The Deadline Day Scapegoat

[robbiez666]

But for 6 out of the last 10 years we were a Lge 1 club and maybe not many scouts would have been interested in suggesting players to us anyway.
From now on however, I agree that your suggestions are well worth considering although I think you'll find that even the Prem clubs are sometimes screwed over by agents but because their second choices are still stupidly expensive it's not so noticeable!

Fair point and it should have been in place before we were relegated. We've hardly had a good history of foreign signings and I would guess that most teams in a similar position to us have used the foreign market much better.

 

[Grizzly blade]

robbiez666
Well....the OP was a whole load of waffle that hasn't already been said. But as usual, no realistic suggestion as to how, where the money comes from to do it. Just we need to plan better in a nutshell. Complete waffle.

It's like a poor person living on their arse saying "I need to earn more money"
Or a fat person saying " I need to lose weight"

It's fucking obvious what's needed and has been said many times by manager, chairman whoever. It's the actual doing it that's the problem. On the one hand, you can't say you are happy for the club to try and live within its means, but then on the other suggest we need to sort things out immediately when to do that would require vast sums of money.
For example....Yos say Mitchell needs to be backed and we need to extend our net further than these shores. Well how do we do that?
Does Mitchell hop on a plane and conduct a single handed scout of the continent and its players from youth team to first team? Of course not, he would be dead before he got a quarter of the way around.
You pay scouts, and literally hundreds of them to do it all, to do that job. But who are they? What interest do they have, can we trust them? These aren't tested, so would we be throwing millions...yes millions....at a project that we cannot control with little assurance will work. In short it would be a huge risk, especially as we know money is so tight.
Share information with scouts? Don't make me laugh. Why the hell would foreign scouts want information on the players in lower leagues when they have plenty of their own who don't want £10k a week to play in their third tier! The reason clubs like us head to Europe is for talent that would be cheaper than the equivalent British player FFS.

Be ahead of the game in countries like Scotland....FFS....We have been there done that and folk like you hammered the club. scougall, McNulty?? Highly rated up there I believe they were.


So, how about suggesting a method that's realistic. That doesn't require the monies needed for those instant results. Because at the moment, most English clubs are relying on dodgy agents and scouts to supply players from the continent. There players are often very average, but generally cheaper....with of course the agent/scout demanding a decent fee for their "services".

As for the usual dig at our club....just compare our window to similar clubs. Clubs refusing or unable to pay extortionate fees to agents or clubs for players not worth the money. Not fucking Wolves, Birmingham or Derby. Look at Barnsley...Bolton, Millwall.

Wilder is certainly not naive, and can never be accused of a lack of planning. Our scouting network CONTINUES TO GROW, and the academy continues to produce players for the first team. We will continue to operate within our budgets, and build a club capable of improvement year on year with the ultimate aim of getting to the premier league.
The quick fix, £100m way is not an option.

 

[robbiez666]

This is not an agree or disagree post but the one thing I would say is that you are assuming that other clubs haven't had similar issues to us. The fact that we invited the cameras in made it clear what we felt the issue was with these deals. How do you know the same conversations weren't happening across the country at other clubs?

There are issues in football but it's a stretch to suggest it's only us that have them.

Equally how do we know a regular elsewhere isn't available for the right price unless we bid and test the water? Imagine the meltdown on here if someone else did that and got someone we wanted from under our noses.

You're right but some clubs do better than others and one of the points I'm trying to make is that we need to ensure we're usually on the right side of that line.

 

[Barney]

All that horrible criticism.

You pig, you.

 

[BushBlade]

Agreed, but the Board need to back him in doing this. I don't mean by throwing money around but to make it possible.

One of the points I was trying to make in my unfocused ramble is that there's often an excuse or a scapegoat. The club needs to invest time and money to ensure that this becomes an anomaly not a normal occurrence.

I think they are. I hope so. Wilder's stock is very high so it would make sense to listen to him and back him as much as they can.

