Has anyone else thought of this dreaded possibility?

[Danny_Blade]

The board are sat on the Murphy money that should buy 3 quality players in this league

I hate to break it to you Bullet but the Murphy money will have likely gone on Adkins' signings, the rest of it hasn't been re-invested and likely pocketed by the board!

To make matters worse we probably demanded a transfer fee that didn't reflect his actual worth, the board sells at the first sense of a sniff of the few talents we possess.

 

[CarlMcBlade]

Whats the point of the academy anymore?It's not providing a steady supply of players for the first team and with the club in its current situation the incumbent managers need for instant results makes it more difficult to take a gamble on young talent.

 

[Bullet73]

What makes it even harder to swallow is that the pigs are spending like there's no tomorrow. We have TWO rich owners with out a pot to piss in.

 

[Snowman]

The board are sat on the Murphy money that should buy 3 quality players in this league

Sorry that's gone.

 

[Danny_Blade]

Whats the point of the academy anymore?It's not providing a steady supply of players for the first team and with the club in its current situation the incumbent managers need for instant results makes it more difficult to take a gamble on young talent.

It's a part of the management's remit to get the conveyor belt going again, they're supposed to be utilising the youth set up but they've only been here for a few months. It needs to be sorted very quickly.

 

[Snowman]

What makes it even harder to swallow is that the pigs are spending like there's no tomorrow. We have TWO rich owners with out a pot to piss in.

We have two owners who are richer than we are. That's as far as it goes.

 

[Esablade]

I'm happy with six...six is a good number...

 

[Blade56]

If Baxter gets an offer I may implode

And he may inhale

 

[Cyprus Blade]

It would be shocking to do that, it would only send us backwards.

Seems to me he has been told he has to use it - like Weir was, like Clough was. Trouble is nothing of real value is coming out of it. Northampton, Chesterfield and Barnsley have probably had more benefit from it than us this season. Its a bit like having the most expensive garage in the world but no ruddy car in it and ending up having to hire a taxi. It needs a proper overhaul or we need to get shut of it. I really hope they don't sell the Atlas ground to the pigs though - my father would turn in his grave.

 

[Blade59]

[
So in short we will need 9/10 players at least I feel. Quite an overhaul but one needed. Bring on the summer for me now.[/QUOTE]
Since August this board have managed to bring in one player on loan (and that took an age to do) so the thought of them having to get 9/10 deals over the line by the start of next season is quite frightening.

 

[wimbledon blade]

What makes it even harder to swallow is that the pigs are spending like there's no tomorrow. We have TWO rich owners with out a pot to piss in.

Apologies if anyone's suggested this before, but I wonder if the plunging price of oil over the last year or so has affected the Prince's income ?

Presumably as a Saudi, that's where his wealth comes from ? If so, he may have considerably less income (than he anticipated) to throw at the club, and thus decided to keep the wallet firmly closed during the JTW.

Similarly, the global economic slowdown may have shrunk McCabe's pot as well.

 

[Danny_Blade]

Apologies if anyone's suggested this before, but I wonder if the plunging price of oil over the last year or so has affected the Prince's income ?

Presumably as a Saudi, that's where his wealth comes from ? If so, he may have considerably less income (than he anticipated) to throw at the club, and thus decided to keep the wallet firmly closed during the JTW.

Similarly, the global economic slowdown may have shrunk McCabe's pot as well.

It could be a factor for both of them, but they still must have millions comfortably.

Maybe £500,000 or less from each would've been sufficient during the JTW as we can't exactly spend millions and millions while we're at L1 level anyway?

EDIT: But on second thoughts, they probably wouldn't spend 'millions and millions' regardless of the division we're in!

 

[Ricky]

It is absolutely vital that we target and recruit a good number of free agents. That means, for once, being the club that gets in early and agrees terms with players well before the start of pre season. Picking off the best options rather than waiting and fighting for the scraps. And not passing up the opportunity to sign good players in favour of pursuing less realistic targets.

We'll need at least 6 or 7 new first choice players, many of them in key central positions. We'll not be able to spend a transfer fee on all of them, certainly if we want good quality. So that means a lot of free transfers and a couple of loans in addition to some transfer fees. Given the amount of players we'll hopefully be moving on, it's perfectly doable. But unfortunately Jim Phipps seems to have given up on such a possibility by stating that it's going to take three transfer windows. It's no surprise though, the thought of this club pulling off up to 10 deals in one window is absolutely ridiculous.

