Transfer Policy and Squad Size - what do you read into it?

[kwik-silva]

BBC Sport has said Shorey will be allowed to leave if the right offer comes in...

What does everyone think?

[Arnie_Pie]

I think it has been discussed all day on other threads.

Anyway. 7 years good service and the minimum we will get will be way over 100 times what we paid for him.

[Denver Royal]

I have very little time for Shorey now. We are better off without him and with a few £m more in our account.

I would say that depends on who we spend that money on (assuming we spend it at all, which isn't certain). If spend it on players like Fae, then I would say, no, we aren't better off.

Be that as it may, let me ask you this: Two years ago when we were promoted to the Premiership, did you anticipate that once we were relegated there would be no money available...especially since, as it turned out, we didn't spend much when we were in the Premiership anyway.

[Platypuss]

I think you should have checked it wasn't already being discussed.

[RoyalBlue]

Surely you have to admire the honesty?

Well it makes a change from what they've fed us previously about 'real ambition' and 'competing effectively at this level'! Doesn't make it any less stupid though!

I don`t care if this is a dodd, but I think it deserves its own thread.
for anyone that reads the EP the headlines jumped out of the paper at me today.
so now we must sell before we can buy states the chairman, it begs the question, what has happened to the transfer funds that were not spent last season? SC went public and stated that the funds were there but he chose not to spend..was he lying?..doubtful
Nigel Howe now says there is a hole in our budget, what happened to the millions in TV money from the premiership?..and don`t tell me it was all spent on wages..thats total bollocks!!!
so who is telling porkies here?..there is quite clearly money at this club, BUT WHAT THE F*CK AS HAPPENED TO IT???

Spot on. People go on about the tv revenue but forget all the other signicant sources of income that the club enjoyed in the record year and subsequent 2 years in the PL. Sponsorship, advertising, full stadium and associated match day sales, merchandise etc.

Yet, IIRC, we still get a loss in the promotion year and only a small profit in the PL! Maybe the money isn't 'skimmed off' but just how much is paid across to other parts of the Madejski business/personal empire through clever accounting, inter-company trading, repayment of loans etc?

David Sullivan is on record as offering to go through Birminghams accounts on an 'open book' basis with the Birmingham fans. I wonder how keen JM would be to do the same. Not all fans, just one will do, just so long as he/she is a clever & slightly cynical/untrusting accountant desperate for the club to get straight back up.

[Super Kevin Bremner!]

When does Shorey's contract expire?

[RG30]

Summer of 2009

[Richi Royal]

I would be VERY surprised if Coppell agreed to stay on another year under the condition he had no money to spend, he is far to clever not to have agreed with JM how much money he has and if JM said he had none then SSC wouldn't be here. What is likely is, JM said whatever you sell you can spend X% on new players and wages etc. And knowing Shorey, Fae, Hunt and possibly more are going to leave that is more than enough to get us out of the championship. Even if he said he could only spend 50% that is still 4.5 million (assuming the three listed above go for 9 million) and that goes along way in the CCC and removes alot off the wage bill.
At the same time what Howe has said makes it out that we have no money when infact we will prob have several million but we are hardly going to tell selling clubs that.

[Royal With Cheese]

Now that the dust has settled and Coppell isn't going I'm now wondering if he actually knew the resources he had available or if he was only informed this after he announced he would stay?

Just for the record, I'm firmly in the "Where has the money gone" camp. Even if we assembled a squad of 25 all on 25K per week the wage bill would be 32m per year. I would be stunned if our wage bill came anywhere near that figure.

Getting rid of Shorey is a good option but past this I fail to see how we are going to be able to replace players sold with both cheaper and better ones. It just doesn't add up. I cannot see how Madejseki has the brass neck to suggest we have credible intentions to return to the top flight.

[floyd__streete]

he deserves a load of stick on his first return visit to the Mad stad

Very magnanimous of you. I am sure he will console himself with the fact that his first return to the MadStad with his new club to face the wrath of Ian Royal will be a long time in coming.

[Royal With Cheese]

he deserves a load of stick on his first return visit to the Mad stad

Very magnanimous of you. I am sure he will console himself with the fact that his first return to the MadStad with his new club with his new club to face the wrath of Ian Royal will be a long time in coming.

