We're a selling club

[Rudy Can't Fail]

Thanks, VD. I've filled in the missing age at end of contract. Where the date is close to their birthday, I've mentioned it, just to get the clear picture.

Richard Dunne 33, nearly 34 (06/2013), Luke Young 31, almost 32 (06/2012), Habib Beye 34 (06/2012), Stilyan Petrov (five days short of) 34 (06/2013), Emile Heskey 34 (06/2012)

William Gallas 34 (06/2013), Ledley King 31 (06/2012), Peter Crouch 33 (06/2014), Robbie Keane 32 (06/2013)

Joseph Yobo 33 (06/2014), Distin 34 (06/2012), Tony Hibbert 33 (06/2014), Phil Neville 35 (06/2012), Mikel Arteta 34 (06/2015), Leon Osman 33 (06/2014), Tim Cahill 33 (06/2014), Luis Saha 33 (06/2012)

Kyrgiakox 32 (06/2012), Jamie Carragher 35 (06/2013), Fabio Aurelio 32 (06/2012), Christian Poulson 33 (06/2013), Stephen Gerrard 33 and one month (06/2013), Maxi Rodriguez 32 (06/2013), Jovanovic 32 (06/2013), Dirk Kuyt 32 (06/2013)

Not pretty reading, especially for ourselves and Everton.

Ignoring Jamie Carragher, who will no doubt join the Liverpool backroom staff before the end of his contract, only the cheating, diving, Scouse bastard gets above 32, which for me, should be the cut off age. We've basically given players an additional two years salary when in reality they won't be anywhere near the first team or they wouldn't be if we could get them off the wage bill.

It's stupid contracts like these that restrict us from getting better players in, thus keeping our best players because we can't shift the deadwood.

[Holtenderinthesky]

Surely t's not just about who you sell and for how much, what you do with cash is a huge factor.  As I pointed out in another thread, Spurs have sold some big names in the last few years but have re-invested wisely and reaped the rewards.  Man United sold Ronaldo,  their best player in years, apparently to help finance their huge debt but they are still competing at the very top level. 

[PaulWinch again]

We have now sold Ash and Downing plus released a load of players. The wage bill must have been savagely cut, there is no excuse not to spend.

[Rigadon]

We are no more or less a selling club than all but 3 premier league teams.  Liverpool are a selling club, they sold their best player to fund this little spree of theirs.  We must reciprocate by using the money we've gained from selling our best players to buy others. 

[Rudy Can't Fail]

We have now sold Ash and Downing plus released a load of players. The wage bill must have been savagely cut, there is no excuse not to spend.

Only next year will be start to see the benefits of reducing the wage bill. I dread to think what was the percentage of our income was player salaries last season, as be failed to really cut it but added Bent and Makoun.

[Holtenderinthesky]

We have now sold Ash and Downing plus released a load of players. The wage bill must have been savagely cut, there is no excuse not to spend.

Only next year will be start to the benefits of reducing the wage bill. I dread to think what was the percentage of our income was player salaries last season, as be failed to really cut it but added Bent and Makoun.

Wasn't it 90% or something ridiculous like that?

[Percy McCarthy]

There is a chapter in 'Why England Lose' which suggests that most successful clubs are 'selling clubs'. A big money sale generally means that the club has used an opportunity to take advantage of the transfer market, which is driven by perceived quality rather than any quantifiable value, to get an inflated price for a player. The best clubs reinvest this money wisely. Lyon, Barca and Man U are cited iirc.

You can't judge a club's stature by the personnel that is leaving a club, but by who is joining it. So we're fucked

Good theory, and one we need to embrace IMO.

[curiousorange]

There is a chapter in 'Why England Lose' which suggests that most successful clubs are 'selling clubs'. A big money sale generally means that the club has used an opportunity to take advantage of the transfer market, which is driven by perceived quality rather than any quantifiable value, to get an inflated price for a player. The best clubs reinvest this money wisely. Lyon, Barca and Man U are cited iirc.

You can't judge a club's stature by the personnel that is leaving a club, but by who is joining it. So we're fucked

Good theory, and one we need to embrace IMO.

The example of Lyon was a reason why I initially thought Houllier was a good appointment for us. I read that book and with Houllier being so heavily involved in the Lyon dynasty I was looking forward to seeing if he had any ideas in that direction. We'll never know, but it seemed as if any revolutionary ideas he might have had got swamped by the way football in Britain is expected to be done.

[frankmosswasmyuncle]

We are no more or less a selling club than all but 3 premier league teams.  Liverpool are a selling club, they sold their best player to fund this little spree of theirs.  We must reciprocate by using the money we've gained from selling our best players to buy others. 

