A mercenary can just as easily be English as say Bulgarian. Compare Kishi to Marcus Bent. I am all for getting better value from abroad. The cost of British players is almost as ridiculous as the cost of British property. So long as the people doing the selection are employed exclusively to further the long term interests of CAFC.
A mercenary can just as easily be English as say Bulgarian. Compare Kishi to Marcus Bent. I am all for getting better value from abroad. The cost of British players is almost as ridiculous as the cost of British property. So long as the people doing the selection are employed exclusively to further the long term interests of CAFC.
Agree 100% and nothing will change until clubs start saying no to the O'Grady's and look elsewhere for same quality at realistic price.
Think forwards to summer 12 months and the vision is getting clearer...Peeters is amplifying the same message that Duchatelet has said from day 1. Let Hamer earn more money elsewhere and give Pope a chance...sell Wiggins and give Fox a go...Gomez a fixture in defence etc etc if they're good enough they're old enough...and in 12 months time the whole squad is a year older, ideally mid table. If any positions are a real problem by then ideally Liege or a premier league club can lend us a player or two while the academy grows the long term replacement. We are never going to repeat the Dowie Pardew time of 7 figure signings delivering losing teams AND destroying shareholder value. And in a year the FFP loss limit drops to £5m, a few more clubs with (or without) parachute money fail to get promoted and have to sell players to comply. Everything suggests to me that we might move from six academy first teamers to even more...and we are simply not going to try to outbid top 10 championship clubs on transfers nor wages. The only downside risk I see is if the club cannot extend the likes of Cousins, Harriot and Fox and they see out their deals...but I'm more than happy to cross that bridge when we come to it.
He knows the Championship and will be bringing in players that are up for it and suitable for the Championship...yippee. I take it from that we won't get a repeat of the January window.
Disappointed to see that he wants to play football. I thought he was the Belgian Allardyce.
Think forwards to summer 12 months and the vision is getting clearer...Peeters is amplifying the same message that Duchatelet has said from day 1. Let Hamer earn more money elsewhere and give Pope a chance...sell Wiggins and give Fox a go...Gomez a fixture in defence etc etc if they're good enough they're old enough...and in 12 months time the whole squad is a year older, ideally mid table. If any positions are a real problem by then ideally Liege or a premier league club can lend us a player or two while the academy grows the long term replacement. We are never going to repeat the Dowie Pardew time of 7 figure signings delivering losing teams AND destroying shareholder value. And in a year the FFP loss limit drops to £5m, a few more clubs with (or without) parachute money fail to get promoted and have to sell players to comply. Everything suggests to me that we might move from six academy first teamers to even more...and we are simply not going to try to outbid top 10 championship clubs on transfers nor wages. The only downside risk I see is if the club cannot extend the likes of Cousins, Harriot and Fox and they see out their deals...but I'm more than happy to cross that bridge when we come to it.
Interesting analysis.
Totallly different from the last analysis and the one before that and the one before that though.
A word of caution regarding Joe Gomez. He is barely 17 and is good no doubt about it, but it really is worth pondering the good enough/old enough idea a bit more deeply. Young players can be inconsistent, and still have a lot to learn from experience, particularly as a central defender, and there is still a decent bit of growing to do too. We definitely need to consider the risks of playing Joe as a mainstay next season.
A word of caution regarding Joe Gomez. He is barely 17 and is good no doubt about it, but it really is worth pondering the good enough/old enough idea a bit more deeply. Young players can be inconsistent, and still have a lot to learn from experience, particularly as a central defender, and there is still a decent bit of growing to do too. We definitely need to consider the risks of playing Joe as a mainstay next season.
I am not personally advocating we throw Gomez straight in there, he is merely the surest bet of being the next Solly or Cousins or Poyet (all of whom were older when they first featured for the first 11). I expect he'll be out on loan and if/when we get to a point where we know for sure our likely level in the season after this that he will get maybe 10-15 mins in a few nothing games to get him up to task for the 15-16 season.
