The Budget

[silent majority]

MR FROST HAS THE INCOME INCREASED,THATS THE ONLY WAY YOU CAN INCREASE EXPENSES UNLESS YOU WANT TO GET INTO TROUBLE.THE TIME SCALE HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH IT.

Well - the club reckons season ticket sales are a lot higher than last season, so income should have increased.

At the same point in time is what was implied.

Well, SM was confident of more than 5000 season tickets being sold. But of course the true number will never be released.

Yes, and I still am.

[NickDRFC]

3 things in life are certain - death, taxes and Mr Frost only weighing in on threads about budgets, attendances or ticket sales.

[vaya]

3 things in life are certain - death, taxes and Mr Frost only weighing in on threads about budgets, attendances or ticket sales.

Have you tried playing Fringo? - see how quick you can get all three:

"Attendances"

"Everything at other clubs is better"

"Everything in the past is better"

[the vicar]

Do we need to know what the budget and the players wages are or even if we are paying more than last season after promotion? All we need to know is what our team or squad is and are they entertaining us? Are they putting a shift in for the money that they paid? Also, we need to know when a player has been signed or sold. Other than that it has nothing to do with us.

[Bristol Red Rover]

Whilst it's always an important discussion to have, this topic arose because Marquis wants more than we are offering. And many comments are seeming to be based on us not offering enough.

1) What are we offering?
2) What is he wanting?
3) What would be the right amount?

I'm guessing no one here has a clue to the first two questions which discounts a lot of subsequent comments on our level of budget.

[big fat yorkshire pudding]

BRR, none of us can answer all 3 of them unless we work in football.  I've certainly no knowledge of what a competitive wage for Marquis is, so couldn't answer point 3.

[drfchound]

MR FROST HAS THE INCOME INCREASED,THATS THE ONLY WAY YOU CAN INCREASE EXPENSES UNLESS YOU WANT TO GET INTO TROUBLE.THE TIME SCALE HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH IT.

Well - the club reckons season ticket sales are a lot higher than last season, so income should have increased.

Some of the season tickets sold are in the 2 bob each category, the ones to encourage kids to start coming to games.
That wont bring in much revenue.

[drfchound]

3 things in life are certain - death, taxes and Mr Frost only weighing in on threads about budgets, attendances or ticket sales.

I was told early in life than a nurse is a certainty too.

[redbrez]

Is are budget really top end of this league?
Not wanting to stir but in my opinion it doest st look that way.
Just listened to ferguson on i follow and he still says we are short in numbers,and then near the end of it he says if we sign taylor it might change the decision on bringing Houghton or  I presume the un21 England midfielder in .?

We have only signed 3 players and we have let go released has many plus players we have loaned players out, maybe the budget isn't has good has we thought?
We are close to a good squad, but I agree we are still 2 too 4 players short ,

If the budget is tight I wouldn't blow it on one player taylor ? Even though I rate him it could be a gamble on how many games he could play?

[mushRTID]

If it's Taylor or Houghton + 1 other how can we justify signing Taylor?

It would be just our luck as well if we did that he'd be injured within a month.

The budget has clearly been hampered by not being able to get players out.

[IDM]

Or perhaps we haven't been able to get the players of first choice? The window is open for how much longer?

Maybe we don't rush to bring loads in so that we can leave room to replace the injured players from pre season??

[Alan Southstand]

The trouble is, the first game gets ever nearer and we are nowhere near getting a strong squad together. We now have 3 out longish term and no news yet on an experienced cb. The midfield is under strength and that's before we know what condition Copps is in after Saturday.

Lots of questions and not many answers. Also, we were supposed to be getting 5 in that wasn't reliant on any of the 5 transfer listed players leaving. We are still 1 short of the 5 that was talked about weeks ago.

Fingers out Gavin - it's time to step up.

[GazLaz]

Fergie is obviously having to scratch around. Andrew looks a good signing but the other two are only young lads. Last season we brought in Marquis, Rowe and Frenchie who I'd say we're our best three players right down the spine. You live and die by your signings as a manager but you can only spend what's available I suppose.

[MrFrost]

What's happening with the French midfielder?

[the vicar]

If it's Taylor or Houghton + 1 other how can we justify signing Taylor?

It would be just our luck as well if we did that he'd be injured within a month.

The budget has clearly been hampered by not being able to get players out.

DF did say earlier in the summer budget did not depend on players going out so he should remember what he said

[selby]

If budgets won football matches Burton,Yeovil,and countless other teams including ourselves would have not played in the championship in the last few seasons.
  It is how well you use the money you have got,too many teams like Bolton and Sheffield United have fritted millions of pounds away just treading water both on and off the field.
  No matter how much money teams have,only good management can make a club successful,it took Manchester United three goes, and millions of pounds to find that out.
 

[silent majority]

There's nothing wrong with the budget, its still a substantial one. Just because DF hasn't blown it all at once does not imply that we don't have funds to go around. One thing we should all bear in mind is that its a long season and spending all your funds right now is not the best way to run a football club.

In conversation with the club in recent days it was mentioned that we still have 3 players to come in, DF is just holding out for his first choice and wants to give that a chance to happen. He could sign someone today if he wishes, but he's playing the waiting game and he'll make the most of that opportunity.

