Our New found wealth is not helping us.

[Balti]

I don't think he is replacing them like for like. SWP, Vinny, Zabba, Bridge all improve us. Another 4 like that plus another ADUG Robinho signing and I'd be well happy.

Great side step to a simple question. I'm not mentioning good players as you have. I'm asking of Parker, Bellamy, RSC(even though I like the lad). They are clearly short term options.

How are they going to feel come the next stage of re-build, when they're going to be up for sale/ 2nd or 3rd choice options??

Now, I've had to make my point black and white, what happens then, in the given situation?

Well I'm hoping we see more SWP, Zabba's and Vinny's. We don't know that the players you mention are coming yet. Even if they did, and we were relatively uninspired then we'd have to wait and see whether they did in fact improve us before judging. If it turned out that they were a step sideways rather than a step-up then we would indeed find ourselves in exactly the same position as we are now and Hughes will have failed. At which point the 'big name manager' option starts to look the best route forward. (As it doubtless would have done had MH not already been at the helm when ADUG came in).

 

[i see skies of blue]

We WILL end up paying over the top for players, the most important thing is buying players who WANT to play for the team rather than just picking up a paycheque. We need to sign players who will have a decent re-sale value and not pay over the odds on wages to avoid a squad full of Danny Mills's on high wages we can't get rid of!

The players we already have should be busting a gut to prove themselves, not only to stay in the team but to remain high profile enough to get a decent deal elsewhere should they become surplus to requirements. If they aren't then they're not fit to wear the shirt and should be named and shamed.

Not sure about Santa Cruz but Parker and Given (players we have been liked with for example) seem like honest players. Bellamy is commited and has worked with Hughes before but is a bit of a loose cannon and has done the rounds already.

SWP and Bridge are good signings because they are fed up with the bench and have a point to prove and want to play football. They've tried it a chelsea, seen it isn't working and decided to make a go of it whilst they still can.

Big names WILL NOT want to join us now because we aren't challenging for honours - it's not going to happen overnight. We need quaility players with premiership experience who are up for the challenge.

It's an emotional thing supporting a club, ups and downs etc. Thats what makes it such fun! It would soon get boring if we won every week, complaining that every loss was a tragedy and the end of the world. Keep the faith, stick together and the good times will come. We have to be REALISTIC!

The money in football is drying up, the global finance situation will mean the next TV deal (both here and overseas) will not be as high and this has the potential to destroy many clubs (like Leeds, Forest, Southampton, Sheff Wed) unless there is a reallignment. We are lucky right now so long as the owners are fully commited but unless the club becomes self-sufficient we will have no future. See what is happening with Chelsea at the moment as an indicator of the pitfalls of a superrich owner tightening his belt.

 

[Anonymous]

I think our new found wealth has had a real negative effect on the club, for starters it has left half the squad knowing they are surplus to requirements, knowing they will be replaced sooner rather than later.

If that on its own is not negative enough the media have been reporting the names to be replaced in the press week in and week out, no coincidence then that the players mentioned performances have got progressively worse to such an extent that replacing them is now a matter of urgency.

Now January has arrived a month we have all been looking forward to, and even this has also turned in to a complete nightmare thanks again to our new found wealth which has become our Achilles heel.

We are being asked to pay in excess of £20 000 000 for a player like RSC, £10 000 000 each for players like Scott Parker and Craig Bellamy,then there’s the wage demands all speculation I know but figures mentioned like £100 000 a week, seriously it is taking the piss,.

Just wondered if anyone has any answers on how to deal with it ?

I think we might as well just break the bank for world class players than become a meal ticket for journey men, unless of course you think these players are worth the figures being mentioned ?

Early days yet but I think January could end up being a complete let down.

I pretty much agree on most of that.

I can understand to a certain extent Hughes feeling that if he's going to buy players in January, then he's going to buy ones who he knows will make an instant impact ie. proven premiership players. The problem is that those players are at other premiership clubs and it's going to be a case of either paying way over the odds, or accepting that we can't get them.

Truth be told, I'm disappointed because with the level of finance we have, I think it seems a bit daft to be haggling over a couple of million quid with Blackburn. I'm not saying by any stretch that RSC is worth even 15 million, but if that's the player that MH wants, then he should just get on with it and get him signed. We have a massive game at Pompey tomorrow, and it would have been nice to have RSC tied down as early as Bridge so at least he had the best chance of playing.

