I disagree completely. And I suspect its a big part of the reason why we're listening to offers.
One of the things I've really enjoyed about 'Where's the money gone?' is Methven's insights into how the club operates. There is a clear plan to sign players that are either capable of stepping up to the Championship or at least have the potential to. They don't want the club to go up only to come straight back down. Some might consider it 'running before you can walk', but whether you agree with it or not, it is at least a clear thought process.
In my book May is a very good league 1 striker, that probably wont be successful in the Championship (a theory I'd suggest is supported by the fact no Championship club has ever taken a punt on him).
IF we were to get promoted next season, Alfie would be 32 before even playing a Championship game. Obviously there are exceptions to the rule, but by and large strikers at 32 have their best days behind them. So if someone were to offer us over £1m for a player not deemed indispensable by Jones, and we were able to find suitable replacements. Would it be that crazy to sell him?
I disagree completely. And I suspect its a big part of the reason why we're listening to offers.
One of the things I've really enjoyed about 'Where's the money gone?' is Methven's insights into how the club operates. There is a clear plan to sign players that are either capable of stepping up to the Championship or at least have the potential to. They don't want the club to go up only to come straight back down. Some might consider it 'running before you can walk', but whether you agree with it or not, it is at least a clear thought process.
In my book May is a very good league 1 striker, that probably wont be successful in the Championship (a theory I'd suggest is supported by the fact no Championship club has ever taken a punt on him).
IF we were to get promoted next season, Alfie would be 32 before even playing a Championship game. Obviously there are exceptions to the rule, but by and large strikers at 32 have their best days behind them. So if someone were to offer us over £1m for a player not deemed indispensable by Jones, and we were able to find suitable replacements. Would it be that crazy to sell him?
You have to get to the Championship first though, & a 20+ goal a season striker is not easy to come by.
May signed a 2 year contract with a year option.
Keep him, bolster the team/squad behind him, to give us the best chance of promotion. If we do go up, & he isn't deemed quality enough, or is seen as too old for the 2nd tier, by the head honchos, simply don't exercise the option.
Personally, I think selling him would weaken us greatly. Whatever it takes to get us up is most important, & I'd rather have Alfie in the tent pissing out, than outside pissing in.
Get up to the Championship & then we are a far greater proposition for potentially better players.
I disagree completely. And I suspect its a big part of the reason why we're listening to offers.
One of the things I've really enjoyed about 'Where's the money gone?' is Methven's insights into how the club operates. There is a clear plan to sign players that are either capable of stepping up to the Championship or at least have the potential to. They don't want the club to go up only to come straight back down. Some might consider it 'running before you can walk', but whether you agree with it or not, it is at least a clear thought process.
In my book May is a very good league 1 striker, that probably wont be successful in the Championship (a theory I'd suggest is supported by the fact no Championship club has ever taken a punt on him).
IF we were to get promoted next season, Alfie would be 32 before even playing a Championship game. Obviously there are exceptions to the rule, but by and large strikers at 32 have their best days behind them. So if someone were to offer us over £1m for a player not deemed indispensable by Jones, and we were able to find suitable replacements. Would it be that crazy to sell him?
Sounds great. How many of the players signed so far by the SMT are capable of playing in the Championship?
Not including the 8 woeful loan signings from last season....
Penney, Thomas, Hector, Kane, LuaLua, Wickham, Edun, REG, Gillesphy, Ward, T Watson, Isted, Walker, Jones, Taylor, Coventry, May, Small, Ramsey.
From what I have seen Small is the only clear cut one with maybe Ramsey purely as I haven't seen him enough as the second.
We either need a different plan, different Director of Football or different budget. Let's hope this summer's transfers prove more successful. They need to as we have removed the base of our squad so if they prove as bad as previous ones we will be relegated l.
This is the risk vs reward that Jones (and presumably the SMT) will have to weigh up - May has come off the back of a third successive high scoring season BUT the possibility remains that he will start to decline, or get injured, or even that promotion actually decreases his importance/value to us.
