Houston we have a problem..........money.

[TarquinDelouche]

I don't think we did turn down many bids and there was never any doubt that we would sell him, regardless of the bid. But more importantly, will NC be allowed to spend that money on new players? Doesn't look like it.

So we were going to sell regardless of the bid? Why was he not gone at the start of the summer when Wolves registered an interest?

 

[blade too long]

all teams sell players man citys having to offload due to financial restrictions put on them
Ill ask anyone to name one club relegated to league that found it un neccesary to sell players

harry got stars in his eyes , players want prem money , who wouldnt

 

[Woodwardfan]

they told us the debt is wiped out , thats not a bad start
35 million debt ,,,, zero debt
that would be a miracle in most businesses
then going from a team made up of 4/5 loans to having a fully owned squad

you still see no difference ?
we lost to a team wholl be up there , 1 game

KM wrote off the debt, not the prince.

 

[SwitchBLADE Smiles]

If you have belief then please convince us. This is not about the manager. It's about the budget.

Why do I need to convince you? I'm just stunned that as soon as the 1st game of the season comes & goes, there are already people who have the knives out. Had we won the other day... would you have made this post?

 

[finlaytheblade]

Since time immemorial we've complained we sell players, board are shit, etc. I mean for literally decades. I think we are what we are, a medium sized club in the middle of the football food chain. We have to sell our best players if a Prem club comes sniffing, so do other league 1 clubs. The difference is its one out and nine first teamers in, rather than one out and one loan in. I think this board is far, far better than the predecessors and given the lack of money in Sheffield and our current position, as good as we are likely to get (see history) for the foreseeable future.

If you're unhappy, email Jim as he's offered to meet up with any concerned Blades, but the constant whining, recycling tiresome complaints and constant self-flagellation is tedious, particularly 90 minutes in to a 9 month season. Man up for fucks sake.

well said that man someone with some common sense.there,s not much of that on here at present

 

[Peter Dornan]

But more importantly, will NC be allowed to spend that money on new players? Doesn't look like it.

That may depend on Nigel's discussion about the budget with the board. We are led to believe that Nigel was given the budget for which he asked. If he then wants to spend an extra £2.5 mill (allegedly the fee for Harry) and that wasn't part of his budget request, then he needs further approval from the board.

So if he asked for X and has been given X, he cannot complain. If he asked for X plus any fee for Harry if we sell him, and he's still only been given X, then he can complain. Unfortunately for us, we just don't know the detail of that conversation.

 

[yorkshirecoast]

That may depend on Nigel's discussion about the budget with the board. We are led to believe that Nigel was given the budget for which he asked. If he then wants to spend an extra £2.5 mill (allegedly the fee for Harry) and that wasn't part of his budget request, then he needs further approval from the board.

So if he asked for X and has been given X, he cannot complain. If he asked for X plus any fee for Harry if we sell him, and he's still only been given X, then he can complain. Unfortunately for us, we just don't know the detail of that conversation.

I'm not really bothered whether NC has grounds for complaint or not - and what budget he asked for isn't the point. If the Board were serious about game changing investment he would be told he can spend the Maguire money. But we know that won't happen.

 

[S5Blade]

zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz x10000000000

 

[drinksmat]

Whilst we are deluded fans, it could just be that not everyone wants to play for United. Coady - we already have too many midfielders but there is moaning he chooses to go to a club that is not awash with them. Brayford is under no obligation to come despite him enjoying his time here last season. etc etc etc.

Bottom line is that we have no clear idea of what the exact state of the finances are, but we can have as much money as you like thrown around (subject to financial rules) but that doesn't mean the players will come and join us.

 

[Woodwardfan]

Why do I need to convince you? I'm just stunned that as soon as the 1st game of the season comes & goes, there are already people who have the knives out. Had we won the other day... would you have made this post?

I was making this post as soon as I heard the teamsheet. There is confusion all around IMO. I'm asking you are you happy? I need some reassurance.

 

[Rodley]

I was making this post as soon as I heard the teamsheet. There is confusion all around IMO. I'm asking you are you happy? I need some reassurance.

Email Jim he'll meet you.

