On a football front, Rovers are very close to getting Adam Reach. Its taken a good while to discuss his astronomical wages and get them down, but we are very close to agreeing everything and it's hoped he will be with the squad later this week.
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On a football front, Rovers are very close to getting Adam Reach. Its taken a good while to discuss his astronomical wages and get them down, but we are very close to agreeing everything and it's hoped he will be with the squad later this week.
Ewood is too big for us now.
We are a mediocre championship club still looking at what we were instead of what we are currently.
I don't agree on the academy though champs i really dont.
We are recently got an award for the most academy products in the first team squad,yes its 3 million a year but the players we have in the team would cost far more to replace.
Nyambe
Rankin Costello
Lenihan
Wharton
Carter(fringes)
Travis
Buckley
All the above are in the first team squad and will be needed especially with money being so tight.
We have some good players on the brink of the first team and to be honest with a club without any interest anymore,apart from the hardcore faithful,we have a genuine chance of finding a few gems.
We need the fans in terms of revenue but if it means a few youngsters get slated after a couple of bad games,then we are probably better off without.
We need the academy champs because without it,we just don't have the money to bring in fresh talent.
Thats a good post that mate. I do agree and for years of course I have been banging the drum.
I have actually enjoyed seeing Travis etc get in the team and flourish.
The numbers we have brought through are undoubtedly good, and our first team has been half filled at times with our own academy players. In more recent times taking a slight step back and seeing the overall picture, they are good enough to get us where we are now. Alongside the current crop of players we have brought in. And we are a mid-table Champ side.
You simply have to make some money back from having these Academies aswell. We are not selling one every so often which they have to (other than Raya 2 seasons ago for £3.5m & that current windfall) as they are not massively improving once they hit the first team. For a while I really thought Travis was looking better every week, I felt last season he stuttered, but admittedly was injured. You can say that about alot of them that have got in the side, but aren't necessarily improving us. Or is it the other players we are bringing in? That's hard to say.
I root for them more, as they are ours. I want Buckley to be the classy little player I thought he was going to turn out to be. He may not make it at our level. Is that the coaching they get once they hit the first team? I think some are better than others. They look good sometimes, and others go through bad spells. Lenihan is a decent defender for the Champ. Is Nyambe improving, or JRC or any of these lads once they get in the side?
So this will be worth doing. I will copy what you put a realistic price on what these players would be valued at today, and would realistically go for in the transfer market, had we have to sell.
Nyambe - £1.5m
Rankin Costello - £500,000
Lenihan - £2.5m *with add on's
Wharton - £500,00
Carter(fringes) - free
Travis - £2m *with add on's
Buckley - Free
Butterworth - Free
Vale - Free
Total - £6m
I don't think we warrant it anymore, and I feel they could look at other models like Brentford. No academy, no under 23's all they have is a B team. And the first team. They rely on a scouting network throughout Europe and specifically the lower leagues. They look to constantly bring players through a production line then sold on, whilst they bring in the next person. And so on.
We are spending around £5m per year on our Academy & Brockhall. They have already looked to downsize earlier this summer but where they wanted to move the new training facility to was stopped due to residents blocking where they wanted to move it to. I think they are looking into the possibility of selling Brockhall altogether.
The bottom line is, Venkys are not getting a return on their investment. In transfer fee's or success on the pitch. This is production and structure is not going to move them into a league where they will make their money back. Me I'm happy if they stayed mid-table for the next 20 years. But at the rate they are mounting debt and not making any money in transfers they will not last another 20 years. And Venkys will have walked by then.
If they opted for another approach like Brentford then I feel and have for a season or so, there are other players out there we could have found who would as good, if not, better job, over the same period of time. At a fraction of the cost.
there are loads of quality players knocking around the leagues underneath us, and over-all while I like our home-grown players. Because they are ours. Maybe we can do all of this, but alot cheaper and achieve the same, if not better financially and on the pitch. At a fraction of the cost.
I just question where all is this going?
What direction are we heading right now as a club> Up or down?
Do we buy over 30 players? Do we blood young players? Do we buy and sell players on? I think its a mix of all which is half the issue.
That's why I feel something needs to change. Not a manger, or a coach. The structure and over-all direction.
We have lost our way I feel and are floundering into financial oblivion.
Brentford have done fantastically in their approach to things and would love us to follow that route but nobody seems to want to take the bull by the horns at this football club.
Venkys no nothing and still don't to this day,leaving the running to waggott and his merry men.
I understand that financially the need to sell the academy but I feel for now it's our only source of player until we find a few pro active football men,instead of who we have now.
From top to bottom needs looking at and addressing but that starts at the top and if that isn't interested,then what hope do we have?