On-going progress..

[supertom]

The reason they said, and the reason I say it, is because it's a valid point.  If a guy has £750M in the bank - which is by anyone's standard more money than you could possibly ever need - then not paying over the odds for a player (say £4-5M), to the detriment of the team, seems excessively cautious.  It's less than 1% of his wealth.

It brings me back to one of my original points: that Lerner could spend more if he wanted to, but he doesn't want to.  Now if he was only worth a tenth of what he is then it would be easier to understand.  But £750M??  If that's his attitude - and, as you say, it's his money and he can do what he likes with it - would we not be better off with someone who would almost certainly be less wealthy but had a greater degree of football knowledge?

And you can guarantee that within seconds the cry would be to sell to someone who can compete with the oligarchs. I repeat what I keep saying, and nobody seems to have addressed - you can't keep expecting your owner to hand over money like an indulgent parent 'lending' a skint child a few quid until payday.

No and you'd hope that somehow or another the financial fair play rules will actually be properly enforced. I seriously cannot see how Man City get away with it. There's no way they make enough to cover how much they spend on fees and wages.

In Spurs case I think they just about do. They sell sensibly and they spend money when they appear to have it.

[mallo]

I know Okore getting injured is a massive blow as he may have gelled with Vlaar, but I would still have got another experienced CB and got rid of one of ours. Potentially got a new defensive coach as we really need to be getting better there.

[hilts_coolerking]

And you can guarantee that within seconds the cry would be to sell to someone who can compete with the oligarchs. I repeat what I keep saying, and nobody seems to have addressed - you can't keep expecting your owner to hand over money like an indulgent parent 'lending' a skint child a few quid until payday.

No, it's a fair point and after the O'Neill era it was clear some financial restructuring had to happen.  But surely with an owner worth £750M we're not in a position where we'd rather have a gaping hole in our midfield than fork out a bit extra for a top class midfielder?

As for 'bring in the oligarchs', yes I'm sure the more excitable would make that call.  But that doesn't answer my question.  An owner with precious little football knowledge who, on the face it of it at least, seems more preoccupied ensuring his £750M doesn't soon become £700M than he is with making sure his team has a decent midfielder, can't be the limit of our ambition can it?

[Ads]

Okore gets injured - game later, we keep a clean sheet.

Benteke gets injured - 90 seconds later his replacement scores.

Massive blows? We'll see.

[supertom]

Okore gets injured - game later, we keep a clean sheet.

Benteke gets injured - 90 seconds later his replacement scores.

Massive blows? We'll see.

I think that may have been more an indication that Norwich will be this years equivilant of us under McLeish.

[dave.woodhall]

And you can guarantee that within seconds the cry would be to sell to someone who can compete with the oligarchs. I repeat what I keep saying, and nobody seems to have addressed - you can't keep expecting your owner to hand over money like an indulgent parent 'lending' a skint child a few quid until payday.

No, it's a fair point and after the O'Neill era it was clear some financial restructuring had to happen.  But surely with an owner worth £750M we're not in a position where we'd rather have a gaping hole in our midfield than fork out a bit extra for a top class midfielder?

As for 'bring in the oligarchs', yes I'm sure the more excitable would make that call.  But that doesn't answer my question.  An owner with precious little football knowledge who, on the face it of it at least, seems more preoccupied ensuring his £750M doesn't soon become £700M than he is with making sure his team has a decent midfielder, can't be the limit of our ambition can it?

I'm sure he knows more about football than you give him credit for.

What do you mean by the limit of our ambition? On the pitch, or in terms of ownership? If it's the latter, then you can't judge how much he's willing to spend because it's never publicly been tested.

[hilts_coolerking]

I'm sure he knows more about football than you give him credit for.

Two words: Alex. McLeish.

I'm being flippant but it's very hard to look past a blunder of such staggering proportions.

[dave.woodhall]

I'm sure he knows more about football than you give him credit for.

Two words: Alex. McLeish.

I'm being flippant but it's very hard to look past a blunder of such staggering proportions.

I haven't time to try to understand that one; I believe a killer meteorite is headed our way in about 5 billion years.   

[hilts_coolerking]

I haven't time to try to understand that one; I believe a killer meteorite is headed our way in about 5 billion years.

Quite.  Saying "Alex McLeish" is the H&V equivalent of Mornington Crescent.

[PaulWinch again]

Okore gets injured - game later, we keep a clean sheet.

Benteke gets injured - 90 seconds later his replacement scores.

Massive blows? We'll see.

I think even the most optimistic will probably admit that it's unlikely that Kozak can have the same impact and importance as Benteke. Benteke being out is a big blow, hopefully he'll be back within 4 weeks. Losing Okore is a big blow as well.

[PaulWinch again]

I would hope that come next summer the majority of the high earners we've been lumbered with will be gone. Therefore if the likes of Norwich and Swansea can afford decent fees for highly rated players from Europe, we could do the same. I'm not talking about us going nuts. I'm hopeful some of our young players will become top players. However I think we need to add some slightly more established talent to the squad.

[dave.woodhall]

I haven't time to try to understand that one; I believe a killer meteorite is headed our way in about 5 billion years.

Quite.  Saying "Alex McLeish" is the H&V equivalent of Mornington Crescent.

Well, shame on you.

[sirlordbaltimore]

Kozak to me looks like a Bent style striker, in other words one that relies on chances being created for him. The fact that we got rid of Bent and then paid 7m for him knowing we'd have the same problem causes me a headache.

The way Lambert has us set up, we don't have the ability to create chances for a striker very often, Benteke has the exceptional talent to create his own and Kozak, like Bent doesn't appear to be in that same boat

Up until now you'd have to say our football has been pretty dire, well how is it going to get better knowing we'll almost certainly be relying on a hoof ball up pitch until Benteke comes back?

That is unless Lambert unearths some tactical nous or creative football plan we've not seen in his locker until now

[Pat McMahon]

I haven't time to try to understand that one; I believe a killer meteorite is headed our way in about 5 billion years.

Quite.  Saying "Alex McLeish" is the H&V equivalent of Mornington Crescent.

I disagree. The person who says "Mornington Crescent" actually wins the game.

[dave.woodhall]

I haven't time to try to understand that one; I believe a killer meteorite is headed our way in about 5 billion years.

Quite.  Saying "Alex McLeish" is the H&V equivalent of Mornington Crescent.

I disagree. The person who says "Mornington Crescent" actually wins the game.

Which, sir, is not the purpose of the exercise.