Think forwards to summer 12 months and the vision is getting clearer...Peeters is amplifying the same message that Duchatelet has said from day 1. Let Hamer earn more money elsewhere and give Pope a chance...sell Wiggins and give Fox a go...Gomez a fixture in defence etc etc if they're good enough they're old enough...and in 12 months time the whole squad is a year older, ideally mid table. If any positions are a real problem by then ideally Liege or a premier league club can lend us a player or two while the academy grows the long term replacement. We are never going to repeat the Dowie Pardew time of 7 figure signings delivering losing teams AND destroying shareholder value. And in a year the FFP loss limit drops to £5m, a few more clubs with (or without) parachute money fail to get promoted and have to sell players to comply. Everything suggests to me that we might move from six academy first teamers to even more...and we are simply not going to try to outbid top 10 championship clubs on transfers nor wages. The only downside risk I see is if the club cannot extend the likes of Cousins, Harriot and Fox and they see out their deals...but I'm more than happy to cross that bridge when we come to it.
Interesting analysis.
Totallly different from the last analysis and the one before that and the one before that though.
; - )
That's the thing though, Henners.
Things keep changing and our opinions with them.
That's what I was (badly) trying to say when I posted on the "tipping point" thread.
Highs & lows/reviewing of our expectations based on what's occurred or not on that particular day.
I'm looking forward to M. Bob arriving next week & the ups peaking, starting with great news on the Poyet front.
Think forwards to summer 12 months and the vision is getting clearer...Peeters is amplifying the same message that Duchatelet has said from day 1. Let Hamer earn more money elsewhere and give Pope a chance...sell Wiggins and give Fox a go...Gomez a fixture in defence etc etc if they're good enough they're old enough...and in 12 months time the whole squad is a year older, ideally mid table. If any positions are a real problem by then ideally Liege or a premier league club can lend us a player or two while the academy grows the long term replacement. We are never going to repeat the Dowie Pardew time of 7 figure signings delivering losing teams AND destroying shareholder value. And in a year the FFP loss limit drops to £5m, a few more clubs with (or without) parachute money fail to get promoted and have to sell players to comply. Everything suggests to me that we might move from six academy first teamers to even more...and we are simply not going to try to outbid top 10 championship clubs on transfers nor wages. The only downside risk I see is if the club cannot extend the likes of Cousins, Harriot and Fox and they see out their deals...but I'm more than happy to cross that bridge when we come to it.
Interesting analysis.
Totallly different from the last analysis and the one before that and the one before that though.
; - )
In what way? I seem to remember you throwing your toys out of the pram when I first forecast reducing losses last October
Things change but the direction of travel remains the same.
The minute we sold Stephens and Kermorgant and when contract levels for these players were leaked / discussed it became very clear that Duchatelet is not interested in paying 5-600k pa for players without premier league experience. The club finished with better results without them and have just released ten players who hardly played last season.
I think we agree they were never "dead wood" and helped us in the past but they are not up for the challenge of keeping us in the Championship next season - and that was highlighted in the sales brochure leaked last summer... "The new owner will have a free hand to build a management team and squad based on the Academy and no long term contract commitments to older players nor management " or words to that effect.
We have recently been outbid for two out of contract 25 year old players not because Duchatelet is skint or tight but because his strategy is hungry youth not appeasing greedy agents.
None of this is new and I have written of this in different ways since 2013 - CAFC is in the best place it has been since 2006! Lower losses, no high earners and just a few loan or permanent signings away from a mid-table team. And the average age of the squad dropping like a stone. According to transfermarkt we were already the youngest in the division.
What people don't seem to realise about FFP is that the loss limits drop every season. So the likes of Bournemouth need to enjoy Kermorgant and whoever they sign this summer as they will be locked out of player registration from next January. And it might be a while before they are allowed back.
So I'm afraid I have been consistent my friend and have realised that Duchatelet is experienced enough and decisive enough to steer the club in the right direction making it more sustainable and even reducing season ticket prices at the same time. We have gone through the first five months and the changes have only just begun.
I had hoped we would really push on this summer but it appears that the club is in no hurry. That's Ok cos I can wait another 12 months watching the rest of the division lose another £250M between them on their "superior" approaches.
