Takeover

[Derek Hardballs]

I don’t see how you can build a squad of any note with this arbitrary wage cap. Any decent player who comes through our ranks and proves themselves is not going to meekly accept low wages when they can move to a club that pays more. We imo are setting ourselves up if this the plan for decades in the Championship unless we have one lucky Luton-esque season where the stars align and we go up.

[Woodman scoreboard]

I don’t see how you can build a squad of any note with this arbitrary wage cap. Any decent player who comes through our ranks and proves themselves is not going to meekly accept low wages when they can move to a club that pays more. We imo are setting ourselves up if this the plan for decades in the Championship unless we have one lucky Luton-esque season where the stars align and we go up.

Spot on dekka

[Stillclem4england]

You can only do it if you have the wherewithal and nous within the club to buy the right players. I don’t imagine Cov, Sunderland or Ipswich have any on over that sum, but if you limit yourself to established players like Okay, Chalobah, Reach then it won’t work.

I would imagine our only starters on less than £15k a week are fellows, BTA, Palmer and Kipre. To me the big issue is that we are likely paying £20k a week to non starters like Reach, Chalobah, Ajayi, Diangana.

Didn’t Palmer sign a new contract in the summer after Luton came in for him?  If he did, then I suspect it could be slightly in excess of £15k/week. 

Not sure that Ajayi will be on more than £15k/week.  We signed him from Rotherham and he’d have been on very low wages there.

Ajayi signed a new deal a couple of years ago as Furlong and Townsend had previously. Can’t see any of them being on under £15k a week.

Yes potentially so re Palmer. Also, we signed Kipre as a Prem team so potentially he could be too.

Just goes to show how far we have to go…

[CorbsIsMagic]

If/when the takeover is complete, are we going to fact check ITK posts in this thread?

The BBC article for the M'Vila interest states "it is now understood that an alternative proposal involving Cheshire-based lawyer Chris Farnell and local businessman Alex Hearn is not now, nor has it ever been, in the running to buy the club.".

Was never really on but would be interesting to revisit what some have put.

From what I remember it lines up with what a few mentioned on here tbf saying that it wouldn’t be Farnell, so credit to those to who called that early

No itk myself but Farnell’s bid/rumoured always seemed like the kind to just get his name in the media “look how much money I could spend if I wanted too” kinda thing. Just a guess, but that’s how I’ve seen his bid anyways

[Pragmatist]

I don’t see how you can build a squad of any note with this arbitrary wage cap. Any decent player who comes through our ranks and proves themselves is not going to meekly accept low wages when they can move to a club that pays more. We imo are setting ourselves up if this the plan for decades in the Championship unless we have one lucky Luton-esque season where the stars align and we go up.

You’re missing the key point that all clubs around us would be subject to similar wage restrictions.  Nobody in this division (other than those with parachute payments) will be able to pay any more. The Championship is unsustainable with the status quo.  Something has to change.

[Kit Kat Chunky]

I don’t see how you can build a squad of any note with this arbitrary wage cap. Any decent player who comes through our ranks and proves themselves is not going to meekly accept low wages when they can move to a club that pays more. We imo are setting ourselves up if this the plan for decades in the Championship unless we have one lucky Luton-esque season where the stars align and we go up.

Spot on dekka

The problem is we have  to work within the FFP framework.This means either increasing income, or selling players for profit. If a Prem club offers silly money for Fellows for example, we would have to accept it.  

The key then is using that profit wisely (on wages where merited) rather than spunking it on players that aren't worth it.

[CorbsIsMagic]

I don’t see how you can build a squad of any note with this arbitrary wage cap. Any decent player who comes through our ranks and proves themselves is not going to meekly accept low wages when they can move to a club that pays more. We imo are setting ourselves up if this the plan for decades in the Championship unless we have one lucky Luton-esque season where the stars align and we go up.

Spot on dekka

The problem is we have  to work within the FFP framework.This means either increasing income, or selling players for profit. If a Prem club offers silly money for Fellows for example, we would have to accept it.  

The key then is using that profit wisely (on wages where merited) rather than spunking it on players that aren't worth it.

Fingers crossed that’s where the advantage of a hopefully new owner with his head screwed on properly comes in and assists in improving infrastructure - scouting the right player will never have been so important.

Think having CC as manager in this league will be an invaluable advantage too, a manager that improves the players he has, not an ability many managers possess

[Derek Hardballs]

I don’t see how you can build a squad of any note with this arbitrary wage cap. Any decent player who comes through our ranks and proves themselves is not going to meekly accept low wages when they can move to a club that pays more. We imo are setting ourselves up if this the plan for decades in the Championship unless we have one lucky Luton-esque season where the stars align and we go up.

You’re missing the key point that all clubs around us would be subject to similar wage restrictions.  Nobody in this division (other than those with parachute payments) will be able to pay any more. The Championship is unsustainable with the status quo.  Something has to change.

I’m not missing the point, the point is to build a squad capable of promotion AND then competing in the Prem with a core group of players like we did before will be impossible under this way of operating. Brunt, Morrison, Foster etc would have all gone and we would just start the rebuilding cycle over and over. Sure we might do a Luton but more likely we will just stagnate and go backwards over time. The amount of investment to play money ball is expensive and cannot happen as a self sustaining club at least not at the outset.

Also when we were doing well in the Prem and Championship our wage bill was very high compared to our income. It wasn’t our genius system it was the fact we offered competitive wages in the Prem and outstripped our competitors in the Championship that made us competitive. We may not have spent millions on transfer fees but our wages were very good. Now we are suggesting we can compete with low wage and low transfer fees it’s fantasy football imo.

[MrFizz]

I don’t see how you can build a squad of any note with this arbitrary wage cap. Any decent player who comes through our ranks and proves themselves is not going to meekly accept low wages when they can move to a club that pays more. We imo are setting ourselves up if this the plan for decades in the Championship unless we have one lucky Luton-esque season where the stars align and we go up.

Of course you can. If wouldn't be a cap on individual players wages, just a squad cap. If you want to sign somebody and pay them 25k a week, you can. Provided doing so doesn't take you over the cap. If you have to move someone on to accomodate it, then thats what you have to do. Forward planning, and a DoF that knows their stuff.

It's worked in the NFL for donkeys years. A good 'front office' knows what they are paying now, how much 'cap space' they have now, and how much they have for next year etc. 

All you have to do is build a squad capable of promotion. You can worry about competing in the greed league if you get there, and of course you would not be subject to such a wage cap, so can sign more expensive players in order to compete.

Whatever the answer is for club sustainability, it certainly isn't chucking more money at it.

[richbaggie]

I think you are missing the point Derek.

The new rules, if enforced correctly, will mean all clubs will need to dial down wages considerably. It affects all clubs. I see it as a good thing personally. The quality of coaching and improving of players will be paramount and at the moment, that puts us in a good position.