The Insider All,
I have been reading with interest a number of posts criticising the Club for the lack of recent transfer activity. I too am a little frustrated, but that is not to blame the Club, but more the marketplace that we are operating in. Value for money and sustainable business no longer appears to exist thanks to Abramavich and co.
It begs the question though, what would YOU do if you are behind the scenes ??
you have 3 choices, assuming that you have around £8m at your disposal for the Summer, have a squad that broke all time Championship records last season, and are making the step up from the Premiership.
Do you:
A) Spend your £8m filling out your squad with a number of half decent Championship quality players , including some that never made the grade at Premiership level. These players are overpriced based upon the selling clubs knowledge of your £8m. These players are simple to acquire, and in plentiful supply.
e.g. Hulse £2.2 rising to £3m . Claude Davis £2.5m , Shittu £1.5 rising to £3m.
B) Acknowledge that , in order to improve, you need players of Premier quality that can take your club to the next level. These players can also be acquired but request spiralling wages that would smash your current structure, and risk upsetting the squad spirit that proved so vital in our success last year.
c) Acknowledge that, in order to improve, you need to find players of Premier quality , yet within the constraints of your salary bandings. Also these players have to demonstrate a desire to play for the Club.
Accept though, that this market for players is extremely limited, patience is required in abundance, and you run the real risk of frustration and not being able to acquire many , or any.... (you just don't know)
To date we've signed Seol for £1m, which I think will prove to fall within category (C), as he has international pedigree and desire to play for Reading. Sodje is a definite category (A) player, but hardly one that is causing the Accountants any concern.
The Club are evidently very active, making bids for Mensah, Whitehead, Emerse Fae etc. It hasn't happened yet, and Hob Nobbers are beginning to panic .
So should the message to the Club be " we're getting nervous, please go sign 5 championship players" or " keep plugging away with your targets ?"
Awaiting your thoughts.
you are steve coppell and i claim my five pounds
i think its obviously a question of getting C players, what i would do in this situation is maybe a little sneaky, 3 month loan with a view to purchase until jan window, at jan if they do up the grade, take em on, if they don't just let them go, pay a loan fee for incentive and hope we've upped our stature by jan, to get those C players we all so desperatley want
good post though, puts it all into the perspective fans dont necesarily see