Points Deduction Incoming!

[Dirk Gently]

Probably not. Relegation isn't an option. The owners appear set in their ways. The Chinese hate to lose face. All about keeping up with the Jonses i.e. their football club owning mates. We've unfortunately got the clueless one. We need an owner that's visible to the fans. Not hides away.

It is annoying that some of our supporters think we have no money, we do and lots of it. We are being punished for spending too much money in line with the regulations, not administration or anything like that. We do not need to sell, we need to spend less. We aren't going to sell anyone in January if there is a real threat of us being relegated, what would be the point?

Cut the wage bill.

Cue all the supporters up in arms about "lack of ambition"...

[andrew1957]

I just wonder how psychologically damaging a points deduction can be. It really means the only thing the players have to play for is to stop relegation. Not even an outside chance of the play offs.

Of the last 4 clubs to receive a points penalty only Birmingham survived the drop. Sheffield Wednesday looked like they would survive relegation for quite a while but still fell at the final hurdle.

[Stranded]

I just wonder how psychologically damaging a points deduction can be. It really means the only thing the players have to play for is to stop relegation. Not even an outside chance of the play offs.

Of the last 4 clubs to receive a points penalty only Birmingham survived the drop. Sheffield Wednesday looked like they would survive relegation for quite a while but still fell at the final hurdle.

Did you see the article posted, we are pretty well placed to handle it.

Let's play a what if - a 9 point deduction arrives during the international break. In the meantime, we beat both Boro and Derby whilst drawing at Cardiff. All possible results.

Chances are we will be in the play-off positions if on 17 points by the break or at worst 1 or 2 outside. We drop back to 8 - probably just outside the play-offs given our GD will be -1 at worst, knowing we are better than all the sides around us, in form and still only 9 or 10 points off the top 6.

I do not expect us to reach the play-offs this year but a galvanised squad with a target, being in form and with players returning from injury improving options. We'll be fine with a deduction.

Key difference is, most clubs are in serious financial straights when deducted - due to the nature of who the debt is owed to, we do not seem to be. Keep the momentum & confidence and top half is still a viable target.

[andrew1957]

I just wonder how psychologically damaging a points deduction can be. It really means the only thing the players have to play for is to stop relegation. Not even an outside chance of the play offs.

Of the last 4 clubs to receive a points penalty only Birmingham survived the drop. Sheffield Wednesday looked like they would survive relegation for quite a while but still fell at the final hurdle.

Did you see the article posted, we are pretty well placed to handle it.

Let's play a what if - a 9 point deduction arrives during the international break. In the meantime, we beat both Boro and Derby whilst drawing at Cardiff. All possible results.

Chances are we will be in the play-off positions if on 17 points by the break or at worst 1 or 2 outside. We drop back to 8 - probably just outside the play-offs given our GD will be -1 at worst, knowing we are better than all the sides around us, in form and still only 9 or 10 points off the top 6.

I do not expect us to reach the play-offs this year but a galvanised squad with a target, being in form and with players returning from injury improving options. We'll be fine with a deduction.

Key difference is, most clubs are in serious financial straights when deducted - due to the nature of who the debt is owed to, we do not seem to be. Keep the momentum & confidence and top half is still a viable target.

Hope you are right. I applaud your optimism. Mine gets ever diminished each year I support RFC. It does seem things are conspiring against the club right now.

[Linden Jones' Tash]

I'd also be interested to see some kind of viable strategy laid out for how things improve moving forwards - correct me if I am wrong, but you either:

a) grow your revenues or

b) manage your costs

in order to comply with FFP...

a) Grow your revenues:
seems like the owners have decided to set reasonable ticket pricing etc, so revenue growth isn't coming from the local fan base - frozen ST pricing for the last however many years is admirable for us ST holders, but hardly generates millions

so what about new and different revenue streams: there seem to be some newish affiliate programmes, but again that all seems to be small change - the Stadium naming rights - but that's now done.
Licensing deals for digital content? is that likely to grow any revenue?

Nothing game changing seems to be in the offing

b) Manage your costs:
as mentioned by others, if we don't have championship level players, then we don't stay in the Championship...

Feels like a catch 22 with no way out...

[paultheroyal]

Or scrap the academies and follow the Brentford model.

[Winston Biscuit]

Skybet have removed us from the relegation options

[SCIAG]

Or scrap the academies and follow the Brentford model.

