New 5 year Plan

[Turkish]

How many more times, I said ambition AND resources. The resources required to sign top players back then was not a huge amount more than for an average player, there isn't the gap there is today. Liebherr and Cortese have high ambition like in the early 80's at Saints but also resources on another level to that of the early 80's.

 

So you admit then that it will take considerable amount of resourses to fullfill your champions league dream and it's virtually impossible without it, what with it being so much more expensive to get top players these days. A bit like the £300 million or so that Man City have spent, as they have as you put it, ambition AND rescources. Do you think Cortese is going to spend that sort of money? You say yourself you need it.

[Matthew Le God]

So you agree with him that its no longer a working man's game? That its only about a day out for the family and the corporates?

 

I didn't say that.

 

They still make up the highest %, but it has significantly dropped in the last 20 years particularly since the Premier League started. The other groups I mentioned have risen in % significantly.

[Matthew Le God]

So you admit then that it will take considerable amount of resourses to fullfill your champions league dream and it's virtually impossible without it. A bit like the £300 million or so that Man City have spent, as they have as you put it, ambition AND rescources.

 

The Man City way is just one way of doing it. Newcastle haven't spent anywhere near £300m to achieve a Champions League push.

 

Just look further down, Leicester City threw more money at the Championship than Saints did yet they ended up in mid table and Saints were promoted. Money doesn't guarantee success.

 

- Newcastle got Cisse for £9m and Ba was on a free transfer. So £4.5m on average for two very good strikers. They are 5th.

- Liverpool got Carroll for £35m and Suárez for £24m. So £59m for those two players. They are 13 points behind Newcastle in 8th.

 

Yes, you will need some money to support a Champions League push or Championship promotion, but good scouting and good management at board and 1st team level goes a long way!!!

Edited 9 May, 2012 by Matthew Le God

[shurlock]

The Man City way is just one way of doing it. Newcastle haven't spent anywhere near £300m to achieve a Champions League push.

 

Just look further down, Leicester City threw more money at the Championship than Saints did yet they ended up in mid table and Saints were promoted. Money doesn't guarantee success. Yes, you will need some money to support a Champions League push or Championship promotion, but good scouting and good management at board and 1st team level goes a long way.

 

£9m got Newcastle Cisse and Ba was on a free transfer. They are 5th.

 

Liverpool got Carroll for £35m and Suerez for £24m. They are 13 points behind in 8th.

 

Tottenham levels of investment at the very minimum -and even then thy've been able to buy players relatively cheap, knowing they wont have much resale value.

[Thedelldays]

The Man City way is just one way of doing it. Newcastle haven't spent anywhere near £300m to achieve a Champions League push.

 

Just look further down, Leicester City threw more money at the Championship than Saints did yet they ended up in mid table and Saints were promoted. Money doesn't guarantee success.

 

- Newcastle got Cisse for £9m and Ba was on a free transfer. So £4.5m on average for two very good strikers. They are 5th.

- Liverpool got Carroll for £35m and Suerez for £24m. They are 13 points behind in 8th.

 

Yes, you will need some money to support a Champions League push or Championship promotion, but good scouting and good management at board and 1st team level goes a long way!!!

we will need to be spending circa £75m per season at least on wages......to get players like Cisse, cabaye, Ba etc

[shurlock]

we will need to be spending circa £75m per season at least on wages......to get players like Cisse, cabaye, Ba etc

 

Knowing ashley, would be very surprised if they spend that much on wages.

[Legod Third Coming]

Does opening Staplewood and building a new 32,000 seater, £30m ground not count as ambitious?

 

This is something we agree on. Lowe had ambition - no question.

 

However, he disliked intently paying players the salaries required to achieve the 'next level' he talked about.

 

He believed very similar things to Nicola in many areas - particularly around our own talent.

 

But he believed he could achieve the next level without spending on players' wages - and you can't.

[This Charming Man]

Knowing ashley, would be very surprised if they spend that much on wages.

 

Their wage bill now is smaller than when they got relegated. Believe they have a £60k a week cap in place, which is still a hell of a lot of money and more than we'd be looking to pay, IMO.

[aintforever]

Ha ha, what??!! Working class young men are no longer a key demographic when it comes to frequenting a football game?

 

Of course young males are the main group but you must be thick if you think the demographic hasn't changed in the last two decades.

[Turkish]

The Man City way is just one way of doing it. Newcastle haven't spent anywhere near £300m to achieve a Champions League push.

