How much do we need ?

[andysly]

IF we were to get this investment money I'm just interested in how much money we'd need to
A) Stop up
B) Go up

In my view 2/3M on 4 or 5 good players would see us comfortably climbing towards mid table this season.

As far as trying for promotion it'd take a fair bit more than the original 20M that was spoken about, and probably an almost fully changed squad.

[mrfrostsdad]

Andy,
Even if we could bring 4 or 5 players in it wouldn't be until January, so even if we had a trillion to spend I think it would be very difficult for us to finish anywhere near half way this season. Stop the season now, we're 4th bottom.

Not that many weeks ago, there were people coming on here who said we would be very comfortable this season with the players we have, some even said we could be pushing for the play offs and we didn't need any extra investment. They've gone very quiet now.

It's going to be difficult for us to stay up. The team we're currently turning out is not good enough at this level, even our better players have been poor the last few weeks. We can only hope The Dingles, Yeovil and so done else do worse than us

[andysly]

I'd disagree as with a good run of form from now we could get into the top half based on the phenomenal run in 2008/09. However that was probably a one off. However I still don't think it's beyond this side to stay up, we've picked up a few injuries/suspensions which was always going to be our Achilles heel with a smallish squad and our confidence seems to have took a battering but I believe we will be ok.

[FilanDivorce]

We'd need to loosen the purse strings just a little imo, to stay up. Although i think it's more than what our current owners (that's TB, DW AND JR) can afford/are willing to do.

As for what we'll need to get us promotion? Ask us again in the summer if we have managed to stay up.

[graingrover]

another thread of THEM v US .." there are  people on here who have gone quiet .".. why be so effin provocative ?
      We have lost vital players through injury and if we still have the freedom to add three or four strong loanees we can pull out of the bottom reaches .

            I would add the obvious .. that confidence is a vital ingredient and that one of it's components is team spirit and a supportive environment .The environment has been badly effected by the Directors squabbling which in turn has set fan against fan .

[andysly]

Why have I started a them v us thread.
The opening line begins IF we get money.
I have always stated we are good enough to stay up with a confidence boost and an avoidance of injuries.

[DRFCSouth]

I'd be more worried about how the money is spent and players brought in are brought on and nurtured than actual amounts. We've spent small amounts before and done pretty well. That said, if the ambition is as per what has been said previously, ie the premier league then we would need to bring in virtually a new team.

[GazLaz]

20mill a year wouldn't guarantee us anything. How much is the parachute payment? That must be nearly that and it's not always got teams back up.

[DRFCSouth]

The ambition changes once promoted as well. Who would want to go up only to get battered every week? Just a hypothetical question as I'm sure most would take it. The benefit I can see with parachute paymentsis it kind of gives you a better chance of going straight back up purely on financial muscle alone. The problem arises when you get a number of different teams relegated over a few seasons. Virtually half the championship could then be on parachute payments. It's unfair imo and those relegated should receive nothing as it obviously indicates they are being bailed out for spending beyond their means. I'd go as far as saying it's a way of preventing the smaller teams reaching the PL.

[mrfrostsdad]

Andy, I think it's me he's having a go at, not you.
I'm not being provocative at all, or divisive, I'm just stating fact. After the Blackburn and Wigan games, people were spouting just that: ie, we'd be comfortable or even be on the verge of the play offs.

Yes, a run like we had in our first season in the Championship would see us safe. I would have put money on us being relegated that first season, somehow I don't see it happening.

We've lost players to injury, yes, agreed. And none of them is going to be back very quick either so we can't rely on them, we've got what we've got. Suspensions?? Wellens, one game as far as I am aware, no-one else.

As for loan players, am I correct in thinking we can only have another two, not five or whatever?

Like I said, January may well be the first time we can really improve the squad, if we have any money. Just hope it's not too late

[newyankee]

It wouldn't take a great amount of spending if done properly.

Instead of keep getting loanees which is dead money after they have gone, spend on two, three or four free agents on contracts to the end of the season with a bonus for where we finish, and an option for a longer contract then.

   The biggest problem is the number of long term injuries we have picked up, our sqqquad is pretty good if they are all available. Also, anywhere above the bottom three would be success under the circumstances.

[PDX_Rover]

Agree Derek. The squad, when fully available, is pretty decent I believe. We do need some prudent additions in certain areas, but it's not the panic stations scenario some folks seems to think. I think in Paul Dickov we have a guy who is ambitious, knows the game at the VERY highest level, is intelligent, articulate and not scared to change things around.

It's a tough division but I suspect a lot of teams are there for the taking, if we're on our game. As usual, it's a glass full thing for me. I'm happy to see us at this level again

[newyankee]

     By the free agency route, I am not advocating the McKay system, but there are several very experienced players without clubs who I am sure would add to our squad, Mark. 


   They need to be more back up for when we do get more injuries, which is bound to happen. If you get people on a months loan they only just get to know the squad when they have to go back.

[newyankee]

 The first thing we do need to do though is sign Wellens to at least the end of the season, with an option for a further year which can be taken up by either side.

[Mr1Croft]

The amount we spend depends on how much you are willing to spend on wages as opposed to transfers and whether your including what were already spending on wages.

A player who is £20,000 a week which is around average for a 'top' championship player is eating £1 Million a season on wages, so if you have 3 players of that quality and spent on average £800,000 each to buy them (which is possibly a low representation of what they may actually cost and thats £1.8 Million per player and a total of £5.4 Million already on 3 players, couple that with what we're already spending on wages and we've used over £11 Million already with this squad and only 3 additions. I don't even know if that would earn us a top half finish.

[wilts rover]

That all depends on whether or not you think we should be comparing ourselves and competing with QPR, Reading, Leicester, Forest - whose budgets are probably going to be in region of £40m.

Or Burnley, whose budget is probably less than £20m and spent a grand total of £0 bringing players in this summer.

You don't need to spend a lot of money on players - you just need a good manager to spot the right ones.

[Sammy Chung was King]

The way for a club like ours is find the players lower down and develop them,the scouting our club seems to do is lazy,when did we last come up with a player from lower down?,Vassell from Bishops Stortford for example,Peterborough make a habit of buying these types of players and moving them on at a profit,Dwight Gayle another they did well with,we have to as a club,build slowly every season,develop the youth system,and stop chasing money from overseas,we've got Forrester a very good left sided player who we signed from the same division as us,before we started this season,but he hasn't played,pure bad fortune,De Val more bad luck we haven't hardly seen him,there's two that will improve things,no need for doubting the side.

We knew it would be hard nothings changed,hopefully that 0-0 at Barnsley starts us back on a decent run,how many sides have gone to Barnsley and kept a clean sheet? Barnsley aren't a good side,but if we'd had Macheda we would have edged that game for me,we will stay up with a few additions to add to what we have,the problem is does this situation help with John and the others?

It doesn't,i don't like the idea of this particular investment,because i know nothing about them,and they've done nothing to make anybody positive about them,we've been in the c..p before,and as much as John as done for us it's hard to blindly follow him into potential oblivion,if it comes to taking sides it would always be John i'd follow,not because of anything against the other two,but because most of what he's done for the club has been good,and mistakes he has made have been in good faith,i'd like the three to get back together and run the club together,probably no chance of that like.

[dickos1]

There's only 9 more games until the transfer window opens, so that's definitely not too late.