3 hours ago, paulhanley said:

Interesting to contrast our transfer strategy with our three nearest and dearest neighbours. 

We are out there clearly trying to sign players whose age is such that their value has a chance of rising in coming years. The closest to us just now seems to be Stockport. However they have only made two such signings and lost quite a few of their main squad from last season. So they are wheeling and dealing like us with some action undoubtedly still to come

Blackpool meanwhile are right in at the experienced end of the market signing five players in their later 20s/early 30s, all bar one of whom have been on free transfers. They may well prove solid stuff for next season including a centre half from Stockport as per above.

Meanwhile the pie pests have signed three strikers who do not have any record of goalscoring at League 1 level - not even Mullin who they have on loan. 

In terms of immediate impact/solidity for next year you might be happiest so far if you're Blackpool. But signing a bunch of experienced free transfers (Ennis excepted, he cost a fee) is something that rarely works out how you think it will. 

If you were looking from the outside at present you would look at our squad and not be impressed .  &nbsp
Blackpool look solid signings and Wigans strike force you can argue is better than what we have for now you can say there unproven but our signing is also at league 1 level as well and apart from that we only have mcatee 

But I think once our squad takes shape looks more balanced we will be ok .we might look weaker as more players are moved on before we get more signings in for example  It looks like we will have 2 inexperienced keepers by the end of the week but it’s august that counts no panic yet 

Edited June 30, 20251 yr by Farnywhite

2 hours ago, Whitesince63 said:

I thought the Swedish guy was a defensive midfielder not a left back? Looks like a deal may be fone for him so we’ll wait and see. Another 6 footer though so the giants are continuing to gather.

That was my understanding too and if so could be the most important signing of the season . We havent had a proper DMC since MJ .

We’re buying young big strong lads with potential to develop to compete against seasoned pros. It’s a gamble which shows confidence in the management team - and the reality that we can’t compete financially with a lot of clubs.

 

4 hours ago, Wanderlust said:

We’re buying young big strong lads with potential to develop to compete against seasoned pros. It’s a gamble which shows confidence in the management team - and the reality that we can’t compete financially with a lot of clubs.

 

Why do people keep saying this, that we can’t compete financially?

We’ve spent more than we’ve ever done at this level and I’ve no idea if we can spend loads or not but I’m going to suggest you can’t possibly know either.

58 minutes ago, tomski said:

Why do people keep saying this, that we can’t compete financially?

We’ve spent more than we’ve ever done at this level and I’ve no idea if we can spend loads or not but I’m going to suggest you can’t possibly know either.

This.

There's only been the odd team over the last few seasons that have spent more than us.

This season, Huddersfield are obviously splashing the cash.

Last season it was Brum - Wrexham went up because of Parky's tactics rather than spending dosh on talent.

Season before, Derby spent £££ on wages. and Sheff Wed still had some championship salaries.

Ipswich spent money too after their takeover.

That's not many over the past 3/4 seasons.

There's nothing to substantiate that argument at all.

5 hours ago, Krimzon said:

That was my understanding too and if so could be the most important signing of the season . We havent had a proper DMC since MJ .

No he is a DMF, but also can play left back.....I think he maybe a punt as cover for Simonds at DMF who i expect to start in that role and will be up against Conway for left back.

24 minutes ago, Steejay said:

This.

There's only been the odd team over the last few seasons that have spent more than us.

This season, Huddersfield are obviously splashing the cash.

Last season it was Brum - Wrexham went up because of Parky's tactics rather than spending dosh on talent.

Season before, Derby spent £££ on wages. and Sheff Wed still had some championship salaries.

Ipswich spent money too after their takeover.

That's not many over the past 3/4 seasons.

There's nothing to substantiate that argument at all.

Wrexham spent plenty beforehand on fees for a few players, but also on wages for free agents.

It's been happening since the Holywood arrivals in 2021.

Some of the fees and wages may not seem big in their own right, but in the leagues they were in, they were substantial.

No doubt Parky identified the right sort of player to get them promoted, but some of those players were of a much higher calibre than others could consider.

Our wage bill be easily in the top 3 in the division. 

Sure it was between us and Derby that Oxford Play off season.

I doubt we'd be signing him as cover

But it seems such a strange one - I've got no idea how he'd be on our radar

And it seems this morning that his agent has been making threats to their board to force a move

Bizarre 

5 minutes ago, gonzo said:

Our wage bill be easily in the top 3 in the division. 

Sure it was between us and Derby that Oxford Play off season.

You would imagine that to be so now.

Perhaps not so in FV early days.

Who will be towards the top?

Huddersfield, Plymouth and the other relegated sides?

I would Imagine Stockport have/had a few on decent money, though maybe that is changing. 

8 minutes ago, Lt. Aldo Raine said:

I doubt we'd be signing him as cover

But it seems such a strange one - I've got no idea how he'd be on our radar

And it seems this morning that his agent has been making threats to their board to force a move

Bizarre 

The Fergal effect. 

17 minutes ago, Lt. Aldo Raine said:

I doubt we'd be signing him as cover

But it seems such a strange one - I've got no idea how he'd be on our radar

And it seems this morning that his agent has been making threats to their board to force a move

Bizarre 

More than delighted if he gets in before Simonson.....Good to have two DMF

SS doing his one to one sessions.

Those flashbacks are Blackpool away.

 

S

53 minutes ago, Tonge moor green jacket said:

Wrexham spent plenty beforehand on fees for a few players, but also on wages for free agents.