 

Just look further down, Leicester City threw more money at the Championship than Saints did yet they ended up in mid table and Saints were promoted. Money doesn't guarantee success.

 

- Newcastle got Cisse for £9m and Ba was on a free transfer. So £4.5m on average for two very good strikers. They are 5th.

- Liverpool got Carroll for £35m and Suárez for £24m. So £59m for those two players. They are 13 points behind Newcastle in 8th.

 

Yes, you will need some money to support a Champions League push or Championship promotion, but good scouting and good management at board and 1st team level goes a long way!!!

 

But 4th isn't good enough. 2nd was when we run by a a guy lacking ambition. With Cortese money and ambition we should do better, yes?

[CB Fry]

The old adage about somebody losing the argument if they have to resort to insults comes into play.

 

You make a rather feeble attempt to provide a comparison to our catchment area, citing Nottingham, Derby and Leicester. I point out the weakness in your argument, because Nottingham is a two club city and that Derby is only 15 miles away from Nottingham.

 

So you try and backtrack to wriggle off the hook by citing circumstances whereby all three would sell out 30,000 stadiums if they were in the Premiership too. Well, Einstein, probably so would Brighton, Bournemouth and the Skates (if they had a stadium that big) as well as us, if we were all in the Premiership at the same time.

 

But of course, that was not the scenario we are discussing, is it? In case you need reminding, the assertion was that we have one of the largest catchment areas if we are in the Premiership and our neighbours are at a much lower level. I repeat for your benefit again, we are not discussing a scenario whereby one or more of our neighbours was also in the Premiership. I readily acknowledge that under those circumstances our catchment area would be diminished and have never said any different.

 

And just to illustrate how your mind wanders onto other matters not being discussed, where did I mention Greater Hamble, let alone w ank over it?

 

I'll let others decide who the thickie is here.

 

My fairly obvious point that i will keep on making is all three clubs would command Saints sized attendances in the Prem. Their closeness to each other is irrelevent. Saints have had this mythical catchment since dinosaurs ruled the earth but have never been any bigger than those three clubs.

 

If Saints can be a 50k team so can Derby Forest and Leicester. Easily.

 

The Saints catchment is a myth and you are utterly wrong.

 

 

PS Saints can't be a 50k club. Just to clarify.

[Legod Third Coming]

My fairly obvious point that i will keep on making is all three clubs would command Saints sized attendances in the Prem. Their closeness to each other is irrelevent. Saints have had this mythical catchment since dinosaurs ruled the earth but have never been any bigger than those three clubs.

 

If Saints can be a 50k team so can Derby Forest and Leicester. Easily.

The Saints catchment is a myth and you are utterly wrong.

 

 

PS Saints can't be a 50k club. Just to clarify.

 

To be fair, Saints have never ever been able to be a 50k club...

[shurlock]

This is something we agree on. Lowe had ambition - no question.

 

However, he disliked intently paying players the salaries required to achieve the 'next level' he talked about.

 

He believed very similar things to Nicola in many areas - particularly around our own talent.

 

But he believed he could achieve the next level without spending on players' wages - and you can't.

 

Re. SMS: not sure it was ambition - it was simply the next step in our development. Most chairmen would have understood the economics and feasibility of moving stadium.

Ambition in football is defined by your willingness to pay players wages as wages are the main cost in running a club. You can't claim to be ambitious or classify somebody as ambitious if they don't walk the walk. In this respect, the jury is still out on NC.

Lowe thought he could defy footballing gravity and he crashed and burned. Perhaps it was a combination of delusion and arrogance, but I think Lowe realised over time the impossibility of what he was trying to do but, ultimately, was unwilling to spend the money necessary to change course.

Edited 9 May, 2012 by shurlock

[Sour Mash]

This is something we agree on. Lowe had ambition - no question.

 

However, he disliked intently paying players the salaries required to achieve the 'next level' he talked about.

 

He believed very similar things to Nicola in many areas - particularly around our own talent.

 

But he believed he could achieve the next level without spending on players' wages - and you can't.

Agreed.

[Tokyo-Saint]

anything is possible. I took Eastleigh to league one in the 2009 version. If Eastleigh can do that is 9 seasons why cant Saints be in the champions league in two?

 

League 1? What a pussy! If you had held on to your young players you could have kept on to the prem'. At that point you could have expanded the stadium, opened a radio station and straight into the champions league.