So the gamble is on cashing in now while his stock is high and betting on Jones getting enough of a tune out of a rejigged squad to get by without him or keeping him as a known quality but basically tying the entire team to him as he only really flourishes in certain styles and formations.
Plus there's the question of if you DO sell him then another team who does play that style is guaranteed goals instead.
If it were me I'd be looking to keep him if possible but I don't think it's quite as binary as some people would have it.
Maybe it’s a cunning plan by Alfie and Nathan, has anyone thought about that?
Alfie joins Huddersfield, then amazingly loses form completely and doesn’t score a goal all season and so eliminates one of the better sides and a competitor. Enabling us to have a better chance of going up!
I disagree completely. And I suspect its a big part of the reason why we're listening to offers.
One of the things I've really enjoyed about 'Where's the money gone?' is Methven's insights into how the club operates. There is a clear plan to sign players that are either capable of stepping up to the Championship or at least have the potential to. They don't want the club to go up only to come straight back down. Some might consider it 'running before you can walk', but whether you agree with it or not, it is at least a clear thought process.
In my book May is a very good league 1 striker, that probably wont be successful in the Championship (a theory I'd suggest is supported by the fact no Championship club has ever taken a punt on him).
IF we were to get promoted next season, Alfie would be 32 before even playing a Championship game. Obviously there are exceptions to the rule, but by and large strikers at 32 have their best days behind them. So if someone were to offer us over £1m for a player not deemed indispensable by Jones, and we were able to find suitable replacements. Would it be that crazy to sell him?
Why not go the whole hog & get rid of all the players because none of them are good enough for the Premier league.
Results under Jones W4, L 2, D 10. So far we have 1 GK and 1 LB as understudies, 1CB next week and 1 31 yo Midfield player. Other than that we have the same players that finished 16th, less all those we released, less Dobson, and apparently less Alfie soon. I don’t think it’s unreasonable to be concerned or wonder why we need players who can play in the Championship, when we are nowhere near that division and unless there are another 6/7 permanent signings it won’t be something that happens next season. I am not panicking, just a realist after supporting this lot since 1968. I hope we get some more signings in, I hope we win the league at a canter, but failing that I also hope we don’t get relegated to league 2, keep a manager for more than 6-8 months and move forward.
Whoever comes in over the summer, if May leaves, we'll be selling the best goalscorer we've had in years (potentially to a promotion contender), and all at a time when much of the rest of the squad have proven that they are pretty shit (at best).
The new owners will appear to have a fairly empty account when it comes to fan favour if May is sold, so unless they want to see taxis and tennis balls reappearing, I hope they can convince the fans ahead of this season starting and the window closing, that progress on the pitch is an absolute banker!
There are pages of these rinse and repeat May posts. I understand the depth of feeling but it might be an idea to see what team starts the season opener before talk of taxis and tennis balls. Just saying.
We need to comply with financial fair play so we can't realistically just get the owner to plough money into the club - it doesn't work that way any more. So if a good offer comes in for ANY player then it's only right that we listen.
I don't think that's actually true though, is it? The owners can pump in as much as they want, as equity, not debt and still comply with the rules.
Now, I accept that isn't realistic, of course the owners will have a budget they want to stick to, but it's their choice, nothing to do with the rules.
Let's not let the club spin a story that simply isn't true.
Whoever comes in over the summer, if May leaves, we'll be selling the best goalscorer we've had in years (potentially to a promotion contender), and all at a time when much of the rest of the squad have proven that they are pretty shit (at best).
The new owners will appear to have a fairly empty account when it comes to fan favour if May is sold, so unless they want to see taxis and tennis balls reappearing, I hope they can convince the fans ahead of this season starting and the window closing, that progress on the pitch is an absolute banker!
Does that all hold true, if, as suggested, May is the one that wants to leave for a bigger payday?
