The Premier League Thread

We'll give them 50 bags for Brooks

 

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This will have to be bonded!

 

Think it’s gonna get ugly....(ier)

 

It is scary. At the same time, it isn't exactly fatal, so long as Bournemouth burns the squad to the ground. Even a mediocre now-former PL club can recoup a huge pile of money if they sell off everything with two legs, and most of Bournemouth's higher earners should be loan targets even if no one wants to shell out big fees for them.

But that's what is necessary. Don't hang on to players because they are fan favourites, don't think "well, it won't be so bad if we come straight back up". The financial gap between the PL and Championship has never been more stark, and one of the consequences therein is that you basically have one year to get your **** sorted or you're utterly screwed. You're better off getting relegated a second time with a cobbled-together squad on Championship wages than you are to be mid-table with a squad that is 50% comprised of dudes makng £50k+ a week. You can recover from the former, the latter is fatal. Anyone who isn't making Championship wages has to be in the window and you have to be a highly motivated seller.

That's what all of those player acquisitions are, ultimately, if you're a midtable-or-below club: they are a rainy day fund that needs to be recouped in full the second you get relegated. Ake, Lerma and Brooks should fetch £80m or more, and they can get fees for a great many others if they're willing to take losses. If they do that, and aim to stabilize in the Championship, they'll be fine. If they treat themselves like a temporarily inconvenienced Premier League club, even coming straight back up will leave them saddled with debts that will hinder them, and if they aren't that lucky, they'll be Bolton of the South Coast.

 

That´s Portsmouth. Even their Guildhalls are twins!!!

 

That's the problem with them though. I feel they sleepwalked into relegation as they never really believed until the end that they were in the the do-do.

 

Looking at this it’s pretty scary to think they have no relegation clauses in place...

https://www.spotrac.com/epl/afc-bournemouth/payroll/

 

Those Spotrac numbers are grossly inaccurate; if they were correct, Bournemouth would have absolutely nothing to worry about. Those wages are a pittance in the modern game, enough so that the wage bill listed there would be consistent with a slightly-ambitious Championship side. Bournemouth's overall wage bill was in excess of £100m...some of that is non-playing staff and bonuses, and it's missing a whole bunch of players, but doubling the listed wages for most of those players would probably be closer to correct.

But again, it's only a fatal problem if they let it be. Lerma, Ake and Brooks are highly desirable assets. Billing, King, Steve Cook, Mepham and others would find PL takers as well, I'd imagine. Few teams are willing to press the red button though.

 

Bloody hell I didn’t realise the ball was invented in 1992, just in time for football.

 

Apparently, the wheel was invented then too - just in time for cars and transport to get fans to the game. Phew!

 

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/live/football/53487983

Danny gets the BBC Surprise Player of the Year award

 

Such a revolutionary idea

 

Yep I kinda like it...may roll with it

 

It will be interesting next season, looking forward to seeing what Bielsa's boys have to offer at the top table. As a yorkshireman at heart I'm always pleased to see a team from the county promoted. West Brom are a consistent yo-yo team and their squad won't strike fear into many hearts as it stands, apart from Danny Ings who will no doubt have another Golden Boot rival in Charlie Austin. Brentford, Cardiff or Fulham... meh, whatever.

 

This is surprising. Expected any number of clubs would have lined up for Veltman. Couldnt we just have done a trade for Hoedt or Vesty? https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/53588144

Ajax seemingly starting from the ground up

 

Apparently the fee was £1m (release clause), which seems very cheap.

 

I am tyred of these awful puns.

 

Who is wheeling out all these old jokes??