 

You obviously lack ambition Turkish.

 

It is a good game though, just poorly researched.

[doddisalegend]

I don't know whether to laugh or cry at this thread.

 

Guess I will content myself with looking forward the the CL semi final against Real madrid in our seventy five thousand seat stadium in 2017. Oh with the Saints team being led out on to the pitch by our captain, messi.

 

I can't wait better still the team will be 80% academy products so good they will probably all be England internationals as well...

[dubai_phil]

Re. SMS: not sure it was ambition - it was simply the next step in our development. Most chairmen would have understood the economics and feasibility of moving stadium.

Ambition in football is defined by your willingness to pay players wages as wages are the main cost in running a club. You can't claim to be ambitious or classify somebody as ambitious if they don't walk the walk. In this respect, the jury is still out on NC.

Lowe thought he could defy footballing gravity and he crashed and burned. Perhaps it was a combination of delusion and arrogance, but I think Lowe realised over time the impossibility of what he was trying to do but, ultimately, was unwilling to spend the money necessary to change course.

 

 

In defence of Lowe re the size of SMS just remember that thanks to the Taylor report we had a capacity of what 14,000 at the Dell?

 

Sooooooooooooo

 

A Lunatic decided to build a new stadium with an extra 18,000 seats.

 

So when our successful Chairman today thinks about expanding the stadium by 13,000 seats or so he is as mad as Lowe?

 

Take that you Nimby no change, look at History bstds

 

[CB Fry]

In defence of Lowe re the size of SMS just remember that thanks to the Taylor report we had a capacity of what 14,000 at the Dell?

 

Sooooooooooooo

 

A Lunatic decided to build a new stadium with an extra 18,000 seats.

 

So when our successful Chairman today thinks about expanding the stadium by 13,000 seats or so he is as mad as Lowe?

 

Take that you Nimby no change, look at History bstds

 

 

We had demand then. We have no such demand now.

 

We also don't have a 14,000 capacity now, just to clarify.

[dubai_phil]

We had demand then. We have no such demand now.

 

We also don't have a 14,000 capacity now, just to clarify.

 

Why there you go Sybil, specialist subject ignoring the smiley and stating the bleeding obvious

 

I am so unhappy I don't have your intellect

[CB Fry]

Why there you go Sybil, specialist subject ignoring the smiley and stating the bleeding obvious

 

I am so unhappy I don't have your intellect

 

Glad you agree with me then. No need to expand. Thanks for clarifying.

 

Any chance you'll stop pis s ing on about mobile phone companies and selling thousands of away tickets to Man U fans living in Chichester once a frigging year?

Edited 9 May, 2012 by CB Fry

[MarkSFC]

In defence of Lowe re the size of SMS just remember that thanks to the Taylor report we had a capacity of what 14,000 at the Dell?

 

Sooooooooooooo

 

A Lunatic decided to build a new stadium with an extra 18,000 seats.

 

So when our successful Chairman today thinks about expanding the stadium by 13,000 seats or so he is as mad as Lowe?

 

Take that you Nimby no change, look at History bstds

 

 

Thing is Lowe was not even taking a chance as it was "proven" that we could easily get mid 20's as that it what we achieved before we had to go all seater. If I remember correctly Stoneham was "only 28K" so he wasnt mad, in fact in my opinion he was actually - as he ALWAYS did - playing it very safe. That attitude had a lot to do with why we ended up where we did.

 

Cortese, if we do expand is being brave and visionary. He may get it wrong, it may be proven that in fact 32-35k is all we actually need. Unfortunately until you actually build a larger capacity stadium no one will ever know the true potential of our matchday support. My guess is that he will expand to mid forties. That would equate to approximately a 30-45% increase which seems very sensible. Less than 40k and it could be said is it really worth it - and over 50k may be a stretch.

 

I think that expansion and progression on the pitch will have a bit of a knock on rally effect, i.e. as the team get better, there will be more demand - increase capacity - more revenue, better players, more success more demand etc...guaging the limit of that progression is down to Cortese not us!!

[dubai_phil]

Glad you agree with me then. No need to expand. Thanks for clarifying.

 

Any chance you'll stop pis s ing on about mobile phone companies and selling thousands of away tickets to Man U fans living in Chichester once a frigging year?

 

But of course. You are so right.

 

Thanks for letting us all know there are thousands of Man U fans in Chichester, I never knew that. I thought they all lived in London. Amazing.

