by papereyes »
20 Nov 2008 23:42
Pseud O'Nym Xavier Onassis all might agree that we maybe didn't invest enough in the playing staff so that profit figure might get eaten into next time.
I don't agree really, I think that having a team well used to working together was the key to our 8th place in the first prem season.
I do think it was a mistake not to ring the changes in summer '07. Hindsight's a wonderful thing though, innit?
Quite interesting to look at what their summer spending has done for the current prem new boys:
Hull 6.5 million 6th on 21 pts
Stoke 17.5 million 15th on 14 pts
West Brom 19 million bottom on 11 pts
Just some thoughts ...
1) Hindsight? HINDSIGHT?
The sad thing is, I think, we spent more that summer than any other summer in the history of RFC (its up there, certainly) and somehow managed to end up with a weaker squad! Soccerbase also suggests that Stoke have spent about £11 million.
2) How in the name of all that is holy did West Brom spend £19 million (net?), given that they also sold Curtis Davies for the best part of £8 million? I know they decided to
put a Donk on it and he's possibly the worst player I've seen this season. I always think wages can be the decider. Bolton spent very little in terms of transfers at times but used the free transfer market astutely to add a touch of quality here, plug a hole in the squad there - Hull spent nothing on Geovanni and King in terms of transfer fees and that's 9 of their 19 league goals right there.
Soccerbase also suggests that Stoke have spent about £11 million (Maybe its wrong? I dunno).