A Few Thoughts on the Last Eight Games

[Millsy]

Yeah, beause playing an injured Rinomhota would have made all the difference.

To be honest, losing Olise, prodigious talent that he is, wouldn't be a disaster if we keep hold of Swift, Laurent and Rinomhota.

Bring in a left winger, have Meite on the right and those 3 in the middle would give us great options IMO.

Think Millsy is rightfully pointing out the 3 / 4 games where Rino was played out of position in the front 4 rather than alongside Laurent.

I think he's replying to the 72bus comment not mine, but yes I agree with the idea that those two being split didn't do us many favours.

[Snowflake Royal]

In 2006, we went up with a Premiership side that was 3 years In the making.

The big issue now is that 20 years ago, the likes of Sidwell and Harper would have been on £1000 a week at Arsenal. The equivalent players now are on £25,000 a week. Somebody could wave £40,000 a week at Olise and not bat an eyelid.

Are you saying back then fringe players would be on lower wages warming the bench in the PL but now even fringe bench warmers are handed massive contracts?

Not arguing, just learning.

is it just that the relative wealth gap has widened much more?

Yes.

Wage caps and a far more equitable share of TV revenue across the leagues is required.

The PL will likely fall if the league structure does. Just because it's the bit most people are interested in doesn't mean it can survive without the rest of the pyramid. So it should support that pyramid not heard wealth and try to oxf*rd it at every opportunity

[Millsy]

In 2006, we went up with a Premiership side that was 3 years In the making.

The big issue now is that 20 years ago, the likes of Sidwell and Harper would have been on £1000 a week at Arsenal. The equivalent players now are on £25,000 a week. Somebody could wave £40,000 a week at Olise and not bat an eyelid.

Are you saying back then fringe players would be on lower wages warming the bench in the PL but now even fringe bench warmers are handed massive contracts?

Not arguing, just learning.

is it just that the relative wealth gap has widened much more?

Yes.

Wage caps and a far more equitable share of TV revenue across the leagues is required.

The PL will likely fall if the league structure does. Just because it's the bit most people are interested in doesn't mean it can survive without the rest of the pyramid. So it should support that pyramid not heard wealth and try to oxf*rd it at every opportunity

Yeah.

A pretty shit situation then really as how can anyone get to the PL thesedays?

You either splash out loads of money on top players transfer fees or contracts and then run the risk of not making it and being lumbered with expensive contracts / fall foul of FFP, so that's not a decent option.

Or you develop your own talent but then they're poached either immediately, when they become frees (as they refuse to sign) or after a failed promotion campaign or run the risk of players you're refusing to let go who will then sulk and be shite.

So basically either you strike it lucky and manage to get all your ducks in a row and succeed in one magic season, or you spend years going through a cycle of building up the next set of players only to have that one bite of the cherry again. Or you're a rich yo-yo club who use parachute payments to bear the cost of a promotion team, but again you only have a short time to do it or you'll suffer.

I don't want to sound too negative but I can see us failing to go up, losing a bunch of top players and having to try it all again over several years

I hope I'm wrong though and we actually only lose Richards (or not if he comes back on loan), strengthen a little more and give it a really good go next season.

[Westwood52]

It would be fair to say in terms of investment,that we are not getting value for money out of our two highest earners.Moore has been alarmingly inconsistent since his first season,while Swift has never played anything like a full season since he has been here.TBF as a return on investment the rest are doing OK.
However Baldock is out on his own as an absolute dud for the money we are paying him.He s a bit like a super car bought on reputation which we can’t even move off the drive.Alukho might also be in that category,however I do believe he is say a BMW which is just about roadworthy.On the other end of the scale Tom Holmes is a cheapie Dacia which gets us to work and shops each day with only the occasional stall at the lights.

[Millsy]

Hang on have we bought a load of cars ?