I would guess that he is in fact training with us now his loan to Fulham is over. It would be silly not to safeguard against CB injurys with such important games ahead.
" Couldn't givva ****, we're rolling in lucre mate " Well you are at present, well financed club. However, should you not go up you have some big earners you would surely have to shift. As we discovered in 2002 when it went wrong for us financially, it doesn't take long to undo years of good work. Not saying you are the same, or in this position, but it really can spiral downwards sharpish at times with clubs.
That was tongue-in-cheek based on the accusations of arrogance. I am, however, confident that the finances will hold up because none of our "high" earners have contracts which go past the end of parachute payments - Munky's joke is actually the key point. Very few of our players are on what you might think are "Premier League" type money, especially with the relegation deductions. Really only Bassong and RvW from what I've heard, but I accept that we are paying high for the Championship. None of this year's signings are on unmanageable wages. Bearing in mind we do not have c.£700k in interest payments, that's a player on £15kpw we can afford above you, let alone the at least £8/9m additional turnover (if you take away parachute payments)
I've heard Bassong + VvW are on between £35,000 - £45,000. How true that is I don't know. I would have to assume Ruddy/ Howson / Johnson/ Hooper may all be on upwards of £25,000 p/w also. But it's irrelevant for now! Two days to go......
Bassong was supposedly on roughly £40k when we signed him (with Tottenham subsidising the rest of his salary for two years apparently). With relegation clause I would imagine he's now on around £30-35k. A lot for the Championship, but given that his contract expires next summer, it doesn't really matter. I believe that RvW was the highest paid in the club, though I could be wrong. I would think £45kpw would be about right. With relegation clause, probably more like £35kpw - again big money for the Championship, but then we haven't been paying most, if not all, of that this season so it's meaningless and he almost certainly won't be with us next season. As compares to (at the extreme) QPR's changes to their wage bill, or even Wigan's, who were supposedly very careful, given that they are our top earners, that really doesn't mean much. I don't know so this just pure speculation, but Hooper is almost certainly only just below that on about £25kpw. Howson will be nowhere near that as he was on c.£18kpw when we first signed him in the PL. Johnson will be about parity with that, so also nowhere near £25kpw. Ruddy definitely not - he's a keeper (in both senses...) I wouldn't be surprised if Ruddy is on around £15kpw at most. I know it sounds mad, but it's difficult to emphasise how careful our board has been with player wages because I appreciate that those sound like big numbers - but our turnover was nearly £100m last year and will be around £55m this year, so what wages we are paying will be comfortably manageable, with spare cash for transfers and it seems a carefully managed plan for what happens if parachute payments stop (i.e. we don't get promoted in the next three seasons). The financial viability of Norwich City, particularly when you consider where we were in 08-09, is the one thing I am not even slightly worried about.
I don't know how many of these figures are accurate (I have no reason to distrust you) but given the scale or ratio of the numbers above I think it's a pretty poor show if Ruddy, with all his commitment, loyalty, and performances over the years, is on a 'measly' £15k a week!
The Ruddy figure is a guess (and I'm guessing it's actually about half, because you have to factor in the relegation clause). But it's an educated one - goalkeepers rarely command high wages, nowhere near as much as strikers. We know that Holt was the highest paid in our squad on about £22kpw until Bassong came in and Ruddy hasn't had a new contract since then (to my knowledge), plus you factor in relegation clause. I actually wouldn't be at all surprised if he was on less than £15kpw.
When you put it like that it starts to make sense. Was just shocked at the bare facts, without delving deeper into it to be fair.
I agree it's shocking - especially what strikers get. It's why when you have a **** striker you've got more problems than just him being ****...
Yeah I think that probably is our worst one, though again, it will be closer to £22-24kpw with relegation. Still eye-watering (and explains why no-one will take him other than on loan). I imagine we manage to get about 1/4 of that at most covered in any loan deal. And we've got him for one whole more year EDIT - that figure for his wage "demands" came from Ken Bates - make of that what you will. Could be true, likely to be close to that figure IMO.
And if they do, you may well be held completely responsible... Finidi George didn't help matters much - on or off the field, really
I find the F George " worst player ever " in a blue shirt hilarious. He scored 8 in 35 from the wing in the prem, at times he was amazing. He was by no means as terrible as the press made out - hardly his fault we couldn't afford to pay him when we went down. Sereni was on a lot more ££££ than George ever was.
