Next few games season defining (4 Viewers)

[Paxman II]

So Hudderfield come visiting next, but that is followed by the 7th, 8th & 9th placed teams vying for a playoff place. Crucial games if we are to improve on mid table and make a late challenge. can we do it? Well they always end up surprising us so I wouldn't count it out.

 

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[ajl]

I think we will do okay but not amazing, we'll lose a couple and get a win and a draw maybe

Our squad is small and tired, they don't have the energy to keep up with the rest of them

 

[Tommo1993]

I would count it out tbf. Think play-offs are well out of the question.

 

[Saddlebrains]

Imagine still thinking of play offs

 

[Brighton Sky Blue]

So Hudderfield come visiting next, but that is followed by the 7th, 8th & 9th placed teams vying for a playoff place. Crucial games if we are to improve on mid table and make a late challenge. can we do it? Well they always end up surprising us so I wouldn't count it out.

 

[Grendel]

So Hudderfield come visiting next, but that is followed by the 7th, 8th & 9th placed teams vying for a playoff place. Crucial games if we are to improve on mid table and make a late challenge. can we do it? Well they always end up surprising us so I wouldn't count it out.

 

[Legia Sky Blue]

I would gladly take mid table right now.

 

[Deleted member 9744]

Imagine still thinking of play offs

I find it more fun that way but each to their own.

 

[Otis]

Forget about the playoffs. The best I think we could get is within 8-10 points maybe.

Mid-table will do us just fine, considering all the key injuries we have had.

 

[skybluepm2]

It’s last season all over again for me. Flirt with the play-offs in the first half of the season (which was staggering given our start), although injury problems have been way worse than we encountered in 21/22, squad depth is pitiful and the January window is a carbon copy of last year.

The loss of McFadz and COH has halted our upward trajectory and unless we manage to get some quality in next week then I fear we will get dragged into the mix at the bottom. The lack of investment riles me, our starting XI can mix it with anyone in this league. Again we’ve had the opportunity to kick on by throwing a bit of money at it (not a lot), for half a chance of reaching the promise land, yet here we are filling our squad of loanee kids, 12 months on from the club stating that it was no longer our intention to do so.

 

[stupot07]

Talk of play offs in our current situation is just daft. First and foremost we need to stop the rot.



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[Brighton Sky Blue]

It’s last season all over again for me. Flirt with the play-offs in the first half of the season (which was staggering given our start), although injury problems have been way worse than we encountered in 21/22, squad depth is pitiful and the January window is a carbon copy of last year.

The loss of McFadz and COH has halted our upward trajectory and unless we manage to get some quality in next week then I fear we will get dragged into the mix at the bottom. The lack of investment riles me, our starting XI can mix it with anyone in this league. Again we’ve had the opportunity to kick on by throwing a bit of money at it (not a lot), for half a chance of reaching the promise land, yet here we are filling our squad of loanee kids, 12 months on from the club stating that it was no longer our intention to do so.

The squad now is worse than the squad a year ago. Yet again Luton are going to be in a play off hunt, as are Millwall. It really wouldn't take much to make it competitive but as you say here we are again scrambling around for cheap loans.

Record breaking season ticket sales and the squad has been left to rot.

 

[higgs]

50/1 to be relegated with sky bet big odds?

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[Johhny Blue]

50/1 to be relegated with sky bet big odds?

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Don't waste your money

 

[shmmeee]

9pts off the drop, 7 off the playoffs

City fans: Play off hopes are ridiculous we’re obvious going down. Form is temporary, both good and bad.

 

[Brighton Sky Blue]

9pts off the drop, 7 off the playoffs

City fans: Play off hopes are ridiculous we’re obvious going down. Form is temporary, both good and bad.

Look at the state the squad is in.

 

[pusbccfc]

Play offs . The season is finished unless we lose the next 3.

 

[Otis]

9pts off the drop, 7 off the playoffs

City fans: Play off hopes are ridiculous we’re obvious going down. Form is temporary, both good and bad.

It's the size of the squad and Robins has said it won't be many coming in.

I think we need at least 4 new players and that's not happening is it.

 

[Deleted member 9744]

It's the size of the squad and Robins has said it won't be many coming in.

I think we need at least 4 new players and that's not happening is it.

I don't know but we do have some players due back from injury soon.

