Can I just say..

Season finishes in May

 

So because you expect to lose them they will definitely go then, not sure thats how it works we can't be working on if's or maybe's. We don't know what happens in the dressing room or in Hecky's office so why don't we just along with what people who know a damn site more than we do. Having an opinion is a great thing just not when you keep telling everyone like it's fact.

 

Shut the ****ing BBS darn then. No need for it if there's no debate or discussion to be had.

For what is worth, I've been told by a reliable friend that Watkins has another offer on the table and is expected to take it. It's why he tried to force the move away.

 

Tha'll do for me spot on.

 

Correct. And I nearly didn't post for that reason.

What baffles me is 'the plan' has got us where we are, yet folk wanted us in January to scrap the plan, keep players here who didn't want to be here and spend a few million in the hope of reaching the playoffs. Basically, gamble.

We're a victim of our own success. I think most of us, including the Club felt we'd be bottom third this season which would have made it (strangely) easier to retain and recruit. But our players became coveted and there's just no way as a Club that we can compete financially with Villa or Wednesday. You can call it ambition on the departed players' behalf but in reality they've gone for the money. I do not blame any of them. All three have just got contracts that should set them up for life. And they earned their opportunity to do so. But this idea that we could have said no, forced them to stay, that is ludicrous.

When have we succeeded when spending big money on players? And when you spend big on a player, they're invariably the big earner. Then what? We do not have the finances to go down that path, trust me. The Club have explained all this. People refer to the Mawson/Stones money, but like I said earlier, Wednesday paid £10m for Rhodes, Wolves £13m for Costa. We have secured our financial future for a fair while I would imagine without having to rely on our benevolent custodian who is currently fighting the biggest disease there is. And the Club will continue to invest within their financial limits to recruit more players along the lines of the last few years, hoping to see it remain successful. Self-sufficiency. Sustainable.

Until we get bigger gates, more revenue, a new investor, this is us. Aye, it's disappointing and frustrating that we didn't get the striker in. I am on board with that, believe me. But we're 8th in the second tier just a couple of points off the playoffs. 19 points above the relegation zone. Surely we should all be rejoicing right now, in unison?

 

Our only game in May is away at Newcastle. He was right - the season ends in April

 

Good write up Whitey.
Whilst we have some of the best support in the country we need twice as many to financially make us more self viable.
Nothing has changed over the years, the rich big clubs come in January or in the summer and plunder your best players with mega money. We are then left to pick ourselves up and push on. Then history repeats itself and we will be plundered again.
It is the whole game that is loaded in favour of clubs that get into Premier. Mega money for going up and coming down. They come down into the Championship and are loaded. The likes of Wigan, Blackpool, before owner robbed them, Bournemouth, Burnley, to name a few, are not bigger than us but hit the Jackpot.
The only thing this club has to aim for is hit the Jackpot and get into premier and then we will be able to plunder
In Hecky and Cryne I trust

 

That is pretty much how I see things. The problem is that the naysayers and doom mongers do not read it. I know, I have written the same sort of stuff myself. They do not waste their time reading, they never stop to give a matter due consideration, they do not bother with the other chaps point of view. No they just write, and write and write. And if you read it, all you read is the same diatribe over and over again. If you do not mind preaching to the converted then please continue to give us your thoughts. But if you are looking to change minds, you are wasting your time.

 

Why do people always do this on the BBS? Make stuff up to polarise other people's opinions? No-one is asking for multi millions to be spent, as far as I can see. I'm certainly not anyway. We understand we can't afford it, and we understand we'll never be a club that spends big transfer fees. All we are saying is....

So you're in complete agreement with us. So why the need to polarise people's disappointment into an argument that no one is making. No one's anti the club. No one's anti Cryne, so why bring his illness into it. The fans could not have been more supportive to him and his family. I can think of zero other clubs fans who would pay for an enormous flag of support out of their own money. We're just expressing disappointment, which you yourself have admitted to also feeling.

 

Sadly, some people have the knack of finding a problem for every solution, and a cloud for every silver lining. They're entitled to think (and post) like that of course, but it doesn't half make my brain hurt.

 

Good stuff. Well written.

This transfer window has mashed my spuds. And many others' too.

I actually agree with everything you've written, and then some. Now the dust has settled, and the window's shut, the perspective is clear and you've articulated it well.

Onwards!

 

There's plenty of room for disappointment and concern, the entire forum is full of it. And we read it. Alternatively, it's not quite the horror show some will have you believe and thus it's nice to read that view also.

Some are glass half-full, some half-empty. That's natural. But neither you nor I can predict the future. It's why we love the game and our Club. The uncertainty. Nobody is right or wrong, it's just a difference of views. When things are **** I've been the first to say so. Well, things aren't ****. Are they perfect? No. Can the Club improve? Definitely, in many areas too. ******* great folk at this Club who care and go above and beyond. Eye-opening for me seeing it from the inside. But it has to improve because there's only so much so few can achieve. No matter their graft and love for it.

Surely we're agreed on the fact that this is one of the greatest periods in the history of the Club? So is it not better to revel in that rather than fret over what 'may' happen down the line?

 

My minor concerns:

1. Loaning Payne out when we are threadbare.
2. The amount of loans who will return to their clubs in the summer, and we will have to have another major rebuild.
3. Hecky looked thoroughly p***ed off in the after match yesterday discussing the window (although we'd just lost 3-1 and had 2 sent off).

At least I believe we are safe for another season in the Championship, and who know what the rest of this season holds. COYR!

 

All the above good but the root of most of this is we were told we would sooner let contracts run down than let them leave and dismantle our team like has happened in previous seasons - yet it just happened. And we looked a shell of our former self - which is is expected considering we have just lost 3 of our quality players, and hence why people are concerned this season will just become a washout. I understand the resaonings why but lets have the club think twice before making such statements in future.

Also at the end of the day - nobody bood the players or got on their backs last night - this is a public forum where people can express their views, ask questions and create discussion. Yes the minority are jumping up and down like spoiled bats but there is the block and ignore button where you need it - lets not carried away that the whole fan base are turning against the club cos they are not.

 

Sorry, not acceptable. You're against the club! You want us to spend millions and go bust and we'll be just like Portsmouth and Coventry and Stockport County! You want to take insane risks! You don't agree with the plan!

 

Brilliant post. Reading the posts this morning an alien from space with no footballing knowledge would have thought we were doing terribly. It makes me feel great the way we are often outplaying and beating teams with astounding wage budgets and spending incredible fees on players. Only Rotherham and Burton have spent less than us and look how they're doing. It would've been nice to sign a striker for a big price, but of course spending money does not guarantee success, just ask all the teams below us

 

Sadly, some people have the knack of finding a problem for every solution, and a cloud for every silver lining. They're entitled to think (and post) like that of course, but it doesn't half make my brain hurt.

 

We all wanted us to sign a new striker, but spending money does not guarantee success. What if we'd signed someone for £2 million and they turned out not to be good enough and only scored 1 goal in the rest of the season? People would be saying we'd wasted our money

 

Completely agree. Everyone's on board with not spending big money. It's just like you say, people are disappointed that we didn't get a replacement centre forward in. They're not disappointed that we didn't spend a load of money, they're just disappointed we didn't get anyone at all who is currently recognised as a specialist goalscorer (though I do accept that the plan might be to eventually convert one of the new players into a striker). I think we are all agreeing, in an odd way.

 

Some people's posts just sound like exactly the same thing they posted ten minutes ago