Which wouldn’t save any money in FFP terms and would mean we would lose out on e.g. the £7m we raised from selling Olise.

[Pepe the Horseman]

Skybet have removed us from the relegation options

Cos they know we ain't getting relegated.

[Millsy]

I don't know why they are deducting points. In my view they should AWARD points for investing more into the game.

I'm sure RFC know what they're doing but I'd be arguing to be awarded points and then if we're unlucky a good compromise position might be no point change at all.

If anyone's from RFC here and they want any advice, pm me. Thanks.

[Snowflake Royal]

It is annoying that some of our supporters think we have no money, we do and lots of it. We are being punished for spending too much money in line with the regulations, not administration or anything like that. We do not need to sell, we need to spend less. We aren't going to sell anyone in January if there is a real threat of us being relegated, what would be the point?

Cut the wage bill.

Cue all the supporters up in arms about "lack of ambition"...

oxf*rd those tards. Ignoring them worked fine for Madejski.

[Snowflake Royal]

There's a lot of overconfidence on display about our chances post points deduction.

Only 2 games ago we looked like a total mess leaking goals galore and dropping points left right and centre.

And now we have basically our entire central defence injured. We could easily lose 4 of the next 5 games.

[Snowflake Royal]

Ron Gourlay

Or Dai Yongge.

[Snowflake Royal]

There must be other clubs surely operating like us?
It's not like we have been blowing tens of millions on players like other clubs.
Yeah Puscas and João were big signings for us, but compared to other some players transfer fees....surely there are more teams. SJM on talkshite shortly.

Its never been fees. It's always wages. Always. Always

[Snowflake Royal]

Or scrap the academies and follow the Brentford model.

Which wouldn’t save any money in FFP terms and would mean we would lose out on e.g. the £7m we raised from selling Olise.

And our record on signings is poor, whilst our owner refusing to sell almost anyone in demand is kinda incompatible with Brentford.

[Hound]

There's a lot of overconfidence on display about our chances post points deduction.

Only 2 games ago we looked like a total mess leaking goals galore and dropping points left right and centre.

And now we have basically our entire central defence injured. We could easily lose 4 of the next 5 games.

We could and we could easily win 4 of our next 5 games as well. And our CBs were playing shite anyway. Dann and Laurent prob just as effective

[Snowflake Royal]

There's a lot of overconfidence on display about our chances post points deduction.

Only 2 games ago we looked like a total mess leaking goals galore and dropping points left right and centre.

And now we have basically our entire central defence injured. We could easily lose 4 of the next 5 games.

We could and we could easily win 4 of our next 5 games as well. And our CBs were playing shite anyway. Dann and Laurent prob just as effective

There is that. I just don't think it should be inspiring the confidenxr that we have nothing to worry about.

Especially given that in a couple of recent seasons squads that should be at least mid-table, have been saved by unusually high numbers of poor teams at the bottom.

[Zip]

Yet Bournemouth vastly broke FFP to get promoted the PL, and it was always stated that upon their return to the FL, they would then receive their punishment for cheating - yet no punishment for them.

FFP is far too inconsistent and really needs a lot of looking at.

Agree with this plus parachute payments to teams relegated to the Championship gives them a massive advantage over the other teams in the division. So in Muff’s case it has paid to cheat.

[Zip]

There must be other clubs surely operating like us?
It's not like we have been blowing tens of millions on players like other clubs.
Yeah Puscas and João were big signings for us, but compared to other some players transfer fees....surely there are more teams. SJM on talkshite shortly.

Its never been fees. It's always wages. Always. Always

....and a bloated squad

[Linden Jones' Tash]

There must be other clubs surely operating like us?
It's not like we have been blowing tens of millions on players like other clubs.
Yeah Puscas and João were big signings for us, but compared to other some players transfer fees....surely there are more teams. SJM on talkshite shortly.

Its never been fees. It's always wages. Always. Always

This.

and it is why I am always infuriated at modern footballer's wages being quoted on a per week basis...

I know it's a throwback to when working men were actually paid at the end of the week for their shifts, but subliminally it reduces the impact of these astronomical figures and numbs people to the actual sums being paid out for Championship football...

it would be better if we said Liam Moore is on at least £1.8M a year (feel free to correct the actual figure - I just took the often cited £35k a week X 52 weeks) plus there must be bonuses etc...

A wage bill of £40M a year on revenue of £17M should make it obvious to most people