There are pages of these rinse and repeat May posts. I understand the depth of feeling but it might be an idea to see what team starts the season opener before talk of taxis and tennis balls. Just saying.
I think with strikers, it is sometimes best to judge them on paper. When you do this with May, he looks very good. There can be games when he doesn't and you can tell he loves scoring goals so much his game can fall off if it isn't happening for him. But I keep going back to the paper which shows he is a lethal striker and they don't grow on trees. I trust Jones and you can do a lot with £1.5m so I won't be panicking if he does go but I wouldn't want to sell him if I was manager. Clearly I'm not and Jones seems to know what he is doing.
The way to judge if Jones knows what he is doing is if we secure automatic promotion at the end of the coming season. OK if we win the playoffs it will be acceptable. Anything else is failure.
For me, success starts at reaching the playoffs and is maxed out by winning the league.
Remember where we were on the last day of the season.
If we reach the play offs and don't get promoted our owners will have spent something like £30M on a club that remains L1 and hence know they will have another £8-10M outlay the following year. With no assets save for some L1 players and some goodwill. I wonder if they will view that as success or bail out and so we get to spin the wheel again. They certainly wouldn't have reached elite or sustainable.
We won’t get £1.5m for Alfie May. Where has this even come from?
For me the fact that May leaving seems a real possibility suggests there must be genuine interest from a club willing to pay £1m+, as I can’t see us accepting anything less.
Sounded like there’s a sell on % from Cheltenham’s Cawley, so in reality we probably wouldn’t get £1.5m, but if we accept an offer I doubt it’ll be for much less.
Whoever comes in over the summer, if May leaves, we'll be selling the best goalscorer we've had in years (potentially to a promotion contender), and all at a time when much of the rest of the squad have proven that they are pretty shit (at best).
The new owners will appear to have a fairly empty account when it comes to fan favour if May is sold, so unless they want to see taxis and tennis balls reappearing, I hope they can convince the fans ahead of this season starting and the window closing, that progress on the pitch is an absolute banker!
Does that all hold true, if, as suggested, May is the one that wants to leave for a bigger payday?
If May wants more money, can and should the owners afford to up his salary? If they want an 'equally good' goalscorer can they afford to pay for the replacement? If any money made from a sale of May is going to be watered down across the squad rebuild, then all the rhetoric about elite players may be somwhat disingenuous. It is a well used drum, but goalscorers get a team promotion (in combination with a solid defence). We have the forward line almost completed, so to take the most prized and expensive piece of the jigsaw out is a strange move, unless, NJ having knowedge if the actual budget, knows there is no other way!
The way to judge if Jones knows what he is doing is if we secure automatic promotion at the end of the coming season. OK if we win the playoffs it will be acceptable. Anything else is failure.
This doesn’t leave any room for the context of a season though? Birmingham and Huddersfield both have serious cash and will likely be the promoted sides, anything can happen in the playoffs with Posh, Rotherham and Bolton all still being here. I don’t think it’s a case that if we don’t get promoted it has been a failure of a season.
We won’t get £1.5m for Alfie May. Where has this even come from?
Source?
Not going to claim it won't happen but surprised no one bid bid higher than 250k for him last season and now someone is supposedly bidding £1.5m after a great season but realistically a similar season to the 2 before we signed him and with him a year older
We are owned by over twenty billionaires who know, love and care for our club in our special corner of London. With those kind of resources we should clearly win automatic promotion. Otherwise what?
We are owned by over twenty billionaires who know, love and care for our club in our special corner of London. With those kind of resources we should clearly win automatic promotion. Otherwise what?
Footballs not played in theory though, you just show a deliberate lack of understanding of nuance to try and get some point across…
We are owned by over twenty billionaires who know, love and care for our club in our special corner of London. With those kind of resources we should clearly win automatic promotion. Otherwise what?