 

Do they have a merchandising store there as well as the one in Bangkok? If not that must be a great business opportunity. Maybe NC can get a franchise to add to the 300 quid extra shirt sales in Thailand.

 

By the way, what is a mobile phone company?

[djharvey]

To be fair, Saints have never ever been able to be a 50k club...

 

40k ?

[Neil]

If we can still be in the Premier at the end of the 5YP (i.e. 2014), and have a capacity of 40,000, I'd be very happy with that. Europa League would be a bonus.

 

In fact I'd be happy just to still be in the Premier in another two years.

[The Kraken]

If we can still be in the Premier at the end of the 5YP (i.e. 2014), and have a capacity of 40,000, I'd be very happy with that. Europa League would be a bonus.

 

In fact I'd be happy just to still be in the Premier in another two years.

 

Possible, but I'd suggest pushing it.

 

Certainly a decent aim to have of a 5 year plan starting from now though.

[dubai_phil]

Here you go. Piece of cake then.

 

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/football/teams/manchester-city/9255702/Manchester-Citys-930-million-spending-spree-to-turn-club-into-Premier-League-title-contenders.html

 

Manchester City have spent £930.4 million turning themselves into Premier League title contenders, a special Telegraph Sport survey of English football’s finances has revealed.

 

 

C'mon NC you know it makes sense, get the cheque book out. Think of the Branding value.

 

 

Here is a summary

 

 

• Top-flight clubs spent £2.51 billion in cash, which was £285.8 million more than they earned.
  

 

• The Premier League generated £2.23 billion of income, which equates to 0.148 per cent of the entire output of the UK economy.
  

 

• Clubs spent almost £400 million on signings after player sales.
  

 

• Wages for players and staff cost clubs £1.52 billion.
  

 

• Premier League clubs’ net debt was £1.39 billion, costing them £97.2 million in debt-interest payments.
  

City’s spending loomed large in the results for the league as a whole

 

 

So maybe NC IS onto something after all. Here is another interesting deduction from the FACTS

 

The analysis also highlights some fascinating trends which challenge conventional ideas – not least that spending large sums on signing players can actually have a negative impact on final league position.

 

Previous studies have shown that a club’s league position tends to reflect their spending on wages. Telegraph Sport’s study suggests this to be accurate, so clubs which pay their players the most tend to finish highest in the league.

But, analysing the period between 2009 and 2011, it also found that clubs who spent greater sums than direct rivals on transfers actually suffered in the league.

 

 

So research in the past 3 years is indicating that spending huge wads of cash may NOT be the recipe for "Improvement".

 

So from that, it MAY be possible to infer that it would be possible to Improve the performance of a club by means OTHER than spending huge sums of money.

 

Well, this clearly indicates that the CL in 5 years is stupid. Should be aiming for 3 years then

 

 

Edited 10 May, 2012 by dubai_phil

[doddisalegend]

Here you go. Piece of cake then.

 

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/football/teams/manchester-city/9255702/Manchester-Citys-930-million-spending-spree-to-turn-club-into-Premier-League-title-contenders.html

 

 

 

C'mon NC you know it makes sense, get the cheque book out. Think of the Branding value.

 

 

Here is a summary

 

 

 

 

So maybe NC IS onto something after all. Here is another interesting deduction from the FACTS

 

 

 

So research in the past 3 years is indicating that spending huge wads of cash may NOT be the recipe for "Improvement".

 

So from that, it MAY be possible to infer that it would be possible to Improve the performance of a club by means OTHER than spending huge sums of money.

 

Well, this clearly indicates that the CL in 5 years is stupid. Should be aiming for 3 years then

 

 

 

So If I understand that correctly we should buy players cheap (say half a million) and then pay them more than anyone else in the league becuase they'll then play better......or something

[dubai_phil]

So If I understand that correctly we should buy players cheap (say half a million) and then pay them more than anyone else in the league becuase they'll then play better......or something

 

Nope

 

Among the elite clubs last season, Chelsea and City both spent more money than Manchester United and paid higher salaries than United, but it was Sir Alex Ferguson’s team who won the league.

 

Wigan Athletic (£574,000 profit), Blackburn (£2.2 million) and Arsenal (£15.9 million) all made more money in the transfer market than they spent in 2009-2010, and yet all three finished higher than teams with bigger wage bills.

 

Try again.