Personally I think this window will be a little bit of a let down for most, because everyone was hoping for the "star" attraction.

FWIW, players I think Hughes should break the bank for are: Lescott, Toure, and Given. I guess Toure may well be a non-starter now. Not sure who I'd target for the central midfield berth. We certainly need someone to play alongside Vinny...maybe he should test Villareal's resolve for Senna, or have a go at getting Frings. I think Podolski would be a quality addition to the squad as well...

Anyway, lets wait and see...

 

[OB1]

Without the new found wealth we might very well have ended up in administration so we should all thank goodness for the new wealth.

 

[i see skies of blue]

Without the new found wealth we might very well have ended up in administration so we should all thank goodness for the new wealth.

Agreed.

We still need to be fiscally responsible to avoid problems down the line. Let's not get carried away just yet...

 

[Brucie Bonus]

Without the new found wealth we might very well have ended up in administration so we should all thank goodness for the new wealth.

Oh yes. Our Arabs saved our bacon. Bloody hell! Have you seen this:

<a class="postlink" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mansour_bin_Zayed_Al_Nahyan" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;">http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mansour_bi ... _Al_Nahyan</a>

"Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan is now the majority share holder in Manchester City football club, however, since his recognition as club owner, Manchester City have found themselves in the bottom half of the Premier League, bringing some fan resentment towards Sheikh Mansour in his confidence shown towards Mark Hughes."

Whoever wrote that is not a native English speaker ("recognition" / "bringing some fan resentment"???). In anycase, would someone like to edit that? That's shit-stirring of the highest water. I smell RAGS.

 

[Thepostprague]

We WILL end up paying over the top for players, the most important thing is buying players who WANT to play for the team rather than just picking up a paycheque. We need to sign players who will have a decent re-sale value and not pay over the odds on wages to avoid a squad full of Danny Mills's on high wages we can't get rid of!

The players we already have should be busting a gut to prove themselves, not only to stay in the team but to remain high profile enough to get a decent deal elsewhere should they become surplus to requirements. If they aren't then they're not fit to wear the shirt and should be named and shamed.

Not sure about Santa Cruz but Parker and Given (players we have been liked with for example) seem like honest players. Bellamy is commited and has worked with Hughes before but is a bit of a loose cannon and has done the rounds already.

SWP and Bridge are good signings because they are fed up with the bench and have a point to prove and want to play football. They've tried it a chelsea, seen it isn't working and decided to make a go of it whilst they still can.

Big names WILL NOT want to join us now because we aren't challenging for honours - it's not going to happen overnight. We need quaility players with premiership experience who are up for the challenge.

It's an emotional thing supporting a club, ups and downs etc. Thats what makes it such fun! It would soon get boring if we won every week, complaining that every loss was a tragedy and the end of the world. Keep the faith, stick together and the good times will come. We have to be REALISTIC!

The money in football is drying up, the global finance situation will mean the next TV deal (both here and overseas) will not be as high and this has the potential to destroy many clubs (like Leeds, Forest, Southampton, Sheff Wed) unless there is a reallignment. We are lucky right now so long as the owners are fully commited but unless the club becomes self-sufficient we will have no future. See what is happening with Chelsea at the moment as an indicator of the pitfalls of a superrich owner tightening his belt.

Good post mate, I agree with all you say. This may not be popular with those who hate all things rag but how about a move for John O'Shea, no problems with relocating, not liked or appreciated by the rag support, has close friends at city, world class in defence or midfield and available for less than 10 million?

 

[Soulboy]

Couldn't agree more. The worst thing that ever happened to us was us becoming the richest club in the world.

Maybe we should just ask our owners to withdraw, then we can get back to being a laughing stock and the Arabs can get back to building a few more nice hotels.

Everyone's a winner.

Jeez.

 

[Failsworth_Blue]

Of course it's helping us and it's helping Hughes more than anyone because it gives him a chance to build 'his' squad seeing as he's incapable of getting the best out of most of the players who he's not bought

 

[allblues09]

I believe that the second half of the window will be more fruitful. Most teams are going to want to maximize their profit from selling players, so they are going to hold out until they are sure they have received the highest offer possible. As time begins to slip away and the clubs realize they need to sell more transfer will begin to happen. Give it some time. As Jamaicans say Soon Come.