A big ask given the caliber and resources of others in this league, together with us making huge changes to our squad when others have most of their squads in place. You only have to look back at Ipswich and the huge investment that was made over several seasons for them to get automatic promotion. Success for me would be to see us become more competitive and winning games. Top six is a stretching and realistic target.
Comments
One of the things I've really enjoyed about 'Where's the money gone?' is Methven's insights into how the club operates. There is a clear plan to sign players that are either capable of stepping up to the Championship or at least have the potential to. They don't want the club to go up only to come straight back down. Some might consider it 'running before you can walk', but whether you agree with it or not, it is at least a clear thought process.
In my book May is a very good league 1 striker, that probably wont be successful in the Championship (a theory I'd suggest is supported by the fact no Championship club has ever taken a punt on him).
IF we were to get promoted next season, Alfie would be 32 before even playing a Championship game. Obviously there are exceptions to the rule, but by and large strikers at 32 have their best days behind them. So if someone were to offer us over £1m for a player not deemed indispensable by Jones, and we were able to find suitable replacements. Would it be that crazy to sell him?
May signed a 2 year contract with a year option.
Keep him, bolster the team/squad behind him, to give us the best chance of promotion.
If we do go up, & he isn't deemed quality enough, or is seen as too old for the 2nd tier, by the head honchos, simply don't exercise the option.
Personally, I think selling him would weaken us greatly. Whatever it takes to get us up is most important, & I'd rather have Alfie in the tent pissing out, than outside pissing in.
Get up to the Championship & then we are a far greater proposition for potentially better players.
Sounds great. How many of the players signed so far by the SMT are capable of playing in the Championship?
Not including the 8 woeful loan signings from last season....
Penney, Thomas, Hector, Kane, LuaLua, Wickham, Edun, REG, Gillesphy, Ward, T Watson, Isted, Walker, Jones, Taylor, Coventry, May, Small, Ramsey.
From what I have seen Small is the only clear cut one with maybe Ramsey purely as I haven't seen him enough as the second.
We either need a different plan, different Director of Football or different budget. Let's hope this summer's transfers prove more successful. They need to as we have removed the base of our squad so if they prove as bad as previous ones we will be relegated l.
So the gamble is on cashing in now while his stock is high and betting on Jones getting enough of a tune out of a rejigged squad to get by without him or keeping him as a known quality but basically tying the entire team to him as he only really flourishes in certain styles and formations.
Plus there's the question of if you DO sell him then another team who does play that style is guaranteed goals instead.
If it were me I'd be looking to keep him if possible but I don't think it's quite as binary as some people would have it.
Alfie joins Huddersfield, then amazingly loses form completely and doesn’t score a goal all season and so eliminates one of the better sides and a competitor. Enabling us to have a better chance of going up!
Makes perfect sense to me.
'nuff said.
The new owners will appear to have a fairly empty account when it comes to fan favour if May is sold, so unless they want to see taxis and tennis balls reappearing, I hope they can convince the fans ahead of this season starting and the window closing, that progress on the pitch is an absolute banker!
Now, I accept that isn't realistic, of course the owners will have a budget they want to stick to, but it's their choice, nothing to do with the rules.
Let's not let the club spin a story that simply isn't true.
OK if we win the playoffs it will be acceptable.
Anything else is failure.
Remember where we were on the last day of the season.
If we reach the play offs and don't get promoted our owners will have spent something like £30M on a club that remains L1 and hence know they will have another £8-10M outlay the following year. With no assets save for some L1 players and some goodwill.
I wonder if they will view that as success or bail out and so we get to spin the wheel again. They certainly wouldn't have reached elite or sustainable.
Sounded like there’s a sell on % from Cheltenham’s Cawley, so in reality we probably wouldn’t get £1.5m, but if we accept an offer I doubt it’ll be for much less.
With those kind of resources we should clearly win automatic promotion.
Otherwise what?
You only have to look back at Ipswich and the huge investment that was made over several seasons for them to get automatic promotion.
Success for me would be to see us become more competitive and winning games. Top six is a stretching and realistic target.