 

[robbiez666]

robbiez666
Well....the OP was a whole load of waffle that hasn't already been said. But as usual, no realistic suggestion as to how, where the money comes from to do it. Just we need to plan better in a nutshell. Complete waffle.

It's like a poor person living on their arse saying "I need to earn more money"
Or a fat person saying " I need to lose weight"

It's fucking obvious what's needed and has been said many times by manager, chairman whoever. It's the actual doing it that's the problem. On the one hand, you can't say you are happy for the club to try and live within its means, but then on the other suggest we need to sort things out immediately when to do that would require vast sums of money.
For example....Yos say Mitchell needs to be backed and we need to extend our net further than these shores. Well how do we do that?
Does Mitchell hop on a plane and conduct a single handed scout of the continent and its players from youth team to first team? Of course not, he would be dead before he got a quarter of the way around.
You pay scouts, and literally hundreds of them to do it all, to do that job. But who are they? What interest do they have, can we trust them? These aren't tested, so would we be throwing millions...yes millions....at a project that we cannot control with little assurance will work. In short it would be a huge risk, especially as we know money is so tight.
Share information with scouts? Don't make me laugh. Why the hell would foreign scouts want information on the players in lower leagues when they have plenty of their own who don't want £10k a week to play in their third tier! The reason clubs like us head to Europe is for talent that would be cheaper than the equivalent British player FFS.

Be ahead of the game in countries like Scotland....FFS....We have been there done that and folk like you hammered the club. scougall, McNulty?? Highly rated up there I believe they were.


So, how about suggesting a method that's realistic. That doesn't require the monies needed for those instant results. Because at the moment, most English clubs are relying on dodgy agents and scouts to supply players from the continent. There players are often very average, but generally cheaper....with of course the agent/scout demanding a decent fee for their "services".

As for the usual dig at our club....just compare our window to similar clubs. Clubs refusing or unable to pay extortionate fees to agents or clubs for players not worth the money. Not fucking Wolves, Birmingham or Derby. Look at Barnsley...Bolton, Millwall.

Wilder is certainly not naive, and can never be accused of a lack of planning. Our scouting network CONTINUES TO GROW, and the academy continues to produce players for the first team. We will continue to operate within our budgets, and build a club capable of improvement year on year with the ultimate aim of getting to the premier league.
The quick fix, £100m way is not an option.

Purely on the infrastructure point. We've received/receiving 6/7 million in sell-on fees. Whilst I'm under no illusions that means we're going to go out and spend 6/7 million on players (running a football club obviously costs a lot) I do think that we need to invest a portion of this in improving our infrastructure and networks. In League 1 we trimmed the staffing, which was sensible. We now need to expand again and invest in the future and the ability to bring in the right players within our means.

 

[Harrisblade]

Fair point and it should have been in place before we were relegated. We've hardly had a good history of foreign signings and I would guess that most teams in a similar position to us have used the foreign market much better.

Possibly because several of them have foreign managers who already know the foreign markets (and agents) personally, having worked in them previously?

 

[BanbridgeBlade]

Do people not realise it's a transfer WINDOW not a transfer DAY!!

We kept our young talent, we got a goalie, defenders, midfielders & strikers.

We can all debate if the squad is strong enough but for fucks sake I couldn't care less who we sign on the last day.

 

[BushBlade]

Purely on the infrastructure point. We've received/receiving 6/7 million in sell-on fees. Whilst I'm under no illusions that means we're going to go out and spend 6/7 million on players (running a football club obviously costs a lot) I do think that we need to invest a portion of this in improving our infrastructure and networks. In League 1 we trimmed the staffing, which was sensible. We now need to expand again and invest in the future and the ability to bring in the right players within our means.

Maybe that's why we've tried so hard to get vfm in this window, so we've got more to invest in things for the long term. Because, essentially, we're not going to buy our way out of this league so we have to try to make best use of our money; find the right balance between investing in the short term, getting players we need to ensure we compete, and investing in the long term, building our scouting networks, at youth level, around the UK and beyond.