So no blame, no regrets and no fear...but that's another story.
A mercenary can just as easily be English as say Bulgarian. Compare Kishi to Marcus Bent. I am all for getting better value from abroad. The cost of British players is almost as ridiculous as the cost of British property. So long as the people doing the selection are employed exclusively to further the long term interests of CAFC.
Agree 100% and nothing will change until clubs start saying no to the O'Grady's and look elsewhere for same quality at realistic price.
Any idea on what the over and above amount that COG was asking for ?
A mercenary can just as easily be English as say Bulgarian. Compare Kishi to Marcus Bent. I am all for getting better value from abroad. The cost of British players is almost as ridiculous as the cost of British property. So long as the people doing the selection are employed exclusively to further the long term interests of CAFC.
Agree 100% and nothing will change until clubs start saying no to the O'Grady's and look elsewhere for same quality at realistic price.
Any idea on what the over and above amount that COG was asking for ?
I think I'm correct in saying that our top earners are on around 5k a week. If we were prepared to spend 500k on O'Grady then I presume we would consider him worthy of our top end wages. If he wants more then I don't think we should persue him any longer. If he get a better deal then good luck to him. If he doesn't then we either talk to him again or say sorry Chris we've moved on.
I think the point about British players is that they are more likely to have an understanding of English football, and won't need the time to adapt. I'm all for having players of different nationalities, I would just rather they had some experience of playing in England.
If this is a valid point, why is the Premiership dominated by foreigners ?
Think forwards to summer 12 months and the vision is getting clearer...Peeters is amplifying the same message that Duchatelet has said from day 1. Let Hamer earn more money elsewhere and give Pope a chance...sell Wiggins and give Fox a go...Gomez a fixture in defence etc etc if they're good enough they're old enough...and in 12 months time the whole squad is a year older, ideally mid table. If any positions are a real problem by then ideally Liege or a premier league club can lend us a player or two while the academy grows the long term replacement. We are never going to repeat the Dowie Pardew time of 7 figure signings delivering losing teams AND destroying shareholder value. And in a year the FFP loss limit drops to £5m, a few more clubs with (or without) parachute money fail to get promoted and have to sell players to comply. Everything suggests to me that we might move from six academy first teamers to even more...and we are simply not going to try to outbid top 10 championship clubs on transfers nor wages. The only downside risk I see is if the club cannot extend the likes of Cousins, Harriot and Fox and they see out their deals...but I'm more than happy to cross that bridge when we come to it.
Interesting analysis.
Totallly different from the last analysis and the one before that and the one before that though.
; - )
That's the thing though, Henners.
Things keep changing and our opinions with them.
That's what I was (badly) trying to say when I posted on the "tipping point" thread.
Highs & lows/reviewing of our expectations based on what's occurred or not on that particular day.
I'm looking forward to M. Bob arriving next week & the ups peaking, starting with great news on the Poyet front.
Onwards/upwards/downwards/sidewards......
I agree, things change all the time.
Which is why it is laughable that SR claims that every new and totally different guess he makes at the "vision" is correct and always has been a clear strategy.
Once letting all the main assets' contracts run down was a great strategy, then we were going to spend big and that was a great strategy, then we were going to use the "Networks" scouting to find great players in Africa and Eastern Europe and that was a great strategy. Now we're going to rely on Academy players and that is a great strategy (even though BP didn't say that, he actually made it clear he wants experienced players backed up by the academy players).
Change opinion as much as you like but don't claim every fecking time that it was always the vision, the vision is getting clearer, the vision is a brilliant strategy At least certain people should be honest and say "in the light of this new information we're still pretty much being left in the dark but my best guess is....." rather than quickly re-writing history to suit the latest bit of groupthink.
I think the point about British players is that they are more likely to have an understanding of English football, and won't need the time to adapt. I'm all for having players of different nationalities, I would just rather they had some experience of playing in England.
If this is a valid point, why is the Premiership dominated by foreigners ?
I would argue that it is a completely different brand of football played in the Prem compared to the Championship. Also, the players are of a much higher quality.
