Investment

[griff]

Well, here we are again. Curle trying his best to sign three at the end of the window, and getting knocked back. Investment offers also being swatted back right, left and centre.

Meanwhile, we've taken in £400,000 in transfers out (according to Holt) and fair wedges from the games against the big 2 from Liverpool. By all accounts we were well insured for the flood damage, though trade was knocked back and we'll have suffered from that. There's also trading losses from seasons past and, no doubt, seasons yet to come. We should have spent better in the window, but we also need investment coming in to steady the ship going forward. Yet still offers keep getting knocked back (eh, Trust?) with regular monotony. And we're still in hock to Jenkins and Pioneer, with no sign of him settling on a deal for his shares and an agreement to settle some of what's owed to allow him to leave us debt-free.

So I wonder how Fred Story feels about stepping aside from his first ranking security to all

[moorlad]

I obviously have very little real idea what the transfer income is, but £400,000 or over is what I've heard a couple of times too. The Liverpool game generated more than was expected initially, and the Everton game is about to generate in excess of £350,000 (including prize money, TV and radio broadcast income, as well as the crowd). As Griff says a lot of repairs which were needed will be paid for by the claim on the insurance as well.

In the meantime I know of at least 3 bids for the club, or Jenkins' shares (or loans) which have been turned down by the reluctant custodians. The only things they are reluctant to do is appear on live radio and sell the ****ing club.

I can't imagine Fred being very impressed with what has gone on in the last 9 months or so, he let that loan go, I believe, on the understanding that the original Lapping bid would be accepted. The bid was rejected out of hand, then the best ideas, as Griff again points out were swiped.

As has be

[Piglet_Phoenix]

Whilst I concur with the majority of the views here, I don't really accept that we should necessarily have splashed the cash this transfer window.

I quite like the fact that the manager chose not to buy for the sake of buying (unlike the Abbott / Kavanagh philosophy of sign as many players as you can in the hope one of them turns out to be good). Whether you believe his reasons for not signing anyone is another question, but I don't think he would lie here - not even to protect his position.

I reckon that if he isn't backed in the transfer market to his satisfaction then Curle will walk away. That's my litmus test.

Meanwhile, Jenkins and Nixon are kicking back, smoking cigars, laughing at the supporters and still hoping to cash in on Blue Yonder. As has been the case for the last few years now, the club is not for sale and never has been.

[griff]

But what if Curle was given an unreasonable spending limit with which he couldn't compete with other clubs? The sort of amounts that made players say, sorry, I'll stay here then. Down to the Board, obviously, so I'm not sure that Curle really had the choice. So, yeah, he might walk away.

[Piglet_Phoenix]

Hypothetically yes. However, with the signings of players like Raynes, Ibhere, Kennedy and Ellis - I don't think the assumption holds any weight. I can't see seasoned professionals like these signing for peanuts - three of them dropping a division.

January is always a difficult transfer window due to the way contracts are managed these days (ending in June / July). In theory we should be set up quite strongly to have a decent amount if clout in the transfer market in the summer window.

Thinking strategically, is it more sensible to spunk your transfer budget away on a couple of over-priced January gambles or to wait and be better placed to bring in significant quality in the summer?