Has the spending splurge ended?

[Shrek]

The only reason teams have spent less is because if the new squad rules, as soon as we all fully understand it and used too it the spending will start again!

[Shrek]

Just remembered a stat I heard today,

The money the glazers take out of Man U to pay the interest on their  debt, is the equivalent of giving all the season ticket holders at Old Trafford their tickets for free!

That's truly unbeleivable!

[Hookeysmith]

Until a percieved "Name / brand" goes the way of Leeds / Portsmouth fuck all will be done - whilst Sky brainwash to braindead that its the greatest show on earth then nothing will be done. Until the FA realise that the big clubs have created a "tail wags dog" situation then nothing will be done

Although it will effect football in general i hope to see the day Murdoch and his cronies pull the plug on the whole shooting match.
There was a piece in the latest copy of H&V that mentions the rise in the Hoollie books and that it was not just a link back to the terrible times of violence - but also an opportunity for us older fans to remind ourselves of how going to the game was a lot more fun then and obviously a lot more accessible for fans and the whole thing just seemed "Fairer"

[old man villa fan]

I posted this on a thread I started in July. http://www.heroesandvillains.info/forumv3/index.php?topic=39525.0

Is the current inactivity in the transfer market due to clubs not having any money to spend.

Is the Sky money and income through the gates just enough to pay the clubs wages, leaving nothing else to spend on players.

Are we now seeing the effect of too much of the money that was swashing around football a few seasons ago being spent outside of English football and lost forever.

Is the fact that many transfers were paid in installments now coming home to hurt the clubs as payments have caught up with no additional income.

Are clubs being left with too many players on high wages (like us) and thus tying up income from Sky/gates/sponsorship.

The only money that seems to be available is when clubs are bought out with new investment.  Even this seems to be drying up.  A year or two ago there were many buyers out there but now even traditionally top clubs with good potential for income from high gates have no buyers.

There seems to be no liquidity in English football and usually, no liquidity in business means eventual bankruptcy.

My opinion is that we are going to see a very flat market for the next couple of years as players contracts are allowed to run down for all but the top players, with clubs taking a hit on lost income from transfers by letting players go on free transfers.  Even Chelsea have done this with Joe Cole.

There will always be some wheeling and dealing but are we going too see more clubs relying on young players coming through or clubs going to places like central America for cheap imports.

It will be interesting to see how Portsmouth go over the next 2 or 3 seasons.  Will they steady the ship or will they sink out of sight.

I think football is in for some hard times and we have to hope that PL football still interests the rest of the world as it does now because income form Sky is the only thing keeping football afloat at the moment.

Randy Lerner is a shrewd businessman and I think he senses the storm clouds gathering and is battening down the hatches for the time being.  Not being a traditional English owner, he will not throw more and more money in through loyalty/home town club/vanity or whatever.  I do not see Mr Lerner being one to throw the towel in but I do see him as one that will ride out the storm.

How patient will Villa supporters be if money is not being spent on new players.

Following the closure of the transfer window and how little was spent generally reinforces my view.  The only club with any money is Man City and most of what they spent went outside England.  We were the only club that benefitted financially from their spending to any extent.