The Takeover Thread - Recon Group - NOW WITH NEW POLL

[Ron Manager]

I disagree Ron.  i think that would be very short term thinking and he doesn't come across as if he's thinking in the short term at all.  Mid-Long term it's essential that we get back to the premier league asap and then make sure we stay there.  Given the TV deal and the silly amounts being thrown around up there even if he sees us as a money making venture he needs to invest for a couple of years to get us to the point where we make him big profits.

I think the slowdown currently is more about RDM than Xia in that he wants to be certain of who he wants to work with of the current squad and try to get rid of the ones that don't fit before filling the gaps in a few weeks.  I suspect we won't see anyone else in before the opening day but that we'll see 3-4 more signings by September and that will total out at another £20-25m spent (minus whatever we bring in from sales).

I shall have to wait until September then . We shall see what transpires next month.

[robbo1874]

We can do something like this, just add Birmingham to our badge instead of ever having Prepared back. It would look really ace......

Actually, I like that.

i think they had a badge a bit like it in the 90's didn't they, might be wrong ?

[Ads]

Whilst LTA's general views are easy to ridicule, I am with him on that I feel if Tony is as ambitious and wealthy at we think, then we should have been more active in the transfer market.  The sell to buy quote comes from the fact that right now the inference is that we need to sell or move on some players before we buy any more (over and above those already in).  It is not laughable, it is pretty much what is happening.

We have discussed this on another thread (Ghana I think).  I totally get that it is prudent to keep a manageable squad size and that the bomb squad idea does not really work.  But the fact remains we are starting our most important season for 20 odd years with a woefully poor team.  I think it is perfectly reasonable to be slightly dissapointed by that.  Personally I had hoped Tony would have had the funds to build a good team and deal with the surplus players as and when.  He clearly hasn't which is fair enough.  But the fact that we are now saying we need to trim the squad before getting any more players in, whilst probably prudent, is essentially what LTA said, albeit more one out-one in than sell to buy.

Do you not appreciate that there is an issue with squad size and that it would be what ever league we're in?

We have;

Gabby, Kozak, Ayew, Gestede, Sinclair, RHM who can and have played up front for us. The front lot will be on quite large wages. How do we justify having a 7th striker?

We have Westwood, Gana, Veretout, Gardner, Sanchez, Tshibola, Bacuna who are all players who can and have played centrally in the midfield. Do you not feel its prudent that we shed a few?

So far we're the highest net spenders in the league with £12 million. We've only managed to shift Crespo and Gil, with Guzan's departure imminent.

Every club sells to buy, the intimation from Loves the Albion is that we have to sell to generate funds, which is clearly nonsense when we signed a keeper a few weeks ago and still haven't got the incumbent out the door.

Xia took over on the 14th June. I think we've done quite a bit and if we can get rid of some more this week, all the better. I'm hopeful we'll get at least one in before the Wednesday game and confident that we'll get at least four bodies by 31st August.

I'm not sure why there is the panic, especially promoted by pie in the sky garbage in the Express & Star about the Dogheads.

[peter w]

That's just it. We're not going to keep adding to the squad if we can't shift anyone. That's why we're concentrating on reducing numbers. Nothing to do with having to sell to buy. If you moved into a flat with furniture you wouldn't keep adding to it to make it better but getting rid of stuff you didn't want first.

[Richard E]

http://www.birminghammail.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/explained-close-look-make-up-11674649

I am beginning to think Gregg Evans reads this site and is deliberately using the phrase "claret and blues" as much as possible because he knows it winds us up.

[chrisw1]

Whilst LTA's general views are easy to ridicule, I am with him on that I feel if Tony is as ambitious and wealthy at we think, then we should have been more active in the transfer market.  The sell to buy quote comes from the fact that right now the inference is that we need to sell or move on some players before we buy any more (over and above those already in).  It is not laughable, it is pretty much what is happening.

