Players like Robson Kanu & Vydra (who were playing for Premier League/high end Championship clubs) are not going to resettle in London for £3k-£5k per week. Not on your nelly.
They may want to stay fit and keep their names out there so a short term contract maybe possible. The trouble with negativity is that nobody is good enough, too old, too young, unfit, injury prone, too expensive, too short, too timid, too aggressive etc etc. and you may well be right.
What I do know is that if you don’t try it certainly won’t happen. Remember when we signed the European footballer of the year?
Matej Vydra would much rather come home than play in the English 3rd division, I am sure of that. He is still in and around the Czech national side, and he could sign for one of the big 3 and have a good chance of some Euro club action if one of the bigger teams snapped him up. Whats more the league is 30 games and the domestic Cup not much valued. He probably would not be paid £3k week, but the cost of living is way lower and home is home, Many Czech players return in the evening of their careers.
I think he is far too good for league 1, who are you hoping snaps him up?
What do you mean? Just don't have a window. It is after all, a relatively new idea.
So there’s disruption for clubs all year round? Personally I think it’s a terrible idea. Things have changed so much over the years with regards to spending power and amount of substitutions. Just because it worked before doesn’t mean it would again.
I don't really care what some might think. I buy the streams and watch the club but going to matches when I have a long journey home totally disapointed is not what I want to do aged 58 years. I have done all that and bought the T-shirt. I am fed up with us being owned by crooks and fools and with every opportunity that supports itself, that opportunity is missed.
My point about the importance of different types of fans I know is not a popular one, but telling people to attend isn't going to make it happen. It is a reality which any business owner has to understand and address. If I did force myself to go, it would make absolutely no diference and the dog would be more likely to get kicked!(not really I am an animal lover). But I am going to do things I get some pleasure from at this stage of my life.
What do you mean? Just don't have a window. It is after all, a relatively new idea.
So there’s disruption for clubs all year round? Personally I think it’s a terrible idea. Things have changed so much over the years with regards to spending power and amount of substitutions. Just because it worked before doesn’t mean it would again.
I kinda get Jimmy's point - things worked perfectly well for years before the "transfer window" became a thing - funnily enough I don't remember a big day in mid march where every team desperately ran around til nearly midnight trying to get players - transfer windows were never brought in for fairness it was always about a bit of US sport-style spectacle.
It doesn't benefit the clubs, get an injury crisis in November? Tough shit - where you could have got a 3 or 6 month loan or two, now you just have to play the kids, who may or may not be ready - knock on effect to the fans who pay to see a competitive team each week. We know as much as most do that the January window can disrupt an entire season anyway.
It doesn't benefit the players - get left high and dry last minute because the chain collapses and you are stuck in obscurity for months on end, not wanted by your club, and unable to move.
The time pressure only benefits one group - the agents.
Having reflected on that deadline through the day I still can’t quite get my head around the failure to sign anyone. It has to be one of:
Naivety- Martin still being inexperienced and sharing way more than he should’ve at the game, when in reality it was going to be far more difficult to get deals done.
Out priced/competed- if it is indeed true that we were after Scully, it’s hard for anyone to compete with the league above, can scratch that one off. Though several suitable alternatives should have been ready.
Cutting costs- Thomas/Martin/ Raelynn have clearly been cutting costs off the field so perhaps that’s now spread to the playing staff. Whether this is in preparation for a sale or just a lack of funds is just speculation. I personally don’t think this is the case, tempting Garner and getting some good signings over the line earlier in the window doesn’t make sense if this was indeed true.
All in all, regardless of the deadline day failure the real indictment is that through a several month window we didn’t manage to fill the glaring holes in our squad, as soon as Washington was let go we were light up top and especially once Stockley clearly wasn’t suited to Garnerball an addition should have been top priority. Same goes for the extra defender we clearly needed, virtually inexplicable that we didn’t get one, and that there wasn’t a peep about it in the statement. I still think we’re capable of playoffs, possibly more this season. But now we’re relying on injuries etc going our way when that didn’t need to be the case.
What do you mean? Just don't have a window. It is after all, a relatively new idea.
So the championship play off is two days away, you can sign a player who’s way too good for that league and give him 50m win bonus even though he’s not played a single game for you. Hell, you could even sell him back the next day? Cos that’s where no window leads too.
No. It used to be that you couldn't sign new players after about mid-March.
It worked fine before 2002.
That’ll just benefit the big boys even more so surely. Teams will sign players as and when they like and then come March the Rich clubs will load up on short term deals to get trophies and promotions over the line.
