Worrying times...

[Stretch]

But last season we were massively over budget and it's clear that this season we're looking to break even because neither of the owners are prepared to put any more substantial funds in.

If we were, just as an example, £5m over budget and we've released players with wages of £4m in total, we'd still be losing £1m unless we sell someone. If we've released players with total wages of £4m and then signed new players with a total wage of £2m, then we'd be losing £3m.

Yeah I get that mate but I stand by the point that if it's cost cutting first then promotion is an afterthought/nice to have and CW was brought in to (maybe) do it on the cheap.

What works at places like Oxford and Northampton is less likely to work here. Smaller stadiums and crowds with far lower expectations. I am not playing down CW's cv because he should be very proud of it but this job is a different kettle of fish. He needs BIG characters and quality footballers in this team who can handle the pressure and they rarely come without a decent price tag.

 

[grafikhaus]

Why does it have to be McCabe's fault that we aren't completing signings of new players at the moment? Maybe the budget is there for Wilder to spend but prospective players are taking one look at the current turmoil on and off the pitch and thinking fuck that, I'll go somewhere else? It is a possibility you know.

Or the board are looking at the standard of the new players and thinking 'fuck that'?

 

[BushBlade]

Yeah I get that mate but I stand by the point that if it's cost cutting first then promotion is an afterthought/nice to have and CW was brought in to (maybe) do it on the cheap.

What works at places like Oxford and Northampton is less likely to work here. Smaller stadiums and crowds with far lower expectations. I am not playing down CW's cv because he should be very proud of it but this job is a different kettle of fish. He needs BIG characters and quality footballers in this team who can handle the pressure and they rarely come without a decent price tag.

No, I agree, the priority is to break even, promotion would just be a bonus. We need another clear out at the end of the season when the contracts of the other deadwood players we're stuck with run out.

Jim explained this just before he disappeared but few people really believed him.

In theory, if we spend the money wisely once we've cleared out the big earners we should still have enough to complete but it will take a season for Wilder and his team to properly scout players and make sure we're getting eight out of ten signings right, not five.

I just wish the board would be more honest about this and not leave Wilder to take the flak.

 

[PeteBlade]

Why does it have to be McCabe's fault that we aren't completing signings of new players at the moment? Maybe the budget is there for Wilder to spend but prospective players are taking one look at the current turmoil on and off the pitch and thinking fuck that, I'll go somewhere else? It is a possibility you know.

The current turmoil caused by forever selling our best players, sacking our manager ever season and not providing enough money for transfers...

Caused by...?

 

[Darthblade]

Getting rid of Adams and Brayford was a needs must good move IMO . What would help with a club fan feel good factor is backing up the talk the talk with a walk the walk signing of players that are fundemently required on a equal footing of survival and or success.

The worry is we miss out and undermine and under strength ourselves , with the same outcome also happening in January window . Things then become more than just a confidence problem.

Wilder may be getting the shit , but he ain't doing the day to day negotiations with offers , agent , player , club.

The clubs intent will be evident in the next few days .

I'm sorry to be a cynical old bas**rd, but we should have been doing this business in July, before the Bolton game.

It was fairly predictable that we did not have a squad capable of promotion to start the season ....... you didn't have to be mystic meg to see that, but the Club decided to do their usual trick of ...... lets go with what we've got !!

Well we've tried that plan ( for the last few years in fact ) and amazingly it doesn't work when the squad is packed out with underperformers, midgets and pedestrian mercenaries.

I didn't expect us to be rock bottom after 4 games but it was wholly predictable that we wouldn't be competitive at the top. The Club are now in the shit .... as has been pointed out on here by a few. Other Clubs know we are desperate and amazingly are telling us to pay up or do one

I'm sure that I've heard somewhere that that can't happen ........

Answer ....... open the cheque book Board or there's likely, quite soon, to be a South Stand car park full of baying supporters with annoyance in their banter and with VERY good reason.

UTB & FTP

 

[Borbokisfreekick]

Hmmmm....I'm not sure this 'doubling up' price theory stands up to much scrutiny does it?
Unless another club is willing to match that asking fee, and thus the player is actually worth that price, then it's bollocks isn't it?

Do you actually believe agents are offering players at one price ( far higher) to us, and then a far lower price to say Scunthorpe...?

Okay may not double, but definitely increasing a significant amount. But definitely yes, both agents and clubs alike raise the price and fee when they see us coming, because they know we have a bigger budget. And if we and say Scunthorpe, or Burton Albion for that matter go after the same player - agents will always see us as an easier option to squeeze a higher fee out of, likewise with the selling club.

It happens all over football. Look at Chelsea and the signing of Kante. One week he's quoted at a 20million value, Chelsea come in for him, and it goes up to 30million+. Same thing happened to Arsenal the other week, one week they're quoted at 25 million for a player and then as the selling club knows they're desperate, they go to 45 million.

 

[Esablade]

Okay may not double, but definitely increasing a significant amount. But definitely yes, both agents and clubs alike raise the price and fee when they see us coming, because they know we have a bigger budget. And if we and say Scunthorpe, or Burton Albion for that matter go after the same player - agents will always see us as an easier option to squeeze a higher fee out of, likewise with the selling club.

It happens all over football. Look at Chelsea and the signing of Kante. One week he's quoted at a 20million value, Chelsea come in for him, and it goes up to 30million+. Same thing happened to Arsenal the other week, one week they're quoted at 25 million for a player and then as the selling club knows they're desperate, they go to 45 million.

I think you're confusing two very different things with the Chelsea comparisons...Chelsea are going in and out-bidding other teams in order to secure the talent...

Agents may well come to us with inflated prices, but if we turn them down, as we appear to be doing, and they go back to the player and say that's not happening at that price, but you can go to Scunny (or somewhere) for half of what I asked at SUFC...or you can go to SUFC for 'this' wage...

You see how that pans out for the player?

Either we're offering less than other L1 clubs or we're not an attractive option to the player for whatever reason...

 

[Mallinder]

We probably won't sign anyone of note. The fact is as soon as we come in for a player they and their agents probably double what they are asking for because we're Sheffield united in league 1. They know we have a so called big budget, bid crowds and two millionaire chairman.

I do believe the club when they come out with the above, same thing happens to the big clubs in every division and Europe - those with the respective biggest budgets have to pay over the odds.

The problem is that our board isn't willing too.

So our only hope of ever getting promotion is doing it with lower caliber players or developing our own. Another problem is that we usually sell the latter if they amount to anything half decent.

We have fallen so far financially behind the top championship and premier league clubs since 2011, and football at that level has moved on so much, that we have most likely been left behind for ever now - unless we have a very rich, and very ambitious new owner. Unlikely for a league 1 club in the north of England.

We are an established league 1 club, being crippled by our own 'big club' reputation and uninterested owners. Agents and players just see us as a cash cow at this level, and a big pay day whilst they can get it.

We will be here for years to come, and may even go down another level. Get used to it.

Not to worry the academy will provide.....we spend millions on it.