Rival Watch

[Orion1871]

Crossover with the ex players thread. Crawley continue they're weird summer by allowing Liam Kelly to join MK Dons.

[Panas]

Birmingham's (rumoured) spend is now at £10 million this summer. And that includes a low-ish fee for Alfie May who will almost certainly have needed a massive wage to join.

I suppose it'll probably work, but it has got more than a bit of 'financial oblivion in two years' about it.

[Franchise FC]

Birmingham's (rumoured) spend is now at £10 million this summer. And that includes a low-ish fee for Alfie May who will almost certainly have needed a massive wage to join.

I suppose it'll probably work, but it has got more than a bit of 'financial oblivion in two years' about it.

It seems they’ve very nearly learned their lesson with regards to getting themselves into financial difficulties

[WestYorksRoyal]

Birmingham's (rumoured) spend is now at £10 million this summer. And that includes a low-ish fee for Alfie May who will almost certainly have needed a massive wage to join.

I suppose it'll probably work, but it has got more than a bit of 'financial oblivion in two years' about it.

Think we could do a proper trolling job on the opening day. For all the chaos behind the scenes, we have a team who know each other and a full pre season. Perfect time to face an expensive, newly assembled squad. Seem to remember a similar game at Leicester at the start of 11/12, though in hindsight their star CB signing was Matt Mills.

[Clyde1998]

Birmingham's (rumoured) spend is now at £10 million this summer. And that includes a low-ish fee for Alfie May who will almost certainly have needed a massive wage to join.

I suppose it'll probably work, but it has got more than a bit of 'financial oblivion in two years' about it.

Think we could do a proper trolling job on the opening day. For all the chaos behind the scenes, we have a team who know each other and a full pre season. Perfect time to face an expensive, newly assembled squad. Seem to remember a similar game at Leicester at the start of 11/12, though in hindsight their star CB signing was Matt Mills.

Ourselves in 1998-99 would be another example - spent a load of money, for the time, and got thumped 3-0 at Wrexham.

As you say, playing them on the opening day of the season is probably the best time to play them before their players have gelled and got some momentum going.

[Pepe the Horseman]

Quick q - Birmingham are running around splashing the cash. I know the rules are different in L1, but are they in any danger of breaching FFP?

[tidus_mi2]

Quick q - Birmingham are running around splashing the cash. I know the rules are different in L1, but are they in any danger of breaching FFP?

The only restriction in L1 is wages to turnover, relegated clubs can spend 75% of their turnover on wages for the first year, everyone else is 60%, no restriction on transfer fees and turnover can include owner fund injection.

So in theory, if the owner wills it, they have nothing to worry about, the caveat here is their transfer spending has to be recorded in the 3 year accounting period if they get promoted back to the Championship, so long term it might catch up with them.

[WestYorksRoyal]

Quick q - Birmingham are running around splashing the cash. I know the rules are different in L1, but are they in any danger of breaching FFP?

The only restriction in L1 is wages to turnover, relegated clubs can spend 75% of their turnover on wages for the first year, everyone else is 60%, no restriction on transfer fees and turnover can include owner fund injection.

So in theory, if the owner wills it, they have nothing to worry about, the caveat here is their transfer spending has to be recorded in the 3 year accounting period if they get promoted back to the Championship, so long term it might catch up with them.

Their owners have said many times they're committed long term, but you worry how genuine it is if they're find it all much harder than expected. If they stay down a couple of years, they will start questioning the wisdom of their investment. And then they may have to make brutal cuts.

[morganb]

Probably doesn't mean much but -

That's some win against a very strong side!

Aldershot Town 3-1 Birmingham City

Thanks to Birmingham City for visiting the EBB Stadium, all the best for this season and safe travels for your journey home

[Panas]

Probably doesn't mean much but -

That's some win against a very strong side!

Aldershot Town 3-1 Birmingham City

Thanks to Birmingham City for visiting the EBB Stadium, all the best for this season and safe travels for your journey home

Another Birmingham XI won 1-0 at Walsall at the same time as this, so sounds more like Aldershot bigging themselves up tbh.

[Sutekh]

Probably doesn't mean much but -

That's some win against a very strong side!

