FFP

[Somniloquism]

Buendia came in before JG was sold; he came in to add further quality to the team not to replace JG.
But I take the point you're making.
I, like others, hold no vitriol towards JG: I think he made a big mistake (because he could have been part of our renaissance), but selling him may have saved us from financial restrictions.

Although "deals" are usually thrashed out in the weeks beforehand between clubs so although Bailey, Buendia and Ings were all bought before Grealish was sold, the money spent might be knowing he was leaving and ensuring transfer fees then didn't shoot up due to having the Citeh cash.

But when they came in, we did think the purchases were to free Grealish up as when he was stopped, the team used to be stopped.

[ChicagoLion]

I wont be getting the Rosary Beads out and praying at the Alter of Saint Greasy any time soon.
The club nurtured him, invested in a youth program that fostered him and Dean Smith supported him through thick and thin, we got a return on that investment so what?. He was not thinking of The Villa when he fucked off up the M6 to be awarded meaningless trinkets. F*** him and all who sail in him.

[Rigadon]

That's one view. Another is that Martinez, Konsa, Luiz, McGinn and Watkins were all here the year before we sold Grealish and they are the spine of the team that is currently top four. He could have grown with them and taken us to the highs we are at now.

We bought in Bailey, Buendia, Ings to replace Grealish in 2021. Bailey came good in the end and Buendia did too well before the injury. Since then with the wriggle room we had further invested in Kamara, Torres, Digne, Moreno, Cash, Diaby.

The summer Grealish went you just felt we were on the cusp of something and he walked out on it.

Yes.  It's not just about money with most fans is it... it's really not a rational thing for grown ups to care so much about whether a football team does well. 

We got good money for selling him, but I think everyone knows that's not where the vitriol comes from. 

Anyway, it's unhealthy to hold grudges isn't it, and I think most have moved on from how they might've felt when he left the club.   

[LeeB]

That's one view. Another is that Martinez, Konsa, Luiz, McGinn and Watkins were all here the year before we sold Grealish and they are the spine of the team that is currently top four. He could have grown with them and taken us to the highs we are at now.

We bought in Bailey, Buendia, Ings to replace Grealish in 2021. Bailey came good in the end and Buendia did too well before the injury. Since then with the wriggle room we had further invested in Kamara, Torres, Digne, Moreno, Cash, Diaby.

The summer Grealish went you just felt we were on the cusp of something and he walked out on it.

Yes.  It's not just about money with most fans is it... it's really not a rational thing for grown ups to care so much about whether a football team does well. 

We got good money for selling him, but I think everyone knows that's not where the vitriol comes from. 

Anyway, it's unhealthy to hold grudges isn't it, and I think most have moved on from how they might've felt when he left the club.   

Wise words but I haven't, the bellend.

[Risso]

Me either. Can't stand the pissed up little scrote, and am glad he's frittering away his career. He's only ever done what's right for him, which is fair enough, but any thoughts for the benefit of Villa? Not a chance.

[pauliewalnuts]

This mind sound petty, but when I see his Dad posting selfies in a Man City shirt on twitter, I find myself thinking he can get in the fucking sea, too.

[Rigadon]

I did say 'most' haha!

[The Edge]

I wont be getting the Rosary Beads out and praying at the Alter of Saint Greasy any time soon.
The club nurtured him, invested in a youth program that fostered him and Dean Smith supported him through thick and thin, we got a return on that investment so what?. He was not thinking of The Villa when he fucked off up the M6 to be awarded meaningless trinkets. F*** him and all who sail in him.

No one is calling him a Saint and definitely not me but there's no denying the 100 million quid we trousered off Ci£y has played a massive role in our current position. Without the Grealish money to help balance the books I'm pretty sure we would have fallen foul of ffp. We're still not sure we're compliant even now.

[pauliewalnuts]

It would be good if all FFP figures/adjustments were a matter of public record.

I was thinking about this.

So, currently, the three years we have are 37, 0 and 119. We know in this current financial year, we have shifted 40+ million of home grown and Ings for 15, so although we spent last summer, we've at least improved the base the figures are built on for the next set of figures.

To be compliant we know we've had deductibles of at least 51m over the 3 years (37 + 119 - 51 = 105)

Do you know what? I've totally lost interest in this post. I don't even know what I am trying to say.

I wish we (ie everyone who likes football) didn't have to focus on finances so much, the system is clearly megafucked - fucked because of the big six and their ladder, fucked because of the other 14 effectively being forced to sell them their best players thus perpetuating the gap, and fucked because it has turned football into accountancy.

[ChicagoLion]

I wont be getting the Rosary Beads out and praying at the Alter of Saint Greasy any time soon.
The club nurtured him, invested in a youth program that fostered him and Dean Smith supported him through thick and thin, we got a return on that investment so what?. He was not thinking of The Villa when he fucked off up the M6 to be awarded meaningless trinkets. F*** him and all who sail in him.

No one is calling him a Saint and definitely not me but there's no denying the 100 million quid we trousered off Ci£y has played a massive role in our current position. Without the Grealish money to help balance the books I'm pretty sure we would have fallen foul of ffp. We're still not sure we're compliant even now.

Short memories, what did his Dicking around whilst Citeh were trying to buy Kane leaving us totally in the lurch cost us?
It cost us momentum, it cost Smith his job and it cost us Gerrard.

[LeeS]

I wish we (ie everyone who likes football) didn't have to focus on finances so much, the system is clearly megafucked - fucked because of the big six and their ladder, fucked because of the other 14 effectively being forced to sell them their best players thus perpetuating the gap, and fucked because it has turned football into accountancy.

Couldnt agree more. Throw in the absolute horror show that is VAR and football is trying to eat itself.

[Risso]

There really isn't a simple solution that I can see. We want to be able to spend more freely, but to do so would mean the likes of the clubs ahead of us being able to do the same, and that wouldn't be good for us at all.

The only thing that would ensure some sort of "fair play" would be a wage cap, but the Premier League is never going to bring that in as it would reduce its competitiveness compared to other major European Leagues.

[paul_e]

There really isn't a simple solution that I can see. We want to be able to spend more freely, but to do so would mean the likes of the clubs ahead of us being able to do the same, and that wouldn't be good for us at all.

The only thing that would ensure some sort of "fair play" would be a wage cap, but the Premier League is never going to bring that in as it would reduce its competitiveness compared to other major European Leagues.

Which is why a wage cap needs to come in at FIFA level, and can't be as simple as "x% of turnover".

[London Villan]

I wont be getting the Rosary Beads out and praying at the Alter of Saint Greasy any time soon.
The club nurtured him, invested in a youth program that fostered him and Dean Smith supported him through thick and thin, we got a return on that investment so what?. He was not thinking of The Villa when he fucked off up the M6 to be awarded meaningless trinkets. F*** him and all who sail in him.

No one is calling him a Saint and definitely not me but there's no denying the 100 million quid we trousered off Ci£y has played a massive role in our current position. Without the Grealish money to help balance the books I'm pretty sure we would have fallen foul of ffp. We're still not sure we're compliant even now.

Short memories, what did his Dicking around whilst Citeh were trying to buy Kane leaving us totally in the lurch cost us?
It cost us momentum, it cost Smith his job and it cost us Gerrard.

We'll always have the BBQ by the river to remember.

[DB]

Just read that Spuds are putting their STs up by 6% and scrapping concessions for the over 65s.