shmmeee
Well-Known Member
Just checking but I think that would be by far and away the lowest number of signings any promoted club has made including Luton. I think you’re wildly underestimating.
I don't see us buying a whole new team.
Not just for the financial implications but also because of the upheaval it will cause in a club whose success has been built on stability.
I think we'll see 5 or 6 in in addition to maybe making a couple of the loans permanent.
I don't see us buying a whole new team.
Not just for the financial implications but also because of the upheaval it will cause in a club whose success has been built on stability.
I think we'll see 5 or 6 in in addition to maybe making a couple of the loans permanent.
We’ll need to be pragmaticA rebuild will be required. Do we honestly believe we could hold our own without bringing in new players across all positions with current key squad as back up. Our defence especially is really leaky and lacks pace against championship sides, i'm not sure apart from Rushworth that any would hold their own in a promoted side.
After 50 years of watching city I don't get emotionally attached to any players and I just don't want to be embarrassed if we go up.
Just checking but I think that would be by far and away the lowest number of signings any promoted club has made including Luton. I think you’re wildly underestimating.
We’d need a robins season first time in championshipMaybe. We'll see.
I'd imagine how many bodies we can off load will be a factor
We've scored 2 more goals than Leeds last season at the 36 game mark.I’m not saying we’re anti football. Just we do what’s needed to win games. We aren’t Burnley but we aren’t a Leeds. Were Lampards Coventry. I think the Mourinho comparison is a good one.
We've scored 2 more goals than Leeds last season at the 36 game mark.
16 more than Boro.
Also can't see us completely revamping the team.
Think one of the reasons we started so well this season was due to having a fairly settled squad
Maybe. We'll see.
I'd imagine how many bodies we can off load will be a factor
It doesn't discredit you in the slightest. It won Chelsea numerous titles, Mourinho was hailed as a master tactician and their attacking players regularly and rightfully got plaudits.
Not my fault you can't take a bloody compliment!
As for the Hoodoo that doesn't detract from your performance either, there are different ways of a Hoodoo being borne out. We have the exact same Hoodoo over Brum, but likewise it shouldn't detract from our performance on that day, like yourselves against us, we found another way to win, thereby fulfilling the Hoodoo.
Personally I don't know what fans of other clubs have said on here in the past, but I suspect you're tarring me with the same brush and assuming that almost everything I say is some kind of dig for whatever reason. It's not. I don't mind a bit of craic, that's all good fun, but persistently making digs isn't my style at all.
There's similarities between Carrick and Hellberg, but there's also major differences in their setup. What we have now is more fluid, with each player having less nailed down positions. Subs will also be made as soon as they're needed, rather than waiting until 75 minutes to get "even fresher legs" which Carrick would not deviate from and above all else if we went off the boil for a few games, Hellberg mixes it up and does the unexpected. Carrick had little in the way of a Plan B.
If we can keep Rushworth it will mean we will have spent about 20m with Onyeka. How much money do you think we will have to spend in our first season up without risking our future?A rebuild will be required. Do we honestly believe we could hold our own without bringing in new players across all positions with current key squad as back up. Our defence especially is really leaky and lacks pace against championship sides, i'm not sure apart from Rushworth that any would hold their own in a promoted side.
After 50 years of watching city I don't get emotionally attached to any players and I just don't want to be embarrassed if we go up.
There’s two unknowns though: a) if the club’s owner sells up and b) if we get big offers in for any of this season’s regulars.If we can keep Rushworth it will mean we will have spent about 20m with Onyeka. How much money do you think we will have to spend in our first season up without risking our future?
What we do have is are squad of players that are close and would run through brick walls for each other. Spending money doesn't guarantee a chance of staying up. It will be a case of keeping our best players and adding quality to them.
We would need to look at the defence more than anywhere else. MVE deserves his chance and Thomas on the bench, but not leaking goals will be important. That's why Rushworth would be an important signing.
The rest? Grimes with Onyeka at CM. EMC, Rudoni, Torp and Sakamoto as players in front of them and Wright up front.
With already spending about 20m we would only have 10 players that I would be happy with either in the team or on the edge of it. We would have a few squad fillers like Eccles and BTA. We would bring in some money for the players sold but that won't bring much quality in.
There's a few clubs in financial difficulties so won't be as strong as normal. Our aim would be 17th place. If we came straight back down with an affordable wage bill with the parachute payments we would have a good chance of an immediate return. This would give us another 100m approx to spend on players. Somehow stay up? Time to strengthen again but with a guaranteed extra year's parachute payment.
There's going to be a lot of people expecting too much if we go up. Prem quality players are not cheap. We might get a free or so and a couple of cheaper players in. But it still won't stretch very far.
Quality over quantity imoQuick thought is it worth it to spend big on six players or spend the same amount on 10?
I remember Lampard saying he assessed our squad deeply before accepting the job.A rebuild will be required. Do we honestly believe we could hold our own without bringing in new players across all positions with current key squad as back up. Our defence especially is really leaky and lacks pace against championship sides, i'm not sure apart from Rushworth that any would hold their own in a promoted side.
After 50 years of watching city I don't get emotionally attached to any players and I just don't want to be embarrassed if we go up.
