Rumour - Rob Dickie

[From Despair To Where?]

Selling Moore may end up paying for Ejaria, if we go through with that.

Even with selling Moore, a DM would be a more pressing need because our midfield is shapeless without one.

I think we will be leaning heavily on the loan market again next season.

[Royalcop]

Watched the play off final and didn’t think Dickie looked anything special, would rather go for Anthony Stewart who was immense for Wycombe.

[Snowflake Royal]

Well, we may be looking for a right back. though Osho's doing ok.

Isn't Dickie a towering centre back though?

Thought he got converted to RB when he moved.

He could definitely play there ok.

Checked who scored and I must have misread / misremembered as he's been CB at Oxford all season.

Yeah, I'd welcome him back. Always said Stam should have used him and not let him go.

[linkenholtroyal]

Selling Moore may end up paying for Ejaria, if we go through with that.

Even with selling Moore, a DM would be a more pressing need because our midfield is shapeless without one.

I think we will be leaning heavily on the loan market again next season.

I hope not I would rather raid the free transfer market and look at the lower leagues. The odd 1 or 2 loans is ok but it very rarely will get you promoted. we need to build and develop and get a team that wants to play for reading not Chelsea etc and this is a stepping stone. we develop them get nothing for it and if we want them still have to buy them it is not great business sense especially where FFP is involved.

out of free transfers across the board I reckon I could build a competitive team all out of free transfers in the champioship on less wages than our over inflated players wages we have.

GK Jordan Archer
LB Stephen Kingsley
RB Eric Lichaj
CB Chey Dunkley
CB Mike Van Der Hoorn
CM Jackson Irvine
CM Pelly Ruddock mpenza
LW Niclas Eliason
RW Sammy Ameobi
AMC Neeskans Kebano
CF Armand Gnanduillet

we should be looking at all of these as potential squad cover if needed and relying more on the academy. also there is great lower league talent we can pick up and bring on like Dickie, Clarke Harris, Flynn Downes, Reece James. all players that would want to come and prove themselves at a bigger club and work there hearts out for the opportunity, would probably cost less in wages and the loan fee for these Prem youngsters with the opportunity of actually making money on them if we sell them on.

This is the way we should be doing things atleast for the time being and getting our finances in order. Its not that I wouldn't like to sign Messi this just makes better financial sense for the club and development as a whole.

oh in regards to DM I would raid Morsy off of Wigan why they have financial problems cheap alternative who is probably one of the best DMs in the league.

[From Despair To Where?]

We are hardly out of the woods with FFP even with the players leaving this summer so we still don't have much wriggle room. We may knock £100,000 a week off the wagebill with departures but that's only £5m over a season for a club currently losing over 3 times that annually. We lost £18m last year and IIRC, £13m the year before and that's with flogging the stadium for £26m. FFP allows for a rolling £13m annual average loss over 3 years so even with this year discounted, it doesn't need a maths genius to work out we are still on the edge before we bring anyone in. We desperately need to shift players like Aluko and Barrow out as a priority but who's going to buy them?

I don't see us bringing in more than 4 or 5 players. I think we absolutely need a DM and maybe another wide player but I honestly think any more than that will be loans or on a one out, one in basis.

[WestYorksRoyal]

We are hardly out of the woods with FFP even with the players leaving this summer so we still don't have much wriggle room. We may knock £100,000 a week off the wagebill with departures but that's only £5m a season for a club currently losing over 3 times that annually. We lost £18m last year and IIRC, £13m the year before and that's with flogging the stadium for £26m. FFP allows for a rolling £13m annual average loss over 3 years so even with this year discounted, it doesn't need a maths genius to work out we are still on the edge before we bring anyone in.

I don't see us bringing in more than 4 or 5 players. I think we absolutely need a DM and maybe another wide player but I honestly think any more than that will be loans or on a one out, one in basis.

But what will happen to FFP rules in a Covid world? Clubs are going to lose ticket revenue for a year or so, so surely the measures have to be relaxed? If not, rules will have to come in and force players into salary cuts. Obviously I'd disagree with wealthy owners using the relaxing of FFP to bankroll expensive squads - that would go against the principles of any Covid related relaxation. But I can't see how the rules can stay as they are.

[From Despair To Where?]

But whether the rules are relaxed or not, we have already accounted for £32m of the permitted £39m loses in two of the three years. Short of scrapping FFP all together, post Covid changes will not alter that. Assuming nothing changed, we were already looking at having to reduce costs by £220,000 a week to comply if income streams remained the same. Covid doesn't change that and it doesn't alter the fact that our wage bill was already accounting for 211% of our revenue.


