RUMOUR - Andrew Surman

[brendywendy]

£4 million was available for Lescott. When he chose Everon, Coppell didn't just find the next best layer to spend it on, it went back into the kitty. The money, for the right players at the right price, was there, in proportion to where we were as a club. That's now less, as next year if we miss promotion we cannot be saddled with the sort of wages that an expensive signing would require.

I'd guess if he can make a good case, Rodgers will have more money than some, but will not be able to make any promotion or bust type deals. I, for one, am glad of that.

and mensah, and scott brown etc etc

[Deathy]

So... LOLz to Ian Royal then.

"There's always money there for the right players"

No. We need to sell and make £11m this summer to balance the books, as well as sell before we buy.

AndROFLew SuROFLman.

[brendywendy]

'snot what hammond said though

you are quoting a speculative EP journo

[Ian Royal]

So... LOLz to Ian Royal then.

"There's always money there for the right players"

No. We need to sell and make £11m this summer to balance the books, as well as sell before we buy.

AndROFLew SuROFLman.

1 line written in the Evening Post < everything else

[Royal Rother]

Surman to Wolves for £1.2m (apparently).

[Deathy]

So... LOLz to Ian Royal then.

"There's always money there for the right players"

No. We need to sell and make £11m this summer to balance the books, as well as sell before we buy.

AndROFLew SuROFLman.

1 line written in the Evening Post < everything else

Their sources > 99% of HNA's.

[Millsy]

£4 million was available for Lescott. When he chose Everon, Coppell didn't just find the next best layer to spend it on, it went back into the kitty. The money, for the right players at the right price, was there, in proportion to where we were as a club. That's now less, as next year if we miss promotion we cannot be saddled with the sort of wages that an expensive signing would require.

I'd guess if he can make a good case, Rodgers will have more money than some, but will not be able to make any promotion or bust type deals. I, for one, am glad of that.

and mensah, and scott brown etc etc

Make up your mind BW. Did Coppell just not bother going for players but he could have, as his critics claim, or did he go for big money players who just chose not to come (perhaps due to wage or we're small club)? It's one or the other.

[Ian Royal]

So... LOLz to Ian Royal then.

"There's always money there for the right players"

No. We need to sell and make £11m this summer to balance the books, as well as sell before we buy.

AndROFLew SuROFLman.

1 line written in the Evening Post < everything else

Their sources > 99% of HNA's.

I have no sources, my point is based on what has actually happened, and what many people in the club have publically said previously. Not what one journo trying to sell papers has said he "understands" in one line in much longer article.

[brendywendy]

£4 million was available for Lescott. When he chose Everon, Coppell didn't just find the next best layer to spend it on, it went back into the kitty. The money, for the right players at the right price, was there, in proportion to where we were as a club. That's now less, as next year if we miss promotion we cannot be saddled with the sort of wages that an expensive signing would require.

I'd guess if he can make a good case, Rodgers will have more money than some, but will not be able to make any promotion or bust type deals. I, for one, am glad of that.

and mensah, and scott brown etc etc

Make up your mind BW. Did Coppell just not bother going for players but he could have, as his critics claim, or did he go for big money players who just chose not to come (perhaps due to wage or we're small club)? It's one or the other.

ive always been of the opinion that coppell had the money available, but took the decision along with JM and NH that theyd prefer, and it would be better for the club, if they increased the wages/transfer fees payed in line with the growth of the club, to fit with our whole ethos, and so as not mortgage the clubs future by over extending ourselves.
i believe if we had got the targets we were after we would have stayed in the prem that 2nd year.(lescott, scott brown, and mensah etc)

[Who Moved The Goalposts?]

ive always been of the opinion that coppell had the money available, but took the decision along with JM and NH that theyd prefer, and it would be better for the club, if they increased the wages/transfer fees payed in line with the growth of the club, to fit with our whole ethos, and so as not mortgage the clubs future by over extending ourselves.
i believe if we had got the targets we were after we would have stayed in the prem that 2nd year.(lescott, scott brown, and mensah etc)

Whilst you can never be 100% certain, I'd vouch that just one of those players would have been enough, let alone two, three or more.

[Sun Tzu]

£4 million was available for Lescott. When he chose Everon, Coppell didn't just find the next best layer to spend it on, it went back into the kitty. The money, for the right players at the right price, was there, in proportion to where we were as a club. That's now less, as next year if we miss promotion we cannot be saddled with the sort of wages that an expensive signing would require.

I'd guess if he can make a good case, Rodgers will have more money than some, but will not be able to make any promotion or bust type deals. I, for one, am glad of that.

and mensah, and scott brown etc etc

Make up your mind BW. Did Coppell just not bother going for players but he could have, as his critics claim, or did he go for big money players who just chose not to come (perhaps due to wage or we're small club)? It's one or the other.

Why is it one of the other ?

[Franchise FC]

ive always been of the opinion that coppell had the money available, but took the decision along with JM and NH that theyd prefer, and it would be better for the club, if they increased the wages/transfer fees payed in line with the growth of the club, to fit with our whole ethos, and so as not mortgage the clubs future by over extending ourselves.
i believe if we had got the targets we were after we would have stayed in the prem that 2nd year.(lescott, scott brown, and mensah etc)

Whilst you can never be 100% certain, I'd vouch that just one of those players would have been enough, let alone two, three or more.

