Squad for next season

[vaya]

Plenty of people look on enviously at Peterborough and the transfer fees they have brought in from players over recent years. Nobody stopped and thought that it hasn’t done them any good? They are a club with comparable gates to us (a touch less usually) and have this rolling windfall, yet in the last 25 years have been in the Championship for around half the time we have (3 seasons and got relegated in two of those). You have to do something with your money and they don’t appear to be very effective compared to us.

Whilst I take your point it hardly addresses mine. The question is if clubs like Peterborough can demand such fees why can’t we?

Why is it important to you that we're seen to match other teams transfer fees?

[aidanstu]

Plenty of people look on enviously at Peterborough and the transfer fees they have brought in from players over recent years. Nobody stopped and thought that it hasn’t done them any good? They are a club with comparable gates to us (a touch less usually) and have this rolling windfall, yet in the last 25 years have been in the Championship for around half the time we have (3 seasons and got relegated in two of those). You have to do something with your money and they don’t appear to be very effective compared to us.

Whilst I take your point it hardly addresses mine. The question is if clubs like Peterborough can demand such fees why can’t we?

Why is it important to you that we're seen to match other teams transfer fees?

I think the question should be why don’t you?

I want to see the club progress and to do so that you can’t be seen to easy pickings, in terms of transfers, for other clubs. It makes no sense in a progressive model, or indeed any model of business to let your assets go cheaply. I think you’re arguing for arguments sake; you need to think this through.

Whilst Peterborough demand high fees we do not; it doesn’t stop them selling players and it doesn’t stop their want away players from
Leaving; what other clubs do know about them though is that if they want their good players they are going to pay the price; same with Barnsley.

We have a reputation in the game, or at least should have, that if you want a donny player in offer low and they’ll eventually cave. Why are you not concerned about that? And before you argue back name one player ever that we have got what the fans consider market value for.

[vaya]

Plenty of people look on enviously at Peterborough and the transfer fees they have brought in from players over recent years. Nobody stopped and thought that it hasn’t done them any good? They are a club with comparable gates to us (a touch less usually) and have this rolling windfall, yet in the last 25 years have been in the Championship for around half the time we have (3 seasons and got relegated in two of those). You have to do something with your money and they don’t appear to be very effective compared to us.

Whilst I take your point it hardly addresses mine. The question is if clubs like Peterborough can demand such fees why can’t we?

Why is it important to you that we're seen to match other teams transfer fees?

I think the question should be why don’t you?

I want to see the club progress and to do so that you can’t be seen to easy pickings, in terms of transfers, for other clubs. It’s makes no sense in a progressive model, or indeed any model of business to let your assets go cheaply. I think you’re arguing for arguments sake; you need to think this through.

With the best will in the world, you've unilaterally decided the club has let assets gone cheaply by setting your own benchmark and then decided it's not been reached. Fans don't set the market value, the market does.

It's a conflicting narrative that the owners/board apparently don't put enough money in, but also somehow willfully fail to realise the full worth of assets which would enable them to put even less in. It makes no sense.

I appreciate you're not a fan of the way you think the club's run at the minute, which is a view you're entitled to, but this thread's descending into a search for some kind of smoking gun metric to somehow prove this to everyone else.

[since-1969]

In another thread I raised my concern about, the failure of the club to ensure our better players  are on longer contracts, the constant need to rebuild the team and how, as a supporter, it is difficult to be a fan of a team that is constantly being overhauled.

Whilst some contracts may get sorted and there are options of extensions with some, this. As far as I can make out, is the current squad for next season.

John
Bostock
Williams
Boggle

Two of these players aren’t regular starters and the manager is also out of contract in the summer. I get shot down by many for critiquing the board but surely people understand my thinking, even in terms of sellable assets we would be lucky if we could get 1m for those players combined.

This business model really does bother me and as i have said elsewhere, in my view, you can’t build any successful business with such a transient core of key staff and management. If anyone can name any sports team that have used this system and achieved I’d be willing to hear it..

I do understand the financial difficulties the board face but there are other ways of developing g a team that encourage growth without the short termism. Barnsley and Burnley being great examples.

In that case, why don't you do us all a favour and go and support Barnsley.