I'd rather we finished mid table and have started to expand our infrastructure than finish eighth but to have not spent much on infrastructure. Likewise we don't want to spend it all on scouting and coaching and get relegated.

 

[robbiez666]

Possibly because several of them have foreign managers who already know the foreign markets (and agents) personally, having worked in them previously?

Very true, but as an example we've not used Brian Deane's experience, connections and knowledge of managing in Norway. We'll have connections within the football world, it's just making more use of them.

 

[BushBlade]

Very true, but as an example we've not used Brian Deane's experience, connections and knowledge of managing in Norway. We'll have connections within the football world, it's just making more use of them.

Wouldn't be a bad shout, assuming Deano was actually responsible for recruitment at his club and knows how to spot a player. As a former team mate of Wilder's I'm guessing it's quite easy for Chris to pick the phone up. If he's not done already.

 

[Ricky]

Excellent.

Have you got a list somewhere summarising other posters' opinions? Care to share it?

Yes, it's all in here...

 

[Grizzly blade]

Purely on the infrastructure point. We've received/receiving 6/7 million in sell-on fees. Whilst I'm under no illusions that means we're going to go out and spend 6/7 million on players (running a football club obviously costs a lot) I do think that we need to invest a portion of this in improving our infrastructure and networks. In League 1 we trimmed the staffing, which was sensible. We now need to expand again and invest in the future and the ability to bring in the right players within our means.

Yes, we may well have or be receiving those fees.

But the club cannot do right for wrong. It invested in a pitch to ensure our teams could develop the fast, quick passing style of play needed to be successful and maintain it throughout a season. Were the club lauded for this?? Is that not infrastructure?? Not really, we had folk demeaning the fact it should have been spent on players....like all the other money that went down the shitter for 6 years.

We hardly trimmed the staffing. The club has always operated at a level equivalent to the size of the club. We always maintained shop staff, waiting staff, office staff.....cuts were looked at and in some cases progressed until KM stepped in to halt it with Birch. However, since going up we have managed to increase salaries for players and management team.
We have brought in 10 players, the majority permanent, and all will be on bigger wages than those departed since last season ended....Brayford perhaps excepted.

So in short, a club that I would suggest lost at LEAST £2m pounds last season...probably closer to £5m...has increased spending on players significantly and the wages to match, with no immediate increase in revenue other than tickets, sponsorship and merchandise.
TV money is awarded at the end of the season I believe.

So although we have that sell on money...and I know you didn't say we have it there to spend on players, it may well be that a good portion of that has already been long spent. It was certainly always obvious Walker and Maguire were moving, and Brighton going up. So the club could easily speculate as soon as the season finished knowing they had money coming to cover it.
Now if some of us don't like that, then it really is tough. These players are well paid, and we have paid a good £3m already (reasoned amount, no ITK) in fees this window.

This season is about stability. It is unrealistic to expect anything more than that, and I don't believe anyone here is suggesting it. Stability is good...it promotes steady growth and will allow the people already mentioned to do the jobs in the background that have been the catalyst of our recent success.
No panic...no rush...do it the right way. We will all enjoy it more I assure you.

 

[I should coco]

Very true, but as an example we've not used Brian Deane's experience, connections and knowledge of managing in Norway.

How can you possibly know that?

CW "Deansy, seen any good lads over there that could do a job for us?"
DB "No Chris, they are all shite"
CW "Cheers"
BD "No problem mate"

 

[Grizzly blade]

How long since Deane finished managing....in Norway?? Jeez....that hotbed for talent that might make a couple of quality players a decade.

Are any of you aware that as part of the EFL academy system, lads who fail to earn pro deals at the end of their 2 years are given the chance to go to Scandinavia and earn deals there. It's paid for by the EFL and is an extended trial.
Some go to the Netherlands believe it or not!
All because our rejects are far better than theirs...the pool is far bigger.
A lot of our rejected players go to the states on scholarships to play.

So, realistically the chances of picking up an unknown talent in Europe is really small. It's about paying fees from smaller clubs before their bigger clubs get in there.

