Summer transfer rumours, speculation and out-and-out b*ll*cks.

[eastie]

The thing is though chris is you lose so many players and don't replace them then the only way is downwards- other clubs will overtake us and as fans we obviously want to see our team competing.

If we release and sell the amount we have in recent months then we should still be able to add a couple more players and still have decreased the wage bill and debts.

To say there's no money at all even after all the departures is really demoralising.
As it staNds not even the downing money has been spent which is in stark contrast to the generals boasts about randy backing mcleish.

[Whiney MacWhineface]

Oh, and Trezeguet will be 34 in October, so get stuffed, and Hitz was effective for West Ham only as long as Parker was doing everything else in midfield. When Parker got injured Hitz was back to being a sperctator in their midfield, which brought back memories, albeit not great ones.

[Merv]

Why do people keep acting surprised?

We've known about the wage situation since last summer. They'd be stupid to spend all this time, and put up with all the criticism, bringing it down only to go out and add to it again. 

I think it's because we have seen the squad reduced in size in the last 18 months and we have seen big players sold again this summer, and many people (me included, to begin with) assumed that we'd have the ability to at least spend what we'd brought in by way of transfer fees. And that by losing a dozen senior players, we might be able to bring in more than a couple. Seems the situation is either worse than we knew, or that the goalposts have been moved since. Bottom line now is, the penny has probably finally dropped with everyone and we now know how it is: even a free transfer signing is beyond us, until we move a player/players on.

[UsualSuspect]

Why do people keep acting surprised?

We've known about the wage situation since last summer. They'd be stupid to spend all this time, and put up with all the criticism, bringing it down only to go out and add to it again. 

Totally agree with Chris

2 months ago AM was saying that he he wouldn't get all the transfer money, people would have clean slates, youth given a chance, blah blah.

Yet we get people on forums generating rubbish transfer rumours prime example Scott parker.

The Club have stated that no approach was ever made and do people really think that in our financial position we are going to spend 15 odd million on a player who will have no resale.

[eastie]

I take that point usual suspect , but why did the general make such a big deal about randy would be giving mcleish backing etc, just a ploy to sell tickets or hasn't he really a clue?

I can see eck carrying the can if things go awry which is really unfair as his hands are so tied .
Either way it seems clear that there no money for a loan or free transfer at present so talk of Johnson, trezeguet , Parker etc seems well wide of the Mark.

A supposed itk posted on here there may be another big sale yet, maybe gabby to Newcastle?
It seems the only way we will be able to get anyone in will be to move others out.

[pauliewalnuts]

Why do people keep acting surprised?

We've known about the wage situation since last summer. They'd be stupid to spend all this time, and put up with all the criticism, bringing it down only to go out and add to it again. 

Too much, too fast, that's why.

Everyone appreciates the need to sort the wage bill out, and to be prudent with our spending, but go too far and we'll be going backwards at an alarming rate (having already done so last year). This makes it harder to do anything long term - for example, in my opinion there's no doubt that next summer we'll be selling Darren Bent, as he's not going to want to mook around the wrong half of the table for long.

Then we had the stuff about backing AM from Gen Krulak, and wait and see how we back him etc etc, only to see him not really being backed very much at all.

Recoup some of the wastage of the last five years by all means, but the way they're going about it, they're going to undo all the good work, too, and we'll be right back where we started.

If our finances really have got that bad that quickly, then you do have to wonder what kind of strategist Randy is, if it came down to "splurge it all in a few years and we're fucked if it doesn't work".

[UsualSuspect]

I take that point usual suspect , but why did the general make such a big deal about randy would be giving mcleish backing etc, just a ploy to sell tickets or hasn't he really a clue?

I can see eck carrying the can if things go awry which is really unfair as his hands are so tied .
Either way it seems clear that there no money for a loan or free transfer at present so talk of Johnson, trezeguet , Parker etc seems well wide of the Mark.

A supposed itk posted on here there may be another big sale yet, maybe gabby to Newcastle?
It seems the only way we will be able to get anyone in will be to move others out.

Eastie I have posted many times that IMO AM was bought in purely as a fall guy.

Fuck me they even made him do the press conference on his own

By approaching a manager who would have been sacked before Xmas by Small Heath and doubling his wages they have in effect got a yes man, one who will feel privilegedto manage a club like Villa and has wipe here on the back of his jacket

[eastie]

Maybe randy has realised he doesn't have the resources to break the top 4 and has given up on the dream- if so will he be happy to just exist in the premier league or will he look for a new investor to take the club to the next level?

[Chris Smith]

Maybe randy has realised he doesn't have the resources to break the top 4 and has given up on the dream- if so will he be happy to just exist in the premier league or will he look for a new investor to take the club to the next level?

He doesn't have the resources to match Chelsea or Man City's spending. We can't compete with Manu or Arsenal for revenue. He has no option other than to find an alternative way to operate. He sets that out in the letter but people will not accept it and look for alternative meanings.

[Risso]

Maybe randy has realised he doesn't have the resources to break the top 4 and has given up on the dream- if so will he be happy to just exist in the premier league or will he look for a new investor to take the club to the next level?

He doesn't have the resources to match Chelsea or Man City's spending. We can't compete with Manu or Arsenal for revenue. He has no option other than to find an alternative way to operate. He sets that out in the letter but people will not accept it and look for alternative meanings.

It's hardly surprising when his representative General krulak has been talking such a load of old shite.  "When has Randy not backed the manager?  Imagine what McLeish can do with Randy's backing." etc.

Well it looks like McLeish had more backing under the rabble at the Sty, and look how that turned out.

[eastie]

I think if that's where we at chris then we no choice but to accept it- it's just a bit galling that one board mber spouts how randy will give his manager great backing and imagine what mcleish can do with such backing , when it clearly isn't true - maybe with a view to ticket sales or not I cannot say , but it would help if they were singing from the same hymn  sheet- could this maybe be why the general doesnt post much on here?

[pauliewalnuts]

There's a bit of space between challenging Man City and Chelsea and "a real achievement to match last season's ninth place finish", though.

A top half finish seems to be the ultimate target. As I imagine it is for Stoke and Albion.

[JUAN PABLO]

Now we know how Everton fans feel   

[eastie]

Seems to be that way juan Pablo, it would also seem to back up o neills media mates and perhaps provide an insight into one of the reasons he left if he was aware of the new financial constraints he would face.

Maybe as was stated his and randys visions for the future were too far apart .

[Chris Smith]

There's a bit of space between challenging Man City and Chelsea and "a real achievement to match last season's ninth place finish", though.

A top half finish seems to be the ultimate target. As I imagine it is for Stoke and Albion.

I was talking about the spending issue in response to eastie's post. We cannot do it in the same way as those clubs, we don't have their money. So, we're looking at an alternative. I don't suppose Albion or Stoke are in a period of trimming the wage bill so their situation is different to ours. Spurs are though and similarly have not been exactly active this window.