Be serious

If we assume that we were, indeed, in for this lot then :
Lescott had a choice of Reading or Everton. Which do you think would have represented the better bet for long term Premier League status ?
Brown had a choice of Reading or Celtic. Which one were the current champions of their country and provided access to the Champions League ?
Mensah had a choice of Reading or Lyon (ok - Olympic Lyonnaise). Which one peovided access to the Champions League ?

Sadly, until we've achieved the standing of an Everton or Villa, then these players are simply not an option - not because we don;t want them, but because they can choose better alternatives than us.

[Who Moved The Goalposts?]

ive always been of the opinion that coppell had the money available, but took the decision along with JM and NH that theyd prefer, and it would be better for the club, if they increased the wages/transfer fees payed in line with the growth of the club, to fit with our whole ethos, and so as not mortgage the clubs future by over extending ourselves.
i believe if we had got the targets we were after we would have stayed in the prem that 2nd year.(lescott, scott brown, and mensah etc)

Whilst you can never be 100% certain, I'd vouch that just one of those players would have been enough, let alone two, three or more.

Be serious

If we assume that we were, indeed, in for this lot then :
Lescott had a choice of Reading or Everton. Which do you think would have represented the better bet for long term Premier League status ?
Brown had a choice of Reading or Celtic. Which one were the current champions of their country and provided access to the Champions League ?
Mensah had a choice of Reading or Lyon (ok - Olympic Lyonnaise). Which one peovided access to the Champions League ?

Sadly, until we've achieved the standing of an Everton or Villa, then these players are simply not an option - not because we don;t want them, but because they can choose better alternatives than us.

Agreed - we were probably never in with a shout. Lescott was probably the more feasible of the three as he was the only one having to step up a level, and bigger clubs may not have been prepared to take a punt on him. But sadly for us, Everton did and the rest is history. I still stand by the assertion that if any of the three had joined, we would not have been relegated.

[Royalwaster]

I agree with what you say - but the thing that simply astounds me is how Wigan seem to manage to attract some fairly decent players despite arguably being a less attractive proposition than we are, i.e. smaller crowds and based in the middle of nowhere. I guess now they are fairly established in the Prem and I'm sure have a better wage structure than we ever had - but even in their first few seasons they managed to sign some very decent players. I think SC maybe just lacked the ability to attract such players ... and probably the wages on offer were rather paltry.

[Alan Partridge]

I agree with what you say - but the thing that simply astounds me is how Wigan seem to manage to attract some fairly decent players despite arguably being a less attractive proposition than we are, i.e. smaller crowds and based in the middle of nowhere. I guess now they are fairly established in the Prem and I'm sure have a better wage structure than we ever had - but even in their first few seasons they managed to sign some very decent players. I think SC maybe just lacked the ability to attract such players ... and probably the wages on offer were rather paltry.

I actually studied Wigan briefly, as well as Torquay United for that matter as part of a course a few years ago and Wigan were spending twice their turnover on players wages in the year they went up. Whelan seems to have a bit of a pot of gold that he can dip into when required. Whereas Reading are all about business model and wanting it to break even etc, Wigan strived for success and took more gambles in order to stay in the Prem. Depsite their increased crowds and player sales the football club is probably still making fairly substantial losses every year just Whelan will write them off.

[rg6royal]

ahhh just imagine if we had lescott and mensah

[Thaumagurist*]

Mensah had a choice of Reading or Lyon (ok - Olympic Lyonnaise). Which one peovided access to the Champions League ?

I don't think he actually had a choice, from what I had read at the time. I got the impression that he really wanted to come to Reading but his club refused to sell him even though we were offering £4m for him. The club (Rennes, I think?) had only just bought him at the time....

[Mr Angry]

Mensah had a choice of Reading or Lyon (ok - Olympic Lyonnaise). Which one peovided access to the Champions League ?

I don't think he actually had a choice, from what I had read at the time. I got the impression that he really wanted to come to Reading but his club refused to sell him even though we were offering £4m for him. The club (Rennes, I think?) had only just bought him at the time....

Not correct Spacey.

Coppell stated at an Ex Players Dinner that we had made a bid which his then club were happy with; then the player put in some good ACN performances and his agent started to tout him round to bigger clubs and started to raise his clients wage demands to the point where we said no thank you.

[Royalwaster]

[/quote]

I actually studied Wigan briefly, as well as Torquay United for that matter as part of a course a few years ago and Wigan were spending twice their turnover on players wages in the year they went up. Whelan seems to have a bit of a pot of gold that he can dip into when required. Whereas Reading are all about business model and wanting it to break even etc, Wigan strived for success and took more gambles in order to stay in the Prem. Depsite their increased crowds and player sales the football club is probably still making fairly substantial losses every year just Whelan will write them off.[/quote]

Very interesting! They did have some very lucky last minute escapes didn't they for a few seasons? But it explains how they can afford (and attract) players like Heskey, Palacios, etc. and, oh yes, Titus Bramble!

[brendywendy]

ahhh just imagine if we had lescott and mensah

with a midfield of brown and matejovski........