We have discussed this on another thread (Ghana I think).  I totally get that it is prudent to keep a manageable squad size and that the bomb squad idea does not really work.  But the fact remains we are starting our most important season for 20 odd years with a woefully poor team.  I think it is perfectly reasonable to be slightly dissapointed by that.  Personally I had hoped Tony would have had the funds to build a good team and deal with the surplus players as and when.  He clearly hasn't which is fair enough.  But the fact that we are now saying we need to trim the squad before getting any more players in, whilst probably prudent, is essentially what LTA said, albeit more one out-one in than sell to buy.

Do you not appreciate that there is an issue with squad size and that it would be what ever league we're in?

We have;

Gabby, Kozak, Ayew, Gestede, Sinclair, RHM who can and have played up front for us. The front lot will be on quite large wages. How do we justify having a 7th striker?

We have Westwood, Gana, Veretout, Gardner, Sanchez, Tshibola, Bacuna who are all players who can and have played centrally in the midfield. Do you not feel its prudent that we shed a few?

So far we're the highest net spenders in the league with £12 million. We've only managed to shift Crespo and Gil, with Guzan's departure imminent.

Every club sells to buy, the intimation from Loves the Albion is that we have to sell to generate funds, which is clearly nonsense when we signed a keeper a few weeks ago and still haven't got the incumbent out the door.

Xia took over on the 14th June. I think we've done quite a bit and if we can get rid of some more this week, all the better. I'm hopeful we'll get at least one in before the Wednesday game and confident that we'll get at least four bodies by 31st August.

I'm not sure why there is the panic, especially promoted by pie in the sky garbage in the Express & Star about the Dogheads.

Of course I do.  And of course it's prudent to shed a few - I have said exactly that.  But I had just hoped that Xia had broad enough shoulders to deal with it rather than start the season with such a shit team.  He clearly hasn't, so fair enough.  You don't see Man City or Chelsea starting the season with shit teams because they have too many players.  They do what they need to do and get on with it.  In the context of the money sloshing around, even if we had to pay a few players off it would be pretty small fry to a mega rich owner.

If we could afford to do it the prudent thing to do would be to assemble a team that can win this league.  Worrying about surplus players would come second to that - either sell, release cheaply or pay off depending on who we're talking about.  Naturally if you can't afford it you have to go a different route.  I'm just a bit dissapointed the squad looks so shit with the first game next week.

[Ads]

That's a straw man argument.

Man City and Chelsea don't have shit players, so there isn't the pressure to get rid of 6 or 7 non-contributors.

We're a second division team. Nobody is going to carry members in a squad unnecessarily, especially when the manager has come out and said he would like a smaller squad.

I don't think the squad looks shit, I think its lacking around four players in certain areas to give us the best chance of going up. Fortunately there are 34 days until the window closes.

[Gareth]

Whilst LTA's general views are easy to ridicule, I am with him on that I feel if Tony is as ambitious and wealthy at we think, then we should have been more active in the transfer market.  The sell to buy quote comes from the fact that right now the inference is that we need to sell or move on some players before we buy any more (over and above those already in).  It is not laughable, it is pretty much what is happening.

We have discussed this on another thread (Ghana I think).  I totally get that it is prudent to keep a manageable squad size and that the bomb squad idea does not really work.  But the fact remains we are starting our most important season for 20 odd years with a woefully poor team.  I think it is perfectly reasonable to be slightly dissapointed by that.  Personally I had hoped Tony would have had the funds to build a good team and deal with the surplus players as and when.  He clearly hasn't which is fair enough.  But the fact that we are now saying we need to trim the squad before getting any more players in, whilst probably prudent, is essentially what LTA said, albeit more one out-one in than sell to buy.

Do you not appreciate that there is an issue with squad size and that it would be what ever league we're in?

We have;

Gabby, Kozak, Ayew, Gestede, Sinclair, RHM who can and have played up front for us. The front lot will be on quite large wages. How do we justify having a 7th striker?

We have Westwood, Gana, Veretout, Gardner, Sanchez, Tshibola, Bacuna who are all players who can and have played centrally in the midfield. Do you not feel its prudent that we shed a few?

