Ferran Soriano & Txiki Begiristain

[Skashion]

They have taken about £30million per year (close to £50million off, close to £20million back on going by all the reported wages) off the wage bill without really weakening the squad, which deserves credit from these people who subconsciously seem to want them to fail.

Christ that's a phenomenal amount of money. At the start of last season we had the highest wage bill in the league by a considerable amount (202 million per annum compared to Chelsea's 173 million). You can understand completely when put in that context why we didn't put the likes of Van Persie, De Rossi, Cavani, onto the wage bill.

Got to say I was surprised Bridge and Roque Santa Cruz were let go, thought they were a shoe-in for new contracts.

 

[TGR]

They have taken about £30million per year (close to £50million off, close to £20million back on going by all the reported wages) off the wage bill without really weakening the squad, which deserves credit from these people who subconsciously seem to want them to fail.

Christ that's a phenomenal amount of money. At the start of last season we had the highest wage bill in the league by a considerable amount (202 million per annum compared to Chelsea's 173 million). You can understand completely when put in that context why we didn't put the likes of Van Persie, De Rossi, Cavani, onto the wage bill.

Got to say I was surprised Bridge and Roque Santa Cruz were let go, thought they were a shoe-in for new contracts.

Don't forget Danny Mills...

 

[BobKowalski]

They have taken about £30million per year (close to £50million off, close to £20million back on going by all the reported wages) off the wage bill without really weakening the squad, which deserves credit from these people who subconsciously seem to want them to fail.

Christ that's a phenomenal amount of money. At the start of last season we had the highest wage bill in the league by a considerable amount (202 million per annum compared to Chelsea's 173 million). You can understand completely when put in that context why we didn't put the likes of Van Persie, De Rossi, Cavani, onto the wage bill.

Yes it is and that is in part down to the lapsing of contracts signed during the Hughes period and getting players like Barry and Tevez out and replacing them with cheaper alternatives or 'players on more performance enhanced contracts' if you prefer. The £202m wage bill was also I think a reflection of us winning the PL and therefore includes bonuses (I could be wrong on this so if anyone knows different do jump in) so would have reduced anyway given the absence of success last season.

That the club was not keen to add to the wage bill in a big way last season was understandable even if it did screw us over a bit and this year we are seeing the benefits of quality leadership at executive level with a clear gameplan but equally they are also benefiting from the natural expiration of contracts signed during our intense bid to get to the top level when mistakes where inevitably made. Now that we are there (ish), taking stock and making the business side more sustainable makes perfect sense.

What Ferran & Txiki are doing is fine but I don't see the need to either fawn over them or belittle them. They will make mistakes but will get more right than wrong - even if they did fuck up a bit on the CB position.

And whilst we are taking business side of things how about a shout out to Tom Glick who does seem to be pulling out sponsorship deals like rabbits out of hat at the moment. It will be interesting to see the next round of figures and where we stand.

 

[Anonymous]

Yes it is and that is in part down to the lapsing of contracts signed during the Hughes period and getting players like Barry and Tevez out and replacing them with cheaper alternatives or 'players on more performance enhanced contracts' if you prefer. The £202m wage bill was also I think a reflection of us winning the PL and therefore includes bonuses (I could be wrong on this so if anyone knows different do jump in) so would have reduced anyway given the absence of success last season.

That the club was not keen to add to the wage bill in a big way last season was understandable even if it did screw us over a bit and this year we are seeing the benefits of quality leadership at executive level with a clear gameplan but equally they are also benefiting from the natural expiration of contracts signed during our intense bid to get to the top level when mistakes where inevitably made. Now that we are there (ish), taking stock and making the business side more sustainable makes perfect sense.

What Ferran & Txiki are doing is fine but I don't see the need to either fawn over them or belittle them. They will make mistakes but will get more right than wrong - even if they did fuck up a bit on the CB position.

And whilst we are taking business side of things how about a shout out to Tom Glick who does seem to be pulling out sponsorship deals like rabbits out of hat at the moment. It will be interesting to see the next round of figures and where we stand.

Yep, agree with all that. I think in hindsight they would probably also agree that the centre half situation was a fuck up.

Glick's killing it and frankly when Soriano said in the spring time that in a year we'll be a profitable I laughed, but maybe we will actually be there or thereabouts very soon.

FFP can suck a dick.

 

[supercity88]

The funny thing is that if the rags decline on the field as they have done off it, they will then have to pay huge amounts to secure players, who have doubts about the structure of the club. Hopefully wont be long before players come out saying they have joined City for the history and to win trophies and that despite the rags offering them more money they didnt want to go there.

 

[coleridge]

The funny thing is that if the rags decline on the field as they have done off it, they will then have to pay huge amounts to secure players, who have doubts about the structure of the club. Hopefully wont be long before players come out saying they have joined City for the history and to win trophies and that despite the rags offering them more money they didnt want to go there.

You don't know how bitter they are becoming, They will never admit anything.

I have probably already posted this when I was pissed [could be senility] but I had one at the bar upstairs on the Emirates airbus the other week. He was classless, couldn't take his Cliquot and was from Chorlton. All too much for this Didsbury-raised, Grammar School boy brought up on the Kippax. So I couldn't even be bothered to engage when he started calling me a 'bee'oh' and so I could him to STFU. Seemed to do the trick and I happily returned to the singing game with the stewardesses [you have to name a city/country anywhere in the world then sing a song about it]. I find it's always best to arrive at Dubai immigration in a grinning stupor but it''s not for lightweights. CTID

 

[Anonymous]

The funny thing is that if the rags decline on the field as they have done off it, they will then have to pay huge amounts to secure players, who have doubts about the structure of the club. Hopefully wont be long before players come out saying they have joined City for the history and to win trophies and that despite the rags offering them more money they didnt want to go there.

The landscape of football has changed as the Champions League has become more and more powerful. Clubs who regularly play CL football will regularly attract the top players if they choose to pay for them. The rags won't fall out of those places unless there's a significant meltdown over their new manager. We can live in hope ... :)

Apropos nothing in particular. Makes me laugh how Arsenal fans are lording it over Spurs fans because they signed Ozil. Make no mistakes, had Spurs finished 4th instead of Arsenal, Ozil would be a Spurs player. Fine margins.

 

[BlueAnorak]

Once again it's fascinating how we have so many threads discussing doomsday scenarios. What the fuck has actually happened? We've got more points than the rags, six points out of nine, two clean sheets, scored 8 goals in three matches. It's laughable the amount of bullshit I'm currently reading about "what if we finish 6th - what if we don't win a trophy - what if the players we've signed are all shit". You may as well be saying "what if the Sheikh takes his money and goes home".

This has to be just about the funniest post on Bluemoon that I ave ever read.

P.S. Don't worry Billy I believe that Pellegrini is too pragmatic to plough on with a suicidal high defensive line as AVB did at Chelsea.
As he did against Byern in the Audi cup he can defend deeply against good teams.

 

[Firasdo]

Re: Ferran Soriano & Txiki Begiristain

They have taken about £30million per year (close to £50million off, close to £20million back on going by all the reported wages) off the wage bill without really weakening the squad, which deserves credit from these people who subconsciously seem to want them to fail.

Ok we reduced the wage cost but we added 90 million transfers cost so I dont really think that we have reduced the total cost.

 

[George Hannah]

They have taken about £30million per year (close to £50million off, close to £20million back on going by all the reported wages) off the wage bill without really weakening the squad, which deserves credit from these people who subconsciously seem to want them to fail.

as any member of the Cabal will remind you!