All I'm trying to say is don't expect many incoming players this summer and don't expect to see us paying a fee unless someone is sold first.

[Hound]

I'd hope we lose a lot more than 100k p/w off the wage bill tbh

[From Despair To Where?]

I'm just going by the wages for ooc players from a source posted on here about a week ago. Actually, to be fair, it came out closer to £150,000 a week but that's still only £7.5m a year when we are losing £18m+.

[WestYorksRoyal]

But whether the rules are relaxed or not, we have already accounted for £32m of the permitted £39m loses in two of the three years. Short of scrapping FFP all together, post Covid changes will not alter that. Assuming nothing changed, we were already looking at having to reduce costs by £220,000 a week to comply if income streams remained the same. Covid doesn't change that and it doesn't alter the fact that our wage bill was already accounting for 211% of our revenue.


All I'm trying to say is don't expect many incoming players this summer and don't expect to see us paying a fee unless someone is sold first.

My point is, if we can only afford losses of £7m next season, how could the EFL possibly punish us for going over when we have no ticket revenue? Meeting the target is nigh on impossible.

I'm not sure what the solution is, but FFP can't continue on the same basis.

[From Despair To Where?]

But whether the rules are relaxed or not, we have already accounted for £32m of the permitted £39m loses in two of the three years. Short of scrapping FFP all together, post Covid changes will not alter that. Assuming nothing changed, we were already looking at having to reduce costs by £220,000 a week to comply if income streams remained the same. Covid doesn't change that and it doesn't alter the fact that our wage bill was already accounting for 211% of our revenue.


All I'm trying to say is don't expect many incoming players this summer and don't expect to see us paying a fee unless someone is sold first.

My point is, if we can only afford losses of £7m next season, how could the EFL possibly punish us for going over when we have no ticket revenue? Meeting the target is nigh on impossible.

I'm not sure what the solution is, but FFP can't continue on the same basis.

But my arguement is that regardless of FFP regulations or income, our wage bill is still far too high and it is a cycle that has been blighting us and holding us back for 7 years. Knock £150,000 a week off our wage bill and it's still accounting for 140-150% of our income in normal circumstances. Whatever adjustments are made to FFP to account for Covid will not alter that.

[WestYorksRoyal]

The wage bill will fall. McCleary, Gunter, Poland, Mannone and most likely Barrow leaving will ensure that. I guess the main difference with FFP wiggle room will be in transfer fees.

Dickie is a good example. He's captained Oxford to the play off final and could well command a decent fee. Under normal FFP rules, it could be beyond us. But in terms of wages, he wouldn't be close to Guntet, for example, not even considering a scenario where he ends up being a replacement for Moore. He's the sort of signing we may be able to afford with more flexibility. But the days of ex-PL journeymen on £20k+ a week will surely have to end either way.

[SouthDownsRoyal]

Interesting thread, cheers guys.

Do we have any way of knowing where we are compared with other championship clubs with regards to our wage bill?

I agree the days if the ex premiership journey men must now be over which I think is positive.

I know Kitson, Doyle, Long were taken from lower leagues and repaid us massively with what they achieved but also appreciate it’s easier said that done to just go down he leagues and cherry pick cheap options that will success in the championship but that and some youth players seems a sound way to progress. But of course it does mean some risk and also a possible longer time frame for success, possibly,

[Snowflake Royal]

The wage bill will fall. McCleary, Gunter, Poland, Mannone and most likely Barrow leaving will ensure that. I guess the main difference with FFP wiggle room will be in transfer fees.

Dickie is a good example. He's captained Oxford to the play off final and could well command a decent fee. Under normal FFP rules, it could be beyond us. But in terms of wages, he wouldn't be close to Guntet, for example, not even considering a scenario where he ends up being a replacement for Moore. He's the sort of signing we may be able to afford with more flexibility. But the days of ex-PL journeymen on £20k+ a week will surely have to end either way.

We all know it will fall. The point is we're going to have to sell good players and find buyers for shit players still under contract to get it fall to anything remotely sustainable, not just let ooc players go.

Moore probably costs us as much if not more than all the Academy players already released for example.

[WestYorksRoyal]

The wage bill will fall. McCleary, Gunter, Poland, Mannone and most likely Barrow leaving will ensure that. I guess the main difference with FFP wiggle room will be in transfer fees.

Dickie is a good example. He's captained Oxford to the play off final and could well command a decent fee. Under normal FFP rules, it could be beyond us. But in terms of wages, he wouldn't be close to Guntet, for example, not even considering a scenario where he ends up being a replacement for Moore. He's the sort of signing we may be able to afford with more flexibility. But the days of ex-PL journeymen on £20k+ a week will surely have to end either way.