You'll not be missed on this forum with your constant whining.

It’s not whining it’s genuine concern; just because you don’t have the foresight and are unable to offer a reasoned debate doesn't me I can’t do likewise.

One day, when this goes belly up, I hope you reflect on this discussion in a different light.

If we finish in the top 6 this season, which is the board's remit, I hope you reflect on this discussion in a different light.

And this is the difference between how I think and how you think. I don’t really care, to a point, where we finish in the short term, of course I would prefer success, but not at all costs.

If we go up next season we have to rebuild only having 8 currently contracted players, 3 of which don’t get in the first 11. That isn’t a foundation for entering one of the toughest leagues in the world.

If we go up we will some how have to find, between now and then, circa 15 players capable of playing at championship level. What do you reckon our chances of staying up year on year, or progressing further in those circumstances? We are destined to be a yo-yo club that develop youth for other teams and never progress from that due to the fact we receive nothing/ next to nothing for the few players we do have contracted.

You and I base success on different measures; this isn’t. As much as you may want it to be, a sustainable solution. You reflect the “I want it now” element of society where as I belive in steady, sustainable growth.

I’ve asked the question 3 times and not had one answer yet...can anyone name a sporting team that have  achieved sustainable success from using this model?

Rovers are amongst several clubs who want promotion for that extra revenue it will bring , but won’t want to dig deep to maintain its status . Without a productive U21s system in place they will have to plan for the worst but hope for the best .
What Covid has done is knocked , what progress there had been in that direction into touch and created a model for survival rather than than progress. Automatic Promotion has gone IMO as our luck has changed from a reliable to unpredictable .
Andy Butler will be under no illusion as he will need to use his leadership qualities gained over his playing career to galvanise a team who’s futures are not certain contractually and hope they will give their best and focus on the now !!

[silent majority]

Plenty of people look on enviously at Peterborough and the transfer fees they have brought in from players over recent years. Nobody stopped and thought that it hasn’t done them any good? They are a club with comparable gates to us (a touch less usually) and have this rolling windfall, yet in the last 25 years have been in the Championship for around half the time we have (3 seasons and got relegated in two of those). You have to do something with your money and they don’t appear to be very effective compared to us.

Whilst I take your point it hardly addresses mine. The question is if clubs like Peterborough can demand such fees why can’t we?

Why is it important to you that we're seen to match other teams transfer fees?

I think the question should be why don’t you?

I want to see the club progress and to do so that you can’t be seen to easy pickings, in terms of transfers, for other clubs. It makes no sense in a progressive model, or indeed any model of business to let your assets go cheaply. I think you’re arguing for arguments sake; you need to think this through.

Whilst Peterborough demand high fees we do not; it doesn’t stop them selling players and it doesn’t stop their want away players from
Leaving; what other clubs do know about them though is that if they want their good players they are going to pay the price; same with Barnsley.

We have a reputation in the game, or at least should have, that if you want a donny player in offer low and they’ll eventually cave. Why are you not concerned about that? And before you argue back name one player ever that we have got what the fans consider market value for.

But it's not the fans who decide on the market value! It's the market itself that decides.

I'll name two players who we got market value for, Ben Whiteman and John Marquis. They got sold for what the market was prepared to pay.

[NickDRFC]

Plenty of people look on enviously at Peterborough and the transfer fees they have brought in from players over recent years. Nobody stopped and thought that it hasn’t done them any good? They are a club with comparable gates to us (a touch less usually) and have this rolling windfall, yet in the last 25 years have been in the Championship for around half the time we have (3 seasons and got relegated in two of those). You have to do something with your money and they don’t appear to be very effective compared to us.

Whilst I take your point it hardly addresses mine. The question is if clubs like Peterborough can demand such fees why can’t we?

Why is it important to you that we're seen to match other teams transfer fees?

I think the question should be why don’t you?

I want to see the club progress and to do so that you can’t be seen to easy pickings, in terms of transfers, for other clubs. It makes no sense in a progressive model, or indeed any model of business to let your assets go cheaply. I think you’re arguing for arguments sake; you need to think this through.