Thats probably why they changed it to the current format.
The good thing with needing pace up front is we shouldn’t end up with another Leon Best/Ricardo Vaz Te type who we thought didn’t need to be quick to do a job as a target man. We’ve cleared out the older players who’s legs and/or hunger has gone, need to avoid bringing one or two in and wasting budget that could be better spent in January.
Interesting Gallen says he’s already spoken to some free agents.
Well that wasn't done post 11pm last night so obviously that was always in our plan
All that talk about data, about lists of players and targets they've been working on for months, about being well-prepared for transfer windows now and it gets to deadline day and all they've got is former player Macauley Bonne. It really is farcical.
Step forward martin, you played a blinder with your black box.
I don't really care what some might think. I buy the streams and watch the club but going to matches when I have a long journey home totally disapointed is not what I want to do aged 58 years. I have done all that and bought the T-shirt. I am fed up with us being owned by crooks and fools and with every opportunity that supports itself, that opportunity is missed.
My point about the importance of different types of fans I know is not a popular one, but telling people to attend isn't going to make it happen. It is a reality which any business owner has to understand and address. If I did force myself to go, it would make absolutely no diference and the dog would be more likely to get kicked!(not really I am an animal lover). But I am going to do things I get some pleasure from at this stage of my life.
Like constantly moaning on a football forum. Takes all sorts I suppose
I doubt Airman enjoys any of this. He is a supporter like the rest of us. He just calls things for what they are and that makes him unpopular with some.
I think he would attack any owner regardless to aid his agenda.
I've never spoken to Rick apart from to buy the Voice so I'm not in his group of friends. So could you tell me what his agenda is ?
No one wanted him anyway so why people complaining about the deal fallen through ….
I get your pint, and I’m willing to stick my head above the parapet, I wouldn’t have been to gutted to have had him back.
I get peoples frustrations with him, gets offside a lot, takes a lot of chances to score a goal, wasn’t very good in his recent appearance against us at the Valley for QPR, but all that aside wasn’t he our top scorer when we were last in the Championship?
If not I’m sure he got 11 goals, which is none too shabby?
I know we are going to pay the price further down the line, when Stockley picks up an inevitable injury, and we’ll probably have Leaburn leading the line, and people will kick off and moan again, chill guys not a lot we can do about it, but I get the frustration.
I've always back Sandgaard, but the end of this window has done me. He hasn't got the resources, god knows what would happen if we got to the championship.
For us to compete properly, he needs to sell.
Well I made this point the other day, I think now he's finally realised the sums involved, is he even looking at getting us promoted ? Premiership ready ? Stop being silly Sandgaard
I've always back Sandgaard, but the end of this window has done me. He hasn't got the resources, god knows what would happen if we got to the championship.
For us to compete properly, he needs to sell.
Well I made this point the other day, I think now he's finally realised the sums involved, is he even looking at getting us promoted ? Premiership ready ? Stop being silly Sandgaard
He’s massively underestimated the money pit that is professional football. If we don’t go up this season, I expect he’ll put us up for sale and have to take a hit given the money spent so far, and awkward issue of RD owning the Valley and Sparrows Lane. That’s just the feeling I get in terms of where he’s at with it and the fact we didn’t spend a fee this summer on players. I think he’s come in with optimism and exuberance, but the crippling reality of league one mediocrity and the money in the game has sucked all that enthusiasm out of him
I've always back Sandgaard, but the end of this window has done me. He hasn't got the resources, god knows what would happen if we got to the championship.
For us to compete properly, he needs to sell.
to who?
i think we are at least in a safe pair of hands with TS at the moment.
"Safe" in what sense? I think too many people believe what he says when he talks about breaking even. Nobody with any understanding of the club's finances thinks that is remotely achievable year on year. In fact, you don't even need to understand the finances - his five-year ambition, his predictions last season, his idea that he can fill The Valley in L1, his claim that he was about to achieve Category One status, the due diligence he claimed to have done on the NFT sponsor, have all been exposed. Why would anyone believe his latest line?
I would agree that Sandgaard is an upgrade on ESI and Duchatelet, has some positive personal qualities, and that the team is more interesting to watch and likely to do better than last season, but there is a big hole in the project and it is his credibility. It isn't going to work financially and for that reason the club is far from "safe", albeit it's a slow motion car crash this time.
The end game will be someone buying Duchatelet out, in my opinion. It won't be Thomas.
