Interesting

[SW4Baggie]

As has been said, we aren’t “poor” this season... we had one of the biggest budgets in the league last season, and we’re only 7m down on it this year.

Given the Chadli fee was deferred, and the players we’ve released, I’d imagine we are currently in a position where we can retain the entire squad as is and still have funds free for a promotion push.

The issue is next season, when the parachute payments drop and we’re left with players who are a year older and with much lower sales value due to having 12 months left on deals.

Its not that we can’t afford to keep Hegazi, JRod, Dawson, Gibbs etc... we can easily afford them this season, the issue is we can’t afford them next year and we’ll see little or nothing by way of fees for them. We’ll also be that desperate to shift their wages that we’ll have to let them go for knock down fees.

Players aren’t stupid... the likes of Dawson/Rodriguez may have to take a pay cut to move on this summer but with a much reduced fee/contract expiry could command bigger wages next summer.

Lazy journalists write that we’re skint or poor, we’re not, we just have to be cautious and risk-averse.

[Tom Joad]

As has been said, we aren’t “poor” this season... we had one of the biggest budgets in the league last season, and we’re only 7m down on it this year.

Given the Chadli fee was deferred, and the players we’ve released, I’d imagine we are currently in a position where we can retain the entire squad as is and still have funds free for a promotion push.

The issue is next season, when the parachute payments drop and we’re left with players who are a year older and with much lower sales value due to having 12 months left on deals.

Its not that we can’t afford to keep Hegazi, JRod, Dawson, Gibbs etc... we can easily afford them this season, the issue is we can’t afford them next year and we’ll see little or nothing by way of fees for them. We’ll also be that desperate to shift their wages that we’ll have to let them go for knock down fees.

Players aren’t stupid... the likes of Dawson/Rodriguez  may have to take a pay cut to move on this summer but with a much reduced fee/contract expiry could command bigger wages next summer.

Lazy journalists write that we’re skint or poor, we’re not, we just have to be cautious and risk-averse.

Totally agree. But there are 3 clubs relegated every year from the Prem in the same boat as us. There are also basket case clubs in the Champ that overspend and overstretch. The big difference is that Albion, for years,  have operated at a profit and with no debt and no sugar daddy. We should be proud not penitent. We don't need to keep pleading poverty, clubs will name their prices and we pay it or we don't. It fools no one and just depresses our fans.