Whilst Peterborough demand high fees we do not; it doesn’t stop them selling players and it doesn’t stop their want away players from
Leaving; what other clubs do know about them though is that if they want their good players they are going to pay the price; same with Barnsley.

We have a reputation in the game, or at least should have, that if you want a donny player in offer low and they’ll eventually cave. Why are you not concerned about that? And before you argue back name one player ever that we have got what the fans consider market value for.

But it's not the fans who decide on the market value! It's the market itself that decides.

I'll name two players who we got market value for, Ben Whiteman and John Marquis. They got sold for what the market was prepared to pay.

I agree to an extent - the market dictates rough prices but it’s the negotiating power of the buyer and the seller that will either maximise or minimise the sale price. It’s not like you just ask “the market” every time a player is bought and sold and it tells you the price.

I personally think that the fee for Marquis was a little low given he scored 60 league goals for us in 3 seasons, but if he wanted out and that’s the most that Portsmouth wanted to pay then not sure you can do much about that. From the Sunderland til I die doc it sounds like we slapped a ridiculous price on him in January and could possibly have got a fair bit more if we’d sold him at that stage, but can see why we didn’t given we were in the playoff hunt. Whiteman is much harder to assess given the conditions everyone is facing at the moment, it wouldn’t surprise me if fees dip over the next year or two so it could actually represent decent business.

[tyke1962]

Plenty of people look on enviously at Peterborough and the transfer fees they have brought in from players over recent years. Nobody stopped and thought that it hasn’t done them any good? They are a club with comparable gates to us (a touch less usually) and have this rolling windfall, yet in the last 25 years have been in the Championship for around half the time we have (3 seasons and got relegated in two of those). You have to do something with your money and they don’t appear to be very effective compared to us.

Whilst I take your point it hardly addresses mine. The question is if clubs like Peterborough can demand such fees why can’t we?

Why is it important to you that we're seen to match other teams transfer fees?

I think the question should be why don’t you?

I want to see the club progress and to do so that you can’t be seen to easy pickings, in terms of transfers, for other clubs. It makes no sense in a progressive model, or indeed any model of business to let your assets go cheaply. I think you’re arguing for arguments sake; you need to think this through.

Whilst Peterborough demand high fees we do not; it doesn’t stop them selling players and it doesn’t stop their want away players from
Leaving; what other clubs do know about them though is that if they want their good players they are going to pay the price; same with Barnsley.

We have a reputation in the game, or at least should have, that if you want a donny player in offer low and they’ll eventually cave. Why are you not concerned about that? And before you argue back name one player ever that we have got what the fans consider market value for.

But it's not the fans who decide on the market value! It's the market itself that decides.

I'll name two players who we got market value for, Ben Whiteman and John Marquis. They got sold for what the market was prepared to pay.

I also think it's worth mentioning too Silent that attaining top dollar for players doesn't necessarily equate to having top dollars to spend .

For instance if Rovers sold a player for £3m it doesn't mean they are in the market to purchase a £2m replacement .

£2m footballers come with £2m wage expectations .

Our record transfer fee paid has stood for 24 years despite the club receiving multi millions for our best players these last four years , off the top of my head over £30m .

I'm sure you agree that it's not quite so straightforward as some supporters tend to see it .

[aidanstu]

Plenty of people look on enviously at Peterborough and the transfer fees they have brought in from players over recent years. Nobody stopped and thought that it hasn’t done them any good? They are a club with comparable gates to us (a touch less usually) and have this rolling windfall, yet in the last 25 years have been in the Championship for around half the time we have (3 seasons and got relegated in two of those). You have to do something with your money and they don’t appear to be very effective compared to us.

Whilst I take your point it hardly addresses mine. The question is if clubs like Peterborough can demand such fees why can’t we?

Why is it important to you that we're seen to match other teams transfer fees?

I think the question should be why don’t you?

I want to see the club progress and to do so that you can’t be seen to easy pickings, in terms of transfers, for other clubs. It makes no sense in a progressive model, or indeed any model of business to let your assets go cheaply. I think you’re arguing for arguments sake; you need to think this through.

Whilst Peterborough demand high fees we do not; it doesn’t stop them selling players and it doesn’t stop their want away players from
Leaving; what other clubs do know about them though is that if they want their good players they are going to pay the price; same with Barnsley.

