I wanted to start this post by saying that I think that the Premier league will be more competetive than it ever has been next season. I think all three teams coming up will invest and will try and get at team like Swansea and us have this year. I think this will stop 3 mini leagues breaking out (top,middle,bottom) and we will have a split at around 6th for the european teams and then the rest will be a free for all. When I write the next part of this post I dont want to appear negative. I know that we have a budget that will allow us to broing in a few players and that I have faith the CH is the right person to continue the good work started by Lambert. I would also like to say that I am glad we are going about the club finances the right way, however.......... I do worry that there will not be a team that is a whipping boy this season and that all the teams coming up appear like they will be outspending us. My concern is that if they spend there money on transfers and wages wisely they could bring in a couple of players that could make the difference for their survival. I have seen this morning that Reading are interested or Talking to Pavel Pogrebnyak and the fee rumoured to be arpound £12m - This is a player who quite clearly knows where the net is. I cant imagine we have this sort of money available to spend on one player. Southampton have already signed Rodriguez for £7m which again is more than I can see us paying. I am worried that the targets that the club and CH have may also be targets for these other clubs and that we will not be able to compete and make the improvements to our squad that we need. I dont want this to be a rumours thread, but out of the players we are going to be in for why would they join us over another team who will pay them more (also pay higher transfer fee if necessary) and a similar attractiveness to ourselves. I think that if we bring in a good calibre of players it will show us all how good a job McNasty and co are really doing. I do have faith in everything about NCFC - I will just feel more comfortable once we sort out the Holt saga (either way but I hope he stays personally) and when we have seen what players come in compared to the other promoted clubs and usual premier league strugglers.
I think that's why we are looking abroad now. Your right the promoted teams are spending big but it doesn't concern me too much. QPR spend loads and they were the worst of the 3 promoted sides. I think we already have a squad who can survive also. It will be a more difficult season but I still remain confident.
pavel pogrebnyak is available on a free transfer as far as i'm aware... he also didn't know where the net was in germany! not a player i'd be keen on. lets not forget that the three coming up are spending big money to get to our current position!
marknemo - Yes, I saw the article re Pogrebnyak to Reading and it does concern me slightly - I would hope that we would only ever pay that sort of wages when we are fully established in the Premier League. Large transfer fees and wages don't equate to a good team - look at QPR and villa last season!!! I am confident that most of the regular first team players will still be wearing yellow and green next season and am resigned to Holt leaving - however, I believe that Morison can recapture his early season form when he tore the Swansea defence ragged and played as the lone striker that day. As you rightly point out, the 3 promoted sides seem intent on spending mega bucks either on transfer fees or wages (or both), but I believe that our team spirit will see us escape the relegation dog fight next season.
just a quick point about saints. i do not believe they are throwing money around. they are run in a very similar way to ourselves. the fact they can afford a bit more for wages is because their stadium holds 32k. they are run sensibly. can't speak for reading as the new owner could be a nightmare or a saviour, who knows, but a club like reading cannot afford to compete with us financially if they are being run sensibly. west ham meanwhile are a car crash of a football club, being run along the qpr line of mayhem
Nah I disagree I think Progrebnyak is a good player, was brilliant for Fulham and looked dangerous. Contributing not just goals but seemed to link up play really well at time too. His goalscoring record for Stuttgart isn't great but I think the Prem probably suits him. I wouldn't want him because wages are probably well out of our budget but I wouldn't like one of our rivals having him.
I think Mark Nemo is right when he says clubs spending wisely. Any fool can spend but its an art to spend wisely. We all know that the media, rival fans and even our own fans, me included, can question whether players will be good enough, either current or those being signed. Until we are ten games into it, I don't think we will know. Its even more important financially to stay in the Prem so its going to be tough and some will panic into buying anything with a pulse. Lets hope its not us.
I guess this thread was more about my concerns of the 'unkown' at the moment. If Lambert was still in charge we had a good idea of who he wanted to bring in and I am sure for the most part we would have been happy with Snodgrass et al. We now have a new manager and I am not sure of how he operates in the transfer market and with tactics ect. I guess its more the unkown that is making me question what other clubs are doing which may work for or against them but we wont know that until the season starts to unfold. I am on holiday for a couple of weeks soon so hopefully by the time I am back we will have sytarted to identify targets and maybe begun to move for them. I know other people may disagree but I hope we sort our issues with Holt out. A player of his type is hard to come by and I think he really suits the system that we play. If it cannot be resolved though, we need to get as much money as possible and move onwards and upwards
he certainly did very well for fulham but he is by no means a great player. i think his form was more a case of 'playing to impress' more than anything, and the fact he seemingly did so well yet still wasn't offered a deal at craven cottage says a lot.
I'm not concerned - we've the whole summer ahead of us; the new gaffer could unearth some gems, and he could also kick start some of the existing players who were more fringe under lambert. We have a young squad in the main who will only get better, that's very improtant. . I'm also not concerned about reading apparently throwing money around. The pog went a bit quiet after his great start at Fulham; the guy next to me at work is a fulham season ticket holder, he's not too bothered if he doesn't re-sign at the cottage. i also saw reading a couple of times last year - they were ok but nothing to worry about, pretty good defensively but they certainly looked behind us in terms of their squad (obviously they will strengthen now) As supers points out, although the saints have bought jay rod, that's a huge chunk of their transfer budget gone as they are only slightly above us i would say in terms of budgets. i'm not 100% convinced they will do as well as we did first season back - their away form was pretty ropey in the Championship. We'll see. There is bound to be a struggling 'established' team this coming season - last season it was Aston Villa. Glass half full from me.
Fulham have offered him a contract, he hasn't accepted it yet hence why Reading have come in and offered him more money. Is every player essentially "playing to impress"? I think he probably found a team who he is suited to more, he has attributes to be a good Premier League forward in my opinion.
i wouldn't bet on him scoring more than five or six goals next season if he goes to reading. many short term players 'play to impress'. if you remember david neilsen you'll know what i mean!!
Hmm, we'll have to see. It looks a decent player to me. Yeah I remembe David Neilsen, heard he was caught up in some match fixing in Denmark a couple of years ago.
i prefer to judge a player on performances over more than 12 games myself. his true colours will be evident next season should he stay
we will be fine! dont need to spend loades of cash Our guys got us well up the division last year, they have a years experience now and with a new manager to motivate them I am confident, if it all comes undone dont care as long as we have not spent all the cash and in the carp again
Agreed with the above - he got one on his debut, a hattrick next match and one in the one after that - 5 in 3...not bad - after that, 1 in 5...very much a case of trying to impress early on - speaks volumes that fulham still didn't want him...