 

[fatso]

Mid table is actually a decent place considering the shite start to the season we had,
and the fact that our squad is thread bare, and most of our defenders havnt gone through puberty yet and don't even belong to us!
And we have 2 absolute shite keepers who couldn't catch a cold between them.
And Jamie Allen starts every week.

Thank fuck for Viks goals or we'd have been relegated already.
At least there are 2 massive possitives from this season, 1) Sisu fucking off and 2) half the squad are out of contract in a few months time.

 

[stupot07]

9pts off the drop, 7 off the playoffs

City fans: Play off hopes are ridiculous we’re obvious going down. Form is temporary, both good and bad.

No one on this thread has mentioned relegation except one tongue in cheek post about the odds.

We aren't going to get relegated.

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[skyblue025]

The worry is unless Doug ups the budget by a fair chunk for next season, we aren't going to improve. We have a lot out of contract but if we are spending the same on wages and transfer fees we are going to get similar standard of players. The average wage of a championship player is 25k and our highest earners are nowhere near that.
You pay peanuts you get monkeys and it's not like we can reduce the squad size to pay the extra for better players. We are at the bare bones squad size as it is.

 

[Grendel]

The worry is unless Doug ups the budget by a fair chunk for next season, we aren't going to improve. We have a lot out of contract but if we are spending the same on wages and transfer fees we are going to get similar standard of players. The average wage of a championship player is 25k and our highest earners are nowhere near that.
You pay peanuts you get monkeys and it's not like we can reduce the squad size to pay the extra for better players. We are at the bare bones squad size as it is.

Average wages for most clubs will be a lot less than that - club accounts will be released for last season soon - that suggests that total wage bill would be around £45m - millwall have released theirs and it’s less than half that

 

[Offhegoes]

I think once we lost O'Hare, and then the injuries to Fadz, Eccles and Tavarres added on top of that, the play offs were gone. I am happy if we look to end the season comfortably, and start planning for next season. Get Sheaf & Hamer on longer contracts, and have our transfer targets set for June. Have Plan A (Vik stays) and Plan B (He Goes). Hopefully O'Hare back playing by Sept / Oct and if King gives us a little more financial backing, we could have a good go next season. Realistically Fadz, Eccles & Godden are back by early Feb, so even if we just loan in one quality centre back, we'll be fine this season.

 

[shmmeee]

Average wages for most clubs will be a lot less than that - club accounts will be released for last season soon - that suggests that total wage bill would be around £45m - millwall have released theirs and it’s less than half that

We’re the third lowest budget IIRC, with an average of about £5k/week and a top end of £10/11k. But we spend about 20% of what Watford do at the other end.

The average is somewhere between the two, £15-20m or so seems a normal annual wage bill for most non recently promoted/relegated teams. Is there any way we could get to that without getting into serious financial trouble?

 

[Grendel]

We’re the third lowest budget IIRC, with an average of about £5k/week and a top end of £10/11k. But we spend about 20% of what Watford do at the other end.

The average is somewhere between the two, £15-20m or so seems a normal annual wage bill for most non recently promoted/relegated teams. Is there any way we could get to that without getting into serious financial trouble?

Our current wage bill will be around £17m

 

[Grendel]

In the season we were first promoted Luton’s wages were lower than ours and their losses less. It’s distorted revenue with Covid but I highly doubt they’ve suddenly massively increased wages

it was actually about the same with pension costs etc

they made a £9 million profit on player sales the season before so I assume funded through that

 

[shmmeee]

Our current wage bill will be around £17m

On first team players?

That’s an average of £13k/week. I seriously doubt it’s that high.

 

[SBT]

they made a £9 million profit on player sales the season before so I assume funded through that

Crazy business model - I can only assume they were relegated that season?

 

[Grendel]

Crazy business model - I can only assume they were relegated that season?

Luton?

 

[Grendel]

On first team players?

That’s an average of £13k/week. I seriously doubt it’s that high.

