So one more to come then...........

[Pinchy]

Well, we don't know, because they not disclosed, I'm guessing they are within the new remit of reducing the wage bill...do you know?

People are making the simple assumption that Hanson's wages will be less than a better striker's, who would cost more money and who may ( or may not) have a far greater resale value ( if we don't go up) and be good enough to play in the Championship ( if we do get there)

..and are a bit disappointed in this approach, given the club's position in the league and the opportunity present.

It really is that simple but you seem to get your knickers in a twist about this and any criticism of the board.

Why?

That would be all very reasonable if our colleagues expressed themselves in terms of 'bit disappointed'. Some can't. They have acute "jerky knee" syndrome. Any setback or disappointment has to be a complete catastrophe.

I demand a full statement from the club followed by a press conference.

 

[spongebobblade]

If Hanson helps us reach our goal then I'm happy to back Wilders judgement. He wouldn't have been my choice but I'm not the expert. We know he won't get everyone right but he offers us something Clarke isn't doing. Wilder won't pay silly money in fee or wages so that area doesn't concern me. My only worry is the length of contract but I'm hoping he's learned his lesson from the Clarke deal

 

[South Bucks]

The amount of money we will make if we jump a league will dwarf the figures we spend on Hanson and O'Shea.

For the last few seasons we've been screaming out for players who know this fucking division, instead of overpaid Premier League players on their last legs.

We got a bargain (IMO) in Carruthers who will have great resale value. We're now bringing in two players who are willing to mix it up and get us out of this godforesaken shithole we've been in for what feels like decades.

Have some faith that Wilder knows what he's doing.

Problem is not with Wilder but with the business model the club has used for years. i.e. lets buy a big proportion of players over the hill on big wages who will only depreciate compared to some other clubs who go for players going up the hill on fair wages who are more likely to appreciate than not.

Add to that a big squad and wage bill and then there's virtually nothing left for transfers as Wilder is finding out if the owners don't show any real ambition.

 

[Newbury Blade]

Problem is not with Wilder but with the business model the club has used for years. i.e. lets buy a big proportion of players over the hill on big wages who will only depreciate compared to some other clubs who go for players going up the hill on fair wages who are more likely to appreciate than not.

Add to that a big squad and wage bill and then there's virtually nothing left for transfers as Wilder is finding out if the owners don't show any real ambition.

If that was indeed the business model, it very clearly changed last summer.

 

[andy m]

You are massively defeatist, only consider the worst case scenario and even exaggerate that.

Risk the future of the club! What, by spending an extra £1m or so?

As I said in another post, if you're managed correctly, when you spend money you gain an asset therefore the money is redeemable. Do you think Wilder would lead us up shit creek like Clough and Adkins did? Do you think he'd spend good money on a player with no resale value and pay them wages far in excess of what anyone else would? Not a chance. It wouldn't be dead money, we'd be able to get it back if we had to.

Spending money doesn't have to represent the sort of risk United have stupidly made it in the last few years by paying big wages for old shit players.

How much have Scunthorpe and Bolton invested this January?

 

[Ricky]

How much have Scunthorpe and Bolton invested this January?

We aren't Scunthorpe or Bolton.

Scunny get about 1/4 of our attendances.

Bolton aren't allowed to spend anything.

 

[andy m]

We aren't Scunthorpe or Bolton.

Scunny get about 1/4 of our attendances.

Bolton aren't allowed to spend anything.

No we are not. However, we are the only one of the top 3 looking to invest and improve the squad and that's still not enough for some.

 

[Ricky]

No we are not. However, we are the only one of the top 3 looking to invest and improve the squad and that's still not enough for some.

Scunny have strengthened with three loans, but I agree that we've strengthened more and that should still be the case once the window's shut.

Of course we've given ourselves a better chance of promotion - we were only going to get stronger this month. But we could have all but made sure of it, and I don't think we have.

 

[andy m]

Scunny have strengthened with three loans, but I agree that we've strengthened more and that should still be the case once the window's shut.

Of course we've given ourselves a better chance of promotion - we were only going to get stronger this month. But we could have all but made sure of it, and I don't think we have.

