Haven't we been here before?

Whilst I wish it wasn't so, there’s many a million been squandered by owners trying to get to the promised land, look at Bolton. I think as a business we’re better placed than most because we’ve stayed within our means. It’s just unfortunate that our means aren't ever going to be big enough for us to progress unless we have another magic promotion run when everything clicks whilst still being run to a tight budget. I’d love for us to be signing some marque players and beating teams for fun but it doesn't make for a sustainable business model which is what these new owners are all about.

 

No one's asking for that though. Only the daftest of fans thought we were going to be the next Bournemouth.

The way we've prepared for and started our first season back in the championship is why people are concerned.

 

I think without realising it, you have hit the nail on the head. The board are not interested in making the odd few quid from matchday income / TV Money / Promotion money. It's a pittance to them, and the finances of that cycle are maintained by a core of 11,000 daft ******** like me and thee. We'll go week in, week out, regardless of results and form ......... or so they think. That's what they are counting on! The REAL money to be made by them is in player sales. So whilst we prop up 'the cycle', they cream off the real dosh every transfer window. They create the cycle, they force the repetition ....... we just fall for it. And I'm fast getting sick of it and not liking the model.

But it's Monday - I always find something to be miserable about on a Monday.

 

Corrie double bill tonight Emmerdale and Eastenders sandwiched in between. What more can you want?

 

Yer can guarantee that if things do go the same way as Hecky - that some of our supporters will be saying he was cr@p anyway.

 

Can anyone show me that they are "creaming off the real dosh"? Other people have pointed out that they are very rich people, and a few quid here and there would make no difference to them.

I don't know exactly what we spent on players, or what we brought in with player sales, as both are undisclosed.

However, the comings and goings appear to me to not leave much leeway for loads of dish to be skimmed.

 

I wouldn't be claiming he's crap - but also not claiming he's the messiah. The enthusiasm he had last season was infectious and great to see. However, he did what was expected by most, and that was to get promotion.

Yes, he got the players to play good attacking football in a cohesive team, and although a young squad, it had more championship experience the most others.

We've come up a division higher and are still playing the same way - i.e. The press. Last season we often got hit on the break, but the oppostion often managed to **** it up, or Davies pulled off a top save. Also, the defenders panicked more when harried and lost possession - a level higher and defenders are a better quality and can deal with this in a calmer way. This season the opposition are better, catching us out of position when we do press, and ultimately scoring. Against Brentford it was obvious to see, but we did nothing to change things, just kept suicidally throwing full backs up the pitch, Brentford would break out wide, a centre back coming across to cover and leaving massive holes for Watkins to exploit.

Why not change it and go to plan B? Seems we don't have one. Maybe we don't have the players to operate a plan B, but how about for staters telling full backs not to get caught out too far up front and to hold their position.

Another strange decision, and nothing to do with players we don't have is making Bahre captain. Normally the captain is the first name not the team sheet - think Keane at United, Viera or Adams at Arsenal, Redfearn for us - but Bahre hasn't now started for a while.

Set pieces are another thing we aren't good at. Again, that is nothing to do with the players we don't have - we have enough height to worry teams, but the routines/ delivery are crap.

Winning breeds confidence, and there's nothing easier then managing a winning team that picks itself, like last season and in Heckys promotion season. For me a true test of the manager is how they get the team to perform when the chips are down and we need to scrap for the points.

Unfortunately Hecky came up short - you can blame the lack of experienced players but something had gone wrong and as a team they seemed to have given up and the manager could not get them motivated.

Remains to be seen how DS does - can he instill the belief in the players like Flicker did in the season he kept us, or lose the plot like Hecky did in the last few months of his tenure?

Time will tell.

 

Maybe "creaming off" is too strong a phrase, but billionaires or not, if you are going to get some return, it will be via player sales than matchday turnover. IMHO, of course.

 

I think that’s pretty harsh on both Stendel & Heckingbottom.

Stendel had a good side at the start of the season but after losing Moore & Potts the job he did in the second half of the season was exceptional to keep grinding out wins & get us over the line even though we were short on options & the teams we were competing against Portsmouth, Charlton & in particular Sunderland had better options available. We certainly had to scrap for points.

It’s a bit of a myth about the promotion team under Heckinbotton that he didn’t do anything & just carried on Johnson’s work, he had to change 3 of the back 4 with losing Long & then injuries to Bree & White for the last couple of months of the season. He kept us scrapping for points even when we were short. As far as the chips been down, going to Sheff Utd & grinding out that point when we were dead on our feet & going to the champions & blowing them away on the last day when we needed to win to get in the play offs is about as ‘chips been down’ as it gets.

As for losing the plot, despite having no striker any good in the air or holding it up we were in touch in January & got the strikers we needed in Moore & McBurnie. That’s what we need this season. As long as Stendel can keep us within a few points of 21st it gives us a great chance of survival if we can get that striker in.

 

I dont believe that anyone is creaming off cash and player sales are to get the owners rich(er)

I think its a simple as we have a plan and dont adapt it for the championship. By adapt i mean

- relax the position on loans
- be more accommodating of experienced and 2-3 older players. 6 kids with potential, 3 solid champ experience instead of 11 unknowns
- accept salary levels are higher and find a way. Smaller squad / higher quality. After all we are 6m better off than last (or next if we aren't careful) season

I think the model of future resale value is ok when building a squad. Its weighted fully in that direction and we should rebalance the plan in the championship. I just don't think we have enough of the balance on the ‘be competitive in the pitch today’ in the adjustment of the plan.

 

Preston away he played Odijayi on the wing - a sure sign his head had gone!

 

Appoint young manager
Get promoted playing good football with a promising squad
Players are sold and inadequately replaced
Manager starts losing confidence in board
Results turn bad
Manager voices displeasure more publicly
Manager leaves <----- YOU ARE NOW HERE
Tarn get relegated