Tony’s Statement.

[TopDeck113]

Why does a cash-strapped club have to have a training camp in Portugal? I presume the squad didn't fly on Ryan Air with the boots and training kit in a cabin bag, and are not sleeping on a sofa bed provided by some local via airbnb. We've got a perfectly adequate training ground at Bodymoor Heath that means we don't have to fork out unnecessary travel and accommodation costs. It's also currently offering warm weather training. 

[Richard E]

It's to acclimatise them to the sweltering Mediterranean heat they'll be playing in this November in Aston.

[Abbeyfealeavfc]

Xia forgot to include the most revealing bullet point going forwards...

16. We need to sell our better players (Grealish, Chester etc) so we can continue to pay the likes of Richards and a failing manager.

While this scenario exists we will continue on the road to nowhere.
For me Xia's statement is negative and implies we're not even going to be competitive in the f-cking championship. It deliberately downplays our expectations and I'm fed up of owners and managers downplaying our expectations. We're Aston Villa and we should always be aiming for best of everything! For me,whatever  the rhetoric Xia, Bruce and the likes of Richards can f-ck off!

[AV82EC]

Xia forgot to include the most revealing bullet point going forwards...

16. We need to sell our better players (Grealish, Chester etc) so we can continue to pay the likes of Richards and a failing manager.

While this scenario exists we will continue on the road to nowhere.
For me Xia's statement is negative and implies we're not even going to be competitive in the f-cking championship. It deliberately downplays our expectations and I'm fed up of owners and managers downplaying our expectations. We're Aston Villa and we should always be aiming for best of everything! For me,whatever  the rhetoric Xia, Bruce and the likes of Richards can f-ck off!

Yep we are Aston Villa but you need to give your head a wobble.

We are in trouble with FFP.
We didn’t get promoted.
We will need to sell players.
We do need to balance our books.

No amount of shouting about how big we are, or how many trophies we’ve won or what we expect is going to change a damn thing. Our club has been run really badly for the last 20 years, and every single one of the jam tomorrow shit decisions we’ve made is now coming home to roost here and now. We don’t have any money and roughly £30m FFP Grealish sized hole to fill.

Suck it up because this is where we are.

[andyh]

Why does a cash-strapped club have to have a training camp in Portugal? I presume the squad didn't fly on Ryan Air with the boots and training kit in a cabin bag, and are not sleeping on a sofa bed provided by some local via airbnb. We've got a perfectly adequate training ground at Bodymoor Heath that means we don't have to fork out unnecessary travel and accommodation costs. It's also currently offering warm weather training. 

By the same reasoning, why are we having a new pitch? The old one had grass on it, didn’t it?

Who has said we are cash strapped?
I am sure normal operating costs will be covered in a business as usual manner..

[andrew08]

In reality, nothing has changed since the day before the play off final.

We knew (the fans) that if we didn’t get promoted it would be tough, mainly because of FFP.
we knew we would probably lose Jack and maybe one or two others, and knew the loanees would go back.

The only real question was whether Bruce would survive which, unfortunately, he has.

Everything that has transpired since, seems based on heresay, scaremongering, bullshit and tabloid bollox.
We are no different from every other club who has to operate within their means and make the best of what they have.
The only mistake, for me, is that we are keeping Bruce, but I see the sense and benefit in keeping the continuity that brings, given all the other upheaval going on behind the scenes.

The long and the short of it is this.

We are now an established championship club and have to operate as such. We gave it a fucking good go for 2 years, failed, and are now paying the consequences.

Correct.

We are exactly where we were when the whistle went at Wembley.

Subsequently the guys in charge of the strategy to get us promoted have been sacked and the owner has provided further funds to keep us going day to day.

The rules of the competition we’re in prevent us from having further owner donation (however he raises it) to buy players, so we have to produce our own and then sell em to buy more.

We go again....

[Little Class]

In reality, nothing has changed since the day before the play off final.

Spot on.  The only facts since we lost at Wembley are:  all loanees returned as we knew; Terry gone but we had the one good season left in him anyway; couldn't afford to sign Johnstone and Snodgrass as we knew [Johnstone the real loss]; two highly paid top brass gone [cost-cutting]; Jack, Chester going which we knew was highly likely, painful though it is; no money because of FFP.  The 'buy-our-way-straight-back' strategy was foolhardy [by one goal].  We want to be the Manchester United of the division, have become another Leeds for now and need to be a Burnley - [how it hurts to say that].

[villasjf]

So how did Wolves manage to spend big after they had been down so long with FFP?

[Steve67]

So how did Wolves manage to spend big after they had been down so long with FFP?

Same as Forest are currently doing, they didn't have any debt to begin with, I guess.

[tomd2103]

I quite like the statement, it gives facts, it’s realistic and it’s hopefully a wake up call to those fans who act like heroin addicts for big transfers and splashing cash around.

He’s doubled down on Bruce in my opinion who is as culpable as Wyness/Round for the failures of the last two seasons but he’s obviously decided and Bruce has agreed to follow through on this strategy, I think that will end up being a mistake.

Can’t say I’m looking forward to the season ahead, Bruce with a lesser squad doesn’t fill me with inspiration. It’s got mid table written all over it.

At least it provides some much needed clarity.  What concerns me though is that it is obvious the club needs some extra investment, yet Xia seems determined to stay on no matter what.  I'm not sure how realistic that is and how many people there are out there who would be willing to invest significant amounts of money for no overall control of the club.  I think I would have been more reassured if he had something along the lines of he was considering all options, including relinquishing control of the club should the right offer come along. 

My other real concern is that with Wyness and particularly Round gone, the whole thing seems a bit directionless.  He talks about moving towards a new model where the promotion of the club's young players is a key element, but who is going to oversee the implementation of such a model? 

As for the playing side and FFP, I still feel there is enough 'fat' in the squad that could trimmed and enable us to keep our better players.  Yes, getting rid of those players is going to be tough as we have seen previously, but hopefully it can be done even if it means easing the burden if their wages by sending them out on loan.  What our situation means is that we might still be able to have a string core of players, but it will be a reduced one and will have to be supported by the young players at the club, which isn't a bad thing for me. 

[London Villan]

We are lucky we have a Grealish to sell. We would be in a lot more trouble if we didn’t.

[Ads]

So how did Wolves manage to spend big after they had been down so long with FFP?

Same as Forest are currently doing, they didn't have any debt to begin with, I guess.

You'd think Forest would have learnt.

[andyh]

So how did Wolves manage to spend big after they had been down so long with FFP?

Isn’t there a rule about new owners and being allowed to spend more for short period of time?
Or is that an urban myth?

[Clark W Griswold]

Yep, it's a really good letter as far as i'm concerned. It puts us all in the picture and it dismisses a lot of the shite from scumbag rag papers like the Birmingham Mail. Some say it's not good reading but at least it appears to be saying that whilst we're not awash with money, we're on an even keel and it's actually FFP which is going to be the main hindrance in the transfer market. Again, we knew this 12 months ago. Personally, i don't understand the figures involved, but if selling Grealish and maybe Kodjia levels it up and gives us a few million to spend ourselves then so be it. We'd need to replace Kodjia with a cheaper option and get a couple of centre backs and maybe a goalkeeper in but that should just about do it.
And Bruce is staying, which i'm not fussed either way on, although if we had still had pretty much all the squad together from last season i would have definately wanted.

[Risso]

So how did Wolves manage to spend big after they had been down so long with FFP?

Isn’t there a rule about new owners and being allowed to spend more for short period of time?
Or is that an urban myth?

It’s a UEFA rule for teams in Europe. The same rule doesn’t apply in the EFL.