and? we have a view to buy them in the summer, only one we probably dont have is welbeck. OK 4-5 is probably a bit much, but the clubs didnt want to sell them, and we would have had to pay about 30mil for them (probably at a rough guess) at the time just to get the clubs interested. I really dont see the problem with loans, and we got muntari because we had no midfield, onuha we had no right back (with Bardsley playing left back), elmo we have been after for a couple of years. In all honesty, i wish we had taken Riveros and Angelari on loan, then we wouldnt be stuck with them if they didnt work out (which right now it doesnt look good).
They've already said they are going to smash the transfer record to replace Bent so there's ã13m on one player, to get another 5 maybe 6 will cost in the region of ã30m+ IMO
Steve: You can talk netto till you're blue in the face. You've spent over ã100M on players and haven't even got into the top half of the table. Spectacularly bad investment wouldn't you say? And now here comes another 10. Reminds me of an old comedy show - "Never mind the quality, feel the width". Maybe a little less blarney about how good they are, and a bit more action on the pitch ie Sessignon (or is it Wayne Routledge?).
Ive said this before, so will say it again, I like chappaz`s imput, sound stuff, knocks his own team for the right reasons, sound geezer IMO, keep it up feller, I read your stuff, more than others, sorry for calling you CHAPPATTI,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,it was intended, just thought you was having a go, on a bad night.
It may have been bad investment, but i truly fail to see why Bruce and Short are getting the flack for ALL of it. We were a yo yo club for years, never realy invested in players and it showed big time, and also sold our best ones for a pittance usually. Drummaville and Keane came along, spent big time, but it was a lot more on quantity than quality if we have to be honest about it, but it kept us up (just) for 2 seasons, problem was Keane gave those players big contracts (wages) so Bruce had to trim the squad down when he came and buy better quality than we used to have. Selling Collins wasnt even a Blunder, not replacing him was though. We have better players than we did when we came up and even after Keane left, and Bruces net spend is still less than Keanes, but yet Bruce gets all the flack for it. We have had virtually 2 different squads in 5/6 years, there isnt any other team like that in the PL, those that come up usually falter big style at the end of the first season, or have 2nd season syndrome, ok we were close, but imagine if we didnt spend a penny, we would be back in the championship now. it takes cash and a steady team to get into the upper echelons of the PL these days, we have had the cash but not a steady team, like i said on another thread, Everton, Villa, Bolton, Liverpool, Spurs have all been in the PL for years, and have built steadily, even you still have the nucleus of the team that went down 2 seasons ago, which again was a team that had been together for awhile in the PL. they have all spent big, but not all of it in 1 or 2 seasons, its been steady progression, and a few good cheap buys (cahill is the obvious one). I really dont see the problem at all lol. + its not my money that was spent, so whats the big deal, if drumaville and then short are happy to put their hands in their pockets (just like hall/ashley etc for yous) then why are we/you complaining about it. as for sess, give the lad a break ffs, he was hounded out of the team he played for this season, hardly got a game before xmas, and has had what, 7 games for us, in a new league, and was rushed into it when not match fit, give him pre-season and most of next before we/you judge him.
Every ****ing transfer window we have Mags on telling us 'you're not going to have any money to spend' and such like. Yet we have the clubs owner, Ellis 'MULTI BILLIONAIRE' Short, giving a candid interview on SAFC.com telling us there will be further investment from him in the summer, plus the Bent money, which i believe a big chunk of depended on Villa staying up, which they will. Let's see what happens in the summer, my feeling is that Ellis will want to make money from the club long term, and the only way to do that is long term investment and eventual success. He didn't find his money in a ****ing wheelie bin or selling ã2 Umbro t-shirts, he's a very savvy man.
You're right. He is business savvy. That's precisely why he's less likely to invest more money if the club keeps going nowhere everytime he does. If he keeps investing millions which is wasted with yet another lack of results, he's eventually going got stop and ask why. He ain't stupid enough to just keep plowing in huge tons of cash year-after-year to hope that it works. I'd be more worried that he looks in our direction, to be honest. We're currently achieving slightly better results with a thin squad which (at the time of buying) cost only a fraction of yours. He's going to wonder why you guys can't do that as well.
simple answer to that, your doing ok cos you've got a better midfield, who have pulled it out for you, in times off need
because like i said, your squad is still the nucleus of the squad that got relegated 2 seasons ago. If you had to sell, harper, colo, spiderman, nolan, barton, you probably wouldnt have even got prompoted. (and carrol came of age for you as well) our squad is pretty much unrecognisable from when keane left (a few players left but either getting on now (Malbranque), Injury prone (Gordon) or just not consistent enough, ricco/ferdinand for 2). But our problem is we dont score enough from Midfield (you do score your fair share from those positions), they are like jigsaws, fall apart in the box, and we cant rely on whatever strikers are playing to keep scoring all the time. Free Kicks/Corners are pretty dire as well.
That's not my point at all. Short is putting his own personal cash into your club. He's put a LOT in so far, but results don't seem to be improving, and his money is being wasted. Now he's expected to pump in money to buy yet more players in the hope that, this time, it will work. NUFC, on the other hand, due to relegation, have put together a squad for much less, with some real gems. For Short, that would be a far better option and a much less risky option compared to continually pumping money in and hoying millions around, so there's a possibility he will look at us and ask why SAFC can't take that approach (either wholly or partially).
But what cash has he pumped in? honestly this argument is silly, we have made a profit of over 5mill in the transfer market since Bruce arrived, so please tell me, how Short is out of pocket (he may be a little, but not the millions you mags keep harping on about). and christ like i said, you already have the nucleus there from 2-3 seasons ago.
A savvy businessman does not inject money into a project and leave a job half done. If he withdrew his backing now, he'd be nailed on to lose millions, anyone with more than 11 brain cells can see that. If the club fell away now, he'd be lucky to sell it for ã30million, leaving him to face massive personal loss. You keep clutching them straws bonny lad, i have 110% faith in our owner.
He won't withdraw his backing. I never said he would. Of course that would be stupid. However, he may take a different approach. There's a real possibility that instead of just pumping in a lot of cash, he tightens the budget and makes sure that Bruce (or a new manager) scouts for young talent and tries to uncover some hidden gems which are cheaper. It could become a real focus of his approach if he sees what it can achieve (for example, potentially better results and much more prosperous re-sale value). I think the 4 or 5 loan signings are a clue that he can be very stringent when he wants to be.
Agree with this...... At the height of the bad run it was clear that we lacked maturity through the spine of the team. That is why i think we need an experienced (but mobile) centre mid and a centre half who will command the back four when the chips are down (Turner is not the answer for me). That said id rather give some of the youth a chance than waste cash on shifty untried imports. If we spend cash id rather see 4-5 good quality players than another splattering of Healys and Kilgannons.