 

[Pinchy]

Brief thoughts in response to Dostoyevsky Blade:

1. Wilder and Knill have spent well over half a century in football between them building up a spectacular naivety. They should listen more to armchair managers who are veterans of Junior Computer Manager.

2. The offers for Coady, Lenihan et al were nonsense? A staged charade to fool us all (except the sages who see right through it)? If so, Tufties been telling significant lies, yet again. He's going to get into deep trouble if he carries on.

3. Norway? Fucking Norway? Fucking Land of the Midnight Hoof, Norway?

 

[robbiez666]

Yes, we may well have or be receiving those fees.

But the club cannot do right for wrong. It invested in a pitch to ensure our teams could develop the fast, quick passing style of play needed to be successful and maintain it throughout a season. Were the club lauded for this?? Is that not infrastructure?? Not really, we had folk demeaning the fact it should have been spent on players....like all the other money that went down the shitter for 6 years.

We hardly trimmed the staffing. The club has always operated at a level equivalent to the size of the club. We always maintained shop staff, waiting staff, office staff.....cuts were looked at and in some cases progressed until KM stepped in to halt it with Birch. However, since going up we have managed to increase salaries for players and management team.
We have brought in 10 players, the majority permanent, and all will be on bigger wages than those departed since last season ended....Brayford perhaps excepted.

So in short, a club that I would suggest lost at LEAST £2m pounds last season...probably closer to £5m...has increased spending on players significantly and the wages to match, with no immediate increase in revenue other than tickets, sponsorship and merchandise.
TV money is awarded at the end of the season I believe.

So although we have that sell on money...and I know you didn't say we have it there to spend on players, it may well be that a good portion of that has already been long spent. It was certainly always obvious Walker and Maguire were moving, and Brighton going up. So the club could easily speculate as soon as the season finished knowing they had money coming to cover it.
Now if some of us don't like that, then it really is tough. These players are well paid, and we have paid a good £3m already (reasoned amount, no ITK) in fees this window.

This season is about stability. It is unrealistic to expect anything more than that, and I don't believe anyone here is suggesting it. Stability is good...it promotes steady growth and will allow the people already mentioned to do the jobs in the background that have been the catalyst of our recent success.
No panic...no rush...do it the right way. We will all enjoy it more I assure you.

I believe a section of our fans can't see past the next game. The Desso has been a great investment and I doubt the way we now play football is coincidental. The pitch was an absolute mess previously.

As you say, we need stability. To cement our place in this league whilst also planning to push on in seasons to come. I'm not advocating spending millions right now on doing that, but we need to gradually, sustainably and continually build and improve.

 

[super_pig]

can everyone just STFU about deadline day?? it's all Sky hype

 

[robbiez666]

How long since Deane finished managing....in Norway?? Jeez....that hotbed for talent that might make a couple of quality players a decade.

Are any of you aware that as part of the EFL academy system, lads who fail to earn pro deals at the end of their 2 years are given the chance to go to Scandinavia and earn deals there. It's paid for by the EFL and is an extended trial.
Some go to the Netherlands believe it or not!
All because our rejects are far better than theirs...the pool is far bigger.
A lot of our rejected players go to the states on scholarships to play.

So, realistically the chances of picking up an unknown talent in Europe is really small. It's about paying fees from smaller clubs before their bigger clubs get in there.

It wasn't hard for Watford or Huddersfield who used Europe extensively to get promoted.

As for Deane and Norway, you do realise that people make friends and connections in jobs, right? So anyone who has worked in football in a country will have contacts there. It was one example. One.

The pool is far bigger here, but it's not the only pool.

 

[LoughboroBlade]

We need to:

• Build scouting networks. Instead of throwing money away by forging connections with clubs around the world (in places that just happen to have good opportunities for property development...), we need to build up relationships with scouts across Europe. Forge partnerships on the basis of shared knowledge.
• Looks at European markets. Particularly Scandinavia and with leagues in the likes of Belgium, German, Holland etc. The money involved around English players and English leagues is ridiculous. We need to cast our nets wider to get better for less.