If we are recruiting for the Premiership, assuming no ownership change or significant investment - Doug will be smart enough I think to plan for the season after in the Champ. I think that puts a lot of pressure on scouting - we'll be using the same approaches and network we have, but a level up. There's a lot of risk here because I doubt we'll sign many actual Premiership level players.
Doug will have to bid really high to get Rushworth, I imagine we will go for that - but it's not guaranteed. We should also be going back for a CB like Hughes. Which ever teams miss out of the playoffs, we might look there at a few who we think can step up.
I don't see us bankrolling the entire TV money on staying up, it's just not the way Doug is likely to work.
I think he’s more likely yet to sell the club.What makes you say that? He spent all the Vik and Gus money and then some on getting up. Were more likely to skimp on wages if anything.
If we can keep Rushworth it will mean we will have spent about 20m with Onyeka. How much money do you think we will have to spend in our first season up without risking our future?
What we do have is are squad of players that are close and would run through brick walls for each other. Spending money doesn't guarantee a chance of staying up. It will be a case of keeping our best players and adding quality to them.
We would need to look at the defence more than anywhere else. MVE deserves his chance and Thomas on the bench, but not leaking goals will be important. That's why Rushworth would be an important signing.
The rest? Grimes with Onyeka at CM. EMC, Rudoni, Torp and Sakamoto as players in front of them and Wright up front.
With already spending about 20m we would only have 10 players that I would be happy with either in the team or on the edge of it. We would have a few squad fillers like Eccles and BTA. We would bring in some money for the players sold but that won't bring much quality in.
There's a few clubs in financial difficulties so won't be as strong as normal. Our aim would be 17th place. If we came straight back down with an affordable wage bill with the parachute payments we would have a good chance of an immediate return. This would give us another 100m approx to spend on players. Somehow stay up? Time to strengthen again but with a guaranteed extra year's parachute payment.
There's going to be a lot of people expecting too much if we go up. Prem quality players are not cheap. We might get a free or so and a couple of cheaper players in. But it still won't stretch very far.
I can see him continuing to look at players as assets whose values should be going up, so he'll be pressuring recruiting along those lines. I think he'll balance the likelihood of survival Vs relegation and will want to primarily make sure if we come straight back down we're in a position that allows us to come right back up. There's also the 50-100m of debt the club has from his loans and the mortgage on the arena to consider. It would be unwise to spend all of your revenue on transfers given that.What makes you say that? He spent all the Vik and Gus money and then some on getting up. Were more likely to skimp on wages if anything.
Sign James Maddison from Spurs
I can see him continuing to look at players as assets whose values should be going up, so he'll be pressuring recruiting along those lines. I think he'll balance the likelihood of survival Vs relegation and will want to primarily make sure if we come straight back down we're in a position that allows us to come right back up. There's also the 50-100m of debt the club has from his loans and the mortgage on the arena to consider. It would be unwise to spend all of your revenue on transfers given that.
Agree with you on wages. I also imagine there's other projects he might want to consider as well - heavy investment in the training facilities, potentially pursuing tier 1 academy status.
I'm not sure if Category 1 academy status is something he's likely to pursue if he's looking to flip the club.I can see him continuing to look at players as assets whose values should be going up, so he'll be pressuring recruiting along those lines. I think he'll balance the likelihood of survival Vs relegation and will want to primarily make sure if we come straight back down we're in a position that allows us to come right back up. There's also the 50-100m of debt the club has from his loans and the mortgage on the arena to consider. It would be unwise to spend all of your revenue on transfers given that.
Agree with you on wages. I also imagine there's other projects he might want to consider as well - heavy investment in the training facilities, potentially pursuing tier 1 academy status.
I agree. Business as usual but with more money, basically.I think Doug will do broadly what he's done already, just on a larger scale:
- Focus transfer spending on younger players that are likely to appreciate in value if they perform
- Keep tight control of the wage budget so our hands aren't tied in the event of relegation
- To that end, not being afraid of relatively healthy transfer spends if they meet the above two criteria
- Continue development of the commercial aspects of the club to increase revenues and make us more sustainable to operate.
My mate floated this theory to me last week.I think Doug enjoys the limelight to much and will stay so can't see him selling up.
Did he spill any secrets about selling or staying?My mate floated this theory to me last week.
I'm not in agreement but you never know.
And to be fair, he's spoken to him a few times.
The PL is a different animal to the Championship though. I do think in many ways those that get promoted do have to work from a blank canvas and for the most part start afresh.
The majority of our squad isn't PL standard so if we're to be promoted a significant amount of investment is going to be required for us to stay up.
I wouldn't want to compromise on improving the squad simply to preserve continuity when it's highly questionable how much weight that would actually have on our survival prospects in all honesty.
If the money is there we have to be ruthless.
Yeah, it's a fair point. I think the Premier League could be a shock for a lot of our squad.
Just have a feeling that we'll want to keep at least a similar spine to what we currently have and anyone on the fringes will be let go.
I guess the other factor is buying new players on higher wages, and then struggling to get rid of them if we're back in the Championship the following season, but then I don't know how it works with current players and their wages if we're promoted.
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