 

[alcoblade]

As depressing as the current squad is, we must not fall into the trap of spreading any resource too thin.

3 quality additions would transform a bang average team (eg ours), and it's finding a few real quality additions, rather than an entire new squad, that matters the most.

A good number of our players are competent at this level. It's the lack of real quality, in key positions, that leaves us short.

Think of the Deane and Agana effect on the team that achieved successive promotions. There was a distinct lack of real quality elsewhere.

UTB

 

[Bladesince59]

We have 14 players under contract for 2016/17. All the rest (13 or 14) should go....they may keep Long on a 1 year rolling contract but I would only as back up maybe.

Think contracts for those left end in following...

Sharp - 2017
Adams - 2018
Wallace K - 2018
Brayford - 2018
Basham - 2017
Coutts 2017
Done - 2017
Reed - 2018
Calvert Lewin - 2018
Di Girolamo - 2017
Woolford - 2017
Scougall - 2017
McNulty - 2017
Freeman - 2017

Of those

Scougall
Di Girolamo
Freeman
McNulty

....all seem to be as good as gone. I think all four will have contracts terminated or allowed to move on come end of season with latter two probably ending up at Pompey.

Takes it down to 10.

Calvert Lewin and Reed are not seemingly anywhere near/good enough being regulars and not sure either are quite good enough. Granted DCL had less chances and jury still out. Not sure Reed ever will make it. Been around for 2 years now and not getting any better.

So down to 8!

Woolford, K Wallace are squad players at best I feel. Woolford would be moved on too I think if we could.

So 6 we can consider for the first team....

Done, Adams, Sharp, Brayford, Basham, Coutts left. Many of these been regulars in a side not good enough. I think you can say Brayford and Sharp could start and maybe one of Adams//Done. The other two not sure they are good enough or fit enough in Coutts case.

So.....

1.
2. Brayford
3.
4.
5.
6.
7. Done/Adams
8.
9.
10. Sharp
11.

12. Long
13. K. Wallace
14. Basham
15. Woolford
16. Coutts
17. Adams/Done
18.

The rest:

Reed, Calvert Lewin, 3 or 4 youngsters pushing on to fill out the rest of the squad.

So in short we will need 9/10 players at least I feel. Quite an overhaul but one needed. Bring on the summer for me now.

 

[Esablade]

Apologies if anyone's suggested this before, but I wonder if the plunging price of oil over the last year or so has affected the Prince's income ?

Presumably as a Saudi, that's where his wealth comes from ? If so, he may have considerably less income (than he anticipated) to throw at the club, and thus decided to keep the wallet firmly closed during the JTW.

Similarly, the global economic slowdown may have shrunk McCabe's pot as well.

It's been offset by the shit served up at BDTBL..

( sorry, a low blow but couldn't resist tapping that one in)

 

[Dkc]

Maybe we should get rid of Adkins, bring in a Bassett / Warnock physical / motivating manager who will bring in a bunch of cheap,hardworkers from L2 and the Conference and just kick our way to promotion. Hoof, anyone?

 

[Cyprus Blade]

Presumably as a Saudi, that's where his wealth comes from ?

Toilet paper - or something like that - his wealth I mean.

from the Mail on Sunday, 2013 -

'I’ve read the coverage about me buying United and seen the stereotype, again, of a Saudi who can call upon $18bn,' he says. 'I tell you what. If I WAS worth $18bn, I would have bought the 49ers and Arsenal!

'Because I don’t have $18bn I thought I’d buy a club in the Championship, develop it and try to take it to the Premier League"......

An engineer by training, he says he worked 18-hour days for 20 years to turn his Saudi Paper firm, set up with two college friends, into a regional giant, floated in 2006.

 

[CarlMcBlade]

What makes it even harder to swallow is that the pigs are spending like there's no tomorrow. We have TWO rich owners with out a pot to piss in.

The hierarchy at Bramall lane have fully embraced the word austerity like a long lost friend.

 

[CarlMcBlade]

We've got to forget about the pigs. We can't be the tweedle dee and tweedle dumb of the lower leagues forever.
If we keep measuring ourselves against them it will make the managers job at the lane untenable.

 

[Ecco1889]

Sorry that's gone.

Ok,use the fa cup money then

 

[Bladesway]

It's a part of the management's remit to get the conveyor belt going again, they're supposed to be utilising the youth set up but they've only been here for a few months. It needs to be sorted very quickly.

It isn't when you have 1 season then you're out.