This for me is probably one of the most important things, and something I don't think the club can claim to have in place presently. Prices in the UK in particular right now are crazy, and you'd have thought that would make it especially important to look to say Scandinavia for options. They might be more of a gamble in terms of it not being a case of CW simply making one phone call to establish a target's character, but surely this is worth exploring. We're probably not going to compete against the lure of Premier League clubs here, but compared to the rest of the Championship we should be an attractive club to join as someone new to the country – great facilities, great crowds, and a great city.

 

[Rodley]

This for me is probably one of the most important things, and something I don't think the club can claim to have in place presently. Prices in the UK in particular right now are crazy, and you'd have thought that would make it especially important to look to say Scandinavia for options. They might be more of a gamble in terms of it not being a case of CW simply making one phone call to establish a target's character, but surely this is worth exploring. We're probably not going to compete against the lure of Premier League clubs here, but compared to the rest of the Championship we should be an attractive club to join as someone new to the country – great facilities, great crowds, and a great city.

I recall Wilder saying the club are investing in broadening their scouting network. Can't recall the exact source but think it was an RS interview? Presumably this will take some time to develop as we build contacts.

 

[LSF]

Brief thoughts in response to Dostoyevsky Blade:

1. Wilder and Knill have spent well over half a century in football between them building up a spectacular naivety. They should listen more to armchair managers who are veterans of Junior Computer Manager.

2. The offers for Coady, Lenihan et al were nonsense? A staged charade to fool us all (except the sages who see right through it)? If so, Tufties been telling significant lies, yet again. He's going to get into deep trouble if he carries on.

3. Norway? Fucking Norway? Fucking Land of the Midnight Hoof, Norway?

Nail on head (as usual) Pinchy.
Why oh why do football fans think they know better than people at the club (especially these days at SUFC).
It's a bit embarrassing..... Though the perpetrators obviously don't feel it..

 

[I should coco]

3. Norway? Fucking Norway? Fucking Land of the Midnight Hoof, Norway?

How did the song go.....

"Flo, Flo, Don't need Deano......"

That worked out well.

 

[Harrisblade]

It wasn't hard for Watford or Huddersfield who used Europe extensively to get promoted.

As for Deane and Norway, you do realise that people make friends and connections in jobs, right? So anyone who has worked in football in a country will have contacts there. It was one example. One.

The pool is far bigger here, but it's not the only pool.

Ah yes, Watford and Huddersfield

"Watford is currently owned by the Pozzo family, which also owns Udinese Calcioin Italy[2] and previously Granada CF in Spain.[11] "
And have lots of Spaniards and Italians in their team (and some others!)

Huddersfield Town - managed by David Wagner:
"On November 5, 2015, he was appointed head coach of Huddersfield Town following the departure of Chris Powell.[4] Wagner brought Christoph Bühler, who had left Borussia Dortmund on November 1, 2015, with him as his assistant.[2][5]
In the summer of 2016, Wagner brought in 13 players from across the continent, including Danny Ward, Chris Löwe, and Aaron Mooy."

Looks like the way forward is to dump CW and AK forget netwoks and replace with someone that has been a manager overseas!
There's a bloke called Carvalhal might be available soon - and he's already got 8 in from abroad

 

[Silent Blade]

Strange title, I know, but we've been rather prolific at having bad deadline days. It's also a bit of a ramble as I've had little sleep over the last few days.

Who can forget such classics as:

The fax machine doesn't work
When a premiership team comes in for one of your young players
the line that we just can never get across
The offer was too good to refuse

and now:

It''s all the fault of agents.

Funnily enough, every club in every league are in similar positions to us, but we're more often than not the ones coming out of it negatively.

I've been in a field for the last few days, so missed much of the 'fun'. I was sat in a car with Wolves, Wednesday and Derby fans on the way down the country whilst all this farago was going on.

This is not meant as a criticism of Wilder, who may have been naive but that's not the point.

The point is that as a club we almost always operate on a fairly tight budget. You can see from that transfer day article/video. We're not going to be paying £500k for a player we hope will start in the Championship against players who cost significantly more.