Comments
Let Hamer earn more money elsewhere and give Pope a chance...sell Wiggins and give Fox a go...Gomez a fixture in defence etc etc if they're good enough they're old enough...and in 12 months time the whole squad is a year older, ideally mid table. If any positions are a real problem by then ideally Liege or a premier league club can lend us a player or two while the academy grows the long term replacement. We are never going to repeat the Dowie Pardew time of 7 figure signings delivering losing teams AND destroying shareholder value.
And in a year the FFP loss limit drops to £5m, a few more clubs with (or without) parachute money fail to get promoted and have to sell players to comply.
Everything suggests to me that we might move from six academy first teamers to even more...and we are simply not going to try to outbid top 10 championship clubs on transfers nor wages.
The only downside risk I see is if the club cannot extend the likes of Cousins, Harriot and Fox and they see out their deals...but I'm more than happy to cross that bridge when we come to it.
Disappointed to see that he wants to play football. I thought he was the Belgian Allardyce.
Totallly different from the last analysis and the one before that and the one before that though.
; - )
Things keep changing and our opinions with them.
That's what I was (badly) trying to say when I posted on the "tipping point" thread.
Highs & lows/reviewing of our expectations based on what's occurred or not on that particular day.
I'm looking forward to M. Bob arriving next week & the ups peaking, starting with great news on the Poyet front.
Onwards/upwards/downwards/sidewards......
Things change but the direction of travel remains the same.
The minute we sold Stephens and Kermorgant and when contract levels for these players were leaked / discussed it became very clear that Duchatelet is not interested in paying 5-600k pa for players without premier league experience. The club finished with better results without them and have just released ten players who hardly played last season.
I think we agree they were never "dead wood" and helped us in the past but they are not up for the challenge of keeping us in the Championship next season - and that was highlighted in the sales brochure leaked last summer... "The new owner will have a free hand to build a management team and squad based on the Academy and no long term contract commitments to older players nor management " or words to that effect.
We have recently been outbid for two out of contract 25 year old players not because Duchatelet is skint or tight but because his strategy is hungry youth not appeasing greedy agents.
None of this is new and I have written of this in different ways since 2013 - CAFC is in the best place it has been since 2006!
Lower losses, no high earners and just a few loan or permanent signings away from a mid-table team. And the average age of the squad dropping like a stone. According to transfermarkt we were already the youngest in the division.
What people don't seem to realise about FFP is that the loss limits drop every season. So the likes of Bournemouth need to enjoy Kermorgant and whoever they sign this summer as they will be locked out of player registration from next January. And it might be a while before they are allowed back.
So I'm afraid I have been consistent my friend and have realised that Duchatelet is experienced enough and decisive enough to steer the club in the right direction making it more sustainable and even reducing season ticket prices at the same time. We have gone through the first five months and the changes have only just begun.
I had hoped we would really push on this summer but it appears that the club is in no hurry. That's Ok cos I can wait another 12 months watching the rest of the division lose another £250M between them on their "superior" approaches.
So no blame, no regrets and no fear...but that's another story.
CroydonMember
I think the point about British players is that they are more likely to have an understanding of English football, and won't need the time to adapt. I'm all for having players of different nationalities, I would just rather they had some experience of playing in England.
If this is a valid point, why is the Premiership dominated by foreigners ?
Which is why it is laughable that SR claims that every new and totally different guess he makes at the "vision" is correct and always has been a clear strategy.
Once letting all the main assets' contracts run down was a great strategy, then we were going to spend big and that was a great strategy, then we were going to use the "Networks" scouting to find great players in Africa and Eastern Europe and that was a great strategy. Now we're going to rely on Academy players and that is a great strategy (even though BP didn't say that, he actually made it clear he wants experienced players backed up by the academy players).
Change opinion as much as you like but don't claim every fecking time that it was always the vision, the vision is getting clearer, the vision is a brilliant strategy At least certain people should be honest and say "in the light of this new information we're still pretty much being left in the dark but my best guess is....." rather than quickly re-writing history to suit the latest bit of groupthink.