 

[Bladesway]

Ok,use the fa cup money then

Likely that has gone as well

 

[pommpey]

Good OP and very valid points made. FWIW, I forecast another turgid close season with nothing coming our of the club, let alone any great news we are shifting the deadweights out of the playing staff. The simple reason being is that there doesn't seem to be any cash at the short trail to replace the holes left by the likes of those up for renewal. We'll see quietly implemented contract extensions and Adkins desperately coralling his coaching staff round various nondescript clubs felching the Barry Oddnobs and trashbin fodder as the great new hope. It isn't his fault. All he wants is a job and the board aren't much fucked about giving him the wherewithall to achieve it.

Unless we get at least six, maybe seven signings which we can recognise as change makers and that their old teams are pissed off aboout us acquiring then we are fucked and we'll end up with much of the same shit next season.

pommpey

 

[Lane Ender]

Maybe we should get rid of Adkins, bring in a Bassett / Warnock physical / motivating manager who will bring in a bunch of cheap,hardworkers from L2 and the Conference and just kick our way to promotion. Hoof, anyone?

No thanks yesterday's news

 

[Sharrowblade]

As depressing as the current squad is, we must not fall into the trap of spreading any resource too thin.

3 quality additions would transform a bang average team (eg ours), and it's finding a few real quality additions, rather than an entire new squad, that matters the most.

A good number of our players are competent at this level. It's the lack of real quality, in key positions, that leaves us short.

Think of the Deane and Agana effect on the team that achieved successive promotions. There was a distinct lack of real quality elsewhere.

UTB

But surely, here lies a major problem.

Quality additions....its a bit of a broken record. We hear it every season, lets spend some money and get some quality in.

Do the supporters have faith in Adkins to achieve this, some do, some don't.

Do the board and manager have the drive and faith in each other to get the quality in, not convinced that they do.

Do we have the background people, the contract negotiators, capable of getting quality in? Doesn't look good.

We have spent successive transfer windows obsessed with a former Pig in O'Grady and a centre-half from Yeovil who can't get a regular start in a struggling championship side. whilst the likes of Bradshaw, Wilson, Ajose, Bryne, Agard have gone overlooked when they were available for next to nowt.

Do we have a track record of selling our best players.......yes.

Do we have a track record of getting quality in to replace them with the proceeds of those sales........Sadly, no.

 

[super_pig]

We have 14 players under contract for 2016/17. All the rest (13 or 14) should go....they may keep Long on a 1 year rolling contract but I would only as back up maybe.

Think contracts for those left end in following...

Sharp - 2017
Adams - 2018
Wallace K - 2018
Brayford - 2018
Basham - 2017
Coutts 2017
Done - 2017
Reed - 2018
Calvert Lewin - 2018
Di Girolamo - 2017
Woolford - 2017
Scougall - 2017
McNulty - 2017
Freeman - 2017

Of those

Scougall
Di Girolamo
Freeman
McNulty

....all seem to be as good as gone. I think all four will have contracts terminated or allowed to move on come end of season with latter two probably ending up at Pompey.

Takes it down to 10.

Calvert Lewin and Reed are not seemingly anywhere near/good enough being regulars and not sure either are quite good enough. Granted DCL had less chances and jury still out. Not sure Reed ever will make it. Been around for 2 years now and not getting any better.

So down to 8!

Woolford, K Wallace are squad players at best I feel. Woolford would be moved on too I think if we could.

So 6 we can consider for the first team....

Done, Adams, Sharp, Brayford, Basham, Coutts left. Many of these been regulars in a side not good enough. I think you can say Brayford and Sharp could start and maybe one of Adams//Done. The other two not sure they are good enough or fit enough in Coutts case.

So.....

1.
2. Brayford
3.
4.
5.
6.
7. Done/Adams
8.
9.
10. Sharp
11.

12. Long
13. K. Wallace
14. Basham
15. Woolford
16. Coutts
17. Adams/Done
18.

The rest:

Reed, Calvert Lewin, 3 or 4 youngsters pushing on to fill out the rest of the squad.

So in short we will need 9/10 players at least I feel. Quite an overhaul but one needed. Bring on the summer for me now.

yep.. if by some weird act of the footballing gods we fluked the playoffs i'd keep beard, billy, and possibly Done and Adams. and that is it.

 

[Darthblade]

Does anyone think any of the present players will be offered a new contract ?

I cannot imagine that anyone at the Club would be stupid enough to offer any of them new terms .......

UTB & FTP