Would prefer it not to need resizing on iPhone tbh - I thought posting a photo had broken my phone but it’s similar on the lap top using the m.

See, isn’t it just more obvious and sensible to think we (as a club) cannot attract/afford a certain calibre of player at the current time? The fact Mowbray and Waggott have already prepped the fan base for players leaving if the money is right this summer (in numerous articles), tells me that any notion of smashing our wage cap or transfer record relies on sales.

My view is this season depends on improving the defence. Grant Hanley would be a good addition for me. Future Scottish captain preened by the current one?

Again, easy to argue that Chapman, Rothwell, Davenport, Brereton, Armstrong et al will be key additions when given time to develop and meld with the talented players coming through the academy. We all know how much it would cost to instantly replace Graham - all though, you’ll likely make an Assombalonga of yourself suggest Graham’s not that good I’m with you there TP. There are some issues previously mentioned with this, for example one 30/40k pw in a team full of 15/20kpw has obvious pitfalls, and also the quality difference between lower Prem and Champ is massively surpassed by the cost. Thus, every decent waged proven championship player that comes available - there’s at least 3 clubs that’ll be able to offer “insane” wages compared to our perceived “cap”. Then probably 5 more with similar budgets. Its not as simple as it is played out to be for me. That doesn’t mean I’d be making excuses or not frustrated if the defence is unchanged come August! Putting nearly 10m in a season isn’t slow building imo. Plus - the strategy in this league to spend frivolously in the face of sanction isn't watertight either!

There’s many parts to that that could be argued. However the crux for me is I would sooner trust my cat’s decisions over the Rao’s perceived opinions, and he spends most days licking his own arse. Therefore I’m not particularly interested in the rumours attributed to their wishes about their “baby” TM once said he wanted to convince the owners that they should invest in the club again and trust there can be a positive return to the top flight, including some re-engagement with lost fans. He says a lot of things btw. What he has done (actions n words etc) so far is meet all the expectations I had, some bad choices, many good ones. It’s never that simple. I never advocated doing “nothing” either, I just pointed out how ridiculous your conclusions based on rumours are (in my view). Similar investment amount to last year, season upon season - I wouldn’t call that a small build personally.

...and the average wage has gone up even since then! However turnover is down! That’s my main concern. Id love for us to go out spend good money and smash the division, but I cannot go through another reaction to that if it goes wrong. If I was assuming TM and Waggott’s mindset - I’d suggest they’re concerned more by that than the Rao’s. Since were promoting the likes of Johnson, it suggests the current key decision makers “on the ground” have the have the right intentions for the future of the club. If they also think keeping wages and transfer investments within a remit we can afford without sanction, is beneficial - I’m happy to go with them on that. (Whilst not assuming the reason is because TM doesn’t want to spend is because he wont drop Bennett, or because he thinks Raya is an easy target scapegoat! )

See the “venkys keep transfer fees” stuff started around this time too - but common sense says a club losing nearly 50m in one calendar year might suffer down the line!

I think the new situation since Waggott has been as follows (he pretty much says it in his interview last year) Every 12 months there’s a budget. Flex between initial costs and wages. I don’t think our budget is far from last season thinking realistically about turnover and FFP, so it would take some comments more than TMs “I had to calm them down” quote to convince me there’s a conflict between the owners ambitions, and Tony’s willingness to risk his own job!

Actual evidence? Or do you mean like the rumour you based your input on?

Do you not see a difference between our current scenario and their initial takeovers? Depending on what you believe - our owners are already down the pan 150m due to “advice”. There’s no way they’re suddenly the experts, and if the rumours are true of them wanting to do spend again - doesn’t that fill you with dread? It certainly doesn’t fill me with expectation of them knowing what to do, or “caring” about us. I am quite sure that TM has kept budgets back, however there’s a difference between that and refusing to spend. Why are people so ready to believe the owners and their perceived “good” intentions over a bloke we’ve actually watched do some good?

“Sorry Lionel, I know you want to come, we can afford you, and the wage fits - I just don’t like you as much as Dack” Tony Mowbray (2019)

That’s assumed and pretty much a fantasy in my opinion.

Like Kean you mean? In your readiness to believe anything that makes TM look bad, have you considered that the people supposedly telling the owners to spend, potentially have their own players/agencies/pockets in mind? Its not like it’s happened before... And as for overspending then paying the price if you don't go up quickly.. it’s almost as if you’re ignoring that element of our recent history and trouble on purpose.

Isn't it arrogant to assume that we know the full story due to rumour/newsflash?

Do you not prefer the absence of rumour? I personally do. Id say the fact no real news story link has been published for 2 weeks suggests why this thread has deviated. Either way - if you sign in and the main content is bickering about something different - there’s probably no transfer news!

That’s the whole point of the links thread

A brief glance at the squad says otherwise.

Even you must’ve grinned through your teeth typing that. Others would call it common sense, since the previous 18 months of his tenure we’d only lost 1 home game, and he’d past all previous objectives of rebuilding a squad and pulling us back to this level. In the real world (not agenda driven WUM street), his accomplishments would’ve made him a popular choice with many other chairman / clubs, hence why a deal to keep him longer made sense. You know that football / transfer business isn’t like a visit to the Londis don’t ye? I mean, if it was so simple and easy, wouldn’t all the championship clubs have finished their business already?

Yea, because the manager is completely in control of all social media output. Theres this thing called thinking before you speak...

Precisely - I guess when you factor much of what TM has absorbed, it’s easy to see why many (like me) probably have a perceived bias or skewed view of his ability. We've had to hit the reset switch. We didn’t even have a “chairman” in the UK till last September, FFS.

Transfers in the championship are particularly difficult because the gap in quality/level between the lower reaches of the main division and top of the second is probably only marginal. However the average wage and turnover gap is vast. That means you’re either overspending and breaking FFP in the championship to get through it, or developing a few players and squad from the proceeds of selling other developed or cheaply acquired talent.

People like to joke about “flex” but it’s just a standard operating model for investment. If the running costs are high, the startup costs will reflect that. If the running cost is low, the business can afford to put more into capital or the startup. People constantly hark on about BB being a waste of “7m” but in hindsight, that long term contract would’ve probably cost more than the fee alone had we signed a 27 year old Danny Graham! The mere fact he is 19 and not yet established probably allowed us to put 2m in a guaranteed promotion fee, or 24 months instalments etc. If we’d signed Celina from City from his “basic” wage, (at a club where the average is nearly 100kpw) there is no way our turnover could support fee AND wages. I must be mad to be going over this again tbf but you know, we’re all a bit f**ed

Basically - a 2million pound deal might sound cheap on the basis the lad you’re signing is decent, but if he’s on 2m a year or 40k per week, and the club selling don’t want to honour his 3/4 years costing 6/8m + NI/tax etc - you’ll likely take a reduced fee to save long term running costs!

I think they’ll move one of the others up and bring someone in at a lower level. Good way to motivate and attract decent staff, we have George Boateng running the u14s don’t we?

I think it’s better to just react to the signings and then the first team come august. The previous summers to 17 seemed mainly just hoping the better players stayed. Regardless of the platitudes of the LET