Bandit quite rightly asked the question in the other thread : Back in October Jol said, "Fulham manager Martin Jol has revealed he will have money to spend in the January transfer window. The sales of Mousa Dembele and Clint Dempsey to Tottenham has provided the Cottagers with a double windfall - and the Dutchman is likely to be handed a substantial amount with which to strengthen by chairman Mohamed Al-Fayed. Jol said: He [Al Fayed] said before the season you can spend the same amount as last year and we sold for over £30million and only bought for £8m. "So I am 100 per cent certain he knows there is a lot in the kitty." Source: http://www1.skysports.com/football/...plans-to-enter-the-transfer-market-in-January The Club’s ‘trading accounts’ (which is a kind of nominal balance sheet submitted to the Premier League about now and which does include transfer fees) probably will show us plus the net £22m. However, we know that MAF was repayed £10m in the last year (of the money owed to him against his interest free loan) and the ‘financial accounts’ (which is the true profit and loss balance sheet and which won’t be published till next March) will certainly reflect that repayment. Whether there is as much a Jol expected is therefore doubtful, unless .. a) other revenue has increased (eg gate money, sponsorship, tv) or b) we operate at a loss or c) there is some creative accounting in amortising assets or d)…..a mixture of possiblities? Then of course there is payment for development of the new stand. All a bit murky really except for one thing - MAF will determine the budget. He will be very attuned to the need to stay in the premiership given the bonanza of TV money starting from next season. If he doesn’t agree to more being available for transfer fees at this time he must be convinced (or at least have been convinced by Jol) that there is enough quality in the current squad to stay up.
I have three theories 1. Jol is waiting until the summer to spend the monies (has already said there's little value in January) 2. The money is going towards the stadium expansion hoping to start this summer 3. Jol is playing his cards close to his chest and by avoiding telling clubs we have money to spend, he will hope we are not bent backwards over a barrel and spanked into spending over the odds on average players.
I think it's a mixture of everything. I don't think Mo will let all the transfer fees we received over the summer be reinvested into the squad because, as has been said, we have a new stand to pay for. I also think Jol is playing his cards close to his chest like Banders says purely because in the club's article he says "we don't have a lot of money to spend" and then in the video he says "we have a bit of money to spend", so we've clearly got something to work with. I think (based on nothing but complete guess-work) we have around £10m to spend. What does that get you in January? Not a lot. A couple of shrewd loan signings and some clever work with players out of favour with bigger sides could work for us, before we outlay something more substantial in the Summer, remembering we didn't spend a lot at all last Summer.
I have no great experience in these matters, but surely if one is bent backwards over a barrel, the resulting face-up position means it's very hard to then be spanked. Just saying.
A letter from the Chairman which I suspect he considers as valid today as it was then. please log in to view this image Source: FulhamFC
The fact is 58, we sold our two best players this summer and have had no promise that the money will be reinvested into improving the squad and replacing the two players who have left. The books have been balanced as we have shifted a few high earners off the wage bill (AJ, Zamora, Murphy) but it is unreasonable to ask FFC fans to be content with signing free transfers when in reality, they are free because no other teams want them. If Jol doesn't spend this month and at least attempt to sign players to fill the positions we need filling, I fear a fans backlash.
All valid theories, and I think that 1 and 2 are probably correct. though No3. I'd say if that were the case then it would have been better to have those players sign at the beginning of the transfer window. But since they haven't then it more likely these players agents are waiting for more offers from other clubs. But since Europe is struggling financially you would also think this applies to their clubs, and since there is an expectation of better TV money in Premier, if the chance to grab a quality player on the cheap now should come, shouldn't the club think it is best now to spend the money gained from the Dembele and Dempsey on quality replacements before clubs come in with competition in the summer when they know they will also get a revenue boost from the TV money for staying in the Premier, and then price will just rocket. But having heard Jol comment on little value in January, I think he'll go after Loans and buy in the summer.
True Bidley, but if Jol had made offers/inquiries then the players agents would have leaked it to the press to attract attention in their client. How many agents have you seen come out and say we have made offers?
There have been plenty of reports of offers. Are you so convinced that Jol isn't looking to strengthen? Do you not think the board are tightening the purse strings?
To my knowledge we have made firm offers for Boateng and that's it. There's interest in Steklenberg yes but no offer. People like Forren and M'Vila we were never interested in.
We needed the players like yesterday... They could have played against Blackpool, City and Utd ready for West Ham without excuses... but hey. That will be the next excuse on the book. Our players didn't have time to integrate with the team
M'Vila we are or were, the BBC said we had contacted Rennes with a few to agreeing a fee. There's also Malanda and that other Belgian fella.
I reckon out wage structure is an issue for purchasing- although I agree it should be capped. We're in the market against teams that are willing to go higher.