Fair point Ricky we were all probably hoping for more marquee signings but there is a budget and we are adopting a more sensible approach this season.
I think the transfers replace all of the weak links in the squad such as Hussey, Scougal, Clarke and using Basham in midfield so its been a very good window.

 

[Harry's Game]

Carruthers far and away the best signing in the window for us, the others a bit Meh!...

Shame Carruthers picked up that knock, it looked like at Southend he had galvanised the midfield three into thinking there is now serious competition for the shirt.

Since then they seem to have slipped back into cruise mode.

 

[Flatulent_Bob]

We aren't Scunthorpe or Bolton.

Scunny get about 1/4 of our attendances.

Bolton aren't allowed to spend anything.

What have attendances got to do with anything?
We spend more on our wage bill and transfers than our attendances could cover, hence why we lose money every year, so I don't see the relevance of attendances.
Do you have even the slightly evidence that our manager hasn't been backed to his requirements?

 

[Ricky]

What have attendances got to do with anything?
We spend more on our wage bill and transfers than our attendances could cover, hence why we lose money every year, so I don't see the relevance of attendances.
Do you have even the slightly evidence that our manager hasn't been backed to his requirements?

It's a big source of income and gives us a very advantageous starting point over other L1 clubs. I doubt Scunny's attendances cover everything either.

If everything required evidence before posting this would be a very boring place, yet it's the way a lot of people would seem to like it. Don't you think Wilder would've spent more than around 500k in fees if he could, knowing the opportunity we've got and how important it is to take it? He made a comment recently about "not being in the market for £1m players" - read between the lines.

 

[Sheffsteel]

It's a big source of income and gives us a very advantageous starting point over other L1 clubs. I doubt Scunny's attendances cover everything either.

If everything required evidence before posting this would be a very boring place, yet it's the way a lot of people would seem to like it. Don't you think Wilder would've spent more than around 500k in fees if he could, knowing the opportunity we've got and how important it is to take it? He made a comment recently about "not being in the market for £1m players" - read between the lines.

Wilder has never had such a big budget in his whole career. This is dream land for him to realistically have a chance to attract most of the lower division players.

 

[Kev Gee]

I think Hansen could turn out to be a very good signing. Ignore all the Bradford fans slagging him off. Weve potentially weakend a rival and got somoene who knows this league and now will be eager to impress.

 

[Flatulent_Bob]

It's a big source of income and gives us a very advantageous starting point over other L1 clubs. I doubt Scunny's attendances cover everything either.

If everything required evidence before posting this would be a very boring place, yet it's the way a lot of people would seem to like it. Don't you think Wilder would've spent more than around 500k in fees if he could, knowing the opportunity we've got and how important it is to take it? He made a comment recently about "not being in the market for £1m players" - read between the lines.

I think you underestimate the costs of running our large old stadia and policing such numbers.
If you don't think we spend our weight comparatively you need to check out wage bill and there's. £6.5 million wasn't it last season?

 

[Sean Thornton]

I think you underestimate the costs of running our large old stadia and policing such numbers.
If you don't think we spend our weight comparatively you need to check out wage bill and there's. £6.5 million wasn't it last season?

2016 Scunthorpe. Turned over £3.7 million. Admin exes were under half a million. Ours were over £5 million although that included a part stadium refurb, year before around £4.5 million. The sooner people grasp that it costs £5m a year just to run the set up the better they can understand the finances.

 

[Flatulent_Bob]

2016 Scunthorpe. Turned over £3.7 million. Admin exes were under half a million. Ours were over £5 million although that included a part stadium refurb, year before around £4.5 million. The sooner people grasp that it costs £5m a year just to run the set up the better they can understand the finances.

It doesn't fit the narrative. How anyone can think we're trying to get up on the cheap or that the owners don't want to go for (for some reason that I can't fathom) is beyond me.

 

[Sean Thornton]

It doesn't fit the narrative. How anyone can think we're trying to get up on the cheap or that the owners don't want to go for (for some reason that I can't fathom) is beyond me.

