How long will our current glory last without significant investment?

We're winning and getting results, despite playing ****e. We're potentially a top class side. We have a good team spirit, a lot of quality, and it wont take a massive amount of cash to help us achieve what we potentially could. We just need a few quality additions, a couple of additions to help make the squad more solid, and we could be up there!

But does the club really care about pushing for glory? Do they intend to do anything, other than to keep the club financially stable and profitable? Will they go so far to achieve this goal, as to invest very little in our European campaign and maybe a future champions league push in the future, if we ever manage to get ourselves to that level? Will they show little interest in our potential chances of success?

I know there's no point in trying to compete finacially with the clubs above us, but I think we could do what we've been doing now, but at a higher level. Like we could keep scouting and find bargains for better players, but at higher levels. Spending 30-40 mil may sound like a lot, but if we find the right players, it could seem like we spent nothing, as the points and the achievements they could help us get could be invaluable.

IMO we need to stop being so tight over the next year or so. We really need signings in Jan, so we can stay in a European position. I think January maybe our most important transfer window, as it could definitely decide where we finish this season. We really need a CB and a fullback. I aint saying pay them loads and spend loads, but if they're available, but cost a bit, we should just pay it, because what they give back will be worth it.

If we have another poor window, we'll lose our players, and we'll lose even more if we don't qualify for Europe again, or at least achieve a higher position. If the club wants to reep the benefits of the moey from points, TV money, higher attendances ect, then it needs to invest in players.

 

I think our current progress curve is sustainable. It's down to how the other teams around us develop too.
for example.. if Everton continue this season as they have started it they will be looking to edge us out of European places come May.
The key to everythnig for us has been our player recruitment policy. Now we have Carr locked down long term we effectively ensure this policy will continue to churn out bargain buys (the latest being mini Tiote who looks a class act at just 19).

 

oh... and with FFP on the horizon I don't think that 'significant investment' will necessarily be either santioned or needed in our case.

 

^ That. We may well be gambling on FFP to come into effect. If clubs above us are banned from Europe for their debts, we could very well get in the Champions league, increasing revenue by 30 or so million.

 

I dont think massive investment is needed but 2 or 3 good signings in January could really push us up there in my opinion. RB (though i would like Simpson to sign on to stay as well), CB and Striker/winger-striker.

 

Have to say i dont think we need to change from our current plan atm. All i ask for in Jan would be 1 CB and 1 CF if Senegal qualify for ACON (which doesn't look likely). People were upset by the summer spending policy and then a host of injuires to our defence made it look all the worse but we have only lost 1 out of 8 games so far this season.

W3 D4 L1 is not a bad start to the season and I fully expect the team to push on this saturday and grab another 3 points.

*If we lost to ManU and beat Reading our record for the first 10 games (when Pard told us to start judging) would look as follows

Won 4 (Spurs, Norwich, Reading*, Atromitos) 3 Home Games
Drawn 4 (Everton, Atromitos, Maritimo, Villa) 1 Home Game
Lost 2 (Man U*, Chelsea) 0 Home games

Couldn't say that was a bad start to the season.

 

If the clubs above us are banned then the CL is going to become completely worthless. All the big clubs have dodgy finances, and they'll just sod off and make their own super league if they're not allowed to compete in UEFA's competitions.

UEFA know this, the clubs know this. FFP will have no serious implications for any of the major clubs.

 

We obviously were thinking different amounts when I mentioned "significant investment", I don't mean ridiculous amounts, I meant enough to buy quality players, at reasonable prices, and sometimes more than what we would want to ideally pay. We can start by putting in respectable bids and showing clubs respect. I can't believe how low our first bid for Debuchy was. Pathetic.

 

Sustainable? Well, that's only if our better players think we're showing enough ambition. If they decide to stay, then it's sustainable, because I think we can keep finding good players. But I don't think our players would be happy if we stay so tight and we don't show ambition.

I'm not saying we need to spend a bomb and win the Europa League, but Pardew most of all needs to show he gives a **** about Europe, and the club need to show that these competitions are more than just a burden, because if all we care about is securing a financially sound position, then our players WILL leave.

 

I think that the club will continue to be run along the same financial model that will mean that it becomes financially stable. Money for transfers has to be generated by the club profits and Mike Ashley is not going to put his hand in his pocket for players, so spending £30-40 million is not going to happen in the near future.
However, I do see us spending some cash in January. Rumour has it that the Debuchy deal may be back on, with Lille apparently now wanting to let the player go. I can also see us brining in a young forward.

The club will continue to bring players in and the board have shown with Cisse, that if the right player becomes available for the right price, we will go after them. But every deal seems to have to be done so that we buy the player for the lowest possible price or we walk away, so I would expect a lot of frustration and disappointments in recruitment over the next few years. The fact that we exceeded expectations last season has lifted our expectations for this year, and yet it is only our 3rd season back in the top flight. Mike Ashley could have gambled and thrown a shedfull of cash at recruitment this year to try and go one better than last season and get 4th place. But the board seem more interested in building a sustainable foundation both off and on the pitch, and slower progress is the price that we will have to pay in order to acheive the long term aims.

As fans we need to be patient as building the club properly takes time. We just need to remember where we were a few years ago. Until recently we hadn't had much to cheer about on the pitch since we got rid of Sir Bobby, and off the pitch, we were in a financially periless state. So I, for one, am happy if we consolidate our position as a team that is in the running for 5-8th place.

 

I'm willing to be patient, and I agree that we should consider ourselves in a fantastic position, seeing as we were only relegated a few years ago, and threats of administration loomed.

But I think the time for action could be sooner than we want. I don't think we can plan to go on too much of a patient and slow road to success. Our best players are in their prime years now, and I dont think they'd don't want to wait 2-4 more years before the club is ready to challenge again.

My expectations aren't that high, I just want us to be in the top 6 and be in Europe next year, and keep strengthening, but I'd like us to show a bit of ambition also, and go forward, instead of just bidding cheap and if we can't get a cheap price, then we do nothing.