We have a reputation in the game, or at least should have, that if you want a donny player in offer low and they’ll eventually cave. Why are you not concerned about that? And before you argue back name one player ever that we have got what the fans consider market value for.

But it's not the fans who decide on the market value! It's the market itself that decides.

I'll name two players who we got market value for, Ben Whiteman and John Marquis. They got sold for what the market was prepared to pay.

To put your argument into context Ivan Toney, who is the same age as Whiteman and wasn’t a club captain went for 10 million to a similar sized club to Preston in the pandemic. Whilst I accept he is a striker, that’s 500% more than the best reported fee we got for Whiteman. Defend the club all you want but we were robbed. It bothers me that you and others are are just prepared to accept it.

I don’t think there is any type
of conspiracy or anything of that ilk but something is going badly wrong given the pattern of players leaving so cheaply. I’m simply asking why.

I don’t even care if the club reinvest the fee received directly into a transfer budget, I know the board are trying to sustain the club , but surely the best way of doing it is to stop selling cheaply.

[tyke1962]

Plenty of people look on enviously at Peterborough and the transfer fees they have brought in from players over recent years. Nobody stopped and thought that it hasn’t done them any good? They are a club with comparable gates to us (a touch less usually) and have this rolling windfall, yet in the last 25 years have been in the Championship for around half the time we have (3 seasons and got relegated in two of those). You have to do something with your money and they don’t appear to be very effective compared to us.

Whilst I take your point it hardly addresses mine. The question is if clubs like Peterborough can demand such fees why can’t we?

Why is it important to you that we're seen to match other teams transfer fees?

I think the question should be why don’t you?

I want to see the club progress and to do so that you can’t be seen to easy pickings, in terms of transfers, for other clubs. It makes no sense in a progressive model, or indeed any model of business to let your assets go cheaply. I think you’re arguing for arguments sake; you need to think this through.

Whilst Peterborough demand high fees we do not; it doesn’t stop them selling players and it doesn’t stop their want away players from
Leaving; what other clubs do know about them though is that if they want their good players they are going to pay the price; same with Barnsley.

We have a reputation in the game, or at least should have, that if you want a donny player in offer low and they’ll eventually cave. Why are you not concerned about that? And before you argue back name one player ever that we have got what the fans consider market value for.

But it's not the fans who decide on the market value! It's the market itself that decides.

I'll name two players who we got market value for, Ben Whiteman and John Marquis. They got sold for what the market was prepared to pay.

To put your argument into context Ivan Toney, who is the same age as Whiteman and wasn’t a club captain went for 10 million to a similar sized club to Preston in the pandemic. Whilst I accept he is a striker, that’s 500% more than the best reported fee we got for Whiteman. Defend the club all you want but we were robbed. It bothers me that you and others are are just prepared to accept it.

I don’t think there is any type
of conspiracy or anything of that ilk but something is going badly wrong given the pattern of players leaving so cheaply. I’m simply asking why.

I don’t even care if the club reinvest the fee received directly into a transfer budget, I know the board are trying to sustain the club , but surely the best way of doing it is to stop selling cheaply.

With respect Aidan you are trying to provide simple solutions to complex issues .

Club's today have next to nothing in leverage to keep their better players at their clubs and that's irrespective of how long they have left remaining on their contracts .

It's especially difficult when you are in league one and a player wants a move to an established and bigger championship club .

You have to take the best offer available and Rovers did just that in my opinion .

[vaya]

Plenty of people look on enviously at Peterborough and the transfer fees they have brought in from players over recent years. Nobody stopped and thought that it hasn’t done them any good? They are a club with comparable gates to us (a touch less usually) and have this rolling windfall, yet in the last 25 years have been in the Championship for around half the time we have (3 seasons and got relegated in two of those). You have to do something with your money and they don’t appear to be very effective compared to us.

Whilst I take your point it hardly addresses mine. The question is if clubs like Peterborough can demand such fees why can’t we?

Why is it important to you that we're seen to match other teams transfer fees?

I think the question should be why don’t you?