 

"cos I have no idea what it means, apart from the fact that a lot of plastic mancs don't like Abu Dhabi. I got lost when they started comparing Left & Right wing interpretations of what it all meant.

 

There is a REALLY simple solution for those that don't like it stop driving cars, heating houses, using plastic bottles etc. (Yeah like that is going to happen either)

[Frank's cousin]

So If I understand that correctly we should buy players cheap (say half a million) and then pay them more than anyone else in the league becuase they'll then play better......or something

 

Isuspect this is an anomolyy caused by several high profile expensive signings such as Carroll and Torres who both went to teams that did worse... you also have the impact on such new expensive arrivals on team attitude, spirit when billy big boots arrives.

 

Think the key to any progress will be actually be in a financial position that means we can offer the best 16 year olds what they would get elsewhere as a first pro contract and keep them for a few years... add in some good wages and get some players on a free/end of contract. For that though you need to find players who share the vision and find teh club an attractive enough proposition - I dont think we wil see players arrive who are just turned by the cash... not our style, but being pragmatic, we may have to be less rigid on that in the PL - where greed seems to be good.

[david in sweden]

- Newcastle got Cisse for £9m and Ba was on a free transfer. So £4.5m on average for two very good strikers. They are 5th.

- Liverpool got Carroll for £35m and Suárez for £24m. So £59m for those two players. They are 13 points behind Newcastle in 8th.

Yes, you will need some money to support a Champions League push or Championship promotion, but good scouting and good management at board and 1st team level goes a long way!!!

 

 

 

it also goes to underline that the actual fee paid for a player does not necessarily equate with his skill /performance / ability nor does it represent

value for money. Some of the finest players Saints have had cost very little ... (compared to market prices) at the time.

 

More likely is that of a club with money burning a hole in their pockets, who are desperate to buy "someone" to placate angry fans who want success.

PLUS : a selling club, who boost the non-existent qualities of a troublesome, footballing genius and double the price of whatever he might be worth in order to get rid of him..and there have been a few of those, too. In general, few of these many deals work out well for the buyers.

 

The market price of a football player (or a house or car for that matter) ...is whatever someone else is willing (or stupid enough ) ..to pay on the day.

[Frank's cousin]

.... also shows just how much the times have realy changed - When we signed Keegan, he was given around £175K ...a YEAR... taking into account inflation , that works out about between 18-20k a week in todays terms... the cost of a Lambert in the NPC - a twice European footballer of the year and maybe £300,000 as week Plus?

[Legod Third Coming]

40k ?

 

Don't know, did we ever get 40k at the Dell?

 

What it shows getting to the JPT and FA Cup Final is that 45k people who purport to 'support' Southampton in some shape or form will come out if the day is right...

 

But is there any hope of converting this latent passing interest and opportunity to see a 'day if days' into regular attendance?

[Legod Third Coming]

On what makes a team successful, there are only really two factors aren't there?

 

1. Employ the best manager.

 

2. Allow him to spend as much as possible paying the best possible players.

[dubai_phil]

On what makes a team successful, there are only really two factors aren't there?

 

1. Employ the best manager.

 

2. Allow him to spend as much as possible paying the best possible players.

 

Think you also need to add in Continuity and Vision to that.

 

For example the Best Manager available may be someone who wants to play hoofball when it is alien to the entire culture of a club, OR it may be (as we saw) someone like saggy chops who does things in his way that then tears the club apart even more

 

Also IF the first team is underperforming but the back office / Scouting etc is working well you may not want someone who comes in with a complete new team and tears everything apart

[dubai_phil]

On what makes a team successful, there are only really two factors aren't there?

 

1. Employ the best manager.

 

2. Allow him to spend as much as possible paying the best possible players.

 

Also (as in the case of Liverpool), you may HAVE the best manager, but have an idiot as DoF who thinks 35mil for Andy Carroll will get you into the CL that season

[Highfield Saint]

Didn't the club (or Adkins actually) state that it would be evolution not revolution? Wouldn't it be reasonable to expect this to be applied to all facets of the club and it's operation?

[dubai_phil]

Didn't the club (or Adkins actually) state that it would be evolution not revolution? Wouldn't it be reasonable to expect this to be applied to all facets of the club and it's operation?

 

Correct, hence this

 

 

A journey needs a starting point and an end point then you can plan the route

 

And decide whether to take Bike, Bus, Train, Taxi, Car, Plane or invent a Star Trek Transporter.

