Summer window

Is now the right time to sell some of our top talent?

A key part of our strategy is to be a springboard for young players. We don’t want to lose our best ones for anything other than top money but we also mustn’t stand in their way. We are also still in the early steps of building a top, PL-ready side.

I can see us losing Clarke and Ballard for a bit less than we want as this summer is another where we are in a big transition. Going from a just-promoted side to one that has a decent (but not massive) chance of going up.

 

The difference in attitude is huge. This group of players are the best we’ve had for a long time. For me I’d snap your hand off for £15m for Ballard. Pretty much a x10 return in 12 months after he’s played less than a third of our games.

But I wouldn’t take £15m for Clarke. I think he’s got serious potential and will go on to play at the highest level.

 

think i will let you lads discuss all the pros and cons of the transfer saga, so many possibles and options that may or may not work etc etc, my old head cannot handle it all.

i will just stick by the reasoning i am happy with...i believe the current recruitment squad have done a sterling job, i do not expect every one of these lads to shine instantly but so far they get a gold star, i am also sure that many are being looked at, some will be sounded out and some more additions will come in, what they will not do is 'overfill' the squad as another task will be to keep the wage bill in check.

now, the behind the scenes work, while it is obvious that work is needed i am choosing to think that the 'on field' work was decided to be of the utmost urgency and the rest all but shoved onto the back burner...now we see the progress not only on the playing side and staff side but a few details coming out about the training ground and some small improvements at the SoL i feel sure we will see the behind the scenes stuff start to gather pace.

i am now settled into my 'chill and see what happens' mode, after those four lads were brought in early it showed me that this club has plans...and that will do me.

 

In answer to the Stewart question, no. Better for him to see out the season than get that amount. Too many risky changes in my view with all of them and better to get him for a year with the chance of promotion than have a revolution and a slow start. Caviat of course with our back room team being so good that they could have a cracking plan to replace and improve. 3 /4 of our better players leaving at once is too many to me.

 

It's more Clarke I don't want to see sold, not sure what the record is for a player bought from a championship club but this lad could be up there. To think if.you asked me before the playoffs with Sheff Wed what I thought about him I'd have said and did say to my brother in law who isn't a lads fan so doesn't see much of our games "he is all fart and no ****e" when he said he looked good in the first 20 minutes against Sheff Wed. He has been excellent ever since!

 

I agree mind. I think Ballard has a very high ceiling in terms of where he could get to. Very comfortable on the ball, strong in the air and in the tackle, very competitive (maybe too much at times). If he joins the right club with the right coach he could fly. To be fair to Moyes he rarely (with an obvious exception) has a side defensively weak.

 

We don’t pay high wages though so it’s not as easy as you make out - finding good players yes, but all things aligning maybe not. We have to find value in the fee and in the wage which inevitably means there is a bigger element of gamble. The way I see it- Ballard is premier league level, Clarke is, I think Stewart is. Add 3 to that and we’re contenders. It’s inevitable we lose some to the premier league but losing 3 of them at once and they take some replacing if we want to go up this year. I back our recruitment team but I’d rather they didn’t have to replace 3 of the better players in our division in the next month within a wage structure, maybe 1 would feel achievable.

 

Take away the 3 mentioned and who is PL ready ? Maybe Patterson. Beyond that ?

 

That’s a fair point. Patterson, yeah. Roberts.

On the other hand, we only had a full season from Clarke. Stewart and Ballard were out a long time so we have been managing quite well without them already.

…..

Players that have come in to the team due to injuries have all stepped up and grabbed the chance to shine as well. The talent ready to step in shouldn’t be underestimated. Ekwah and Hume last season, for example.

 

But if we took £30m in player sales we could pay higher wages that’s the point. That would double our annual turnover of last season. If you don’t sell players you don’t make money therefore you can’t spend money.

 

Aye and we had Amad with his killer goals. We overperformed which is brilliant like but take away our run with Stewart in the side and we’re nowhere near. Clarkes goals and runs. Losing them all is a huge gamble. If we only have to lose one this season only lose one.

 

It’s not that simple. It wouldn’t happen now. Break the wage structure and they all come knocking and you have nowt to spend from the income.

 

Hold our nerve for 1 season. This summer, move on the wrights, gooch, Leon. Recruit Ballard Clarke Roberts Rosco etc replacements, and give them a year to settle. If we're promoted, ideal, if not, bank 30m and repeat

 

I think that's probably the plan barring any offers we can't refuse.

 

https://www.brfcs.com/forums/topic/36506-transfer-window-summer-2023/page/479/#comments

Blackburn ITK reckons Batth is a done deal

 

The wage structure isn’t sustainable as it is now. We can’t be within the lowest 10% wage bill and expect to get anywhere that’s not how it works. You generate revenue and up the wages to attract better players

 

If true and the other possible departures and we need to change our expectations. The new signings may well be top class but they won’t be until they have more championship experience so not yet. That’s 6 of our better players possibly leaving or gone . Pritch, Baath, Amad, Stewart, Clarke, Ballard. I love our new approach but this feels like climbing Everest. We need to be careful.

 

Promotion increases income more than their collective transfer fees

 

We finished 6th in the league with the lowest ever championship points tally to make the play offs. Whilst we were unfortunate with injuries it’s all what-ifs. There’s nothing to say we’ll get promoted with the players we have. We can’t just hold onto the players forever cos “we’re sunlun and neebody takes our players.”

 

The club has some difficult decisions to make. It's easy to say "they'll be worth more next summer" but that's not always how it works. Sometimes players regress, sometimes they stay at the same level for another year where perhaps they were expected to improve so their value is lowered as there's less potential there than previously thought.

Personally, I think Clarke will be worth just as much next summer if not more. I'd hold onto him unless a silly money bid comes in (£20m+).

Ballard, if we genuinely can get £15m I'd snap West Ham's hands off. That is ludicrous money for a player we signed a year ago for £2m who didn't even manage to play half a season. I've seen people on here writing his injuries off but it adds a huge element of risk to him. He gets another long-term injury next season and noone will touch him with a barge pole. I'd take the money and run, personally.