 

[S5Blade]

I was making this post as soon as I heard the teamsheet. There is confusion all around IMO. I'm asking you are you happy? I need some reassurance.

Did you submit it via royal mail?

 

[SwitchBLADE Smiles]

I was making this post as soon as I heard the teamsheet. There is confusion all around IMO. I'm asking you are you happy? I need some reassurance.

You need some reassurance from me or the board?! Honestly, yes I'm rather content with the current state of the squad. I think there was some confusion around the 1st game (I think it was more Clough trying something a bit 'different' more than anything else). I can understand why Davies was included & where he was positioned as he was our best supplier to the new focal point of our attack. Again with Alcock, I think Clough feels the need to put him in the team as he is our most 'talented' defender.

Overall I believe we have a squad capable of winning promotion. Will we win the league? Probably not, but what does it matter if we get promoted at the end of the season?

UTB

 

[SwindonBladeJnr]

'Wise counsel'....

 

[judge]

Last seasons squad was too good for this leauge and this one is play offs at best

 

[Patrick Suffaux]

As far as we fans know

There it is, the six words that pull he remainder of your opening post to pieces. No one has a clue how the finances of the club are run or how much the owners invest. I would argue we have no right to, some would argue differently.

When fans don't see big transfer fees they accuse the owners of lacking ambition and not putting a dime in. It's idiotic. For all we know the club could have massive overheads that the owners are paying for.....but like you I have no proof either way, it's pure speculation.

No proof, no argument I'm afraid.

 

[Pedro Verde]

FFS the Drama Queens are out in force tonight
We lost one game, we didnt sign Coady as the fee Liverpool wanted was £1m Nigel then goes out and gets Wallace in, Liverpool then realise they are not going to get anywhere near £1m and then sell him for less than half that.We would have sold Maguire last season if things hadnt changed.

 

[Rollerball]

Clough can have the Harry money, the cheque is in the post from azerbejan, but its a public holiday ATM and it doesn't end until 2 sept, hull real owner mr marmadov was gonna fax it but there seems to be a problem with the new fax machine at BDTBL, go figure.
Again with the pessimistic threads, reassurances, lack of investment, lack of ambition, lack of good catering, lack of reclining heated seating on the kop.
Well feck me, outside the top 6 football clubs in this country, how many teams fans will NOT be crying these same points, I mean Ffs arsenal fans have been whining about team investment and lack of ambition for 6+years, Everton fans with a team top ten every year, lose players with on the whole not a great amount of re investment, considering tv income etc, and people whine that a third tier club aren't spending money hand over fist.
Anyone heard of a club called Portsmouth, they did just that and very nearly were obliterated, Leeds, Wendy the list is endless, even a club pulling 50+ thousand crowds and European football every year, were almost liquidated, Rangers almost died thru bad financial management, and some quarters seem to want my beloved Blades to walk that same road?
Investment especially with financial rulings, should be prudent not stupid (see robbo era for examples)
I personally would prefer solid if uninspiring signings compared to massive impressive signings if the latter may just spell the end of my club.

 

[JOEYDEE]

Just calm down, relax and think Liverpool.

BUT not Man City !

 

[ScoobBlade]

Nothing I have seen or read leads me to have confidence that SUFC under the new half ownership is any different from our entire history.

Why? Connor Coady signed for an uninspirational Huddersfield for a fee of £375k. Harry departed for £2.5m. We didn't sign our talismanic cult figure Brayford. We didn't sign named striker targets. We all thought Clough had the charisma, yet nobody is flocking to us.

Kevin McCabe has started emphasising "youth development" again. There has not been a club statement about any new investment, As far as we fans know, the new half owner has not introduced one Saudi item of currency yet.

Clough's dialogue, demeanour, team selection, reactions, all veer towards hope and development rather than promises.

This is not a short term project. Last Saturday was appalling, not just losing but the inconsistency of team selection, captaincy choice, the usual "Clough solidity". To me it seems as though the impetus of the manager and the club has changed all of a sudden. We should reduce our expectations and the club has been remiss to lead us along. Short term season ticket sales only create severe disillusionment when rhetoric not backed up. Mason Bennett signing for Bradford is embarrassing for our manager.