The stupidest thing you'll ever read on here is "McCabe doesn't want promotion". FACT.

 

[Barney]

It doesn't fit the narrative. How anyone can think we're trying to get up on the cheap or that the owners don't want to go for (for some reason that I can't fathom) is beyond me.

Why aren't we paying big fees for quality players?

 

[alcoblade]

Why aren't we paying big fees for quality players?

Because we don't have that type of money, and the owners are only prepared to lose £5,000,000* a season?

*Insert whatever massive amount you choose.

 

[Flatulent_Bob]

Why aren't we paying big fees for quality players?

We've got one of the highest wage bills in the league, we've had one the of the highest transfer budgets in the league but you expect bigger?
How big should we be spending, and who that we need has moved to another league one club?

 

[Barney]

Because we don't have that type of money, and the owners are only prepared to lose £5,000,000* a season?

*Insert whatever massive amount you choose.

Well that doesn't make sense. Because losing £5m a year will continue every year we're in league one.

Year 1 - League one - £5m loss
Year 2 - League one - £5m loss
etc..

or Year 1 - £5m + say £2m investment
Year 2 - Championship

You'd pick the 1st scenario then presumably?

 

[alcoblade]

Well that doesn't make sense. Because losing £5m a year will continue every year we're in league one.

Year 1 - League one - £5m loss
Year 2 - League one - £5m loss
etc..

or Year 1 - £5m + say £2m investment
Year 2 - Championship

You'd pick the 1st scenario then presumably?

Everyone would choose scenario one, if it was guaranteed to work.

Remember, we have actually employed scenario one for 5 seasons prior, and notice that we are still in division three.

UTB

 

[Sean Thornton]

Everyone would chose scenario one, if it was guaranteed to work.

Remember, we have actually employed scenario one for 5 seasons prior, and notice that we are still in division three.

UTB

The elephant in the room. Facts.


It certainly didn't work the first season after PL relegation either.

 

[Barney]

Remember, we have actually employed scenario one for 5 seasons prior, and notice that we are still in division three.

Precisely my point...

 

[alcoblade]

Precisely my point...

Apologies, the wrong way around. In the previous 5 years we've have invested (lost) more than £2m on top of this years figure. It has failed to deliver every year.

Claiming that we'd be successful if we just invested more is far too simplistic. There has to be a limit on the loss.

Employing good managers
Sensible transfer policies
Not selling your leading goal scorer at Christmas.

All important, the opposite of which can fuck up even the largest investment. See Bryan Robson for proof.



UTB

 

[Barney]

Apologies, the wrong way around. In the previous 5 years we've have invested (lost) more than £2m on top of this years figure. It has failed to deliver every year.

Claiming that we'd be successful if we just invested more is far too simplistic. There has to be a limit on the loss.

UTB

Fair point but wouldn't you say this year is an exception? Top of the league, a few obvious gaps to fill...

I realise everybody has different limits but "Go for it" would be my attitude. Especially this year

 

[alcoblade]

Fair point but wouldn't you say this year is an exception? Top of the league, a few obvious gaps to fill...

I realise everybody has different limits but "Go for it" would be my attitude. Especially this year

We'll see. I can see Hanson, if used correctly, being a terrific signing.

O'Shea has scored more goals over the last 5 years than all our midfielders put together. Same this season, and that's playing for a struggling team.

And unlike other years, no significant sales.

 

[Flatulent_Bob]

We'll see. I can see Hanson, if used correctly, being a terrific signing.

O'Shea has scored more goals over the last 5 years than all our midfielders put together. Same this season, and that's playing for a struggling team.

And unlike other years, no significant sales.

...and Carruthers. That would have been transfer fee, signing on fee as well as the obvious wages ontop of the existing wage bill.
There's been investment this window with no sales as yet, surely that's going for it, a least a little bit.

 

[alcoblade]

...and Carruthers. That would have been transfer fee, signing on fee as well as the obvious wages ontop of the existing wage bill.
There's been investment this window with no sales as yet, surely that's going for it, a least a little bit.

And Riley seems to be extremely highly rated. Not great investment, but possibly excellent business.