 

Think it has been mentioned a few times.

 

We're going by Bus

[Turkish]

Didn't the club (or Adkins actually) state that it would be evolution not revolution? Wouldn't it be reasonable to expect this to be applied to all facets of the club and it's operation?

 

He's got it wrong. Nokia tried to evolve and look what happened to them. We need to upgrade ourselves to the football equivalent of the IPhone 5 or we are in big trouble next season.

[Legod Third Coming]

He's got it wrong. Nokia tried to evolve and look what happened to them. We need to upgrade ourselves to the football equivalent of the IPhone 5 or we are in big trouble next season.

 

Hmm would be quite difficult to follow that model...

 

"Mr customer. Here is a phone. It's primary function (you think) is to make calls but guess what... this phone is shyte for making calls. But it's great for surfing the net, watching youtube, has a million apps that do to tenths of diddly squat and some that are revolutionary. For example, Email your French friends in perfect French, find your nearest screening of the Avengers... and owning it will give you a feeling of self-worth and membership of a club the defines you as 'in touch'..."

 

"Ok, but that first bit, it's shyte at making calls?"

 

"Yes terrible. But it will change your life."

 

"Go on then, I'm sold..."

 

Imagine the equivalent in football....

[S-Clarke]

Danny Simpson is one of Newcastles better players. He's been a regular for them this season in their fight for Champions League football.

 

Chelsea, who are below Newcastle, have sounded out his agent and thus meaning Danny Simpson has rejected Newcastles contract.

 

If Newcastle can't keep hold of one of their decent players when on the cusp of CL football, then we'd stand no chance in hell.

[Turkish]

Hmm would be quite difficult to follow that model...

 

"Mr customer. Here is a phone. It's primary function (you think) is to make calls but guess what... this phone is shyte for making calls. But it's great for surfing the net, watching youtube, has a million apps that do to tenths of diddly squat and some that are revolutionary. For example, Email your French friends in perfect French, find your nearest screening of the Avengers... and owning it will give you a feeling of self-worth and membership of a club the defines you as 'in touch'..."

 

"Ok, but that first bit, it's shyte at making calls?"

 

"Yes terrible. But it will change your life."

 

"Go on then, I'm sold..."

 

Imagine the equivalent in football....

 

The world is changing and we need to keep. We can be a champions league club because people used to use PCs and now try use IPads and all that.

[Legod Third Coming]

Danny Simpson is one of Newcastles better players. He's been a regular for them this season in their fight for Champions League football.

 

Chelsea, who are below Newcastle, have sounded out his agent and thus meaning Danny Simpson has rejected Newcastles contract.

 

If Newcastle can't keep hold of one of their decent players when on the cusp of CL football, then we'd stand no chance in hell.

 

Depends what salary is being offered and other factors. We kept Kelvin from going to West Ham, for example...

 

I suspect this guy has been offered double his wages. To move from the Bigg Market to the King's Road - tough call! Not!

[S-Clarke]

Depends what salary is being offered and other factors. We kept Kelvin from going to West Ham, for example...

 

I suspect this guy has been offered double his wages. To move from the Bigg Market to the King's Road - tough call! Not!

 

So the same would happen to us wouldn't it?

 

From Northam to Kings Road.......not a tough call either!

 

To be fair, I've also read that Newcastle doubled his contract wage....but he still snubbed it.

[Legod Third Coming]

The world is changing and we need to keep. We can be a champions league club because people used to use PCs and now try use IPads and all that.

 

No, we can be a CL club because NO ONE knows what the future holds. Apart from men like Jobs and Arthur C Clarke. And that's because THEY WROTE the future...

 

This is football. Things will change but the core product won't.

[Legod Third Coming]

So the same would happen to us wouldn't it?

 

From Northam to Kings Road.......not a tough call either!

 

To be fair, I've also read that Newcastle doubled his contract wage....but he still snubbed it.

 

No club can keep it's players. None!

 

It doesn't mean they all leave.

 

But they cannot be made to stay.

 

Imagine a front line at United of Ronaldo, Rooney and Forlan...

[shurlock]

£1bn and the title's ours.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/football/teams/manchester-city/9255702/Manchester-Citys-930-million-spending-spree-to-turn-club-into-Premier-League-title-contenders.html

 

Other interesting tit bits from the 2010-11 season:

 

• Top-flight clubs spent £2.51 billion in cash, which was £285.8 million more than they earned.