Hey lads, we are skint again. I hope I am proved a total tosser, but nothing gives me any solace at this moment in time. In just three weeks I have changed from a "wise counsel" to bewildered and anxious. I believe in the manager but once again doubts emerge about the ownership. Where has the Maguire money gone? Where has the FA Cup money gone? Have I missed any messages. Is this situation really the manager's fault?

Coady and brayford were always hard targets and are now playing in a higher division and on the Bennett issue, clough wanted Bennett but freemans agent demanded too much and for whatever reason mclaren wanted both players to go or neither. Not cloughs fault for mclaren getting mardy or for freemans agent getting greedy on the back of the maguire transfer. All makes sense to me

 

[Sothall_Blade]

P0/

P/
Pp

 

[pommpey]

There it is, the six words that pull he remainder of your opening post to pieces. No one has a clue how the finances of the club are run or how much the owners invest. I would argue we have no right to, some would argue differently.

When fans don't see big transfer fees they accuse the owners of lacking ambition and not putting a dime in. It's idiotic. For all we know the club could have massive overheads that the owners are paying for.....but like you I have no proof either way, it's pure speculation.

No proof, no argument I'm afraid.

I disagree, Patrick ... and this is why.

We are a big club. Why are we a 'big club'? Because on Saturday, Bramall Lane was filled with 20k supporters, a crowd that people like Crawley, Peterborough, Yeovil, Notts County would weep in dire hope for on their opening day of the season. We are in the same division as them, largely by pure dint of fact we have been poorly managed as a team, sold some talented players in some cases under their value and as a result, failed to get out of the third tier of English football for three miserable years.

Those 20k supporters are a fraction of the global support Sheffield United attracts as a third division team. Everybody invests in the Blades, be it buying this season's shirt, a Season ticket, saying 'Shall we gurra t'match?' or watching Sky Sports Gillette cuntfest on a Saturday. So we do have a right to know what the score is as investors, or why support the club? Don't you wish to know what has become of last year's big promise of investment from a man who joined the club the day after the transfer window shut? As I recall, us questioners were roundly told to shut the fuck up when we brought this spiny issue up and to trust in Lord Cluff to deliver - the Saudi was effectively steering the vessel through these choppy waters. Well, yes ... last season post Fulham away was a fucking revelation, but we have now lost Brayford, Coady and now Maguire ... three players who really, really were large parts of the revival last season and have had a cash injection of FA Cup money, supposed 'game changing investments' and now some or most of the £2.5m received for one of said large parts.

So, as one of those investors, I wanna know - in fact I demand to know ... where's it all gone? If it has gone on overheads, then don't you think that last year's staff cull was enough? If the club is costing too much to run, then show us the proof of this? We have a right to know, so we don't inevitably think the board is short changing the manager and telling him to go begging and pull people through from the supposed academy. How many more fucking seasons will we spend in LD3 then before we build a side that is ready for promotion? How many more academy/young players (like Reed, for example) will we develop only for Wolves/Stoke/Watford/whoever to come along, buy off us and the money be used to pay off overheads? Is that not crass mismanagement?

We lost on Saturday and despite all the inquests held on here, something still fails to convince me that the board is backing us, the players or Cluff, who I still maintain is the right man for the job. I hope Saturday was a small trial for the team and we can get our skates on and anchor ourselves I the top three like most of the previously automatically promoted sides have. Another season of hit/miss performances and allowing our supposed promotion rivals to open up crucial points gaps will just not do when so much has been fed to us as the bright new future for Sheffield United. Currently we still have parts of the playing staff who continue to be weaknesses (like Flynn, for example) and this just is not good enough. We, as supporters have a right to demand the best and a right to be told if this cannot be delivered ... and that is the board's responsibility, not ours.

pommpey

 

[Fiery Blade]

The OP states 'Houston We Have a Problem - Money' can we re-title it
HOUSTON WE HAVE A PROBLEM - DICKHEADS ON THIS SITE !!!
I have never read so much clap trap from 'so called' supporters in my life
I think they have taken over the site - I thought it was just the noggin I happen to sit down next to at BDTBL but wherever I sit I get an idiot sat next to me coming out with absolute rubbish ! Now every other post on here is the same !
Please get back in your boxes and come back on here when you have something rational and sensible to post !

