BRISTOL City head coach Sean O'Driscoll insists out-of-contract players will have to adopt a more realistic approach to money if they want to be a part of the club's future. He states... * Up to a dozen senior players will become free agents during the summer and their futures at the club remain uncertain following relegation. * He insisted there will be no deviation in financial policy to suit individuals and is warning those players. * There are quite a few players out of contract who are not actually playing for Bristol City and need to go and play somewhere else. * Anyone being offered something now will probably feel they are being hard-done by and you can understand their argument. * They will have to go and find a club that can pay them the wages they have been used to. * Wage cuts will be introduced across the board without exception and that players signing for Bristol City cannot hold out for anything above the going rate. * Players have got to want to play for the football club. If it comes down to money, then we are wasting our time. * I've been in that situation as a player myself and I felt duped. I don't want to dupe people. We have to make sure we are fair and honest in our dealings with everyone and make sure everyone understands what we are trying to do. * He has yet to hold talks with individual players, a process that will almost certainly begin immediately following the final game of the season. * Players are out of contract and we would like to offer them new deals, but it is not as clear-cut and simple as people may think. * We have to make sure we are competitive in League One, but financially prudent at the same time. * If I keep all of those I want to keep, I'll be left with about seven players. * We will lose players for financial reasons and people will get on their high horses and say we should invest more in the football club. ...... BULLET POINTS ONLY ...... http://www.thisisbristol.co.uk/story-18811401-detail/story.html#axzz2RMozMQCQ An important time is about to transcend on Ashton Gate, realism is going to hit the players in their wallets, it's going to be a complete change in direction, about time too, it's been coming, the blood suckers will soon be on the run and hopefully we will be left clean, lean and a lot healthier.. Up the City..
I think he meant out of the ones out of contract. I hope he doesn't mean out of the whole squad because if he only wants to keep 7 players we are truly ****ed. That's to much of a rebuild
Out of the Squad GK: Heaton RB: Moloney CB: Nyatanga LB: Cunningham, Bryan RM: Ajala CM: Kelly, Elliott, Reid LM: Anderson ST: Davies, Baldock, Burns So only 13 from the whole squad. Looks like a big ask for SOD to get a competitive team.
well we need a huge clear-out, not only because half the players in our team aren't good enough, but we need to clear the wage bill massively. Although people are crying out for players like jon stead to stay, he's on 10k a week, and is getting older without any room for improvement. Massive changes needed and fast.
This is the last paragraph of the article and it states there is only seven players that he wants to keep, then he'll look at what's left over, it's all about what he can afford, bye,bye big money earners.... "If I keep all of those I want to keep, I'll be left with about seven players. But I need a squad of players and I have to look at what is left over and use it as part of a wage bill we can afford. We will lose players for financial reasons and people will get on their high horses and say we should invest more in the football club. But you can only do that up to a point. You can have the most generous owner in the world, but there is now going to be a limit to how much he can put in."
If there is to be no deviation from the financial plan then I cannot see us getting promoted next season. One of the reasons we're in this mess is because we chose to spend when it was not needed, and tightened the purse strings when it was needed. For all our talk about FFP, we're still earning very little and given the rules of FFP (which I listed last time someone tried calling me out for criticising our spending strategy) we have ample time to spend money to get ourselves a strong squad. SOD has a history of producing good teams, and he wants to rebuild the side in his own image. Given the money that Cardiff spent to get in the Premier League I think a manager like SOD could build a team capable of mid-table in the Championship for a few million. If we remain "financially prudent" then we won't get out of League 1. It's as simple as that. We've spent like a League 1 team and it's where we find ourselves. Now we're losing most of our team and we'll continue to spend like a team in League 1 so what do we really expect? Instead of talking about how much we'll spend on the playing staff the board should be pushing through with their plans of growing the club so that we don't have to be so tight on Lansdown's money.
Perhaps the drop in wages will mean I don't have to put up with players (who are at the bottom of the league) swanning into the ground in their brand new 4x4 mercs, etc. A bit more realism wouldn't go amiss. Heaton Cunningham Maloney Kelly Davies Baldock Bryan Krans Reid Burns Maybe Wilson? and to upset you all I would keep Foster as I think he could probably do a job in L1 not sure how many others SOD would want to use from academy and trialist, but that's the start of a squad.
Our income will depend on various types of revenue and at present the only things clear are; TV share out at £360,000 Season Ticket and Pay on the day sales ????????? The club will attempt to budget based on expected attendance levels. 8,000 ? More or less? Transfer and signing on fees paid ????????? A totally unknown factor at present as all saleable players are still under contract. Advertising and Sponsorship ??????????? This is where SL will be able to invest money for sponsoring corner flags, training grounds and the Ashton Gate stadium etc. etc. This will be the only way he can invest as far as I can judge on my limited knowledge of the FFP rules for League One. Also am I correct that all Academy costs are outside of FFP? What about the costs of the Under 21 squad? Are they in or outside of FFP? Stadium and building projects are also outside FFP? I suspect SO'D is talking about those players who are out of contract on 30th June 2013 when he says seven only. The big unknown at the moment is how many of those under contract will want to leave? If all want away, and are able to find clubs willing to pay the transfer fee and their wages, then we are on collision course because that is a massive rebuild, of the magnitude never seen before at BCFC. We can only hope that all becomes clearer sooner rather than the week before next season starts on August 3rd.
Our football club HAS to change - we must get our finances in order I think SoD makes an excellent point on the club website - the financial fair play rules will mean every club will be trimming it's wage bill - there will be players expecting 2 or 3 clubs to be in for them, but it won't happen Since Bosman, the balance of power of power shifted to the player and his agent - naked ambition by some clubs, spending silly money (could include us in this) on gave them more power in negotiating wages. FFP means the money simply won't be there.
The problem with being in Division One is simple the wages bill can NOT exceed 60% of turnover so those saying SL should keep putting in more money are whistling in the dark the only way he can plough money into the club is by sponsoring various bits of the stadium and there is a limit to how much he can do in that line. FFP rules state that money spent on the stadium does not count under those rules. Management of clubs is entering a new phase under the new rules and it will be interesting to see what happens with squads up and down the country.
It would appear that the days of smaller clubs paying astranomical salaries may be over and IMO that is a good thing. I don't believe that any footballer outside of the top tier should earn enough in two or three years to enable them never to have to work again when they retire. And I would also include a large percentage of the top tier players in that comment. It is ludicrous that one footballer can earn be paid as much in one week as the average wage earner takes FIFTEEN years or more to accrue. The big problem I see for all clubs outside of the Prem and top half a dozen in the Championship, is that it will never be possible for any club to enter the "Great & Greedy League" and we'll end up like all European countries with one top division and the second tier half full of the top tier reserve sides. And sod off to the rest of us!!!!!!!!!!!
im with Lan. Cidered, How often do you see foster play? Sorry he is terrible. He offers nothing going forward. A terrible defender as well. All he offers to the team is pace. Moloney is so much better its ridiculous. Ship him back to Aberdeen and spend his wage on someone better, Which shouldn't be to hard. SOD said if we keep every contracted player it will take up 89% of our wage budget for next season. Players like Foster and Kilkenny have done nothing to note since arriving and I would bet they are both on a combined wage of 16-20 grand. Players like this have to go if we are to progress.
Shiny, I know you detest Foster, but I believe he's is good enough to do well in League Three. And it's almost certain that SO'D will want to keep Kilkenny - for goodness sake, he tried three times to sign him for Doncaster!
Do you mean Louis Carey, our ever young central defender? Personally, we need to look to younger players who will improve as Louis will only go downhill at his age. Fact of life.
