Have we waved the white flag

[norfolkbroadslim 223]

14 minutes ago, Michael Starr said:

You're suggesting that they plan year by year?! They'll have a five year plan in place... Webber will be looking at season 2023 to 2025. Nobody would have predicted promotion last season... this is a free hit on a longer plan which helped us move on dead wood, secure long term deals for our brightest talent, thus creating high value assets and step us forward on our LONGER TERM STRATEGY.

Sheff United... short term focus. This season they are doing great... do you think they'll reach these heights again next season?! Do you think that they'll be able to sustain spending at 22m for a single player? Financial Fair Play rules apply.

He may be, but not with us!

[Indy 3,283]

This five year plan never existed, it was a figure quoted to get back to financial stability and growth to challenge a promotion push.

As quoted no one expected promotion, this season is a free hit at it, give it our best shot and build which is exactly what this window has been about. Not given up, but certainly planning for it!

[norfolkbroadslim 223]

4 hours ago, Terminally Yellow said:

The accounts are publicly available. We don’t have the cash available. Our owners do not subsidise the club whatsoever - they can’t afford to. 

I think you can succeed in the Premier League on a budget. Burnley are the best example of that. But to do it you need to recruit the right people. That absolutely hasn’t happened.

I think you'll find, Burnley have spent a fair bit in their time in the PL.

[norfolkngood 1,086]

The Problem was our Owners Did not have the Money to put in at Start of Season ,

By the looks of it once all the sky money is in for this season we will make a profit 

 Delia as a owner with limited funds is what we have and  that i believe held the club back this season 

The Team needed investment at the start of the season to help the squad 

a owner with say 20 million to put in at the start of the season and to be taken out as the sky money came in may of helped  

i would say this season Transfer fees spent must be lowest in EPL history ?

 

[Indy 3,283]

4 minutes ago, nutty nigel said:

Where has Webber said they're  planning to be bottom? And where is the bit about changing their plans if they found themselves where Sheffield Utd are?

You quoted that nutty! I’ve not said that! .........you said, which implies the club always planned to be bottom!

 

Your Quote.....But our club hasn't given up. This was always the way it was planned. All they haven't done is change that plan because we were bottom in January.....

[norfolkbroadslim 223]

2 hours ago, Bovril said:

Above are the transfers of Sheffield United. How many of them would you categories as a success? 

Luke Freeman - Doesn't start

Callum Robinson - loaned back to the championship

Ravel Morrison - loaned back to the championship

Oliver Mcburnie - The odd goal for £17m

Every club has hits and misses.

That's not massively relevant when Sheffield United are staying up.

[nutty nigel 7,509]

1 minute ago, Indy said:

You quoted that nutty! I’ve not said that! .........you said, which implies the club always planned to be bottom!

 

Your Quote.....But our club hasn't given up. This was always the way it was planned. All they haven't done is change that plan because we were bottom in January.....

Sorry Indy, I was talking about the approach to transfer windows.

[Indy 3,283]

I still don’t get why people are so upset with the club doing things the right way, planning for reality! Hoping for the miracle!

As I said earlier:

 

We’ve added Duda on loan to see if we can possibly get a run going........sensible.

We’ve added a sold experienced pro in Rupp.

We’ve not sold anyone of any note

We’ve bought two really good youngsters loaned back, with bags of potential to replace those players we know will be going to bigger clubs.

We’ve loaned out majority of our youngsters who will be promoted to the senior side next year to get first team football.

We are going to be relegated from where we were at the start of the window so yes the club under its current financial restrictions and model, it’s been a solid window for our club.

[Indy 3,283]

2 minutes ago, nutty nigel said:

Sorry Indy, I was talking about the approach to transfer windows.

But I totally agree with this approach Nutty, this window has been to change a misfit Amadou and try Duda, more attacking option buy an experienced midfielder to sure it up and real ease a few who weren’t in our plans.

Then to build for next year by buying two quality youngsters ready to come in the summer.....I can’t say we’re seeing a January which States anything other than we hope to stay up but if we go down we’re in the best position to take the hit of selling a few players but have replacements in place.

[The Great Mass Debater 1,078]

Can anyone explain the advantage of cancelling Amadou's loan? We havent by all accounts had any reimbursement of the loan fee. We will save on his wages, but were they really that much of a millstone around our neck?

We have lost cover in he CB position and a player fit enough to play in DM every week, unlike Tettey.

We brought Duda in before this last minute move so it wasnt to free up a loan spot.

Was he such a disruptive influence that he needed to be bombed out of the club as soon as possible?

Was he so poor they wanted to cut their losses? 

Was he just deeply unhappy and wanted to move on and the club have not stood in his way?

 

I just dont see how letting him leave without having replaced him makes us stronger?

