So, where did all the money go?

Canaryboy

Canaryboy

Well-Known Member
Good article and pretty much how I've always perceived it.

By virtue of pretty much keeping our squad together in our last promotion season, and wages going back up 40% (for those players here for the prior relegation), we went up with a Premier League wage bill... very different scenario to those teams who go up on a normal Championship budget and then have a big pot of money to spend. 

Really paying the price for that January transfer window gamble, and worth noting that our loss during that Premier League season (£107.5m - £97.8m = £9.7m) is basically what we paid for Naismith and Jarvis - £10.5m(ish) - (or equal to what we've agreed to pay, if due in installments). 

I think its clear that we just need a big reset, and to go back to a normal Championship budget, and then try and get promoted on a Championship budget. It means saying goodbye to Klose, Jerome, Tettey, Naismith, Jarvis, Hoolahan, Martin, Oliviera, and McGovern over the next 18 months and trying to build up from there. Most of those have contracts expiring by summer 2019. 

I couldn't write Pinto because that would hurt too much, can't we stick a quid on match tickets just to keep Ivo  :wacko:
 
OldRobert

OldRobert

Well-Known Member
I will be shot down for my comment, but it's a predictable article from the Boardroom mouthpiece, just before the AGM, and as attendance figures are just beginning to show a downward trend.  As far as I'm aware nobody is accusing the Smiths, or anybody else of trousering any money so the thread title implication itself is misleading.  The complaints as I read them on the boards and social media, are what is happening on the pitch and the performance of the Sports Director more than the Board at this time.
 
Canaryboy

Canaryboy

Well-Known Member
I will be shot down for my comment
I'm not going to shoot you down.

In fact when he says this: 

10) Nobody can claim the board put prudence before ambition. We now know that they took a punt on staying up — which is what lots of fans demanded

I've actually been on here slating the board for the opposite, wasting our money in that final January window and signing Jarvis and Naismith on 3.5 year deals. I would have preferred the prudence in hindsight at least. The board are supposed to be qualified to make strategic decisions, not to be populists operating on supporter consensus. 

And Mick Dennis appears to be blaming the fans for poor decision making in that one, which is a load of *bleep*. For the five years prior we had a policy of signing young players with their best years ahead of them and resale value, and we abandoned that principle to our detriment.... £10m could have purchased 3 or 4 very good younger Championship players and left us in a much better place to rebuild upon relegation. 

But I still think the article is necessary because there are people who don't seem to understand the gravity of our financial situation, that is clear each time I read the Pink'un. 

We're going to be starting the file sale in January and shopping in the bargain basement, and we just have to hope it doesn't lead us to League One like last time. 

As I said the other day, we may realise just how good a manager Mick McCarthy is considering he had no transfer budget for 3 years and then pulled Waghorn out of the hat when given a little bit to spend. Ipswich fans too thick to realise that he's done wonders there. 

I hope Sean Raggatt can cut it at this level because I fully expect Klose to be one of the first to leave, and I want a little bit of space between the first XI and Russell Martin  :lol:

And unfortunately I think a Maddison departure will be funding pay offs for a few players like Naismith, Jarvis and McGovern. 

GJP may get it right about academy kids, but I was the the first on here to predict that Ruddy would be released.... now I'm predicting that Hoolahan will almost certainly be released in the summer after a testimonial send-off, unfortunately. Hope he goes and enjoys a year or two at Shamrock Rovers or for the Tampa Bay Rowdies or something. 

Really don't envy the task facing Webber, irrespective of whether his managerial appointment and some of our summer business is beginning to look a little disappointing, so the more fans that understand the reality of our situation and the obvious challenges we are going to have the better. Necessary article, even if condescending towards fans in places. 

Lets face it, anybody on any more than £15k a week is for sale, beginning in January. Add Maddison and Josh Murphy at the right price (who probably aren't on £15k a week), I just hope our scouting network serves us well going forward, going to need to unearth some real gems in the lower leagues and overseas over the next couple of years. 
 
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morty

morty

Moderator
Staff member
Whatever you may think of Mick Dennis, he is (or was) a respected Fleet street journo, and everything he has said in that article is factual.

And it frankly needed saying, because I have seen the board slagged off plenty for "not pushing the boat out" and I have also seen a fair few accusing Delia of trousering money. I'm assuming you have never read the Norwich City Facebook group Robert? It makes the pinkun look like the Oxford debating society.
 
Fenway Frank

Fenway Frank

Well-Known Member
There was a bloke on canary call who was adamant Delia and Michael had taken money from the club, they really couldn’t get it into his head that all they had was a loan paid back. Some people just hear or see what they want unfortunately.
 
morty

morty

Moderator
Staff member
The whole thing can become a ridiculous, circular argument. "Yeah well they should have showed some ambition" well, yes, they did, they spent every single penny the club had in trying to keep us in the Premiership. Fans demanded that we act like a Premiership club, so we did. And it eventually failed. Fans will pick, pick pick at every decision made, but its all so much easier in hindsight, isn't it? If Naismith had worked out (and I didn't really see that many dissenting voices at the time) then we wouldn't even be having this conversation.

There have been two offers of money from outside the club, and they were both essentially cut price takeovers, and in hindsight its probably a good thing they were both rebuffed. There isn't a queue of people wanting to invest (throw away) money on Norwich City, Delia isn't turning offers away on a daily basis.

We're just going to have to get used to it, and perhaps stop sticking our lips out and support our great club.
 
splutcho

splutcho

Moderator
I've seen a ton of people frothing at the mouth and asking where has the money gone. I know the real question is, why did we waste all that money in that January, but imagine if we didn't sign anyone in that window, fans would have kicked off.
 
morty

morty

Moderator
Staff member
I've seen a ton of people frothing at the mouth and asking where has the money gone. I know the real question is, why did we waste all that money in that January, but imagine if we didn't sign anyone in that window, fans would have kicked off.
Exactly. "Well the club int showing no hambition" and "Sleepwalking to relegation".
 
morty

morty

Moderator
Staff member
You hid that well.....

Maybe play the ball and not the man? What is it about his article you disagree with, or find inaccurate?
 
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G

GJP

Well-Known Member
Was that directed at me? If so I wasn't questioning the accuracy. 
 
morty

morty

Moderator
Staff member
Was that directed at me? If so I wasn't questioning the accuracy. 
Why do you find it predictable then? Frankly articles like this are needed to explain things to some folks who couldn't work it out for themselves.
 
G

GJP

Well-Known Member
Why do you find it predictable then? Frankly articles like this are needed to explain things to some folks who couldn't work it out for themselves.
We all know who MD is on good terms with and he pops up with this bit just before the AGM. 
 
morty

morty

Moderator
Staff member
We all know who MD is on good terms with and he pops up with this bit just before the AGM. 
And?

So no one is allowed to talk about the AGM, or voice an opinion about it?

There are lots of people all over social media discussing the subject, but it's just specifically him you have issue with?
 
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G

GJP

Well-Known Member
You started this thread and linked us to his article. So we have been discussing the article.

Once again I think you're coming at me a bit unfairly because I think you have a certain perception of me - one that isn't right.
 
morty

morty

Moderator
Staff member
My perception is that it is a well written and accurate article, and if someone were to turn his nose up at it based on a dislike of a man he has probably never met, underpinned by some other people he is friends with, I would find that a bit silly.

If it was nothing other than kissing the boards arse then you would maybe have a point.
 
G

GJP

Well-Known Member
You seem to be turning your nose up at my posts and you've never met me.

Just saying.
 

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