• The Premier League generated £2.23 billion of income, which equates to 0.148 per cent of the entire output of the UK economy.

• Clubs spent almost £400 million on signings after player sales.

• Wages for players and staff cost clubs £1.52 billion.

• Premier League clubs’ net debt was £1.39 billion, costing them £97.2 million in debt-interest payments.

• City’s spending loomed large in the results for the league as a whole. In 2009-2010, City were spending £3.04 for every £1 they earned.

 

Traditionally, a club’s league position has reflected their spending on wages. However, in recent years, clubs who spent greater sums than direct rivals on transfers actually suffered in the league. For instance, West Ham were relegated -despite having the 12th highest transfer/wage bill in the league. The article also shows how some teams manage to prosper despite being ‘selling clubs’:

 

"Wigan Athletic (£574,000 profit), Blackburn (£2.2 million) and Arsenal (£15.9 million) all made more money in the transfer market than they spent in 2009-2010, and yet all three finished higher than teams with bigger wage bills. Chelsea did the ‘double’ that season and yet made a profit of £18.2 million on transfers. Last season, Newcastle United over-achieved more than anyone in this regard, making £5.4 million in the transfer market and yet finishing six places higher than their wage bill indicated they would. The figures point to how the club have skilfully identified talent at bargain prices while attracting big fees for selling players whose departures have not prompted a slump in the team’s form".

Edited 10 May, 2012 by shurlock

[Sour Mash]

£1bn and the title's ours.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/football/teams/manchester-city/9255702/Manchester-Citys-930-million-spending-spree-to-turn-club-into-Premier-League-title-contenders.html

 

Other interesting tit bits from the 2010-11 season:

 

• Top-flight clubs spent £2.51 billion in cash, which was £285.8 million more than they earned.

• The Premier League generated £2.23 billion of income, which equates to 0.148 per cent of the entire output of the UK economy.

• Clubs spent almost £400 million on signings after player sales.

• Wages for players and staff cost clubs £1.52 billion.

• Premier League clubs’ net debt was £1.39 billion, costing them £97.2 million in debt-interest payments.

• City’s spending loomed large in the results for the league as a whole. In 2009-2010, City were spending £3.04 for every £1 they earned.

 

Traditionally, a club’s league position has reflected their spending on wages. However, in recent years, clubs who spent greater sums than direct rivals on transfers actually suffered in the league. For instance, West Ham were relegated -despite having the 12th highest transfer/wage bill in the league. The article also shows how some teams manage to prosper despite being ‘selling clubs’:

 

"Wigan Athletic (£574,000 profit), Blackburn (£2.2 million) and Arsenal (£15.9 million) all made more money in the transfer market than they spent in 2009-2010, and yet all three finished higher than teams with bigger wage bills. Chelsea did the ‘double’ that season and yet made a profit of £18.2 million on transfers. Last season, Newcastle United over-achieved more than anyone in this regard, making £5.4 million in the transfer market and yet finishing six places higher than their wage bill indicated they would. The figures point to how the club have skilfully identified talent at bargain prices while attracting big fees for selling players whose departures have not prompted a slump in the team’s form".

Interesting stuff that. Going to be horrible watching the fall out if the bubble really does ever burst.....

[Turkish]

No, we can be a CL club because NO ONE knows what the future holds. Apart from men like Jobs and Arthur C Clarke. And that's because THEY WROTE the future...

 

This is football. Things will change but the core product won't.

 

Exactly. Apple are probably saying the same thing and they dont even have our catchment area.

[Legod Third Coming]

Exactly. Apple are probably saying the same thing and they dont even have our catchment area.

 

Have you been drinking?

 

Apple are well set because they write the zeitgeist and deliver it.

 

We play football. We could be the next Apple apart from we cannot change the core product, Apple can because they create it...

 

Apple changed the world by revolutionising music and mobile communication. We can't change the football product so the rules are set for us.

 

But the rules are pretty simple.

 

1. Employ the best football manager you can afford.

2. Give him as much money as you can afford.

 

Imagine. Mourinho leading out Southampton to the CL Final in 2017...

 

In fact, favourite this post as a little motivator and so I don't have to say 'told you so'...

[This Charming Man]

I'd find it quite funny if were to get relegated next season. Obviously it wouldn't be great for the team but at least I'd be able to laugh at all the imbeciles on here.