 

[S5Blade]

Honestly.

The number of people in this thread saying "WHY ARE WE NOT SPENDING OBSCENE AMOUNTS OF MONEY, WHERE IS THE INVESTMENT!!!!!!!!"

The prince, and Jim Phipps, both said when the take over happened that we would NOT spend silly money to get out of this division. They said we would be prudent and get the right players to take us out of this division and then invest vast amounts of cash to get us to the premiership. This point, spoken by the co-chairman seems to have been missed by all of the doom and gloomers on here. Numerous interviews with Nige / The board etc where they have clearly said they have approved a budget Nige requested and if he needs to improve that budget then it will be discussed.

Is it really so hard for people to understand that Nigel has said he needs X to get us out of this division, the board have said, ok here is X off you go and thats what our manager (the same one who turned us from relegation fodder into FA Cup Semi finalists and 7th in the league) asked for.

The same boring points are brought up and raised over and over, when it really is quite simple.

Manager said it takes X to get us out of this division
Board invest X amount and give it to Nige
Nige uses X to get players he thinks will get us out of the division and if he needs Y then he merely needs to go and ask the board
Meanwhile the board are also investing in facilities and spending money all over the club, not just on the first team (which contrary to popular belief, they have been doing but then again, we only signed free agents, so have spent fuck all....... obviously) - We have signed 7 players for undisclosed fees since our investment so are clearly spending Money

Coady - We asked Liverpool for a price, they said 1m, we said, fuck off, went and got other targets, Coady went to sign for Huddersfield a month later for less than half the price we were quoted yet people think this is the end of the season. We had already done our business for his position but how many people on this (and 1000000000 other threads) know for a fact that we didnt put a bid in for him or we did but he wanted to play at a higher level? I imagine 0. Jim P said at the time that their position on coady remained the same, as in, it was up to the manager and they won't comment on speculation.

Brayford - We have said over and over as a club that we are constantly monitoring Brayford's situation and if he became available then I imagine we would be first in line to sign him regardless of cost. The admiration from the fans, board and club is evident, it is clear everyone would like him back so why are some people getting their pissers in a twist about us not signing him or attempting to when the opposite is clear. We have asked it seems, numerous times about his availability with a view to signing him but at the moment, Cardiff wont budge. Not our fault!

Herman Munster - How many bids did we turn down for him? When was the last time united turned down a bid for anyone and pubically told a club to bollocks for a player until they met our valuation and then even when they did we turned it down at which point the toys flew massively out of the pram so we reluctantly accepted the bid. Clough is not one to take bollocks and given Harry's position at the club (one of the longest servants, come through the youth ranks etc) I imagine he is not the kind of player you would want around the squad / youngsters with a massive fecking chip on his shoulder upsetting what Nigel is trying to build here. He has gone, was always going to go once the toys came out and who can blame him? A premiership team (playing in europe) gave him the chance to jump 2 divisions, probably triple his wages, get a fat signing on fee and set him up for life probably. He was a great servant for the club but he has gone, had a year left on his deal so I don't think £2.5m was that bad business was it?

Reinvesting the herman munster cash - Clough said as recently as today in an interview with Giddings that the funds (or a portion of them) are available to him and has extended the targets he is looking at so we clearly plan to reinvest if the right players are available

Freeman and Bennett - People are really moaning that we didnt sign these 2? Go and read the thread in the rumour mill honestly. Derby acted like utter utter cunts in the whole thing it seems to get out of having to pay a sell on fee so who really cares? We are standing up to clubs on a buying and selling front and for that, I actually applaud the club.

Not signing a proven striker - Look at Higdons record. Look at Mcnultys record. Who cares if it was in scotland, holland, parson cross fecking park. Both of their records show that they know exactly where the net is. A goalscorer is a goalscorer. They know where the net is and given the right service, both of these players will bang them in week in week out, any other team in our division would be spaffing their pants over both of these signings, us? We are pissed off cos one came from scotland and had a shit pre season with us and the other is from Holland and looks unfit (Like the guy sat in front of me on Satdi who said he had done fuck all and not won a single header (this was after he had scored. With his head. and won numerous headers.))