You cannot split players - that spreadsheet Maguire produced was gross wages from Season 1 in the Championship

Ours is over £13m

Since then we have signed:

Gyokeres
Moore
Bidwell
Sheaf
Palmer

Also contract extensions with an increase for Hamer and O Hare

In addition there are annual RPI contract increases over the 2 years on all contracts

Jones, Pask, Biamou, Bakayoko and Marosi have left as well this season as Hyam

I cannot see how that balances at all all. Wages have to have increased considerably with those purchases and it was at £13m before that

 

[shmmeee]

You cannot split players - that spreadsheet Maguire produced was gross wages from Season 1 in the Championship

Ours is over £13m

Since then we have signed:

Gyokeres
Moore
Bidwell
Sheaf
Palmer

Also contract extensions with an increase for Hamer and O Hare

In addition there are annual RPI contract increases over the 2 years on all contracts

Jones, Pask, Biamou, Bakayoko and Marosi have left as well this season as Hyam

I cannot see how that balances at all all. Wages have to have increased considerably with those purchases and it was at £13m before that

What do you mean split players?

even if you expand out squad to include the kids that’s an average of over £8k a week and we’re including the likes of Harrison Nee and Tom Bilson who won’t be on anything like that. Even the Waghorn rumours are shy of £20k.

If we’re spending that on wages (and I’m not saying we aren’t) then it suggests we’ve either got some high non player costs or some players on a ridiculous wage.

Paterson at Swansea was on £9k and threw a fit cos he was the lowest paid in the first team squad. Clearly Championship wages are £10-20k. If we want a squad of 20 of them that’s £15.6m or so before you get to U23s, coaches and the rest.

Short of significantly improved sponsorship and corporate deals, or an owner willing to fund the short fall, I don’t see how we make ourselves sustainable at this level.

 

[Grendel]

What do you mean split players?

even if you expand out squad to include the kids that’s an average of over £8k a week and we’re including the likes of Harrison Nee and Tom Bilson who won’t be on anything like that. Even the Waghorn rumours are shy of £20k.

If we’re spending that on wages (and I’m not saying we aren’t) then it suggests we’ve either got some high non player costs or some players on a ridiculous wage.

Paterson at Swansea was on £9k and threw a fit cos he was the lowest paid in the first team squad. Clearly Championship wages are £10-20k. If we want a squad of 20 of them that’s £15.6m or so before you get to U23s, coaches and the rest.

Short of significantly improved sponsorship and corporate deals, or an owner willing to fund the short fall, I don’t see how we make ourselves sustainable at this level.

I mean when you compare accounts you can only go with gross wages - all clubs accounts show that - I don't think any split it. So Millwall as an example have published this years (ahead of us) and its circa £22m - Ours will be around £17 - £19m as a guess. Preston is £23m

Swansea are in the process I would think of siignificant wage reduction - hence offloading players like Paterson who will not be earning that money where he goes again. Swansea have not produced this seasons accounts but last season it was £27m versus £40m the season before - they have according to transfer market (which is a bit poor) made around £6m on player sales and reduced the squad again so I would expect them to be around £22m gross vs £40m two seasons ago

 

[shmmeee]

I mean when you compare accounts you can only go with gross wages - all clubs accounts show that - I don't think any split it. So Millwall as an example have published this years (ahead of us) and its circa £22m - Ours will be around £17 - £19m as a guess. Preston is £23m

Swansea are in the process I would think of siignificant wage reduction - hence offloading players like Paterson who will not be earning that money where he goes again. Swansea have not produced this seasons accounts but last season it was £27m versus £40m the season before - they have according to transfer market (which is a bit poor) made around £6m on player sales and reduced the squad again so I would expect them to be around £22m gross vs £40m two seasons ago

Im guessing a good chunk of that is the cost of U23/18s, coaches and manager (are they included?) which are likely roughly the same across the board. so once you get past that base cost the rest is first team players. A difference of £5m is 5-10 first team players, which is roughly what we’re short.

 

[Grendel]

Im guessing a good chunk of that is the cost of U23/18s, coaches and manager (are they included?) which are likely roughly the same across the board. so once you get past that base cost the rest is first team players. A difference of £5m is 5-10 first team players, which is roughly what we’re short.

I don’t think our spend on that side is anything like it - we admit non first team stuff is poor versus other clubs

Luton have a bill around £14m and don’t seem to incure huge losses actially

millwall and Preston do make significant - £10m plus - annual losses

I think you’ll see clubs gradually reducing wage bills generally as percentage of turnover is too high - we should be able to run a competitive business if we can sustain a £20m wage bill