Are we currently towards the end of a long term plan?

[jt64]

Not ridiculous just an opinion different to yours and one which I agree with. I think you are over estimating the ability of many of our players.

Those of us who can recall starting the season with the marauding left side combination of Martyn Woolford and Callum McFadzean are able to recognise when a squad is actually way off Championship standards levels of shit. This current squad isn't that.

 

[CPB]

My understanding was that they tried to retain as many of the squad in the 2 seasons down so that we had the best chance of going back up.
And we had limited incomings because we didn't sell anyone bar Ramsdale. They wanted to sell someone else like Sander, and then re-coup monies from relegation with some funds being released to replace him.
I believe the club actively tried to tout Berge around being sold right up until January 2023 when Dozy tried to put a stop to it when he was "buying the club". And I think the Prince realised that selling N'Diaye and Berge in Jan might mean no promotion (Would mean!) and promotion is worth more.

It was a gamble and it paid off, because of the emergence of N'Diaye as well as some good loan signings.

Had we not gone up last season, Berge, N'Diaye, McBurnie, Anel would have all been sold and the funds brought in used to plug our financial gap. Perhaps more outgoings as well.
Then some money would have been re-invested back in the playing squad but how much is anybodys guess. Less than what we have spent this season that's for sure.

The hope would be that Heckingbottom would have been able to assemble a top 6 side but with the thinking that may have been a stretch, we may have drifted into that mid table/lower table or worse pack quite quickly.

Our financial clout overall though in the Championship would have returned to much lower levels because we would have no parachute payments. So the wage bill would drop by a good chunk as well. But if the sales had panned out we would have been able to spend maybe some OK money at champ level but equally trying to replace more than Berge and N'diaye.

I honestly don't know how it will pan out next season back in the champ. We will have alot of player turnover with contracts up that won't be renewed.
We will see outgoings for fee's at a guess. Most likely Anel, perhaps Hamer, Brooks etc.

It's gonna be a bumpy summer even if it ends up working out well!

 

[mattbianco1]

My understanding was that they tried to retain as many of the squad in the 2 seasons down so that we had the best chance of going back up.
And we had limited incomings because we didn't sell anyone bar Ramsdale. They wanted to sell someone else like Sander, and then re-coup monies from relegation with some funds being released to replace him.
I believe the club actively tried to tout Berge around being sold right up until January 2023 when Dozy tried to put a stop to it when he was "buying the club". And I think the Prince realised that selling N'Diaye and Berge in Jan might mean no promotion (Would mean!) and promotion is worth more.

It was a gamble and it paid off, because of the emergence of N'Diaye as well as some good loan signings.

Had we not gone up last season, Berge, N'Diaye, McBurnie, Anel would have all been sold and the funds brought in used to plug our financial gap. Perhaps more outgoings as well.
Then some money would have been re-invested back in the playing squad but how much is anybodys guess. Less than what we have spent this season that's for sure.

The hope would be that Heckingbottom would have been able to assemble a top 6 side but with the thinking that may have been a stretch, we may have drifted into that mid table/lower table or worse pack quite quickly.

Our financial clout overall though in the Championship would have returned to much lower levels because we would have no parachute payments. So the wage bill would drop by a good chunk as well. But if the sales had panned out we would have been able to spend maybe some OK money at champ level but equally trying to replace more than Berge and N'diaye.

I honestly don't know how it will pan out next season back in the champ. We will have alot of player turnover with contracts up that won't be renewed.
We will see outgoings for fee's at a guess. Most likely Anel, perhaps Hamer, Brooks etc.

It's gonna be a bumpy summer even if it ends up working out well!

You could also say that by not spending big this season, we've paid off the debts/loans. This would mean that in the CH with parachute payments behind us, we may actually have some clout behind us again to rebuild and go again.

Of course i'd have liked us to keep Berge and Ndiaye, and also spend a good chunk to try and stay up. But spending loads doesn't necessarily mean you will stay up... See Burnley

 

[TJ blade]

I’m telling you now we will go down and bounce straight up again. We will win the championship I think, our youngsters should thrive next season

And I'll have a pint of what your supping

 

[CPB]

You could also say that by not spending big this season, we've paid off the debts/loans. This would mean that in the CH with parachute payments behind us, we may actually have some clout behind us again to rebuild and go again.

Of course i'd have liked us to keep Berge and Ndiaye, and also spend a good chunk to try and stay up. But spending loads doesn't necessarily mean you will stay up... See Burnley

If we have paid off the debts and loans? We won't pay all the loans off because some are to get the money upfront for PL payments and then parachute payments.
We can but hope though that any other debt has or will be gone like you say.

That would hopefully mean we go into next season more financially sound and in theory able to spend some money wisely to assemble a squad.

The thing is, we don't really know. However unlike last time up, surely it cannot be that we technically overspent to try and stay up/kick on. Our net spend is about 20-30m in fees and then obv. more added to wages.

 

[Paddy1]

Sorry but I’ve no idea what the post is about. My attention span after work today is very short and seeing how long it was I couldn’t be bothered to read it. Credit though for taking the time to type all that out

 

[Zeblades34]

If we kicked off in the Championship tomorrow with this squad, we'd easily make the top 6.
We obviously cant/won't have this squad though. Archer, Brereton-Diaz and McAtee all instantly go back, then we have a number of players out of contract.

Let's say all those are released. Then your point is valid.

But to say THIS squad of players doesn't flirt with top 6 is a ridiculous statement.

Easily making top 6? Not sure easily, we had one of the best managers in the championship (slav) along with one of the best set of players in the championship (21/22) and everyone thought it would be a demolition job in the championship, it were only until he got sacked and hecky came in and reimplemented a familiar style that we pushed in to the play offs. All opinions mate end of day but one thing is that's a cert, that team will need some reinforcements in the summer, prince needs to put up or sell up.

 

[mattbianco1]

All opinions mate end of day but one thing is that's a cert, that team will need some reinforcements in the summer, prince needs to put up or sell up

Of course it does.
We stand to lose 15 players on free transfers, plus key players - McAtee, BBD & Archer.

My argument is THIS current team finishes top 6.

If we were in the Championship now with our squad, i'd say we would be 4th/5th.

Leicester and Southampton both have better squads than us. You could argue Leeds have too.
Ipswich have done fantastic to try and push straight through, but we've started to see signs now where they'll tail off of the autos race.

Good thing is next season, Leicester aren't there. Southampton or Leeds probably won't be there, maybe both.
If Ipswich don't go up, they'll need a reset season as everything has progressed very fast.

Sunderland would be a tip for next season for me.

 

[Shawy24]

Bear