We had a terrible pre season so we are destined to fail - Yes as a successfull pre season is the golden route to success? How did that work out for us last season? Pre season matches are glorified training matches, manager after manager after manager will tell you that the results don't matter, the game time does. For every Burton, there is a Fenerbache.....

If we had come out of the blocks storming and smashed Bristol off the park, would the same threads be posted on here? I doubt it, just seems like such a massive over reaction off the back of the first game of the season, in a team featuring nearly 50% of new players in their first proper competitive game together. They will need some time to settle down. I for one still think we will go up this year in either 1st or 2nd but genuinely think that we should be getting behind the team rather than the constant barrage of shit aimed towards the club.

I presume this now makes me a clapper and I await the barrage of abuse

UTB!

 

[wizadry]

I'm the first to start knocking the club when something isn't right,but on this occasion,i will wait until atleast the end of the transfer window and then some,just so i can try to judge properly,where we are in the league and how we are playing after an extended period of time.

 

[ScoobBlade]

Honestly.

The number of people in this thread saying "WHY ARE WE NOT SPENDING OBSCENE AMOUNTS OF MONEY, WHERE IS THE INVESTMENT!!!!!!!!"

The prince, and Jim Phipps, both said when the take over happened that we would NOT spend silly money to get out of this division. They said we would be prudent and get the right players to take us out of this division and then invest vast amounts of cash to get us to the premiership. This point, spoken by the co-chairman seems to have been missed by all of the doom and gloomers on here. Numerous interviews with Nige / The board etc where they have clearly said they have approved a budget Nige requested and if he needs to improve that budget then it will be discussed.

Is it really so hard for people to understand that Nigel has said he needs X to get us out of this division, the board have said, ok here is X off you go and thats what our manager (the same one who turned us from relegation fodder into FA Cup Semi finalists and 7th in the league) asked for.

The same boring points are brought up and raised over and over, when it really is quite simple.

Manager said it takes X to get us out of this division
Board invest X amount and give it to Nige
Nige uses X to get players he thinks will get us out of the division and if he needs Y then he merely needs to go and ask the board
Meanwhile the board are also investing in facilities and spending money all over the club, not just on the first team (which contrary to popular belief, they have been doing but then again, we only signed free agents, so have spent fuck all....... obviously) - We have signed 7 players for undisclosed fees since our investment so are clearly spending Money

Coady - We asked Liverpool for a price, they said 1m, we said, fuck off, went and got other targets, Coady went to sign for Huddersfield a month later for less than half the price we were quoted yet people think this is the end of the season. We had already done our business for his position but how many people on this (and 1000000000 other threads) know for a fact that we didnt put a bid in for him or we did but he wanted to play at a higher level? I imagine 0. Jim P said at the time that their position on coady remained the same, as in, it was up to the manager and they won't comment on speculation.

Brayford - We have said over and over as a club that we are constantly monitoring Brayford's situation and if he became available then I imagine we would be first in line to sign him regardless of cost. The admiration from the fans, board and club is evident, it is clear everyone would like him back so why are some people getting their pissers in a twist about us not signing him or attempting to when the opposite is clear. We have asked it seems, numerous times about his availability with a view to signing him but at the moment, Cardiff wont budge. Not our fault!

Herman Munster - How many bids did we turn down for him? When was the last time united turned down a bid for anyone and pubically told a club to bollocks for a player until they met our valuation and then even when they did we turned it down at which point the toys flew massively out of the pram so we reluctantly accepted the bid. Clough is not one to take bollocks and given Harry's position at the club (one of the longest servants, come through the youth ranks etc) I imagine he is not the kind of player you would want around the squad / youngsters with a massive fecking chip on his shoulder upsetting what Nigel is trying to build here. He has gone, was always going to go once the toys came out and who can blame him? A premiership team (playing in europe) gave him the chance to jump 2 divisions, probably triple his wages, get a fat signing on fee and set him up for life probably. He was a great servant for the club but he has gone, had a year left on his deal so I don't think £2.5m was that bad business was it?