So far we're the highest net spenders in the league with £12 million. We've only managed to shift Crespo and Gil, with Guzan's departure imminent.

Every club sells to buy, the intimation from Loves the Albion is that we have to sell to generate funds, which is clearly nonsense when we signed a keeper a few weeks ago and still haven't got the incumbent out the door.

Xia took over on the 14th June. I think we've done quite a bit and if we can get rid of some more this week, all the better. I'm hopeful we'll get at least one in before the Wednesday game and confident that we'll get at least four bodies by 31st August.

I'm not sure why there is the panic, especially promoted by pie in the sky garbage in the Express & Star about the Dogheads.

Of course I do.  And of course it's prudent to shed a few - I have said exactly that.  But I had just hoped that Xia had broad enough shoulders to deal with it rather than start the season with such a shit team.  He clearly hasn't, so fair enough.  You don't see Man City or Chelsea starting the season with shit teams because they have too many players.  They do what they need to do and get on with it.  In the context of the money sloshing around, even if we had to pay a few players off it would be pretty small fry to a mega rich owner.

If we could afford to do it the prudent thing to do would be to assemble a team that can win this league.  Worrying about surplus players would come second to that - either sell, release cheaply or pay off depending on who we're talking about.  Naturally if you can't afford it you have to go a different route.  I'm just a bit dissapointed the squad looks so shit with the first game next week.

I really hope none of the under performing cowards, frauds and leeches get a penny in pay offs - it would be terrible business practice and paying them for a period that they'll get another salary is sickening! 

[chrisw1]

That's just it. We're not going to keep adding to the squad if we can't shift anyone. That's why we're concentrating on reducing numbers. Nothing to do with having to sell to buy. If you moved into a flat with furniture you wouldn't keep adding to it to make it better but getting rid of stuff you didn't want first.

It's a bit of a crap analogy, but I'll run with it.  No, I wouldn't live with shit furniture I didn't want.  If I could afford to I'd buy new stuff and sell, give it away or burn the stuff I didn't like.  Not say 'oh well no one will buy this shite off me so I'll live with it for a few years'

[chrisw1]

That's a straw man argument.

Man City and Chelsea don't have shit players, so there isn't the pressure to get rid of 6 or 7 non-contributors.

We're a second division team. Nobody is going to carry members in a squad unnecessarily, especially when the manager has come out and said he would like a smaller squad.

I don't think the squad looks shit, I think its lacking around four players in certain areas to give us the best chance of going up. Fortunately there are 34 days until the window closes.

I'm pretty sure an owner with the financial means would look first to squad build to get a team good enough to start the season well.  Surplus players are an irrelevance if you can afford to pay them off (if ultimately necessary after trying to sell or loan).  I had hoped Tony would have those means if absolutely necessary.

You don't think the squad looks shit?  We have added a decent (if workmanlike) defender and a young keeper and midfielder to possibly the worst first division side in living memory?  I think it looks bloody atrocious.

[Clampy]

That's just it. We're not going to keep adding to the squad if we can't shift anyone. That's why we're concentrating on reducing numbers. Nothing to do with having to sell to buy. If you moved into a flat with furniture you wouldn't keep adding to it to make it better but getting rid of stuff you didn't want first.

It's a bit of a crap analogy, but I'll run with it.  No, I wouldn't live with shit furniture I didn't want.  If I could afford to I'd buy new stuff and sell, give it away or burn the stuff I didn't like.  Not say 'oh well no one will buy this shite off me so I'll live with it for a few years'

So what are you suggesting we do?

[cheltenhamlion]

A better analogy might be buying a house. You might spend a few bob improving your old one but you don't purchase a new one before that one is sold.

[Sexual Ealing]

Whilst LTA's general views are easy to ridicule, I am with him on that I feel if Tony is as ambitious and wealthy at we think, then we should have been more active in the transfer market.  The sell to buy quote comes from the fact that right now the inference is that we need to sell or move on some players before we buy any more (over and above those already in).  It is not laughable, it is pretty much what is happening.