[norfolkbroadslim 223]

2 minutes ago, The Great Mass Debater said:

Can anyone explain the advantage of cancelling Amadou's loan? We havent by all accounts had any reimbursement of the loan fee. We will save on his wages, but were they really that much of a millstone around our neck?

We have lost cover in he CB position and a player fit enough to play in DM every week, unlike Tettey.

We brought Duda in before this last minute move so it wasnt to free up a loan spot.

Was he such a disruptive influence that he needed to be bombed out of the club as soon as possible?

Was he so poor they wanted to cut their losses? 

Was he just deeply unhappy and wanted to move on and the club have not stood in his way?

 

I just dont see how letting him leave without having replaced him makes us stronger?

Amadou wanted to leave and go back to Spain.  I don't think the club were desperate to keep him either, mind you.

[nutty nigel 7,509]

5 minutes ago, Indy said:

But I totally agree with this approach Nutty, this window has been to change a misfit Amadou and try Duda, more attacking option buy an experienced midfielder to sure it up and real ease a few who weren’t in our plans.

Then to build for next year by buying two quality youngsters ready to come in the summer.....I can’t say we’re seeing a January which States anything other than we hope to stay up but if we go down we’re in the best position to take the hit of selling a few players but have replacements in place.

This is exactly what we were told to expect right from last May. It's not dependent on us being bottom. It would have been the same wherever we were. The criticism on here was also what we were told would happen. We were also told it would be ignored. 

 

[Indy 3,283]

1 minute ago, nutty nigel said:

This is exactly what we were told to expect right from last May. It's not dependent on us being bottom. It would have been the same wherever we were. The criticism on here was also what we were told would happen. We were also told it would be ignored. 

 

I disagree with that Nutty, had we been safe now I’m sure that Duda would have been permanent, Rupp would never been signed and we would have seen a couple more big money loans in too. To say our position has not impacted this window is wrong and I think a man of your intelligence knows it. 😉👍

[nutty nigel 7,509]

7 minutes ago, Indy said:

I disagree with that Nutty, had we been safe now I’m sure that Duda would have been permanent, Rupp would never been signed and we would have seen a couple more big money loans in too. To say our position has not impacted this window is wrong and I think a man of your intelligence knows it. 😉👍

Have to disagree again Indy. There may have been an option to buy but there again there might still be.

You had to bring my intelligence into it😐

Have you been talking to my old teachers? If any are still in the land of the living....

[Badger 2,405]

5 hours ago, sonyc said:

Some loans you win, some you lose. Agree it's probably something like a 50/50 gamble.

The same applies to purchases too.

If we had bought Amadou and Roberts instead of loaning them we would have been £25 million poorer + probably another 3 and 1/2 years wages!

[Samwam27 519]

1 hour ago, norfolkbroadslim said:

Amadou wanted to leave and go back to Spain.  I don't think the club were desperate to keep him either, mind you.

I applaud the plan. It's frugal and brave, and is now basing a self funding model on buy young, develop and reap the reward, look to buy sensible re[placements, start the process again.

But as a fan it's highly frustrating as this hopes we will stay up with what we have, rather than investing sensibly in "strengthening the team" We didn't need wholeesale changes, just improvements in certain areas. We needed to improve the defence and whilst Byram has been the only success in the summer transfers, he wasn't bought to strengthen it, but to improve the cover.

We desperately needed to improve the CDM role, and Amadou hasn't cut the mustard all season ( perhaps a bit unlucky to be sucked into the defensive crisis) but hasn't looked anywhere near a £10m player, and now he's gone, we're light yet again. But he didn't just decide yesterday he was unhappy, management would have been well aware and should have been [planning on his departure with a suitable replacement. We have no idea if Rupp has been bought for that role or just another "versatile" player. Amaedou was bought for that reason but looked like a rabbit in a headlight in defence, and little better in the very few CDM chances he got.

I think we could and should have planned better. So I don't feel we've given ourselves anywhere near the best change we could to stay up, and we are investing more in hope that no-one crucial gets injured (e.g. tettey and for that matter Klose who could break down soon after getting back to fitness-it happens!)  

It was always going to be tough, I don't think our Board has fully supported Farke (yes he knew the situation) but could now be argued they still haven't learnt their lesson (over spent on journeymen like Naysmith last time, and hardly opened the purse strings this time)

If we go down (it hasn't happened yet and a great result today puts us right back in it) then we have bought some exciting prospects for next year, expecting the departures if we're relegated. Under Farke I'd still expect to have a strong squad in the Champiosnhip, but that doesn't take away it's horrendous being a yo-yo club. Being a top 26 team doesn't cut the mustard for fans. We want to be more ambitious and become an established Premiership team

[Terminally Yellow 2,448]

1 hour ago, norfolkbroadslim said:

I think you'll find, Burnley have spent a fair bit in their time in the PL.

Absolutely, but not at the start.