Reinvesting the herman munster cash - Clough said as recently as today in an interview with Giddings that the funds (or a portion of them) are available to him and has extended the targets he is looking at so we clearly plan to reinvest if the right players are available

Freeman and Bennett - People are really moaning that we didnt sign these 2? Go and read the thread in the rumour mill honestly. Derby acted like utter utter cunts in the whole thing it seems to get out of having to pay a sell on fee so who really cares? We are standing up to clubs on a buying and selling front and for that, I actually applaud the club.

Not signing a proven striker - Look at Higdons record. Look at Mcnultys record. Who cares if it was in scotland, holland, parson cross fecking park. Both of their records show that they know exactly where the net is. A goalscorer is a goalscorer. They know where the net is and given the right service, both of these players will bang them in week in week out, any other team in our division would be spaffing their pants over both of these signings, us? We are pissed off cos one came from scotland and had a shit pre season with us and the other is from Holland and looks unfit (Like the guy sat in front of me on Satdi who said he had done fuck all and not won a single header (this was after he had scored. With his head. and won numerous headers.))

We had a terrible pre season so we are destined to fail - Yes as a successfull pre season is the golden route to success? How did that work out for us last season? Pre season matches are glorified training matches, manager after manager after manager will tell you that the results don't matter, the game time does. For every Burton, there is a Fenerbache.....

If we had come out of the blocks storming and smashed Bristol off the park, would the same threads be posted on here? I doubt it, just seems like such a massive over reaction off the back of the first game of the season, in a team featuring nearly 50% of new players in their first proper competitive game together. They will need some time to settle down. I for one still think we will go up this year in either 1st or 2nd but genuinely think that we should be getting behind the team rather than the constant barrage of shit aimed towards the club.

I presume this now makes me a clapper and I await the barrage of abuse

UTB!

Erm , what he said

 

[SwissBlade]

Woodwardfan

I agree that the club is focussing on youth and developing ‘our own’. Harry and the 2.5Million that we got for him is proof that as a club we can develop young talent into Premiership level players. All summer we heard that Harry wanted to play at a higher level etc and I am guessing it came to a head. Personally I think it’s a great thing that we are so focussed on developing our own academy players. Is that such a bad thing?
I guess the downside to developing youth is the division that we’re in. It’s a shit division and players will always want to move out of it.
One bad performance and result when we’ve brought in so many new AND young players is hardly a reason to question the entire ethos of the club. I think its been very clear since day one of the Prince being involved with United that the noticeable signings would come when we reach the Championship, of course last season the loan market was used well with Coady and Brayford, but even with Coady, I thought he was raw to start and developed well. His choice to go to Huddersfield was probably that, his choice.
A move for Brayford is surely now dead in the water. It seems Cardiff want him.
Mason Bennett was always part of the Freeman deal and Maclaren decided when that collapsed that he “wouldn’t be going to Sheffield United” something went array with the Freeman deal related to money and Clough, seemingly pulled the plug. I assume Clough has a budget, agrees the value and wage structure with the board and probably they wanted to keep to that.
Where has the FA Cup Money and Harry Money gone…? Into the bank, perhaps into the budget.
Again, I asked this before, but how much did we spend on Higdon?
I think its far too early to read anything into spending v performance.
We’ll still go up despite the one defeat where we got caught cold. I’ve seen nothing in the clubs strategy to change that view that we are heading upwards. Of Course we need patience and to allow the squad and team to settle in properly, but whilst being acutely aware that we need to start getting results to ensure we keep pace.
I don’t think i‘ve ever seen this much of a change to negativity towards the club after the first game of the season.

 

[grafikhaus]

I don’t think i‘ve ever seen this much of a change to negativity towards the club after the first game of the season.

Oh, I don't know. Huddersfield?

 

[SwissBlade]

Oh, I don't know. Huddersfield?

I meant at United

 

[Revolution]

The prince, and Jim Phipps, both said when the take over happened that we would NOT spend silly money to get out of this division. They said we would be prudent and get the right players to take us out of this division and then invest vast amounts of cash to get us to the premiership.

I haven't missed this, and others haven't missed this.

It is meaningless. It is jam tomorrow.

Once we go up, we'll chuck vast amounts of cash at promotion? Really?

As ever with United, it's not what they say, but what they do.