I doubt there is a set budget of right we can spend x million and then thats the lot. If certain players are available they will find the money on top of what budget they had planned imo. I'd imagine if its Clarke they will have been informed he is available and likely interested in coming so the funds were made available completely separate from any original budget they might have planned.
Posted on rtg that I'd be shocked if we had but that's a statement of intent if true. I also said I don't know how much a loan fee is to a prem club for one of their payers in general. It seems that long since we were in the chpionship, and I haven't followed it at all tbh, so I don't know the going rates, or what our total budget will be. I know it's speakman doing the transfers but surely AN gets a big say and I trust him to know what we need more than me. God imagine how **** we'd be feeling now if we lost the final. Thank **** we got out that cesspit and are at least on our way back upwards for a change.
I used to get tickets and gossip from a fella called Mike Neville who was in the media. He sorted free tickets in the Mag section for the play off at SJP. He used to say that he dismissed half the 'facts' he was told, hoped 49% of the rest were true and half believed the remaining 1%. He was very well respected so you'd hope people wouldn't feed him shyte but they did. He also said most leaks are simply leading the witness ... ... sounds about right. Genuinely nice bloke though.
Yes mate, you must have had a nice place ... ... his seemed like a mansion to me at the time. I remember he always had loads of brollies in the hall and a telescope in his big bay window.
To get round FFP, especially if we go up, there'll be a lot of deferred payments with caveats. Agreeing a £5m deal doesn't mean a lump sum in a carrier bag. It'll be payments on appearances, promotion, more appearances, etc. There might also be sell on clauses or even buy backs. I think it's wise not to worry about exact figures ... ... it's not the seventies
Mike Neville and Doug Weatherall - mate you knew the good ones. Would have loved to have had a pot of tea with both of those mate.
Sadly not - he finished living in Whickham and that's where I live but sadly not in a mansion. Funny story - his wife reversed out of her drive and straight into me !!
I’d be surprised if we spend £5m on Clarke (pleasantly - he’s worth it) but also surprised if they’d accept less. So does make some sense. Id imagine some of that would be conditional on things like promotion to Prem
That's a dream compared to the pick&mix shambles of the past. I know there are people, on social media, claiming we don't have money, won't sign players, etc. But we've brought in the likes of Cirkin, Pritchard, Evans, etc, who are all capable of playing Championship football.
I find it odd people saying we dont have money. We spent big fees by league one standards on players like matete and hume. I also reckon players like Baath and Pritchard commanded good wages. Not sure why we would all of a sudden be skint. I expect the opposite, which is significant step up in fees and wages for incoming players.
I wont mind if we take a year or two tbh., as long as we keep improving on all fronts and dont over stretch. A steady top half finish and a tasty Cup run would do me nicely. OaU
This Jack Rudoni situation is a strange one. Apparently we're going all out to get him and he knows he'll get a good wage increase. Wimbledon aren't likely to go up so he's just treading water there. It's only geography that might put him off. What's bizarre is that the chap who told me this reckons it could mean Dan Neil going out on loan ... ... to Wimbledon!!! What's even stranger is that both players are around the same age and many people thought Neil incapable of lasting a whole season. If this actually happens I'll give up speculating, about Speakman, and just sit back watching.
That makes no sense, Dan Neil is obviously a very good prospect, I think the championship will suit his game better than league 1. He can pick a pass and at times last season I think it was more a case of the players sometimes were not on the same wave length as him. 4 or 5 better quality players and he could be even better. We will lose some and I think we might be surprised at a few that will inevitably go.
I think his main problem is how he fades during games. He looks fit enough so perhaps it's a mentality issue. I suppose he'd get regular starts on loan.