[redbrez]

A bit more reassuring,  just we got transfers in early last year and I think we benefited , but if we have to be patient for the right players ,fair do.and frustraiting that we finished the season early last year to prepare for targets this year , backfired a bit :-)

Fingers crossed we get are main targets.

[Lifelong supporter]

Could sign someone today?
Playing a waiting game?
That's completely at odds with what he was quoted as saying after the Guiseley game.
He said he would know about Taylor over the weekend and wanted something wrapped up asap.

[silent majority]

Why is that at odds? I've read those reports again and I can't see any evidence of DF saying he wanted things wrapped up asap.

What he did say is;

And Ferguson said he expects the 31-year-old's future to be finalised over the weekend.

and also;

He said: "If we don't get him, there's one or two others I've got lined up, or certainly that are on the list.

[selby]

Just what is all the panic? we will not be the only club with a few injuries,or have not got every player we would like signed up by now.
   What we have  got is a young better squad than we have had for the last few years,a better management team,and a board of directors who do not meddle in team affairs,and back the manager as far as they can.
   I am sure that when we start the season Fergie will have us more or less where he wants us to be.

[silent majority]

Just what is all the panic? we will not be the only club with a few injuries,or have not got every player we would like signed up by now.
   What we have  got is a young better squad than we have had for the last few years,a better management team,and a board of directors who do not meddle in team affairs,and back the manager as far as they can.
   I am sure that when we start the season Fergie will have us more or less where he wants us to be.

Exactly!

[MrFrost]

The worry for me is that I don't see where we have strengthened from last season.
We've brought in young players. Two who played in League Two last season, one who as a little League One experience and another who played for us last season.

We have zero strength in depth.

[Dutch Uncle]

The worry for me is that I don't see where we have strengthened from last season.
We've brought in young players. Two who played in League Two last season, one who as a little League One experience and another who played for us last season.

We have zero strength in depth.

We let go ATS, Keegan, McSheffrey and some youth players; 3 loans came to an end - Mason, Houghton and Grant
We have signed Andrew - an improvement on ATS
We have signed Kiwomya - given where they are in their careers an improvement on McSheffrey
We have signed Whiteman (on loan) - again  given where they are in their careers an improvement on Keegan
We have signed Mason permanently and are hoping to re-sign Houghton
That leaves Grant to be replaced - maybe by Ben Khemis?

Anything else is a direct improvement on last season's numbers - experienced CH whoever it is? England U19 midfielder? Maybe still a young pacy defender? These would presumably be an improvement on Lund and Evina who have been loaned out.

Look at the appearances made last season by any of the players we let go or loaned out - not very many.

I know we are in a higher league, but I think we are already stronger than last season, and that is before looking at the progress made by players such as Mandeville, Garrett, May and Beestin

Me - put me down in the Ostrich camp   

 

[MrFrost]

The worry for me is that I don't see where we have strengthened from last season.
We've brought in young players. Two who played in League Two last season, one who as a little League One experience and another who played for us last season.

We have zero strength in depth.

We let go ATS, Keegan, McSheffrey and some youth players; 3 loans came to an end - Mason, Houghton and Grant
We have signed Andrew - an improvement on ATS
We have signed Kiwomya - given where they are in their careers an improvement on McSheffrey
We have signed Whiteman (on loan) - again  given where they are in their careers an improvement on Keegan
We have signed Mason permanently and are hoping to re-sign Houghton
That leaves Grant to be replaced - maybe by Ben Khemis?

Anything else is a direct improvement on last season's numbers - experienced CH whoever it is? England U19 midfielder? Maybe still a young pacy defender?

I know we are in a higher league, but I think we are already stronger than last season, and that is before looking at the progress made by players such as Mandeville, Garrett, May and Beestin

 

I disagree.

You can't comment on players we may sign, as they also may not sign.

ATS was injured all season, is Whiteman any better than Houghton or Grant? I'm guessing on par.
Kiwomya - better than Mcsheffrey? Again, we don't know.

League One is a much, much harder league than the one we played in last season. I guess it depends what the aim is? If it is merely to survive, we may just have a chance.

[bpoolrover]

we may be slightly stronger but not much, we prob ok with our best 11 but as others have said think we need some good additions still

[Dutch Uncle]

All about opinions Frosty, and it is to everyone's benefit that we are allowed to differ 

[Alan Southstand]

It's hard to tell with Whiteman because, as yet, he's hardly been noticeable. Kiwomya we have yet to find out what he is like!

I might be in a minority of one here, but I'm getting a tad concerned. I have tried to be patient, but we still are nowhere near having a competitive squad. Just my opinion, of course.

[Susan Abbott]

We have what we came up with and it's good enough to stay up but not much else .

[Bristol Red Rover]

We have what we came up with and it's good enough to stay up but not much else .

And that should definitely be the plan. To be spending to spring from League 2 to the Championship would be crazy - we'd definitely crash.

The side we have now, injuries aside, is better than what we had last season - even with a paltry confidence interval like Frosty you're taking the piss out of yourself to suggest otherwise. With other players to come in it will get even better.

Our side last season was better than the one that was relegated. Put those two together and sit back and enjoy the season's unpredictable rollercoaster.