Agreed, but as none of us have the money, although plenty speak as though they do, and anybody who does have the money, and is credible, will run for the hills as soon as Duchatlet's name is mentioned, so like it or not TS is as safe as you are likely to get, particularly in the current climate.
No one wanted him anyway so why people complaining about the deal fallen through ….
I get your pint, and I’m willing to stick my head above the parapet, I wouldn’t have been to gutted to have had him back.
I get peoples frustrations with him, gets offside a lot, takes a lot of chances to score a goal, wasn’t very good in his recent appearance against us at the Valley for QPR, but all that aside wasn’t he our top scorer when we were last in the Championship?
If not I’m sure he got 11 goals, which is none too shabby?
I know we are going to pay the price further down the line, when Stockley picks up an inevitable injury, and we’ll probably have Leaburn leading the line, and people will kick off and moan again, chill guys not a lot we can do about it, but I get the frustration.
Mines a Guinness while you're in the chair
I'm down the Valley for the Oxford game Oct 1st with a couple of armchair prem fans from the office - tickets already bought - i'll be in Bartrams with 3 bewildered looking people with a classic MESH shirt with Mendonca on the back look me up and i'd be happy to share a pint of the black stuff mate (not sure I can afford one each but we can take turns taking sips lol)
I don't really care what some might think. I buy the streams and watch the club but going to matches when I have a long journey home totally disapointed is not what I want to do aged 58 years. I have done all that and bought the T-shirt. I am fed up with us being owned by crooks and fools and with every opportunity that supports itself, that opportunity is missed.
My point about the importance of different types of fans I know is not a popular one, but telling people to attend isn't going to make it happen. It is a reality which any business owner has to understand and address. If I did force myself to go, it would make absolutely no diference and the dog would be more likely to get kicked!(not really I am an animal lover). But I am going to do things I get some pleasure from at this stage of my life.
That’s fair enough and I totally agree u should do what you want but at the same time, in life, u get out what u put in, which is why those little moments of magic - like getting promoted at Carlisle - twice - or winning at Wembley - twice - feel so great - u have every right to express your views on here but if u aren’t contributing to the cause, u have no right to expect anything
The criticism Bonne got on this site was pretty disgusting, particularly as when he was with us I thought he tried his best, so if he read this forum and he had a dig fair play to him. Yes, we all wanted a forward and yes we thought we deserved better than Bonne but it wasn't our decision to make. Everybody seems to expect TS to buy this and that but he has decided, wrongly in my view to stick to a budget, which is no different from those not wishing to pay his ticket prices, which he has also got wrong. Very easy to say he should spend more and get even more in debt when quite rightly you shouldn't do so yourself.
I don't really care what some might think. I buy the streams and watch the club but going to matches when I have a long journey home totally disapointed is not what I want to do aged 58 years. I have done all that and bought the T-shirt. I am fed up with us being owned by crooks and fools and with every opportunity that supports itself, that opportunity is missed.
My point about the importance of different types of fans I know is not a popular one, but telling people to attend isn't going to make it happen. It is a reality which any business owner has to understand and address. If I did force myself to go, it would make absolutely no diference and the dog would be more likely to get kicked!(not really I am an animal lover). But I am going to do things I get some pleasure from at this stage of my life.
I go because I love the club, not because I'm forced to go. You please yourself, but don't have the audacity to say you are more important to the club because you won't go. Sickening.
So much overreaction on here. In May with JJ gone, many of us wanted a wholesale clear out including backroom staff, most of kind of agreed we'd need around 10 new signings to stand a chance. Well we got Garner and his staff and 7 new players. Of the starting 11 for most games so far we have around 4 who were here immediately after the August transfer window shut last year. Without doubt we have a stronger team/squad than the one that started last season, you just need to look at Gilbey and JFC struggling to get game time to confirm this.
We have also seen the emergence of potentially one of the best crops of youth players we've seen in a while. I don't think many of us expected Leaburn to look as comfortable as he has or Clayden to be able to fill in at LB with no real issues or the potential of Henry.
That said it hasn't been a perfect window, clearly the number of signings Garner/TS wanted was 9. I don't buy that Bonne was a target from the start, look at a number of "wanted" strikers who haven't moved for whatever reason but was more of a backup that fell through in the end, and judging by some of the reactions on here many of you will be pleased he hasn't joined. The lack of CB is the bigger issue imo as it would be a huge surprise to see Inniss get through a whole season.
