while I was over.

 

I was shocked to see the back page

 

Our squad is the same size as Man U's.

 

Ouch - for me realism will come from having a sensible squad with a backbone but 44 players?????

[the saint in winchester]

Mate gave me a copy of the Man U programme while I was over.

 

I was shocked to see the back page

 

Our squad is the same size as Man U's.

 

Ouch - for me realism will come from having a sensible squad with a backbone but 44 players?????

 

This is where our money has gone. Too many mouths to feed!

I'll be happy with a squad of 23 players, on League 1 wages, but keen to prove themselves.

[egreog]

There are no "heroes" in our current squad. Any of them can go i wouldn't be particularly bothered.

 

Totally agree....the word "hero" and the current bunch of non performers do not go well together to say the least........the majority are losers who will do well to get into another Div 3 club, but their wages will be cut accordingly and rightly so

[70's Mike]

Agreed Nick

I was thinking over the week end that we will become just a run of the mill club, 2 inch game report in the Sunday papers, players with no real quality, low gates away from home and probably at home.

As someone in there later 50's i really am not looking forward to it, in effect the whole club is going to change lets hope the younger generation get the same joy out of the club as we have over the last 48 years

[Doctoroncall]

i understand most fans on here are realistic to what is to become the norm for a while. We really do have to understand the squad will be cut and shut big time whoever takes over.It seems to me none of the interested parties have a lot of money to play with and so will look at the players wage bill. We will have to get used to the loss of anyone who commands a decent wage.Sadly to some fans it will mean the back of many of their heroes (although many wont be missed)

We will IMO have to accept a lot of hardworking players who we have never heard of .

In time some will get our respect and perhaps become our heroes.

 

Considering the turnover in players we've had in three seasons - something like 100 players - I don't think there has been any that could build a relationship with fans to be considered "heros"!

 

Time to stop that trend and hope the management team are good enough to build a squad of about 25 players with the youngsters filling in when injuries hit.

Edited 11 May, 2009 by Doctoroncall

[OldNick]

Agreed Nick

I was thinking over the week end that we will become just a run of the mill club, 2 inch game report in the Sunday papers, players with no real quality, low gates away from home and probably at home.

As someone in there later 50's i really am not looking forward to it, in effect the whole club is going to change lets hope the younger generation get the same joy out of the club as we have over the last 48 years

The fans becoming newly realistic could become our strength of course.Every player linked to the club in the last 4 years are Googeled and then scoffed at.(funnily enough they were correct) but we were still in dreamland what we could egt.Now if the club take on some non entities /frees etc the fns may embrace the idea instead of criticising and make these players welcome.I still have neough faith that we can indeed rise again but we will need us all to unite behind whoever is there and not expect instant success.

[Matthew Le God]

It seems to me none of the interested parties have a lot of money to play with

 

This is based on what exactly?

 

Nobody knows anything about the deal apart from those involved directly atm.

[OldNick]

This is based on what exactly?

 

Nobody knows anything about the deal apart from those involved directly atm.

From my perspective it would be if we had a moneybags buyer he would have easily satisfied the administrator with a good offer weeks ago and we would have proceeded.

A lot of the hold up must be down to the adminsitrator being able to appease the creditors. of course you could argue that they are bieing careful and trying to buy it at the best price possible but again if you are super wealthy woulkd 2-5m matter in the big picture.

[Harry Faz]

44 players !! we had the same problem last time we got relegated, a bloated squad of journey men. Even if lots of them were paid little each , it still seems a very ,very poor way to run a football club which is cash strapped.

[Plumstead_Saint]

if you are super wealthy woulkd 2-5m matter in the big picture.

:smt046

 

So how do you get to be super wealthy?

by spending an extra £2-5 million needlessly rather than wait a few weeks, and buy stuff without doing your homework?

 

Some of the opinions and speculation on this sit ATM really crack me up.

[krissyboy31]

From my perspective it would be if we had a moneybags buyer he would have easily satisfied the administrator with a good offer weeks ago and we would have proceeded.

A lot of the hold up must be down to the adminsitrator being able to appease the creditors. of course you could argue that they are bieing careful and trying to buy it at the best price possible but again if you are super wealthy woulkd 2-5m matter in the big picture.