We all know it will fall. The point is we're going to have to sell good players and find buyers for shit players still under contract to get it fall to anything remotely sustainable, not just let ooc players go.

Moore probably costs us as much if not more than all the Academy players already released for example.

Get a decent fee for Swift and sell on Moore for £2m or so, which should be feasible, and the only Gourlay contracts you're left with are Meite and Aluko. Meite is worth keeping, and who knows, maybe we can flog off Aluko.

It's not as dire as you say

[From Despair To Where?]

Interesting thread, cheers guys.

Do we have any way of knowing where we are compared with other championship clubs with regards to our wage bill?

I agree the days if the ex premiership journey men must now be over which I think is positive.

I know Kitson, Doyle, Long were taken from lower leagues and repaid us massively with what they achieved but also appreciate it’s easier said that done to just go down he leagues and cherry pick cheap options that will success in the championship but that and some youth players seems a sound way to progress. But of course it does mean some risk and also a possible longer time frame for success, possibly,

We don't have the highest absolute wagebill but In terms of as a percentage of income, it is by someway, the highest in the league.

[Snowflake Royal]

The wage bill will fall. McCleary, Gunter, Poland, Mannone and most likely Barrow leaving will ensure that. I guess the main difference with FFP wiggle room will be in transfer fees.

Dickie is a good example. He's captained Oxford to the play off final and could well command a decent fee. Under normal FFP rules, it could be beyond us. But in terms of wages, he wouldn't be close to Guntet, for example, not even considering a scenario where he ends up being a replacement for Moore. He's the sort of signing we may be able to afford with more flexibility. But the days of ex-PL journeymen on £20k+ a week will surely have to end either way.

We all know it will fall. The point is we're going to have to sell good players and find buyers for shit players still under contract to get it fall to anything remotely sustainable, not just let ooc players go.

Moore probably costs us as much if not more than all the Academy players already released for example.

Get a decent fee for Swift and sell on Moore for £2m or so, which should be feasible, and the only Gourlay contracts you're left with are Meite and Aluko. Meite is worth keeping, and who knows, maybe we can flog off Aluko.

It's not as dire as you say

211% of income.

[Snowflake Royal]

Interesting thread, cheers guys.

Do we have any way of knowing where we are compared with other championship clubs with regards to our wage bill?

I agree the days if the ex premiership journey men must now be over which I think is positive.

I know Kitson, Doyle, Long were taken from lower leagues and repaid us massively with what they achieved but also appreciate it’s easier said that done to just go down he leagues and cherry pick cheap options that will success in the championship but that and some youth players seems a sound way to progress. But of course it does mean some risk and also a possible longer time frame for success, possibly,

We don't have the highest absolute wagebill but In terms of as a percentage of income, it is by someway, the highest in the league.

Highest ever percentage in tier 2 I think

[Sutekh]

The wage bill will fall. McCleary, Gunter, Poland, Mannone and most likely Barrow leaving will ensure that. I guess the main difference with FFP wiggle room will be in transfer fees.

Dickie is a good example. He's captained Oxford to the play off final and could well command a decent fee. Under normal FFP rules, it could be beyond us. But in terms of wages, he wouldn't be close to Guntet, for example, not even considering a scenario where he ends up being a replacement for Moore. He's the sort of signing we may be able to afford with more flexibility. But the days of ex-PL journeymen on £20k+ a week will surely have to end either way.

Poland? No wonder it’s high if Reading are paying the wages of everyone over there not to mention the disappointment with the lack of talent coming through. Get them off the books the club can probably sign Miazga and Pele.

[skipper]

Interesting thread, cheers guys.

Do we have any way of knowing where we are compared with other championship clubs with regards to our wage bill?

I agree the days if the ex premiership journey men must now be over which I think is positive.

I know Kitson, Doyle, Long were taken from lower leagues and repaid us massively with what they achieved but also appreciate it’s easier said that done to just go down he leagues and cherry pick cheap options that will success in the championship but that and some youth players seems a sound way to progress. But of course it does mean some risk and also a possible longer time frame for success, possibly,

We don't have the highest absolute wagebill but In terms of as a percentage of income, it is by someway, the highest in the league.

Anyone got any recent stats?

This is from May 2019, and says our wage bill is 35 million, and not the highest at all in the Championship - Which means our income must be quite poor for us to be the highest % of income!

https://www.planetfootball.com/quick-reads/how-every-every-pl-and-champ-clubs-wages-compare-to-their-league-finish/