Should we have sold sooner?

Without Mowatt we wouldn't have finished as high as we did. It's not just about a like for like replacement. He was the established captain, a motivator, the engine in the team. A couple of million quid can't easily replace that

 

I've not got over Luke Steele leaving.

 

In hindsight, based on the fact we didn't go up and assuming we wouldn't have got relegated without him we should have cashed in if it was feasible to do so. That's what this board's modus operandi is all about and any funds could theoretically have been used for strengthening. Of course that's hindsight and we'll never know as we dont have that parallel universe to observe.

 

Selling Mowatt early would likely resulted in no playoff berth. No guarantees on that but very likely I'm sure we can agree. Although the promotion push ultimately proved fruitless it also meant that Barnsley got 2 million for Ismael that they no doubt wouldn't have otherwise. Plus the stock of all the other players rose due to the collective efforts too. The club is also a more attractive proposition now (or it would have been if not for the disappointingly pathetic mass exodus). So keeping Mowatt did have lasting value.

 

Definitely not. We are a football club who's aim is to finish the highest we can in the football pyramid. Money in a bank account doesn't get you to the play offs, your captain in the middle of the park does.

 

The football club is a business that struggles to break even, and find enough cash to meet its commitments because it has ruled out borrowing from the owners. It has a business plan, a way to generate more funds. It buys young talent (players and coaches), it improves them, it markets them and it sells them for a profit. Without these additional funds, it would struggle to generate the cash necessary to compete at Championship level. If there had been a market for Mowatt at the right time, then I am sure Mowatt would have been sold. However, the COVID pandemic has affected every club adversely below the Premier League. All clubs have faced reductions in turnover and even higher losses. Furthermore, it was not clear when the financial effects of the pandemic would end. In such circumstances, there is a reluctance to spend large sums on transfer fees, and without a decent fee, there was no point selling Mowatt for a nominal amount. It does not mean that the policy is wrong, or that the policy will not continue into the future. It will, because it makes sense.