 

I tend to agree with MLG. I certainly don't agree with the statement in bold because even if there is a party with money to burn, they are not just going to throw money at us to appease the creditors. They will know our worth and have an idea what would be acceptable to Fry, Barclays, Aviva et al and their bid will be similar to just about anybody elses, who goes through the process.

 

Let's for argument's sake say there are 3 official bids on the table, different consortia with vastly differing amounts of funding behind them. I would be surprised if the individual bids were more than half a million between them.

[OldNick]

:smt046

 

So how do you get to be super wealthy?

by spending an extra £2-5 million needlessly rather than wait a few weeks, and buy stuff without doing your homework?

 

Some of the opinions and speculation on this sit ATM really crack me up.

Of course they need to be diligent but we have been in administration quite some time.Yes he will be able to buy us cheaper in a few weeks. You of course believe that our funds are boundless and will be able to be eeked out for them to wait until it is cheaper.If the club does not have funds and are liquidated he will be able to buy us for £10m cheaper.

Super wealthy people can go and buy boats for £200m and not worry that they cost 100'000s a week to run, that is who i think about when i mention super wealthy. If a buyer is concerned about 3-5m they are not super wealthy IMO.

[RedAndWhite91]

There are no "heros" in our current squad. Any of them can go i wouldn't be particularly bothered.

 

Kelvin Davis is the closest thing we currently have to a hero, despite going down.

[Mole]

How can we be realistic when we have no information?

 

Precisely.

[Toadhall Saint]

How can we be realistic when we have no information?

 

As far as I'm concerned we may get an exciting takeover, we may get an average one, we may get an anything will do one, or we may get nothing and fold completely.

 

Until one of those happens, I'll reserve my realistic judgement.

 

Ditto.

[Chez]

44 players !! we had the same problem last time we got relegated, a bloated squad of journey men. Even if lots of them were paid little each , it still seems a very ,very poor way to run a football club which is cash strapped.

 

weren't some of the 44 players that were just emerging from the academy? McClaggon for example.

[SFKA South Woodford]

Mate gave me a copy of the Man U programme while I was over.

 

I was shocked to see the back page

 

Our squad is the same size as Man U's.

 

Ouch - for me realism will come from having a sensible squad with a backbone but 44 players?????

 

Of those 44 players on the Utd programme, most of them would of been household names and players that Utd have paid a fee for, whereas at least 12 of those listed in our squad are either homegrown or haven't commanded a fee.

 

On the subject of free's and unknown players, Luton managed to put together a full squad in less than two weeks last season, of unknown and free transfer players who actually did a pretty good job for them.

 

And Bournemouth brought that lumbering donkey fletcher out of the retirement home, and he turned their season around.

 

So just because you haven't heard of them, it doesn't mean a player is no good. I'm sure there are a lot of non league players out there that could do a good job for Saints in the league we are now in.

[insertfunnyname]

before the season started no one was singing the praises of Gillett, James, KD and DMG - they either hadn't really played consistently or had up and down form. They were either dismissed ans not gd enough or too young.

 

They turned out to be our better than average performers this season above Euell, Saga and other well paid 'names' and much the same could happen with new players next season - if we have money or not.

Shelvey at Charlton has only been heard of cos they were forced to play him due to lack of finances and now he's the next Wonderkid ©.

[madsent]

Of those 44 players on the Utd programme, most of them would of been household names and players that Utd have paid a fee for, whereas at least 12 of those listed in our squad are either homegrown or haven't commanded a fee.

 

On the subject of free's and unknown players, Luton managed to put together a full squad in less than two weeks last season, of unknown and free transfer players who actually did a pretty good job for them.

 

And Bournemouth brought that lumbering donkey fletcher out of the retirement home, and he turned their season around.

 

So just because you haven't heard of them, it doesn't mean a player is no good. I'm sure there are a lot of non league players out there that could do a good job for Saints in the league we are now in.

 

The idea that our first-team squad was made up of 44 players is patently laughable. The list of 44 players was basically all of our players who were eligible to play regardless of age and experience. The distinctions between youth, reserve and first team squads were supposedly removed with the continental-style coaching arrangement leaving us with one squad that trained together and from which the teams were picked, age permitting.