It's been happening since the Holywood arrivals in 2021.

Some of the fees and wages may not seem big in their own right, but in the leagues they were in, they were substantial.

No doubt Parky identified the right sort of player to get them promoted, but some of those players were of a much higher calibre than others could consider.

Aye, the bought Sam Smith for £2m in Jan and also brought in Jay Rodriguez 

9 hours ago, Farnywhite said:

If you were looking from the outside at present you would look at our squad and not be impressed .  &nbsp
Blackpool look solid signings and Wigans strike force you can argue is better than what we have for now you can say there unproven but our signing is also at league 1 level as well and apart from that we only have mcatee 

But I think once our squad takes shape looks more balanced we will be ok .we might look weaker as more players are moved on before we get more signings in for example  It looks like we will have 2 inexperienced keepers by the end of the week but it’s august that counts no panic yet 

That's a fair summary. If the season kicked off tomorrow the squad looks really unbalanced, but we have to buy and sell when we can. 

Some positions now look massively overstocked (central mid and centre backs) so hopefully we can sell a few and add the needed wingers, full backs and another striker. 

All the business so far has been decent though imo

2 hours ago, tomski said:

Why do people keep saying this, that we can’t compete financially?

We’ve spent more than we’ve ever done at this level and I’ve no idea if we can spend loads or not but I’m going to suggest you can’t possibly know either.

Two things:

If our ambition is to move up the leagues the teams that are competing for the quality of players we need are in higher divisions than League 1

The money we have spent on transfers and wages over the last few seasons has been competitive, but that money has gone now and there is no evidence that there is an endless stream of it.

I was noting the club comments of freeing up squad places for development players. I read that as less senior squad but hopefully a better team approach.

49 minutes ago, Zico said:

Aye, the bought Sam Smith for £2m in Jan and also brought in Jay Rodriguez 

Rodriguez has had his day. He’s their Jerome now Fletcher’s gone.

 

 

Since the takeover, we've consistently spent 'big' in comparison to our league status.

Even in season 1, the COVID season, we jumped the gun to get Doyle & Sarcevic on big wages before the EFL deadline where the £65k a year salary cap came in.

Irrespective of your views on the pair (esp Sarce) we wouldn't have gone up without those early budget-busting deals.

9 minutes ago, Steejay said:

Rodriguez has had his day. He’s their Jerome now Fletcher’s gone.

 

 

Fletcher was their top scorer last season but they went out and got two new forwards in Jan to bolster their promotion push because they could

I very much doubt JR will start many games next season now they've signed Hardly and are apparently after Danny Ings

2 hours ago, gonzo said:

Our wage bill be easily in the top 3 in the division. 

Sure it was between us and Derby that Oxford Play off season.

We’re usually in top 6 wage bill wise . This season you can say Luton , Cardiff , Wycombe , Huddersfield for certain may be Plymouth , Rotherham , Stockport similar 

the derby promotion season Pompey , derby , Oxford , Charlton Wigan were higher 

Edited July 1, 20251 yr by Farnywhite

To be fair I think the money we spend for our level is very competitive but I’d expect it to be considering we average over 21k fans in the third tier. 

Club our size should easily be able to compete financially in L1, it will be when we eventually get promoted to the Championship that we may struggle unless we attract more investment. Some seriously wealthy owners in that league.

34 minutes ago, Wanderlust said:

Two things:

If our ambition is to move up the leagues the teams that are competing for the quality of players we need are in higher divisions than League 1

The money we have spent on transfers and wages over the last few seasons has been competitive, but that money has gone now and there is no evidence that there is an endless stream of it.

I was noting the club comments of freeing up squad places for development players. I read that as less senior squad but hopefully a better team approach.

To counter this view, I'd suggest handing out 4 year deals to players (one of whom had Championship offers), bidding £500K for N'Mai and Kenny, actively looking to bring in more players whilst also sucking up the large costs involved in paying off last seasons management team, would suggest the supply of money is still there and the evidence is that the stream will continue.

Everything i have been told is that the investors will continue to back the club. SS only came because he was promised a sizeable budget to compete at top end of League One and evidence suggests this to be the case. The money is largely being drawn from high net worth investment funds, and the commitment from them to BWFC is relatively small fry. Small risk high reward for them. I expect we've got another 2-3 years of this level of investment before the investors start doing some introspective work!

Our budget will be top 4 or 5 in the division this season. No guarantees of course, and I personally feel the 4 year contracts do represent some risk. I also feel the suggestion of a smaller squad (based on our historical injury record) represents some risk but i'd expect us to be top 6 this season and a team that improves as the season goes on.

With my 'speculating' hat on now, I think its possible a centre half goes this summer (right sided - Forrester or Toal), a centre mid goes (but God knows who), and I'll throw out some wild speculation that SS may try to convert Thomason into a left back (where he did play and did ok for one game last season)

We should be top of the average attendance league this season if that's an indication of anything 

2 minutes ago, Zico said:

We should be top of the average attendance league this season if that's an indication of anything 

But will we be top of the 'actual' attendance league? 🙂 

13 minutes ago, Zico said:

Fletcher was their top scorer last season but they went out and got two new forwards in Jan to bolster their promotion push because they could

I very much doubt JR will start many games next season now they've signed Hardly and are apparently after Danny Ings

They’re also reported to be looking at Keillor-Dunn at Barnsley so you can be sure they’ll be signing someone for decent money especially as their stated intention is promotion again.