Why’s that then, would we have paid hourihane 27k a week, winnall 17k a week, upped scowen and Watkins wages to 15k a week, upped Roberts to something similar and then expected Yiadom and Hammill etc to not expect similar again? When we didn’t even reach the play offs or if by some miracle we even had have done, we’d have been bust within 2 years. At the time we had absolute bare minimum commercial revenue streams to support this explosion of wages so do you think these players would have stayed for the love of the club in a town they’ve no affiliation with?
You’re basing those figures presumably on what they’re now earning having moved after a successful season/half season in the Championship with us. Before they had even kicked a ball at Championship level we had allowed their contracts to run down. The club have said previously that more should’ve been done in the summer of 2016 to tie those players down. The fact that we didn’t even attempt to offer new terms until they were performing well in the Championship and had other suitors offering far higher wages is a massive failure on our part.
PL sneezes, EFL gets a cold. Personally I don't think there was anything wrong with the old system where there was freedom to buy or sell players any time up to the end of march. The "window" system is artificial and only benefits the "big" clubs to the determent of the rest.
The transfer window needs to close at different times. Everyone is waiting for the premier league clubs to sign new players before the start releasing people so why not let the prem window shut first, the Championship a day later, league 1 a day later, and finally league 2 after that so people can filter down the leagues.
“The fact is that we didn’t attempt to offer terms.” surely that’s not a fact and actually guesswork on your part? How do you know we didn’t? I don’t disagree with you that deals should’ve been sorted in the summer going in to the championship but how do you know initial discussions never took place?
Are you sure that the players agents didn’t approach the club with a figure, the club made it clear that there was no chance they’d pay it so contract negotiations were never started. I’m not sure whether this was the case but I’ve heard the rumour mills. Even if we’d have press ganged hourihane and winnall to sign extended contracts, it’s likely that they’d have still forced a move when another clubs chequebook was opened. As for winnall, this was the must lucrative move he could have ever wished for with his level of ability. Under contract or not, he’d have been off in my opinion but what do I know?
I’m sure that this issue was covered at the time and it was confirmed by the club or by club figures that serious discussions didn’t take place until after the season had started by which point it was almost too late given the form of Winnall and Hourihane. I could be wrong but that’s my recollection of the events at the time.
I’m guessing that’s a reply to me. There’s no way on earth in my opinion that in the summer of 2016 Hourihane, Winnall or their agents would’ve been looking for the figures that they’re now on given that they hadn’t kicked a ball at this level. If the players had been under contract then yes they may have and probably would’ve moved nonetheless but we would’ve got a damn sight more from the buyer than we ended up with. We were stuck between a rock and a hard place.
Mr Cryne said on numerous occasions that Hourihane would not sign a new contract with BFC. He knew that he wanted to further his career.
We needed to be much smarter that summer . We ought to have offered contracts to Winnall and Houriane on 20k each knowing full well that we would flog them anyway . Houriane would have sold for 10m and Winnall for 5m , which was market value . Hindsight and all that I know but after Wembley we wallowed in the glory instead of striking while the iron was hot . Anyway we're now deep in the **** so its irrelevant .
They said themselves after promotion from league one would have been more than one to sign improved contracts .Previous CEO did not capitalise on this
I agree 100%, there's also part of me that thinks it really puts smaller clubs at risk, clubs whose survival might depend on them being able to sell an asset/player during the season. Feels like a restriction of trade with the current system.