Wage Bill Nonsense

[sirlordbaltimore]

Isn't about time we stopped blarting about this imaginary huge wage bill ?

If every one of our 25 man squad earned an average of 40k a week (and they never do in a zillion years) the yearly wage bill would still only be 52m

Bear in mind our current turnover, and the fact it's about to increase substantially with the new mammoth TV deal and not only are we well and truly ok in that regard we've got lots of room to maneuver some decent players in too

Or have I read it all wrong ?

Just at a guess :

Guzan 25k
Given 60k
Lowton 15k
Bennett 15k
Vlaar 30k
Dunne 40k
Clark 20k
Baker 15k
Lichaj 15k
Stephens 5k
Williams 5k
Ireland 65k
Ahmadi 25k
Bannan 20k
Westwood 15k
Holman 20k
N'Zogbia 45k
Albrighton 20k
Delph 25k
Herd 20k
Johnson 5k
Gardner 15k
Carruthers 5k
Bent 65k
Gabby 50k
Weimann 15k
Benteke 30k
Bowery 10k
Delfouneso 15k

[pauliewalnuts]

The wage bill figures were published in the annual accounts, and were a scarily high percentage of turnover, so I'd suggest there really was a problem.

[eastie]

Isn't about time we stopped blarting about this imaginary huge wage bill ?

If every one of our 25 man squad earned an average of 40k a week (and they never do in a zillion years) the yearly wage bill would still only be 52m

Bear in mind our current turnover, and the fact it's about to increase substantially with the new mammoth TV deal and not only are we well and truly ok in that regard we've got lots of room to maneuver some decent players in too

Or have I read it all wrong ?

Just at a guess :

Guzan 25k
Given 60k
Lowton 15k
Bennett 15k
Vlaar 30k
Dunne 40k
Clark 20k
Baker 15k
Lichaj 15k
Stephens 5k
Williams 5k
Ireland 65k
Ahmadi 25k
Bannan 20k
Westwood 15k
Holman 20k
N'Zogbia 45k
Albrighton 20k
Delph 25k
Herd 20k
Johnson 5k
Gardner 15k
Carruthers 5k
Bent 65k
Gabby 50k
Weimann 15k
Benteke 30k
Bowery 10k
Delfouneso 15k

Not much point guessing who is on what wages though as we have no knowledge.

Many of the highest earners are not in the team or performing poorly and that is the problem - if players were on high wages and earning their money on the pitch then we would not be in this mess.

[Mortimer's Bear]

Stephen Ireland earning 65k a week makes me want to vomit.

[sirlordbaltimore]

The wage bill figures were published in the annual accounts, and were a scarily high percentage of turnover, so I'd suggest there really was a problem.

Apparently so, but has anyone actually tried to add up how they actually can be ?

[Fergal]

Stephen Ireland earning 65k a week makes me want to vomit.

I know, we could get Emile Heskey for that sort of money...

[pauliewalnuts]

The wage bill figures were published in the annual accounts, and were a scarily high percentage of turnover, so I'd suggest there really was a problem.

Apparently so, but has anyone actually tried to add up how they actually can be ?

Probably not, but what's the point? The figure is there in the accounts.

I'd imagine we're paying some players a lot more than people think.

[ozzjim]

The players leaving at the end of last season will have helped with the wage bill, and the club were openly saying at the end of last summer it is now in manageable range. I think there is room to move in it now, where there wasn't before.

[paul_e]

You've missed off Warnock and Hutton who will be taking around about 75k (less anything bolton and forest are paying but I doubt that will be a huge amount) between them to not even be at the club.

You're also missing all the staff, all the reserve and academy teams, etc.

I seem to remember reading that the first team wages account for around 3/4 of the total wage bill for virtually all premier league sides.  Using you figures you'd guess a mid point between those 2 would mean a wage bill of around 65m.  Based on a turnover that will probably be similar to the 92m in the last accounts (lower ticket sales, tv money and merchandising but offset by improved sponsorship deals) you'd still be looking at around 71-72% of turnover on wages.

[Concrete John]

I think that's the key now - it's back where we want it to be.

What that means is the 'room to manouver' will come as present high earning/low contributing players are moved on.  Such as Dunne and Warnock, who are both out of contract this summer.

[Risso]

The 2012 accounts ae due at the end of next month, accounting fans (ie, me).

[pedro25]

Isn't about time we stopped blarting about this imaginary huge wage bill ?

If every one of our 25 man squad earned an average of 40k a week (and they never do in a zillion years) the yearly wage bill would still only be 52m

Bear in mind our current turnover, and the fact it's about to increase substantially with the new mammoth TV deal and not only are we well and truly ok in that regard we've got lots of room to maneuver some decent players in too

Or have I read it all wrong ?

Just at a guess :

Guzan 25k
Given 60k
Lowton 15k
Bennett 15k
Vlaar 30k
Dunne 40k
Clark 20k
Baker 15k
Lichaj 15k
Stephens 5k
Williams 5k
Ireland 65k
Ahmadi 25k
Bannan 20k
Westwood 15k
Holman 20k
N'Zogbia 45k
Albrighton 20k
Delph 25k
Herd 20k
Johnson 5k
Gardner 15k
Carruthers 5k
Bent 65k
Gabby 50k
Weimann 15k
Benteke 30k
Bowery 10k
Delfouneso 15k

That's a 28 man squad, not 25 as you state, and as someone else pointed out what about Warnock and Hutton and how about Petrov, Makoun and Marshall?  Surely that's the point, we should be able to cope with a 25 man squad plus kids, so to have 33 first team squad players on the books plus kids is too heavy and we need to shift those on big money that are not playing, Warnock, Hutton etc.

[Chipsticks]

Stephen Ireland earning 65k a week makes me want to vomit.

I thought he was supposed to be on 100k a week, making him the highest earner in our history? Which if true, is an abomination.

[Trinitymiddle]

I understood Ireland to be on £85k/week, and Bent was on (according to Collymore, i think) "a six figure sun per week".

[paul_e]

I think Makouns wages are covered in full by the club he's at, petrovs should be covered by insurance and Marsdhall is also a coach so his wages would be bundled into the staff block (seeing as that's his main role, if Guzan or Given were injured I'm not convinced Marshall would get the spot on the bench but as he's over 21 he has to be registered to even be an option), hence I left those 3 out when I added Warnock and Hutton.

I do think some of the figures for the youngsters on that list are massively inflated though, but like others I question the level given for Bent and Ireland who I think are on significantly more than listed here.