The 5 Year Plan

[Concrete John]

For a club hoping to break the CL and needing firepower up front, Marlon was never in a million years going to be much use.

We had just finished 11th when we signed him.  But as I said earlier once we did become that perenial 6th placed team that was when he needed moving on and better brought in.

[Mazrim]

We could have done far better than Harewood at the time. Especially with the money we were throwing about on salaries.

[Greg N'Ash]

we couldn't move Harewood on. MON had put him on such high wages that anyone who might have wanted him was put off. See our current squad for more examples of MON's salary fuckwittery

Wasn't Marlon on something like £27,500 a week?  Hardly OTT by modern standards.

over 30k i heard. You only have to look at where he ended up. Blackpool had no transfer fee to pay and he still only got 20k a week, which is about his level

[PaulTheVillan]

Anyway, where is this 5 year plan? Does anyone have a copy?

[pauliewalnuts]

For a club hoping to break the CL and needing firepower up front, Marlon was never in a million years going to be much use.

We had just finished 11th when we signed him.  But as I said earlier once we did become that perenial 6th placed team that was when he needed moving on and better brought in.

He was never good enough in the first place, which is why he was on his way to Wigan from West Ham when we bought him.

It's all well and good saying he had some impact off the bench, but it wasn't much of an impact, and didn't O'Neill pretend he didn't exist for months after he came off the bench at Spurs to give them a penalty?

30k a week, say, for three years? so that's 5m in wages, plus 4.5m in fee with no sell on, so the best part of 10 million pounds Marlon cost us. In return we got 5 league goals.

I can't believe anyone doesn't think we've been wasteful with wages looking at figures like that.,

[pauliewalnuts]

Anyway, where is this 5 year plan? Does anyone have a copy?

[Mazrim]

Here's a copy:


5 Year plan. By R. Lerner.

Year 1 - Buy Villa.
Year 2 - ?
Year 3 - ?
Year 4 - ?
Year 5 - Success

[PaulTheVillan]

Not quite gone to plan then.

[sfx412]

Following an inglorious season, it will be interesting to see how the Board react to the situation.
Time and again the doomsayers find reasons to criticise the Board, time and again the prove the doubters wrong.
I'm sure they will again.
Next season is a great chance to start afresh with a plan that fits the changes that have happened within the PL since RL took over.
I'm sure he will meet the challenge again hopefully sooner than later.
As to the 5 year plan, if it ever existed in reality beyond a boardroom remit, I'm sure they could if pressed point to the many plus we have seen and justify many improvements across the club even if this latest season has been a mare from day one, even before Mon walked.
Remember many pointed to the lack of departures as one of Mon's reasons for leaving, seemingly he wanted the likes of Harewood, Carew, Ireland on high wages in the reserves as part of his plan. Didn't make sense but it looked like RL was willing to back him. Despite the innuendo, he left, he was not sacked.

[Concrete John]

For a club hoping to break the CL and needing firepower up front, Marlon was never in a million years going to be much use.

We had just finished 11th when we signed him.  But as I said earlier once we did become that perenial 6th placed team that was when he needed moving on and better brought in.

He was never good enough in the first place, which is why he was on his way to Wigan from West Ham when we bought him.

It's all well and good saying he had some impact off the bench, but it wasn't much of an impact, and didn't O'Neill pretend he didn't exist for months after he came off the bench at Spurs to give them a penalty?

30k a week, say, for three years? so that's 5m in wages, plus 4.5m in fee with no sell on, so the best part of 10 million pounds Marlon cost us. In return we got 5 league goals.

I can't believe anyone doesn't think we've been wasteful with wages looking at figures like that.,

I don't rate him, didn't want him and agree it was a waste.

But my argument is that we had an emerging strike partnership of Carew and Gabby, who we were unable to better given out standing at the time.  So a back-up was needed and for all these '£10m' figures quoted, £4.5m and circa £30k a week was unfortuantely the going rate.  Yes, I'd rather have spent it on a better player, but to me it was a stop gap signing that lasted too long. 

If we had sold him after a year/18 months, as I believe was the original intention, we would have got the majority of that £4.5m back and wahes would only have totalled around £2m-£2.5m.  He'd then rate no more mention on here than Zat Knight. 

[Greg N'Ash]

For a club hoping to break the CL and needing firepower up front, Marlon was never in a million years going to be much use.

We had just finished 11th when we signed him.  But as I said earlier once we did become that perenial 6th placed team that was when he needed moving on and better brought in.

He was never good enough in the first place, which is why he was on his way to Wigan from West Ham when we bought him.

It's all well and good saying he had some impact off the bench, but it wasn't much of an impact, and didn't O'Neill pretend he didn't exist for months after he came off the bench at Spurs to give them a penalty?

30k a week, say, for three years? so that's 5m in wages, plus 4.5m in fee with no sell on, so the best part of 10 million pounds Marlon cost us. In return we got 5 league goals.

I can't believe anyone doesn't think we've been wasteful with wages looking at figures like that.,

I don't rate him, didn't want him and agree it was a waste.

But my argument is that we had an emerging strike partnership of Carew and Gabby, who we were unable to better given out standing at the time.  So a back-up was needed and for all these '£10m' figures quoted, £4.5m and circa £30k a week was unfortuantely the going rate.  Yes, I'd rather have spent it on a better player, but to me it was a stop gap signing that lasted too long. 

If we had sold him after a year/18 months, as I believe was the original intention, we would have got the majority of that £4.5m back and wahes would only have totalled around £2m-£2.5m.  He'd then rate no more mention on here than Zat Knight. 

I don't agree it was the going rate. 30k a week for a west ham reserve? He's a decent championship player and no Championship club would pay him 30k a week  If he'd been brought in as a 1st teamer you could understand it, but it was pretty obvious he was only ever meant as back-up. Only thing i can say in MON's defence is maybe the Icelandic board had put him on ridiculous wages and he wasn't going to move unless we matched them. In that case, we should have passed on him.

[Risso]

we couldn't move Harewood on. MON had put him on such high wages that anyone who might have wanted him was put off. See our current squad for more examples of MON's salary fuckwittery

Wasn't Marlon on something like £27,500 a week?  Hardly OTT by modern standards.

over 30k i heard. You only have to look at where he ended up. Blackpool had no transfer fee to pay and he still only got 20k a week, which is about his level

Nearly £5m in transfer fees, and £30K a week.  Close to £10m of money out of the door on Marlon Harewood, which is OTT by any sane standard.

[Rudy Can't Fail]

Nearly £5m in transfer fees, and £30K a week.  Close to £10m of money out of the door on Marlon Harewood, which is OTT by any sane standard.

A bargain when compared to the £14.4m Heskey will have cost us.

[Greg N'Ash]

we couldn't move Harewood on. MON had put him on such high wages that anyone who might have wanted him was put off. See our current squad for more examples of MON's salary fuckwittery

Wasn't Marlon on something like £27,500 a week?  Hardly OTT by modern standards.

over 30k i heard. You only have to look at where he ended up. Blackpool had no transfer fee to pay and he still only got 20k a week, which is about his level

Nearly £5m in transfer fees, and £30K a week.  Close to £10m of money out of the door on Marlon Harewood, which is OTT by any sane standard.

yep, and on just one player. Add in Davies, Beye, Sidwell, Ireland, Shorey, Heskey etc., and we'd have the funds for a major spending spree this summer. For your own sanity, tt's best not to think about it for too long

[Villa'Zawg]

I bet you could find similar or even worse examples at every large PL club. It's just modern PL football isn't it?