I can't believe that we have the second richest owners in the league and we are rock bottom, hopefully the owners will buy new machines in January to help improve the Teams efficiencies and help get people ie sale up.
I don’t really get the views of some posters on here. I don’t want to sound radical or anything (particularly on an Election Day because I know how easily some are frightened) but can I just point out there are others options other than the Bolton approach or the Conway approach. Personally I think both of those are pants because they only get you as high as the 3rd tier, and I think a little more ambition is justified.
That’s pretty much as I see it. These guys are movers and shakers in business, yet aren’t keen on any kind of gamble when it comes to football. In short, some wealthy Americans have bought a football club just to make it self sufficient. Why would you do that?
It’s worse than that. I don’t mind them living in our means it’s just the other decisions that are so appalling. Transfer policy, immediate sales, commas etc...You name it, they are crap at it.
But possibly not as crap as me - typing Comms and getting commas! It’s tough being a mover and shaper.
Against my better judgement, I have decided to explore a theory via this thread. I hope that no-one will think that they are being patronised, because that is not my intention. My theory is that people underestimate the importance of things that they do not understand. My example is finance, although is could be any number of other things. The evidence that finance is not important is that although it clearly was important to Bury and Bolton Wanderers, it has clearly proved unimportant in the management of many other clubs in the Championship. Without any understanding of finance or its relevance in business, the fact that finance can safely be ignored is gleaned from the fact that many Championship clubs can safely ignore the consequences of overspending. The EFL are as guilty as anyone, because they have allowed the Championship to take up the mantle of the wild west, and to become a lawless state that exists not to play the game of football, but to measure which club owner can afford to lose the most money in his desire to join the Premier League elite. Anyone who thinks that the Championship is about football is deluded. It is about getting to the land of milk and honey at whatever cost. In no other area of business would the self same owners consider losing the amounts of money that they do In Championship football to be sustainable. Those who nothing about finance, will tell me that it will go on and on, and that we must join the circus. That the owners will continue to pour their own money into failing businesses for ever. That players, even very average Championship players will continue to walk away from the game as millionaires for ever. They will not. Just as with every other bubble throughout our history has eventually burst, so will this one. The lack of profits will eventually brings the whole edifice crashing to earth. Our new owners have come into this environment, and they have immediately recognised the existence of a bubble. Very wisely, they have decided not to contribute to it. Very wisely, they have decided that the best future for Barnsley FC is for it to stand on its own feet, to avoid the vast debts that will cripple many clubs well into their prospective futures, to manage the club as they would manage any other business within their business portfolio. The EFL is too late to fix the problem. The action against Sheffield Wednesday is aimed only at trying to stop clubs lying about the extent to which they are prepared to go to in order to cheat their fellow clubs in the same league. They have missed the chance to control things, and they are just as responsible for the bubble that has resulted as are the owners of the clubs. Those who think that this situation can go on for ever are mistaken. The failure of a major club will lead to a domino effect because of the debt that is owed to other clubs. The failure of an owner could precipitate such a failure. I hope that the wise owls of the BBS will not be the first to say, I told you so, after the same people have given our owners dog's abuse for not joining in with the jamboree, because I shall be one of the first to call foul as soon as I see that sort of hypocrisy. As it is, we will do well to avoid the debt fueled collapse when it inevitably happens.
It certainly doesn’t mean ‘join in the jamboree’ as you put it. If a player becomes available that’s worth paying a bit for, take a bit of a punt, improve the team, sell at profit. There is no room for that within the current plan. We will never have a team of good players playing together because as soon as ones cooked he’ll be replaced by a raw one or two. There has to be a balance between the business side and what people pay to watch. It’s no good saying it’s all about business and accepting anything. I refuse to do that.
In order that I understand what you are saying, I would be grateful if you would answer the following question. How much do you think the club should be prepared to lose this season. That is, how much should our owners be prepared to either guarantee (if the loss is funded by bank overdraft) or how much cash should they be prepared to fund via personal loans or increases in share capital.
If I may answer, even though the question wasn't addressed to me, then 0, nought, zero, zilch, bugger all, sweet FA. The club has to be self financing. So how do we put a competitive team together for the same total wage bill, but with better players? Hmmm, let me think........
Did I say we had to lose money? We currently sell our best players and buy dross. Not all of them, but enough to reflect badly on our dealings. It’s ok to gamble on kids from lower leagues and abroad, but it still costs money in fees and wages - and some of this lot are on very long contracts. If we were to make a loss - I can’t give you any figures, but if a small loss improves the team and helps get bums on seats, then surely it’s better than the current situation. How much is our summer transfer activity going to cost our owners in money and goodwill?
You have said in the past that you would exchange young players for experienced players on a 2 for 1 basis, and that you think that we need 3 experienced old heads. On that basis, you need to tell me the names of the 6 young players that we paid money for during the summer that you would exchange for the 3 named experienced players that you would sign instead. You then need to provide me a list of our new squad, and hopefully I will be convinced that it would be strong enough to stay up. I have done exactly that earlier tonight, and unfortunately, I ended up with a squad that is weaker than the one that we have now, with the added risk that relegation results in the fire sale of all those new players because the club can no longer afford them under SCMP rules in League 1.
I don't have the first clue about names, how can you possibly expect that? I don't have a European wide scouting network with its headquarters in my back bedroom. I do know how to use spreadsheets, but I've not got a football one. No, it's not about names, it's about strategy. It's still not too late this season, although it looks grim at the moment. January will be the key, I believe the strategy needs to change. The current modus operandi obviously doesn't work.
I don’t think anyone could provide you with a list of players that would keep us up now, without being unrealistic. Sadly the damage looks to be done for another season. We’re going to preparing for league one.