I want to see the club progress and to do so that you can’t be seen to easy pickings, in terms of transfers, for other clubs. It makes no sense in a progressive model, or indeed any model of business to let your assets go cheaply. I think you’re arguing for arguments sake; you need to think this through.

Whilst Peterborough demand high fees we do not; it doesn’t stop them selling players and it doesn’t stop their want away players from
Leaving; what other clubs do know about them though is that if they want their good players they are going to pay the price; same with Barnsley.

We have a reputation in the game, or at least should have, that if you want a donny player in offer low and they’ll eventually cave. Why are you not concerned about that? And before you argue back name one player ever that we have got what the fans consider market value for.

But it's not the fans who decide on the market value! It's the market itself that decides.

I'll name two players who we got market value for, Ben Whiteman and John Marquis. They got sold for what the market was prepared to pay.

To put your argument into context Ivan Toney, who is the same age as Whiteman and wasn’t a club captain went for 10 million to a similar sized club to Preston in the pandemic. Whilst I accept he is a striker, that’s 500% more than the best reported fee we got for Whiteman. Defend the club all you want but we were robbed. It bothers me that you and others are are just prepared to accept it.

I don’t think there is any type
of conspiracy or anything of that ilk but something is going badly wrong given the pattern of players leaving so cheaply. I’m simply asking why.

I don’t even care if the club reinvest the fee received directly into a transfer budget, I know the board are trying to sustain the club , but surely the best way of doing it is to stop selling cheaply.

Toney is a striker (different position) who went to Brentford (club at the different end of the Championship to Preston, pushing for the Premiership) so possibly not comparable.

Considering that Brentford previously sold Ollie Watkins (with a similar scoring record) for c. £30 million, the question could be asked as why Peterborough let Toney go cheap in comparison.

We're also back to the same point that if the board are trying to sustain the club, why would they be willfully letting players go 'on the cheap' - it makes no sense.

[ravenrover]

It was around the 2 million mark as reported; he was our young captain with considerable time left on his contract who had gone on to be a first team regular in the championship. How much do you think he was worth, more
To the point how much do you think he would have gone for if he was at Peterborough ? We were robbed like we were with Marquis and everybody on this board knows it; the difference is some of us aren’t blinkered.

And here was silly old me thinking the fee was undisclosed for both players, I'll have to pay more attention to your blatherings as you are obviously better informed
How do you keep a player who wants to leave even if said player is under contract at DRFC not Posh?

Ok so what do you think a player of his Calibre would be worth?

Doesn't matter what I think, it's what another club is prepared to pay, and that in the case of JM and BW is something we don't know

[aidanstu]

It was around the 2 million mark as reported; he was our young captain with considerable time left on his contract who had gone on to be a first team regular in the championship. How much do you think he was worth, more
To the point how much do you think he would have gone for if he was at Peterborough ? We were robbed like we were with Marquis and everybody on this board knows it; the difference is some of us aren’t blinkered.

And here was silly old me thinking the fee was undisclosed for both players, I'll have to pay more attention to your blatherings as you are obviously better informed
How do you keep a player who wants to leave even if said player is under contract at DRFC not Posh?

Ok so what do you think a player of his Calibre would be worth?

Doesn't matter what I think, it's what another club is prepared to pay, and that in the case of JM and BW is something we don't know

So I take it from that you thought he was worth more than the reported 2 million, anyway we can agree to disagree but when people start to fee unrest as there is no money for transfers or the club start making cut backs people might want to reflect on what could and should have been

[aidanstu]

It was around the 2 million mark as reported; he was our young captain with considerable time left on his contract who had gone on to be a first team regular in the championship. How much do you think he was worth, more
To the point how much do you think he would have gone for if he was at Peterborough ? We were robbed like we were with Marquis and everybody on this board knows it; the difference is some of us aren’t blinkered.

And here was silly old me thinking the fee was undisclosed for both players, I'll have to pay more attention to your blatherings as you are obviously better informed
How do you keep a player who wants to leave even if said player is under contract at DRFC not Posh?

Ok so what do you think a player of his Calibre would be worth?

Doesn't matter what I think, it's what another club is prepared to pay, and that in the case of JM and BW is something we don't know

So I take it from that you thought he was worth more than the reported 2 million, anyway we can agree to disagree but when people start to feel unrest as there is no money for transfers or the club start making further cut backs people might want to reflect on what could and should have been.