We have discussed this on another thread (Ghana I think).  I totally get that it is prudent to keep a manageable squad size and that the bomb squad idea does not really work.  But the fact remains we are starting our most important season for 20 odd years with a woefully poor team.  I think it is perfectly reasonable to be slightly dissapointed by that.  Personally I had hoped Tony would have had the funds to build a good team and deal with the surplus players as and when.  He clearly hasn't which is fair enough.  But the fact that we are now saying we need to trim the squad before getting any more players in, whilst probably prudent, is essentially what LTA said, albeit more one out-one in than sell to buy.

Do you not appreciate that there is an issue with squad size and that it would be what ever league we're in?

We have;

Gabby, Kozak, Ayew, Gestede, Sinclair, RHM who can and have played up front for us. The front lot will be on quite large wages. How do we justify having a 7th striker?

We have Westwood, Gana, Veretout, Gardner, Sanchez, Tshibola, Bacuna who are all players who can and have played centrally in the midfield. Do you not feel its prudent that we shed a few?

So far we're the highest net spenders in the league with £12 million. We've only managed to shift Crespo and Gil, with Guzan's departure imminent.

Every club sells to buy, the intimation from Loves the Albion is that we have to sell to generate funds, which is clearly nonsense when we signed a keeper a few weeks ago and still haven't got the incumbent out the door.

Xia took over on the 14th June. I think we've done quite a bit and if we can get rid of some more this week, all the better. I'm hopeful we'll get at least one in before the Wednesday game and confident that we'll get at least four bodies by 31st August.

I'm not sure why there is the panic, especially promoted by pie in the sky garbage in the Express & Star about the Dogheads.

Of course I do.  And of course it's prudent to shed a few - I have said exactly that.  But I had just hoped that Xia had broad enough shoulders to deal with it rather than start the season with such a shit team.  He clearly hasn't, so fair enough.  You don't see Man City or Chelsea starting the season with shit teams because they have too many players.  They do what they need to do and get on with it.  In the context of the money sloshing around, even if we had to pay a few players off it would be pretty small fry to a mega rich owner.

If we could afford to do it the prudent thing to do would be to assemble a team that can win this league.  Worrying about surplus players would come second to that - either sell, release cheaply or pay off depending on who we're talking about.  Naturally if you can't afford it you have to go a different route.  I'm just a bit dissapointed the squad looks so shit with the first game next week.

Hello, MON, how are you?

[paul_e]

That's just it. We're not going to keep adding to the squad if we can't shift anyone. That's why we're concentrating on reducing numbers. Nothing to do with having to sell to buy. If you moved into a flat with furniture you wouldn't keep adding to it to make it better but getting rid of stuff you didn't want first.

It's a bit of a crap analogy, but I'll run with it.  No, I wouldn't live with shit furniture I didn't want.  If I could afford to I'd buy new stuff and sell, give it away or burn the stuff I didn't like.  Not say 'oh well no one will buy this shite off me so I'll live with it for a few years'

but 'a few years' is missing the point, we're talking about a few weeks whilst you settle in and decide which bits of furniture you need to replace first because you don't want to arrange for everything to be delivered at once and have no room for it all.  Sell, give away or burn is fine if the furniture is contracted to the house. (which is where the analogy really falls down).

[mattjpa]

We simply have to hope the players brought back in from the cold can miraculously turn their own fortunes round and that our youngsters can find their feet quickly. We also had some bad injuries last year. It may be the worst team in first division history but extra players contending for first team spots off the top of my head are: Kozak, Okore, Amavi, Traore, Toner, Lyden, Baker, Bennett, Hepburn-Murphy, Green, Gardner. There is also still the hope that some massive under performers from last year such as those that were new in the country may be more settled now such as Ayew and Veretout along with hopefully a big season from Grealish. We also have virtually a whole new spine to a first team -  Gollinin, Elphick and Tshibola.

Im honestly not too worried, Ive wanted to see what alot of this lot can do under a decent coach such as Steve Clarke for a while.

Cautiously optimistic