Seriously... We can't pay Charlie Austin a decent wage who would've lit up the team. All these loans have pissed all over Clegg's excuses about financial fair play. Now with Jewell disrespecting Scott Loach by telling him he's dropped through the press, all this stuff about not renewing contracts, I don't think there is anywhere left for these clowns to hide.
Its a sad state but the only thing I would say is that we dont know who much we are paying towards the wages of the loanees. The player will still get his full wage but a deal may be reached between both clubs whereby each pay a percentage. I would imagine Wellens & luongo are mainly funded by their parent clubs as both are here to benefit them in the long term. The Evening star suggested that we were paying upto 50% of the wages for most of the loanees which is still going to be decent money and will probably come out of our next budget meaning we have even less to spend on buying players. I agree on loach that has shown how niave we are. I think that although we should have pushed the boat out for Austin, chances are he would of followed his ex boss anyway. Burnley were also probably a more attractive offer when you consider their recent past compared to ours.
So who is telling the truth! Jewell said back in January that the Henderson deal collapsed because we couldn't afford his personal terms! Now he's saying that he never got to speak with Henderson in January! So which one of these statements is true? JEWELL OUT
I seem to remember (yourself Included Lancs) our fans saying things like "Who is Charlie Austin? He'll never amount to anything at Burnely, dodged a bullet etc." That aside, I'm sure Nigel Reo Coker is on a hefty wage (even though he hadn't got a club) and I imagine it's short term as we can't afford him for the long haul. Even I have lost any patience/faith in PJ and his team, as I said on an earlier thread I've tried to allow for the odd cock up in the hope it would be a turning point but quite simply he has made a catalogue of errors and insists on making them all over again.. And today's example of man management has got me seriously worried - he seems like a man on the edge and is acting in pure desperation and I think he will be (has to be) gone within a fortnight.
Then you are much mistaken KOPR. I certainly didn't say that, I was livid and I knew exactly who he was because i was living down in Hampshire at the time with associations to a Swindon fan who was completely gutted. I thought, at the time, we couldn't afford to pay him £15k but it's pretty clear now that was all a load of bollocks.
Ah... I've just recalled, maybe I did say something like that when he got injured for some time early on at Burnley. Slightly different context.
No more excuses from Jewell and its time to deliver the results. Next 3 games must result in a minimum of 7 points or he's out simple as...!
Thing is JWM it really doesnt matter unless the majority of players have a long term future here. getting away from the relegation zone would be great but if it includes mainly loanees then its a bit like putting a plaster over a gun shot wound. The long term aspect is still fairly bleak.
TB of course it matters! As supporters we need a boost in morale, I'm fed up to the back teeth of losing every week. Jewell now has no excuses and the results now need to start coming in. I already know the excuses if we lose tomorrow! "The team needs time to gel and get to know one another.." I hate Jewell with a passion for what he has turned our once great club into but I support the team and I want us to win. There was a time just recently when I hoped that if we lost he would be the shown the door but unfortunately that hasn't happened. Any other owner would have pulled the trigger and would have been fully justified in doing so. Like I say 7 points is the target for the next 3 games and failure to achieve that against Hull, Derby & Sheff Weds should result in his dismissal.
Your right in once sense and I do see where you are coming from JWM. I want us to move up the table but just cant summon enthusiasm if its just a short term fix. We do well with 6 or 7 loanees for the next 2 months, they leave and then what happens? Back to square 1? It probably just me feeling a bit URRRGH but I just cant see the point of using so many loanees. If we win 2 out of our next 3 with 2 or 3 loans in the squad then great,positivity! but with 5,6 or 7 then it just seems like another rebuilding exercise.
Fair enough TB we are stuck in this horrible situation where we know that everything is short term. Win the next 3 games and Jewell is secure again, lose the next couple and we are further in the **** but Jewell could be gone! Great times to be supporting Town right now! Wouldn't it be poetic justice if Jewell gets fired after losing to his former clubs!
I know this has been raised already but I would personally rather us lose a few more matches but do so with our younger players playing for the team. As TB has said it really is short shortsightedness that we can do well for a few games and simply 'sub in' the younger players again. Jewell has already said that the likes of Luongo and Hyam won't get games because of the 'pressure situation' so it begs the question of what will happen when the loanees leave? will we try and bring in more loans or buy some players in January??
the thing that really ****s me off, is not only he ****ing thing sup for the here and now, but he is destroying the confidence of the players for his replacement!
TB - You mention quite often about when the loanees go back in a few months time, but to be honest, i think 5 of the 8 could well possibly be permanent signings, of they do well for us. The only ones that won't be permanent, are Henderson, Luongo and Wellens (although PJ did mention he try to get him on a permanent previously) N'daw is here for the season, as is Murphy. HigginsBottom won't play for Stoke again, and neither will DJ at QPR. Reo-Coker is a free agent, so unless he does absolutely fantastic and gets a better offer, then i think we could well sign him for good.
I'm glad you are able to put a positive spin on it stretch, I've been struggling to see anything remotely good about our situation but as you say there is a likelihood of us keeping some. Murphy in particular seems a dead cert. But I would question, particularly with N'Diaw whether they would want to stay here? as well as the others... What happens if someone else throws their hat in and Higginsbottom ends up at (for example) Forrest, DJ at Cardiff Mohsni goes AWOL and then we are again scraping the barrel to find what's left as I'm pretty sure we had this situation before when we wanted to keep Collins - who went elsewhere and Andrews - Who also went elsewhere. I can't help but draw parallels to our previous problems as it seems very De Ja Vu at the moment
If we sign them then great, happy days but I consider it to be highly unlikely. We can rule out Wellens, Luongo and Henderson. N'Daw may not be here next week let alone next season. Higgs we have a chance with. DJ is highly unlikely. Moshni walked out on us 3 weeks back so not overly confident in him and Murphy is fine. NRC I question why we signed for 3 months only. Most players want a bit of security so to me he is putting himself in the shop window. I hope Im wrong, I would love us to make 5 or 6 long term signings to add to our cause but what Jewell has said about wages, not getting deals done in the summer and the general attitude of the club makes me rather pessimistic. If we can fit DJ into our £6m a year wage budget my flabber will never have been so ghasted!
I think we are all now agreed that this is definately a downward spiral and exactly the same situation as last season's fiasco! Jewell has proved beyond all doubt that he isn't a "Coaching Tracksuit" type of manager, more of a throw money and hope merchant. This all smacks of one last desperate throw of the dice for him and the big problem is that he is gambling with the club's future!
Youre right when you say "They are gambling with the clubs future" jonny, but I think what we have to realise is that it doesnt really matter to Evans, Clegg, and Jewell. Do we really expect any of them to still be around ina few years time ? No I dont think so either, to one of them its a business and to the rest its an employer, a cash cow to take money out of. The only people who really care about their club are the fans, the people who actually put money into the club, the people who were here long before any of these clowns, and the people who will be here long after theyve gone. We have to stop kidding ourselves that they think and more importantly feel about ITFC the way we do because they dont. When they have gone probably into retirement far away from here they wont give a toss about ITFC and will probably have a good laugh with their equally well heeled friends about their time here. The fans will still be here hoping someone else can clear up the mess theyve left behind. Thats the difference between us.