Agreed. In fact, he'll probably have a calf strain that day.

Shorey will always have my respect as an integral part of the squad that gave Reading Football CLub it's first taste of top flight football.

[PlasticRoyale]

he deserves a load of stick on his first return visit to the Mad stad

Very magnanimous of you. I am sure he will console himself with the fact that his first return to the MadStad with his new club to face the wrath of Ian Royal will be a long time in coming.

I'll be too busy booing whoever is on the right wing for us

[Royalee]

I have very little time for Shorey now.

He has been one of our best players for a long time and has been at the club through thick and thin. But confirmation that he has wanted away for a while and that it has impacted on his performances, which have been rather lack lustre. Along with not having the good grace to come over to the fans after Derby and acknowledge us, let alone bid us goodbye, means he has had his head turned by the prima-donna culture in the prem, that we are better off without him and with a few £m more in our account and that he deserves a load of stick on his first return visit to the Mad stad.

I bet he has very little time for you as well give you have all the brain capacity of a chicken kebab.

[Millsy]

To me it says Madejski is a tight c*nt. The reason why Parj left, the reason why Burns didn't have half the chance to be what he could be, the reason why we're back down.

Two seasons spending bugger all in the Prem - millions in the plus and now we have to sell to buy??? Will he learn nothing?

The sooner we get a new chairman the better. Madejski is not cut out for bigtime footy. If we ever have a chance to get back into the Prem it's now. To lose this chance with Coppell at the helm will be unfortunate, Thanks for the ride Madejski, but good bye.

[Rev Algenon Stickleback H]

Yet again it looks like we are set to replicate the disastrous 'sale of the century' that we witnessed after the playoff final loss against Bolton where our players of true ability were sold off to raise money and reduce the wage bill in favour of cut price & low quality replacements.

We had no money back then. We only had 2000 seats and crowds of 9000. We were losing money. Taylor and Osborn both wanted to leave (Taylor for falling out with Quinn and Osborn because he wanted to play in the top division) and we got a very good price for Shaka in 1995 prices.

[Rev Algenon Stickleback H]

To me it says Madejski is a tight c*nt. The reason why Parj left, the reason why Burns didn't have half the chance to be what he could be, the reason why we're back down.

Congratulations. You are the first person to suggest Tommy Burns was hindered by a below average transfer budget.

[floyd__streete]

To me it says Madejski is a tight c*nt. The reason why Parj left, the reason why Burns didn't have half the chance to be what he could be, the reason why we're back down.

Congratulations. You are the first person to suggest Tommy Burns was hindered by a below average transfer budget.

I think that 2WW is taking this relegation particularly badly, judging from some of the nonsense - unusually for him - he has spoken on this and other threads of late

[rhroyal]

For me, now that we know Coppell's future, I'm thinking about relegation more and it's settled in. A scapegoat is necessary, I chose JM and the board. Expect plenty of people to post out of character stuff that criticizes somebody.

[Royal Rother]

Just for the record, I'm firmly in the "Where has the money gone" camp. Even if we assembled a squad of 25 all on 25K per week the wage bill would be 32m per year. I would be stunned if our wage bill came anywhere near that figure.

You need to allow for National Insurance costs which I believe would be 12.8% in that year, so 32.5m would become £36m, if that figure were accurate, which I'm sure it's not.

However, were you aware that the accounts show the club having nearly 450 employees? Take out the playing and coaching squad that still leaves 400 staff; I have absolutely no clue what the average wage of those 400 people would be but it's a fair guess to assume that their combined cost (incl NI costs) would be in excess of £10m.

[peeping bernal]

All we have done is opened the bidding 'war' on Shorey, so far West Ham have offered us £50,000, a pearly king outfit and a torn up contract with pardews name on.
But it has sent out a message that if you want any of our players make us an offer and see. i think we will see Shorey, Hunt, Lita, Fae and dood me if you like, Kitson move on for a combined fee of £10m. Coming in will be his normal selection of unheard of freebies and only one big money/name signing. Roll on August 31st and all this speculation can stop for 3 months.