Aldershot Town 3-1 Birmingham City

Thanks to Birmingham City for visiting the EBB Stadium, all the best for this season and safe travels for your journey home

Another Birmingham XI won 1-0 at Walsall at the same time as this, so sounds more like Aldershot bigging themselves up tbh.

And presumably the stronger outfit would have been at Walsall given the proximity to Brum.

Edit: Alfie May and the manager were indeed both at Walsall.

Interestingly, last week Brum won a friendly 2-0 at Shrewsbury, odd that considering they play each other in the league also.

[Sutekh]

For the sake of interest to those that know their stuff about players, the current Birmingham 1st team squad comprises the following players...

Keepers

Ryan Alsopp
Bailey Peacock-Farrell

Defence

Emmanuel Longelo
Ethan Laird
Dion Sanderson
Lee Buchanan
Christopher Klarer
Alex Cochrane
Josh Williams

Midfield

Juninho Bacuna
Krystian Bielik
Koji Miyoshi
Alfie Chang
Paik Seung-Ho
Keshi Anderson
Siriki Dembele
Jordan James
George Hall
Willum Willumsson
Marc Leonard

Forwards

Alfie May
Lukas Jutkiewicz
Emil Hansson
Tyler Roberts

Buchanan will be doubtful for the opening fixture after being injured. Meanwhile there is rumoured PL interest in Paik Seung-Ho and Jordan James on the horizon. However Brum want to also spend £4.5m to bring striker Ugbo to the club from Troyes.

[morganb]

Blackpool sack Critchley after back-to-back losses - https://www.bbc.com/sport/football/arti ... 49rr92y0yo

[MartinRdg]

Blackpool sack Critchley after back-to-back losses - https://www.bbc.com/sport/football/arti ... 49rr92y0yo

Always makes me amazed when this happens

"Despite his best efforts over the past 12 months, there have been a number of disappointing results and performances which means that a change is needed to give the club every possible chance of competing at the top end of the division this season," owner Simon Sadler said.

So why not sack him in the Summer and get someone else in for new signings and pre-season - just beggars belief.

[Snowflake Royal]

Blackpool sack Critchley after back-to-back losses - https://www.bbc.com/sport/football/arti ... 49rr92y0yo

Always makes me amazed when this happens

"Despite his best efforts over the past 12 months, there have been a number of disappointing results and performances which means that a change is needed to give the club every possible chance of competing at the top end of the division this season," owner Simon Sadler said.

So why not sack him in the Summer and get someone else in for new signings and pre-season - just beggars belief.

Didn’t Keane lose his first 4 games of the season at Sunderland and still win the league?

Recall a pretty ropey start under Brian that ended pretty well too.

Madness isn't it.

[Orion1871]

Blackpool sack Critchley after back-to-back losses - https://www.bbc.com/sport/football/arti ... 49rr92y0yo

Always makes me amazed when this happens

"Despite his best efforts over the past 12 months, there have been a number of disappointing results and performances which means that a change is needed to give the club every possible chance of competing at the top end of the division this season," owner Simon Sadler said.

So why not sack him in the Summer and get someone else in for new signings and pre-season - just beggars belief.

Didn’t Keane lose his first 4 games of the season at Sunderland and still win the league?

Recall a pretty ropey start under Brian that ended pretty well too.

Madness isn't it.

Niall Quinn lost the first 4, sacked himself as he was also chairman at the time, and bought in Keane to turn it around.

[Orion1871]

Birmingham have £1m bid accepted for perennial scorer against Reading, Lyndon Dykes.

[South Coast Royal]

Birmingham have £1m bid accepted for perennial scorer against Reading, Lyndon Dykes.

A good buy for this level.

[Sutekh]

Birmingham have £1m bid accepted for perennial scorer against Reading, Lyndon Dykes.

A good buy for this level.

I presume Dykes is in the last year of his contract for Rangers to accept that figure.

[Panas]

Birmingham have £1m bid accepted for perennial scorer against Reading, Lyndon Dykes.

About to turn 29, and hasn't scored more than 8 league goals in a season since 2020/21. And he is, by all accounts, being forced out by QPR as they want the money, so probably isn't thrilled about the move down a division