TM loses out on first target, Ricketts to sign hopefully (1 Viewer)

SlowerThanPlatt

Well-Known Member
Tony Mowbray is closing in on experienced campaigner Sam Ricketts but has missed out on one of his leading summer targets.

The Coventry City boss says he is “hopeful” of completing the signing of the 33-year-old former Wolves skipper but conceded that the club have been beaten to the signature of another key player in his plans by a League One rival prepared to pay higher wages.

“I had a disappointment yesterday from one player who I thought was coming but is not because he has got a few hundred pounds somewhere else,” said Mowbray.

“When you get that call from the agent after you’ve been pushing so hard, meeting the player and getting positivity and then someone else in this league can pay a bit more than you it’s frustrating.


“What can I say to them apart from, 'good luck, I hope it goes well for you'. I’d have preferred him being a Coventry player but that’s life and we’ll do our best with what we have got.

Story link: Everything you need to know about Sam Ricketts

“It has been a bit frustrating not being able to get players over the line so that others can see that Coventry are going to have a go this year.

“It’s not been through a lack of trying but the type of quality we are trying to attract doesn’t just jump at the first offer that comes along.”

The Ricketts deal is understood to be dependent on the finer details of the package City can offer the versatile defender who can play anywhere across the back four and also in midfield.

Story link: Mowbray waiting for contract decision from Reda Johnson

Reda Johnson is another signing waiting to be done but understood to be stalling due to personal terms not being quite right for the player as Mowbray attempts to build a team on a limited playing budget, understood to be around the £2.5million mark.

“Whether we will be competitive, time will tell, but I’d hope so,” he said.

“Sitting here with just a little bit more I feel we could almost guarantee some level of success but we are where we are and we have to try to build a team bit by bit.

“We aren’t going to be at our strongest at the start of the season, as a lot of teams will at this level, but I’m sure we’ll get stronger as we go on.”
 

mrbluesky87

New Member
[h=1]Possibly Brandon Ormande-Ottewill signed for Swindon yesterday or Max Ehmer signed for Gillingahm from QPR, Defender?[/h]
 

Shakeitup

Well-Known Member
[h=1]Possibly Brandon Ormande-Ottewill signed for Swindon yesterday or Max Ehmer signed for Gillingahm from QPR, Defender?[/h]

It looks like Swindon have had this lined up for nearly a month (according to news reports) so I doubt it's him that we missed out on. It sounds like we were gazumped at the last minute.
 

cmoncity

New Member
Irrelevant peeps hes gone! best forgotten. Its all starting to feel like our budget isnt as workable as tony may have first thought! I think that maybe a dig at the owners already with the line "i feel with just a little more budget i feel we could have been definatley competitive" sounds like he asked for more and didnt get it. I hope he can lure who he needs to but at the minute, im not overly hopefull our quality will be where he hoped it will be by time season starts.Good luck tony keep trying
 

wingy

Well-Known Member
Is It time to consider the value of the Academy to the Club at this level, maybe mothball?
Half a million plus a year going in to that.
Every year there must be getting on for 500 rejects from the league's above.
As we are now being run cost neutral would save on leasing at the HIGGS centre too.
 

Specs WT-R75

Well-Known Member
Is It time to consider the value of the Academy to the Club at this level, maybe mothball?
Half a million plus a year going in to that.
Every year there must be getting on for 500 rejects from the league's above.
As we are now being run cost neutral would save on leasing at the HIGGS centre too.

We get a grant, so how much overall does it cost? You only need one or two players every few years... Wilson, Christie, Maddison ... its a no brainer to keep surely?
 

SlowerThanPlatt

Well-Known Member
Is It time to consider the value of the Academy to the Club at this level, maybe mothball?
Half a million plus a year going in to that.
Every year there must be getting on for 500 rejects from the league's above.
As we are now being run cost neutral would save on leasing at the HIGGS centre too.

Really? Half of our team are made up from the academy and we've made a lot of money in the past from selling graduates so I don't see how that would help anything
 

wingy

Well-Known Member
Really? Half of our team are made up from the academy and we've made a lot of money in the past from selling graduates so I don't see how that would help anything

Yeah I'm aware of that but could we not attract the same or better from the pool released from the top tier? It Is £500k+ that could go towards the team
 

stupot07

Well-Known Member
We get a grant, so how much overall does it cost? You only need one or two players every few years... Wilson, Christie, Maddison ... its a no brainer to keep surely?

