Article: Just because they can, should they? | Football, Sunderland

The question is being asked, a number of times, why don’t we spend the cash, are we broke, Short is a billionaire FFS and my question is, just because they can, should they?

In the fantasy football world of us fans money is thrown about with that extra million hers, 20k a week there and the absolute belief that the clowns who run our clubs are fools and if only we could have a go.

Here at Sunderland we ask,”24 mil from Bent and 20 mil from Henderson, why don’t we spend it”? In fact we all know that the 24 and 20 mil are top figures and we did not get all the cash up front, a fact conveniently forgotten in the emotions of the transfer market.

We also know we spent little on the nine players brought in, we add the free and the odd 6 mil and come to very little and again forget that frees are not and wages add up.

We shout out that Short can afford to throw a few million at it and forget the many millions he has already thrown, I don’t know any billionaires but I do know they don’t become billionaires by spending without thought, is it really unreasonable for Short to ask if we can clear some of the deadwood before any more spending?

With the exception of City and Chelsea all clubs are facing the same problem and I would argue that our club have been up there amongst the bravest when it comes to splashing the cash, That said its human nature to want more, to look at what we are missing rather than what we have.

I don’t for one moment think that Short, Quinn or Bruce want us to fail and all that can be done will be done, just needs to be done with a little bit of business sense. We have all seen what happens if you do it without a business head on and we don’t want our club to be a statistic.

In short, keep the faith and trust the people who are paid big bucks to sort it.

 

These days I don't think there is any need to panic buy the way we did in the past & pay inflated prices for players, we can take our time & get the right quality to add to the team. We have a great set up compared to other clubs, you don't hear of SB begging the chairman & owner for money to buy players, at the sam time if we want a player we won't allow him to hold us to ransom, he either says yes or no, thats a great position to be in

 

What we have done is added depth and experience for very little money (in football terms, not real world terms) to the squad.

What it has done, is made our position of a mid table team more stable, but it hasn't given us that push to make the breakthrough to the next step.

That step takes money, big money, and it's a big money gamble to go and buy one or two top signings.

Still hope they do it, but it's easy to say that, it's not my money.

 

This is a very good point Syd - Man City and Chelsea spend for the sake of spending. man City are trying to fiddle a way around this Financial Fair Play thing with a 400m Stadium Naming deal. Whereas Ellis Short is doing things quietly and the right way IMO. We have a strong squad with good depth which we have not had in recent years and, as has been mentioned, this will strengthen our position in the EPL - maybe improve it a little but not massively. To step into that 6th position would probably need a lot of investment but for now I am happy with the way things are - if the club spends money just because they can then we end up in trouble potentially long term - I'm happy with the way things are at the moment and looking forward to the season (If Adam Johnson signed I'd be ecstatic!!)

 

According to Kant, 'Ought implies can', so the fact that we are not splashing the cash means that there is no reason to and there are no players that are really worth bringing here for huge sums of money, or we do not have the money needed to buy them. I hope it's the former.

 

If you have it, you should spend it. 2 reason's for this, the first being that we only have 2 transfer windows before the Financial Fair Play league comes in to play & the 2nd been the ACON & we can be without Gyan for upto 6 weeks!

 

Immanuel Kant was a right pissant,
Who was very rarely stable

 

Heidegger Heidegger was a boozy beggar
Who could think you under the table

 

David Hume could outconsume
Good old Friedrich Hegel

 

I think you know my views Syd, of course we have to act with financial propriety otherwise at some point we will implode. I also think our 'buys' this season have all been pretty good and not overly expensive. However I think you will also agree that, what has been outstanding since the sale of Bent is an experienced striker and for several seasons a LW. Now I think we should try even harder to move the guys who are not going to make the squad out of the club, this may bring some fees and will certainly free some space in the wage bill. We could even do a 'Barton' and let them go for free for heavens sake.
So yes I think the two young strikers from what I've seen read in the friendlies look good prospects, but if we have learnt anything from the past two season that if you do not have strength in depth you come a cropper.
You ask do I trust SNQ and SB, well they took a big gamble when Bent was sold and it nearly cost us dear, if we do not bring in an experienced striker and a LW I think it is another gamble, not so big as the one in Jan but I am surprised we have not learnt the lesson yet.

 

Wickham - £8m
Ji - £1-2m
O'Shea - £4m
Brown - £1m
Gardener - £5m

We've already spent about £20m before agents fees, signing on fees and wages.

 

And Wittgenstein was a beery swine
Who was just as schloshed as Schlegel

 

Good point Syd and my attitude to it rather long term stability that flash in the pan "success".

Another question occurs to me... If they were mapping it again today where do you think the 5 year plan would be aiming?

 

That's a tough one, more silverware i hope. cos i hope we get some, as it's been so long.

 

And that brings up a cup run, will we end in the top 4 this season? Well if its a no how do we get into Europe and extra cash? How do we make full use of the Squad? How do we improve income?How do we make ourselves more attractive to future buys?

Apart from cup, do you know another answer?

 

Cup seems to be the obvious and indeed perhaps the only route into Europe for us at present so must be made a priority.

To get the "next level" players we need European competition of some sort. We have a few of those bracket players but unless we can regularly compete on the continent as we have seen in the press keeping them will always be a struggle, or at least they will try to make it one!!!!! And as you say Syd we also need the revenues it brings.

We have to target both cup competitions and have a real go at winning them for me.. no weakened teams please Brucie.

 

There's nothin' Nietsche couldn't teach ya about the raising of the wrist
Socrates himself was permanently pissed

 

you stop raising that wrist jersey, it makes you blind

 

I honestly think that one of the major reasons why Short is reluctant to spend is because the crowds we are getting are way below his expectations at the moment in time..And from what I can gather the season ticket sales so far this season are way below what was expected...So he must be thinking that why the hell should he dig into his pockets when the people who Profess to love the club will not..

 

I think every good company re-invests for the future, so should football clubs, and i think we are doing the right thing. Would love to see another experienced striker come in even if its not the 'massive' name we are looking for.