[dubai_phil]

The idea that our first-team squad was made up of 44 players is patently laughable. The list of 44 players was basically all of our players who were eligible to play regardless of age and experience. The distinctions between youth, reserve and first team squads were supposedly removed with the continental-style coaching arrangement leaving us with one squad that trained together and from which the teams were picked, age permitting.

 

44 players, some of them on about 400 quid a week and some on more than 8,000. All expected to do the same thing.

TBH I don't give a damn if I had never heard of them or not, all I ever ask is that they perform when on a football pitch and at least LOOK as if they are footballers, not ballerinas with a broken toe (as someone described Euell)

The squad was simply unbalanced, too much at both ends - overpaid rubbish and underpaid inexperience.

Understanding we are now a League 1 club and building a squad for THAT with unity of purpose and no prima donnas is what I would call realistic

[OldNick]

44 players, some of them on about 400 quid a week and some on more than 8,000. All expected to do the same thing.

TBH I don't give a damn if I had never heard of them or not, all I ever ask is that they perform when on a football pitch and at least LOOK as if they are footballers, not ballerinas with a broken toe (as someone described Euell)

The squad was simply unbalanced, too much at both ends - overpaid rubbish and underpaid inexperience.

Understanding we are now a League 1 club and building a squad for THAT with unity of purpose and no prima donnas is what I would call realistic

I have often said that our good players stood out too much and that cost us dearly as we kept selling our spine.Clubs like WBA Brum etc have got promotion by having players that were too good for the CCC but not quite good enough fot the PL. We need a team not a few flashy or stand out players.To see the team play as a unit for common cause would be ok in my book

[The9]

44 players !! we had the same problem last time we got relegated, a bloated squad of journey men. Even if lots of them were paid little each , it still seems a very ,very poor way to run a football club which is cash strapped.

 

I'd say having lots of young players with potential on not much money to back up the first team was a very GOOD way to run a squad on a budget.

 

Of those "44", about 15 are first teamers on decent wages, the rest are young promising reserves and academy players who cost next to nothing or cheap loanees. We could shed one or two of the major earners and save the cost of all of the "kids" in one fell swoop.

 

It's only contracts we've been saddled with since 2006/7 that are dragging us down, and I can't imagine for a second anyone would be claiming the likes of Ben Reeves and Callum McNish's wages are a drain on the club - I'd rather have 20 of them than 1 Rasiak for the same money anyway - at least we might get something back from some of those 20, even if it is only compensation if they leave.

 

If we have to cut those 20 to 10 when in a lower division and have a thinner squad overall, so be it, but even the kids have some kind of contract, so they still have to be honoured anyway.

[dubai_phil]

I'd say having lots of young players with potential on not much money to back up the first team was a very GOOD way to run a squad on a budget.

 

Of those "44", about 15 are first teamers on decent wages, the rest are young promising reserves and academy players who cost next to nothing or cheap loanees. We could shed one or two of the major earners and save the cost of all of the "kids" in one fell swoop.

 

It's only contracts we've been saddled with since 2006/7 that are dragging us down, and I can't imagine for a second anyone would be claiming the likes of Ben Reeves and Callum McNish's wages are a drain on the club - I'd rather have 20 of them than 1 Rasiak for the same money anyway - at least we might get something back from some of those 20, even if it is only compensation if they leave.

 

If we have to cut those 20 to 10 when in a lower division and have a thinner squad overall, so be it, but even the kids have some kind of contract, so they still have to be honoured anyway.

 

IF we can get the big lump CF we need, and IMHO a wise old head in CM with LEADERSHIP skills, passing ability and a touch of pace then in fact much of this year's "crop" of kids will form the back-bone of our team next year.

Then the youngsters like Gobern and McLaggon & Lancashire could be introduced PROPERLY a few games at a time as cover for the first teamers who are injured/suspended (you know - how OTHER teams introduce their kids)

We talked about balance being wrong at the start of this season and next year we do have a chance to get that right.

Hope we find a way to keep KD, & JPS and lose the "Flash Harry's" and we will be on the way to getting a good squad together