Exactly! Didn't ManU sell Ronaldo? Did they reinvest? Yes! That's simply what we must do. We're all anxious to see something happening and I'm sure it will. I will miss A Young. I will not miss S Downing. Am looking forward to seeing how we play without relying on 2/3 individuals. Some of our pro's need to stand up and be counted, esp Dunne, Collins, Warnock. New players can enhance what is already there, not totally transform a team and its attitude overnight. Shrewd deals are needed and may take time to sort out. Let's be patient.

[Villa'Zawg]

We have now sold Ash and Downing plus released a load of players. The wage bill must have been savagely cut, there is no excuse not to spend.

Only next year will be start to the benefits of reducing the wage bill. I dread to think what was the percentage of our income was player salaries last season, as be failed to really cut it but added Bent and Makoun.

Wasn't it 90% or something ridiculous like that?

For one season we had the 6th highest wages in the league. Our Billionaire owner decided the club couldn't afford that level of investment but thankfully we could afford the £11m+ in management fees and interest payments he charged to the club.

[eastie]

We have now sold Ash and Downing plus released a load of players. The wage bill must have been savagely cut, there is no excuse not to spend.

Only next year will be start to the benefits of reducing the wage bill. I dread to think what was the percentage of our income was player salaries last season, as be failed to really cut it but added Bent and Makoun.

Wasn't it 90% or something ridiculous like that?

For one season we had the 6th highest wages in the league. Our Billionaire owner decided the club couldn't afford that level of investment but thankfully we could afford the £11m+ in management fees and interest payments he charged to the club.

the dirty scoundrel!

[Rigadon]

We have now sold Ash and Downing plus released a load of players. The wage bill must have been savagely cut, there is no excuse not to spend.

Only next year will be start to the benefits of reducing the wage bill. I dread to think what was the percentage of our income was player salaries last season, as be failed to really cut it but added Bent and Makoun.

Wasn't it 90% or something ridiculous like that?

For one season we had the 6th highest wages in the league. Our Billionaire owner decided the club couldn't afford that level of investment but thankfully we could afford the £11m+ in management fees and interest payments he charged to the club.

Villadawg,

You have always struck me as a balanced and intelligent poster, but you appear to be lost in some 'everything is shit' nightmare. 

[paulcomben]

"I think I'm right in saying that each of our Players Of The Season for the last 3 years have promptly buggered off within weeks (Barry, Milner and Downing)."


Everyone please make a diary note for May 2012: do not vote for Bent as POTS, do vote for Dunne.

[Edd_AVFC]

Hi all, I've been a longtime lurker to the site but feel compelled to post now given the events of the last few weeks.

I guess in response to the OP then yes we're a selling club, but no more than any of the other teams in the Premier League outside of those currently residing in the "Champions League" Holy Grail positions.

You only have to look at some of the shenanigans going on outside of ourselves over the last recent years - looking at Everton with Lescott, Spurs with Berbatov (and most probably Modric) and even Arsenal themselves particularly losing their players to Man City to know that nobody is immune to this.

Yes, we need players and I have no doubt that the positions vacated by the players that have left will be filled with replacements.  I don't expect us to go on a massive spending spree to rebuild the squad, nor should be.

What we appear to be doing is emulating the route that Arsenal have taken.  They have not invested massively in their team over the years, instead they have focussed on bringing their youth through and supplementing them with the occasional "value for money" signing who has been sold at the right time to maximise their profit (Thierry Henry, Ljungberg etc.)  This approach, which we now seem to be copying hasn't done them any serious harm.

We are doing something that very few teams in the Premier League are doing - bringing through youngsters and blooding them, and in doing so we are fostering more of a team spirit with players who have come through the ranks and are loyal to Villa. 

I believe that in the short term, because of the way we are selling players we will inevitable see a decline in our league performance, but long-term we are building for a future that not many others are doing and will ultimately benefit more in the long term if we are patient.  These players are our future, they are loyal, hungry and they will see us right if we can see past the next few months. 

In the long term I truly believe that by taking the approach we are, we will get back to where we belong, and possibly even have an advantage over the majority of our rivals by doing this once the bottom inevitably falls out of this crazy market with its over inflated transfer fees.

I admit at the moment thigs do look grim, but not bad enough to cost us our Premiership status, but liong term I can see the silver lining.

[Holtenderinthesky]

In the long term I truly believe that by taking the approach we are, we will get back to where we belong,

Good post mate but the bit I've quoted you on doesn't seem to stack up with tapping up a dodgy manager and paying millions in compensation for the privilege.