And I for one don't buy these million pound bids for players who start for teams considered to be currently bigger than us and who play regularly (Egan, Coady etc). It's nonsense.

If Chris is going to be operating within tight restrictions, then the pool he's fishing in is much smaller. He's more likely to have to play waiting games and to lose out on targets.

And whilst the question needs to be asked about the funds available (I note with amusement that the club has manged to persuade many that our transfer budget now operates on a fee, fees, wages and towels usage basis unlike the humble transfer fee which was in operation until about 5 years ago), I'm going to leave that to one side. I'm happy for my club to operate within its means and to not get itself into a huge unsustainable debt.

My point is planning. We don't do it well enough and we need to spend a lot of time and resources ensuring it's better in the future. We need to be more savvy. We need to give Chris and the club the best chance to succeed.

We need to:

• Extend the pool - We need to give Chris the best opportunity to sign players without being beholden to the whims of agents and clubs.
• Build scouting networks. Instead of throwing money away by forging connections with clubs around the world (in places that just happen to have good opportunities for property development...), we need to build up relationships with scouts across Europe. Forge partnerships on the basis of shared knowledge.
• Looks at European markets. Particularly Scandinavia and with leagues in the likes of Belgium, German, Holland etc. The money involved around English players and English leagues is ridiculous. We need to cast our nets wider to get better for less.
• Ensure that we're ahead of the curve when it comes to talent within Ireland, Scotland, Wales and NI. There are bargains to be had and they've often the types of player we're after.
• Support Paul Mitchell because he's a bloody good chief scout with a lot of connections and knowledge. We need to make sure we hold on to him and help him wherever we can.
• Invest in the backroom - we need to get the best out of all our players to compete.Coaches,sports scientists, fitness specialist etc

This is all about investing towards a long-term goal and making a sustainable infrastructure. We've done it brilliantly with the Academy and reaped the rewards (albeit mainly financial). I'd rather we invest the extra time finding the right players on a budget and spend money safeguarding our future.

 

[Silent Blade]

Nail on head (as usual) Pinchy.
Why oh why do football fans think they know better than people at the club (especially these days at SUFC).
It's a bit embarrassing..... Though the perpetrators obviously don't feel it..

Just got back from a holiday. Had a lot to catch up in this forum only to see some real drivel by the usual negative posters

 

[8lade]

I saw the title and thought 'yes! This'll be a jolly jape everybody throwing in comedy reasons for not getting players.' Disappointed, much more so than with deadline day.
Anyway moving on...

And yet there's been little seen of it over the last 10 years.

(your suggestions)

True but it's changed since Wilder and his crew turned up. Ok you can blame the owner but then again you could blame him if he over ruled the (previous) manager's choice of recruitment tactics.

We've received/receiving 6/7 million in sell-on fees. Whilst I'm under no illusions that means we're going to go out and spend 6/7 million on players

The reason this hasn't been spent (I'm just throwing this out there) Wilder/Knill/Mitchell, identify there targets and then do extensive background checks on them before putting in bids for them, 2 weeks before the transfer window closes McCabe says to Wilder, 'we got the sell on fees, you've got another 4 million to spunk how you see fit.'
Possible response? 'Ok boss, we'll look at a couple of better players for the future but there isn't the time to make sure our new super striker isn't a secret gangsta rapper.'
'How about upping your bids for Coady and Egan?
'No, I've already bid what I think they're worth, we'll hang on.'

Still hoping for more comedy from this thread...

 

[Sean Thornton]

I believe a section of our fans can't see past the next game. The Desso has been a great investment and I doubt the way we now play football is coincidental. The pitch was an absolute mess previously.

As you say, we need stability. To cement our place in this league whilst also planning to push on in seasons to come. I'm not advocating spending millions right now on doing that, but we need to gradually, sustainably and continually build and improve.

To be frank, there are still many who don't want to see past Robson. It soothes their fevered brows at times of any success.