[ravenrover]

It was around the 2 million mark as reported; he was our young captain with considerable time left on his contract who had gone on to be a first team regular in the championship. How much do you think he was worth, more
To the point how much do you think he would have gone for if he was at Peterborough ? We were robbed like we were with Marquis and everybody on this board knows it; the difference is some of us aren’t blinkered.

And here was silly old me thinking the fee was undisclosed for both players, I'll have to pay more attention to your blatherings as you are obviously better informed
How do you keep a player who wants to leave even if said player is under contract at DRFC not Posh?

Ok so what do you think a player of his Calibre would be worth?

Doesn't matter what I think, it's what another club is prepared to pay, and that in the case of JM and BW is something we don't know

So I take it from that you thought he was worth more than the reported 2 million, anyway we can agree to disagree but when people start to fee unrest as there is no money for transfers or the club start making cut backs people might want to reflect on what could and should have been

You have no idea what I thknk. Pathetic little soundbites with no facts to back them up, you really must do better. Unrest, who very sweeping statements

[silent majority]

Plenty of people look on enviously at Peterborough and the transfer fees they have brought in from players over recent years. Nobody stopped and thought that it hasn’t done them any good? They are a club with comparable gates to us (a touch less usually) and have this rolling windfall, yet in the last 25 years have been in the Championship for around half the time we have (3 seasons and got relegated in two of those). You have to do something with your money and they don’t appear to be very effective compared to us.

Whilst I take your point it hardly addresses mine. The question is if clubs like Peterborough can demand such fees why can’t we?

Why is it important to you that we're seen to match other teams transfer fees?

I think the question should be why don’t you?

I want to see the club progress and to do so that you can’t be seen to easy pickings, in terms of transfers, for other clubs. It makes no sense in a progressive model, or indeed any model of business to let your assets go cheaply. I think you’re arguing for arguments sake; you need to think this through.

Whilst Peterborough demand high fees we do not; it doesn’t stop them selling players and it doesn’t stop their want away players from
Leaving; what other clubs do know about them though is that if they want their good players they are going to pay the price; same with Barnsley.

We have a reputation in the game, or at least should have, that if you want a donny player in offer low and they’ll eventually cave. Why are you not concerned about that? And before you argue back name one player ever that we have got what the fans consider market value for.

But it's not the fans who decide on the market value! It's the market itself that decides.

I'll name two players who we got market value for, Ben Whiteman and John Marquis. They got sold for what the market was prepared to pay.

To put your argument into context Ivan Toney, who is the same age as Whiteman and wasn’t a club captain went for 10 million to a similar sized club to Preston in the pandemic. Whilst I accept he is a striker, that’s 500% more than the best reported fee we got for Whiteman. Defend the club all you want but we were robbed. It bothers me that you and others are are just prepared to accept it.

I don’t think there is any type
of conspiracy or anything of that ilk but something is going badly wrong given the pattern of players leaving so cheaply. I’m simply asking why.

I don’t even care if the club reinvest the fee received directly into a transfer budget, I know the board are trying to sustain the club , but surely the best way of doing it is to stop selling cheaply.

I'm still unsure as to how you think we can get more money for players leaving the club when nobody wants to pay more. How does that work? It's not my argument that wants putting into context it's yours.

Add to that the fact that players want to leave, are even determined to leave, and that then leaves the club in a no-win situation. With Whiteman the club extended his contract and were determined to turn down offers received until their valuation was met, which is what they did. Whiteman, or should I say his agent, was going to ensure that he left when Preston came knocking. The pressure is on from both sides which leaves the club with no option. Seriously if they could have got more they would have done, but its your expectations that are not being met, nobody else's.

Marquis was very similar, he was determined to leave whether we liked it or not, and yet only one club made a bid for him. We couldn't hold onto him, nor could we force up the price when there was no competition for his signature.

[Chris Black come back]

If we are in League One next season, I like the look of Robertson as a permanent signing. Can’t see us having a chance with any of the other players bar Simoes, who hasn’t made a strong enough case yet.