However, some of the responses this morning are laughable. "Season over", "worried about the future of the club", "thrown away our best chance of promotion". just to point out the obvious, it's 2nd of September we are currently just outside the playoff places with arguably one of the toughest starts to the season compared to others. We are seeing a very attractive style of play versus what we have been used to and there is still time to add to the squad with some decent freebies. Genuinely if anyone does think that now is the right time to write off a season then do us all a favour and don't go to games and don't post on here. It really is pathetic.
This is absolutely spot on. People saying TS is skint, he isn’t, he just doesn’t want to bankroll us which is fair enough. So many babies on here at the moment having an entitled moan
Am I misreading the figures Airman posted or does that show a profit of £4M+ in 2021?
Mungo Bridge has to be worth a punt.
It’s only shown as a profit because he transferred the club’s leasehold assets to Roland in exchange for debt liability.
The stands were previously assets on the club’s balance sheet. It won’t have involved cash coming in.
Yes, thanks for that I can't see where this £(8)M loss that keeps being mentioned comes from though. If you ignore that exceptional item and the player sales, I make it £(9.2)M. Do you think it's taken from the, as yet unpublished, 2022 results, or simply an inaccurate statement?
After all, we know a decade or two is neither here nor there, so what's a million and a bit in the grand scheme of things?
Am I misreading the figures Airman posted or does that show a profit of £4M+ in 2021?
Mungo Bridge has to be worth a punt.
It’s only shown as a profit because he transferred the club’s leasehold assets to Roland in exchange for debt liability.
The stands were previously assets on the club’s balance sheet. It won’t have involved cash coming in.
Yes, thanks for that I can't see where this £(8)M loss that keeps being mentioned comes from though. If you ignore that and the player sales, I make it £(9.2)M. Do you think it's taken from the, as yet unpublished, 2022 results, or simply an inaccurate statement?
After all, we know a decade or two is neither here nor there, so what's a million and a bit in the grand scheme of things?
The criticism Bonne got on this site was pretty disgusting, particularly as when he was with us I thought he tried his best, so if he read this forum and he had a dig fair play to him. Yes, we all wanted a forward and yes we thought we deserved better than Bonne but it wasn't our decision to make. Everybody seems to expect TS to buy this and that but he has decided, wrongly in my view to stick to a budget, which is no different from those not wishing to pay his ticket prices, which he has also got wrong. Very easy to say he should spend more and get even more in debt when quite rightly you shouldn't do so yourself.
I think we gave back what we got tbh.. his head turned like the exorcist when he got a better offer. Pretty much his words. We gave it back when it looked like he could return, and then he gave it right back when it didn't happen. No harm no fowl as far as I'm concerned.
Comments
My point about the importance of different types of fans I know is not a popular one, but telling people to attend isn't going to make it happen. It is a reality which any business owner has to understand and address. If I did force myself to go, it would make absolutely no diference and the dog would be more likely to get kicked!(not really I am an animal lover). But I am going to do things I get some pleasure from at this stage of my life.
It doesn't benefit the clubs, get an injury crisis in November? Tough shit - where you could have got a 3 or 6 month loan or two, now you just have to play the kids, who may or may not be ready - knock on effect to the fans who pay to see a competitive team each week. We know as much as most do that the January window can disrupt an entire season anyway.
It doesn't benefit the players - get left high and dry last minute because the chain collapses and you are stuck in obscurity for months on end, not wanted by your club, and unable to move.
The time pressure only benefits one group - the agents.
Out priced/competed- if it is indeed true that we were after Scully, it’s hard for anyone to compete with the league above, can scratch that one off. Though several suitable alternatives should have been ready.
Cutting costs- Thomas/Martin/ Raelynn have clearly been cutting costs off the field so perhaps that’s now spread to the playing staff. Whether this is in preparation for a sale or just a lack of funds is just speculation. I personally don’t think this is the case, tempting Garner and getting some good signings over the line earlier in the window doesn’t make sense if this was indeed true.
Mungo Bridge has to be worth a punt.
Yes, we all wanted a forward and yes we thought we deserved better than Bonne but it wasn't our decision to make. Everybody seems to expect TS to buy this and that but he has decided, wrongly in my view to stick to a budget, which is no different from those not wishing to pay his ticket prices, which he has also got wrong. Very easy to say he should spend more and get even more in debt when quite rightly you shouldn't do so yourself.
Sickening.
The stands were previously assets on the club’s balance sheet. It won’t have involved cash coming in.
After all, we know a decade or two is neither here nor there, so what's a million and a bit in the grand scheme of things?