 

[Sean Thornton]

I saw the title and thought 'yes! This'll be a jolly jape everybody throwing in comedy reasons for not getting players.' Disappointed, much more so than with deadline day.
Anyway moving on...

(your suggestions)

True but it's changed since Wilder and his crew turned up. Ok you can blame the owner but then again you could blame him if he over ruled the (previous) manager's choice of recruitment tactics.


The reason this hasn't been spent (I'm just throwing this out there) Wilder/Knill/Mitchell, identify there targets and then do extensive background checks on them before putting in bids for them, 2 weeks before the transfer window closes McCabe says to Wilder, 'we got the sell on fees, you've got another 4 million to spunk how you see fit.'
Possible response? 'Ok boss, we'll look at a couple of better players for the future but there isn't the time to make sure our new super striker isn't a secret gangsta rapper.'
'How about upping your bids for Coady and Egan?
'No, I've already bid what I think they're worth, we'll hang on.'

Still hoping for more comedy from this thread...

That scene was actually cut for some reason, from the deadline day video.

 

[Yoonited]

Strange title, I know, but we've been rather prolific at having bad deadline days. It's also a bit of a ramble as I've had little sleep over the last few days.

Who can forget such classics as:

The fax machine doesn't work
When a premiership team comes in for one of your young players
the line that we just can never get across
The offer was too good to refuse

and now:

It''s all the fault of agents.

Funnily enough, every club in every league are in similar positions to us, but we're more often than not the ones coming out of it negatively.

I've been in a field for the last few days, so missed much of the 'fun'. I was sat in a car with Wolves, Wednesday and Derby fans on the way down the country whilst all this farago was going on.

This is not meant as a criticism of Wilder, who may have been naive but that's not the point.

The point is that as a club we almost always operate on a fairly tight budget. You can see from that transfer day article/video. We're not going to be paying £500k for a player we hope will start in the Championship against players who cost significantly more.

And I for one don't buy these million pound bids for players who start for teams considered to be currently bigger than us and who play regularly (Egan, Coady etc). It's nonsense.

If Chris is going to be operating within tight restrictions, then the pool he's fishing in is much smaller. He's more likely to have to play waiting games and to lose out on targets.

And whilst the question needs to be asked about the funds available (I note with amusement that the club has manged to persuade many that our transfer budget now operates on a fee, fees, wages and towels usage basis unlike the humble transfer fee which was in operation until about 5 years ago), I'm going to leave that to one side. I'm happy for my club to operate within its means and to not get itself into a huge unsustainable debt.

My point is planning. We don't do it well enough and we need to spend a lot of time and resources ensuring it's better in the future. We need to be more savvy. We need to give Chris and the club the best chance to succeed.

We need to:

• Extend the pool - We need to give Chris the best opportunity to sign players without being beholden to the whims of agents and clubs.
• Build scouting networks. Instead of throwing money away by forging connections with clubs around the world (in places that just happen to have good opportunities for property development...), we need to build up relationships with scouts across Europe. Forge partnerships on the basis of shared knowledge.
• Looks at European markets. Particularly Scandinavia and with leagues in the likes of Belgium, German, Holland etc. The money involved around English players and English leagues is ridiculous. We need to cast our nets wider to get better for less.
• Ensure that we're ahead of the curve when it comes to talent within Ireland, Scotland, Wales and NI. There are bargains to be had and they've often the types of player we're after.
• Support Paul Mitchell because he's a bloody good chief scout with a lot of connections and knowledge. We need to make sure we hold on to him and help him wherever we can.
• Invest in the backroom - we need to get the best out of all our players to compete.Coaches,sports scientists, fitness specialist etc

This is all about investing towards a long-term goal and making a sustainable infrastructure. We've done it brilliantly with the Academy and reaped the rewards (albeit mainly financial). I'd rather we invest the extra time finding the right players on a budget and spend money safeguarding our future.

You don't suppose all this has already been thought of perhaps? Sounds a tad patronising to me.Given that he has been involved in the game since the age of 14 I reckon he may have sussed a thing or two.