Cat B academies cost £1m to run, we get £500k grant so have to find the other £500k. I agree with you, look at the current squad:
Burge
Willis
Philips
Haynes
Thomas
Thomas
Finch
Maddison

All featured last season.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk - so please excuse any spelling or grammar errors :)
 

stupot07

Well-Known Member
Yeah I'm aware of that but could we not attract the same or better from the pool released from the top tier? It Is £500k+ that could go towards the team

Wouldn't spread far, some of our kids will be on £500-600 a week, you bring in a rejected youngster from Liverpool, WBA, etc that have been on £5k+ pw then you'll use the £500k up on compo and wages by the one you've signed 2-3 players.

Also due to FFP, it won't add anything to turnover so you'll still only be able to spend 60% on senior players anyway.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk - so please excuse any spelling or grammar errors :)
 
Last edited:

Nick

Administrator
Wouldn't spread far, some of our kids will be on £500-600k a week, you bring in a rejected youngster from Liverpool, WBA, etc that have been on £5k+ pw then you'll use the £500k up on compo and wages by the one you've signed 2-3 players.

Also due to FFP, it won't add anything to turnover so you'll still only be able to spend 60% on senior players anyway.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk - so please excuse any spelling or grammar errors :)

No wonder they all swagger so much!!
 

hill83

Well-Known Member
Still 100% staying positive 100%

Brick-Tamland-Steve-Carell-Awkward-Smile-Anchorman-2.gif
 

Robccfc87

Well-Known Member
My guess would be Tony McMahon, defender, signed for Bradford, positive he was at Middlesbrough under TM.
 

Hobo

Well-Known Member
My guess would be Tony McMahon, defender, signed for Bradford, positive he was at Middlesbrough under TM.

Yes I think he was at Middlesborough under Mowbrey.....that is actually a good shout.
 

Cobi Jones's Dreads

Well-Known Member
Nothing we didn't know but seems like we're admitting we won't have a squad of players good enough to compete early on in the season!

"Whether we will be competitive, time will tell, but I’d hope so,” he said.

“Sitting here with just a little bit more I feel we could almost guarantee some level of success but we are where we are and we have to try to build a team bit by bit.

“We aren’t going to be at our strongest at the start of the season, as a lot of teams will at this level, but I’m sure we’ll get stronger as we go on.”
 

rightumpty

New Member
'We aren't going to be at our strongest at the start of the season'.
Can anyone ever remember being at our strongest at the start of the season? As usual Joy is keeping her purse well and truly shut until the very last minute.
It's just a question of how much 'catch up' we will have to do when we are at our strongest. 3000+ season tickets eh!
Never ever trust SISU.
 

LB87ccfc

Member
'We aren't going to be at our strongest at the start of the season'.
Can anyone ever remember being at our strongest at the start of the season? As usual Joy is keeping her purse well and truly shut until the very last minute.
It's just a question of how much 'catch up' we will have to do when we are at our strongest. 3000+ season tickets eh!
Never ever trust SISU.


We will not be at our strongest as the majority will be loans from higher divisions, which we will be waiting on after teams have been submitted and managers decide who they wish to loan out, so no we won't be at our strongest, also not many team's are in this league as their is no rhythm, and usually takes 10 games before you see a pattern emerge in the table.
 

hill83

Well-Known Member
'We aren't going to be at our strongest at the start of the season'.
Can anyone ever remember being at our strongest at the start of the season? As usual Joy is keeping her purse well and truly shut until the very last minute.
It's just a question of how much 'catch up' we will have to do when we are at our strongest. 3000+ season tickets eh!
Never ever trust SISU.

This 'Joy keeping her purse shut until the last minute' has got to be total
bollocks surely. You don't actually believe that. Course you don't.
 

Cobi Jones's Dreads

Well-Known Member
There's 30 points to play for in them first 10 games let's hope he can get a competitive squad together in time as we will be getting left behind otherwise!
 
J

Jack Griffin

Guest
I thought the academy was seen by TF as the key to financing the club, otherwise you have to have an excellent scouting system to bring in prospects before that appreciate in value too much!
 

Happy_Martian

Well-Known Member
The missed player could simply have been a reference to Protchwicz signing for a German club. Mowbray has said he was planning on building around him.
 

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