As Butler has retired, I think we need to be looking at an established and dominant centre back, another central midfielder to go with Bostock and Robertson, then likely two wide players, with a further striker. If you add in a keeper to challenge Jones, those are your basic six we need, presuming out of contract lads are renewed.

[DonnyBazR0ver]

It makes me chortle when folk compare transfer fees for certain players. I think S_M has covered that very well.

What is difficult to see and understand is the finances below the surface at different clubs who use different strategies taking different degrees of risk. From what you could gather from Toneys sale, MacAnthony seemed desperate to sell to balance the books to help pay their bank loan repayments and sustain their higher wage liabilities. From his tweets he was almost prepared to drive him to whatever club he wanted to go.

Yes, Peterborough appear to have done well with their higher risk strategy, and they need to however, they have still to achieve their ultimate aim and you can debate whether their strategy is any better than our more prudent approach.

The fact remains that our owners will not be changing the strategy anytime soon. We can't afford to offer longer more lucrative contracts to unproven players and leaves ourselves with dead wood on our books. At the same time, they recognise the potential of certain players like Marquis and Whiteman by making sure we get good value in relative terms to what was invested in them.

I'm sure we can all recognise those players we couldn't get shut of because the manager of the day saw something in them that didn't materialise. Taylor-Sinclair, Cedric Evina, Danny N'Gussen spring to mind.

Who knows, after this Covid mess and whomever is confirmed as the new manager going forward, it will probably be time to look at things again, but I'm fairly sure the club will allow that manager to use their budget as they see fit rather than dictating to him how he should spend it. Even Chris Wilder chose not carry on managing with the owners wanting to go in a different direction.

[Bailey Vickerage]

Every one of the loans apart from simoes and balcombe are out of contract in the summer.

Think we may have a slim chance with sims if we get promoted but he would have to take a wage cut. Smith is another one who we could maybe a have a chance of getting back either on a permanent or a loan again if we go up but can’t see him wanting to stay in league one and I’d expect a few championship clubs coming in for him anyway with how he’s played this season and with him being a full time international. Think we would have a really good chance of getting John-Jules if we wanted him. Can’t see us getting Richards with the price that Brighton paid for him I would’ve thought that they would want to tie him down to a new deal and either get a bit of money for him or try and bring him into the first team like Villa have done with Ramsey. Robertson I’m not sure about because I know Neil Lennon rated him at Celtic and recalled him from Gillingham due to injury’s but he also wanted him to be around the first team so that he could be in the plans for next season so that will all depend on whether he’s in the new managers plans and he decides whether or not to offer him a new deal.

[aidanstu]

In another thread I raised my concern about, the failure of the club to ensure our better players  are on longer contracts, the constant need to rebuild the team and how, as a supporter, it is difficult to be a fan of a team that is constantly being overhauled.

Whilst some contracts may get sorted and there are options of extensions with some, this. As far as I can make out, is the current squad for next season.

John
Bostock
Williams
Boggle

Two of these players aren’t regular starters and the manager is also out of contract in the summer. I get shot down by many for critiquing the board but surely people understand my thinking, even in terms of sellable assets we would be lucky if we could get 1m for those players combined.

This business model really does bother me and as i have said elsewhere, in my view, you can’t build any successful business with such a transient core of key staff and management. If anyone can name any sports team that have used this system and achieved I’d be willing to hear it..

I do understand the financial difficulties the board face but there are other ways of developing g a team that encourage growth without the short termism. Barnsley and Burnley being great examples.

In that case, why don't you do us all a favour and go and support Barnsley.

You'll not be missed on this forum with your constant whining.

It’s not whining it’s genuine concern; just because you don’t have the foresight and are unable to offer a reasoned debate doesn't me I can’t do likewise.

One day, when this goes belly up, I hope you reflect on this discussion in a different light.

If we finish in the top 6 this season, which is the board's remit, I hope you reflect on this discussion in a different light.

I have seen you on another thread pulling people, in hindsight for quotes they have made,
turns out the board understood where I was coming from even if you didn’t. Want to make comment in hindsight?

[selby]

CBCB, with the likes of Cannon given a free from Portsmouth I would forget about Robertson if I was you, we can do better than him,as I am not sure he is offers more than Greaves and Hasani.