Transfer budget for next season

[themossman]

IF we stay up, to not spend £15m plus to refresh to squad would be a virtual guarantee of being down there next year.

[Shrek]

25m+

Randy has sorted the wage bill, his MBNA shares have quadrupled and we are now competing with Man City for signings...

One can dream.

[Vegas]

Expectations have definitely dropped over the last 18 months.  We're obviously no longer top 6/8 material. But the view that if we don't spend £15m we're definitely down is overstated.

We've had a pretty bad run with absentees this year - not totally out of the ordinary but certainly on the bad side of normal: Jenas, Dunne, Bent, now Petrov. 

We've still got quite a lot of pretty good premier league players.  Most clubs outside the top 6 would take Gabby, Ireland, Given, Bent, N'Zog (this season's form notwithstanding).  We've got about the best crop of home produced young players outside of ManU and Arse -  none of them (except Gardner, fingers and everything crossed) look like being genuine superstars but about 6 or 7 have a half decent chance of making a good premier league career, way above what you would normally expect.

We're 7 or 8 points clear of relegation, and could yet finish in the top half. 

Things aren't great, no one knows how much money we'll have, and McLeish isn't making many friends, but we will not go down this year barring a massive surprise, and are not favourites for relegation next year.

Most likely would be something like a fairly boring 14th place finish, but we could spring a surprise or two in the transfer market or more excitingly 2-3 of our youngsters could really kick on. 

Looking forward to it already.

 

[Irish villain]

Vegas. That's the whole point. Injuries happen. That's why you need a strong squad to compete. The 'if only we didn't have injuries' card doesn't wash in this league. You need to have competent replacements to compete.

We will get injuries next season too you know.

[D.boy]

I answer to the original question........ 2 rounds of drinks and a bacon sandwich.

[paul_e]

As I said in the 'future of McLeish' thread. I think a conservative estimate is that the likely season ticket sales/gate receipts, merchandise sales and prize money will add up to a loss of £12m+ on this years figures.

They can't ignore that, which leads to 4 possible situations:

1.  The takeover rumours are true and the club is well on the way to qatari ownership. BIG BUDGET
2.  The board realise that sacking McLeish will lead to a big uplift but will have to offer a decent budget to the replacement. DECENT BUDGET
3.  The board don't get it and think giving McLeish money to buy a couple of shiny toys will bring all the fans back. BIG BUDGET
4.  Lerner really has lost interest and the only reason to put any cash in is to keep us in the league. BOSMANS AND 75% SALES

1 and 4 seem unlikely to me so it's all down to how well McLeish has sold blaming the players to the board.

[picicata]

As I said in the 'future of McLeish' thread. I think a conservative estimate is that the likely season ticket sales/gate receipts, merchandise sales and prize money will add up to a loss of £12m+ on this years figures.

They can't ignore that, which leads to 4 possible situations:

1.  The takeover rumours are true and the club is well on the way to qatari ownership. BIG BUDGET
2.  The board realise that sacking McLeish will lead to a big uplift but will have to offer a decent budget to the replacement. DECENT BUDGET
3.  The board don't get it and think giving McLeish money to buy a couple of shiny toys will bring all the fans back. BIG BUDGET
4.  Lerner really has lost interest and the only reason to put any cash in is to keep us in the league. BOSMANS AND 75% SALES

1 and 4 seem unlikely to me so it's all down to how well McLeish has sold blaming the players to the board.

Out of those I think option 4 is likely the most realistic.

[Risso]

I would say we'll almost definitely have a net deficit again on transfer dealings.  I can see us getting shot of Bent and N'Zogbia for say, £20m, and spending half of that on replacements.

[Villafirst]

It does in a way doesn't it? He had to reign in the spending a bit in order to get the wage budget under control.

I don't think we'll spend big, certainly not this Summer, but I wouldn't be surprised if we did again in the future under Randy.

But we are now pretty much back where he found us when he took us over. In order to get us back to challenging the top 6, he would again have to invest pretty heavily and/ or find an exceptionally talented management team. If he was still interested in winning things and being at the right end of the league surely a more controlled manner of wage cutting would have been employed rather than stopping investment in the squad completely. I just can't see him investing in the squad again.

Correct. RL will not invest in the squad anymore, nor the stadium (which has exactly the same capacity as 2006). I wish he'd sell-up sooner rather than later, it's obvious his heart isn't in it anymore. Just hope there's a wealthy investor out there.

[JJ-AV]

It does in a way doesn't it? He had to reign in the spending a bit in order to get the wage budget under control.

I don't think we'll spend big, certainly not this Summer, but I wouldn't be surprised if we did again in the future under Randy.

But we are now pretty much back where he found us when he took us over. In order to get us back to challenging the top 6, he would again have to invest pretty heavily and/ or find an exceptionally talented management team. If he was still interested in winning things and being at the right end of the league surely a more controlled manner of wage cutting would have been employed rather than stopping investment in the squad completely. I just can't see him investing in the squad again.

Correct. RL will not invest in the squad anymore, nor the stadium (which has exactly the same capacity as 2006). I wish he'd sell-up sooner rather than later, it's obvious his heart isn't in it anymore. Just hope there's a wealthy investor out there.

Ah cheers, thanks for clarifying.

RANDY OUT!!!11111!

[NiiLamptey]

IT cant be much if last summer is anything to go by...

When looking for a manager I seem to remember Benitez wanting the Villa job, but the board wouldn't meet his demand of a 30m Kitty?

I also think the hughes link died down because of a similar constraint from the board...

http://www.skysports.com/story/0,19528,11979_6993402,00.html

[N'ZMAV]

Our problem this summer is we only have the option of flogging Darren Bent to fill the pot.

[Concrete John]

I answer to the original question........ 2 rounds of drinks and a bacon sandwich.

OK, but the sarnie better not have red sauce on it!!

[Concrete John]

Our problem this summer is we only have the option of flogging Darren Bent to fill the pot.

Well, him or Gabby.

But the other players still under contract who I'd be OK with seeing go are Dunne, Warnock, Makoun, Delph and the Fonz.  Got to be circa £10m in there!

[NiiLamptey]

Our problem this summer is we only have the option of flogging Darren Bent to fill the pot.

Well, him or Gabby.

But the other players still under contract who I'd be OK with seeing go are Dunne, Warnock, Makoun, Delph and the Fonz.  Got to be circa £10m in there!

I thin kwe would be selling bent at a loss...

there must be sell on clause etc to sunderland, he hasnt had the best season, is injured and wont make th euros...

And gabby cant fetch more than 7 - 8mil in today market? (Reason is the top 6 wnt want him) and nobody else has money except maybe QPR?