City 14-1 To Win League One (1 Viewer)

[Astute]

I would love to be optimistic Brighton! I just cannot see why things are now going to get better that's all. I am looking forward to different grounds next season. Does that help!

I cheered up once I noticed there was a lack of players in the whole division that would improve us by much. So why are we going to have a poor season as things stand?

 

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[100 miles from Cov.]

Because we have no money and are being run by a hedge fund that does not care anymore!

 

[Grendel]

I cheered up once I noticed there was a lack of players in the whole division that would improve us by much. So why are we going to have a poor season as things stand?

I agree with you in that there is little logic to the negativity if just for a moment people extract themselves from the ownership issue, defence is very strong by league 1 standards and midfield with a couple of additions will stand up. I agree the front line is an issue but we will get some forwards in either loans or purchases.
We won't run away with the league but I don't see a struggle I really don't.

 

[Gray]

Because we have no money and are being run by a hedge fund that does not care anymore!

no teams in that league have money... thats why they are in that league

 

[dongonzalos]

Ours was -3m. Does that mean they spent -9m?

is that a minus 3

or are you saying we spent 3 million on transfer fees last summer please enlighten me

 

[Grendel]

Because we have no money and are being run by a hedge fund that does not care anymore!

Very few clubs in the league have money and that's the point. Bournemouth have some but are disjointed by their investors "hands on style" (investors wife to be more accurate), the financial bubble at Crawley has gone and the mackay project has left Doncaster in dissaray.

 

[Grendel]

is that a minus 3

or are you saying we spent 3 million on transfer fees last summer please enlighten me

It's irrelevant anyway. Crawley spent big and the investor has stopped investing. They will be relegated.

 

[dongonzalos]

It's irrelevant anyway. Crawley spent big and the investor has stopped investing. They will be relegated.

Heard the manager that left them to return home up north the other day.

He felt they were still a top club. He states the finances is still very good there. He thinks they will get promoted again. he left as he had a chance to return to his family.

He maybe be lying but he said it was nothing to do with a couple of their top players leaving and felt if they were up north he would have stuck with them

He wanted to stay to the end of the season but when they discovered he was going back north in the summer they told him to leave straight away.

He did not have a bad word to say about them.

They spent 650 k in the summer so in my book last years FINANCIALLY they were a bigger club than us.

 

[Brighton Sky Blue]

I would love to be optimistic Brighton! I just cannot see why things are now going to get better that's all. I am looking forward to different grounds next season. Does that help!

A happy medium between Glen and Paxman would do me!

 

[Astute]

is that a minus 3

or are you saying we spent 3 million on transfer fees last summer please enlighten me

It may have been a lot of years since I was last at school but I expect - to still.mean minus yes.

 

[100 miles from Cov.]

I'm off to the doctors in the morning now to get some anti depressants! Cheers Brighton sky blue!

 

[Grendel]

Heard the manager that left them to return home up north the other day.

He felt they were still a top club. He states the finances is still very good there. He thinks they will get promoted again. he left as he had a chance to return to his family.

He maybe be lying but he said it was nothing to do with a couple of their top players leaving and felt if they were up north he would have stuck with them

He wanted to stay to the end of the season but when they discovered he was going back north in the summer they told him to leave straight away.

He did not have a bad word to say about them.

They spent 650 k in the summer so in my book last years FINANCIALLY they were a bigger club than us.

No he left because they sold his two best players without his consent which he was very public about (Tubbs and Barnet). Their recent boast of being the Manchester City of the Conference will shortly come back to haunt them. They are an arrogant bunch from my conversations with them and I can see a return to non-league very soon.

 

[dongonzalos]

It may have been a lot of years since I was last at school but I expect - to still.mean minus yes.

Last time I checked an Abacus did not go as far as -9 million, so you did well to be fair.

 

[dongonzalos]

No he left because they sold his two best players without his consent which he was very public about (Tubbs and Barnet). Their recent boast of being the Manchester City of the Conference will shortly come back to haunt them. They are an arrogant bunch from my conversations with them and I can see a return to non-league very soon.

Maybe he was lying in the on the radio 5 interview two weeks ago then, but he was adamant it was not that. He said he did not want the players to go, but he sat down had an adult conversation with the chairman looked at the financial gain and the plans for the money and ended up agreeing it was the best thing to do.
He was adamant he had a opportunity to get back to his family who would not move to Crawley so he was going to take it. His logic was get Crawley promoted finish the season then join Rotherham.
He told the chairman who said no leave now. The chairman did not fall out with him but felt it may affect the promotion campaign. He did not agree with this initially but then said in hindsight it was the right decision by the chairman

He sounded quite a decent bloke on the radio but he was very positive about Crawlry and in his own words said that they would still be a big club and the selling of those players would not affect them greatly

 

[Brighton Sky Blue]

I'm off to the doctors in the morning now to get some anti depressants! Cheers Brighton sky blue!

Any time

 

[rob9872]

I think from reading a chunk ofthis thread its pretty clear that most of you don't understand how gambling and odds work.

The price is a reflection of the chance a bookie offers which you have a choice to accept or decline. Each firm will have a group of odds compilers that judge based on many factors and a tremendous amount of research taking the ability of each squad at any given moment in time. There is a science to it and the figures are not plucked out of the air and I would guess if they think we are 14/1 then that's close to our true odds. I only say close because they are not a charity and will have built in an over-round as their expected profit spread over the whole book (an example is an evenly matched boxing bout where both fighters are 5/6 when a coin flip would be even money). However ... you have a choice. I'm sure many of you will have heard of Betfair which is punter v punter and if we are 14/1 on there and you think 50/1 is a fair price then you have the option to truely put your money where your mouth is and lay that price to others. If you don't have the balls to do so, then you don't genuinely believe what you are stating about the 50/1

 

[skybluelee]

You will feel even sicker when you realise their transfer budget was 3 x the size of ours last summer

3 x nothing is nothing isn't it?!

 

[rob9872]

Our budget is for wages not just transfers. Free transfers still need to earn a wage. We were vastly under strength, under-budget and without depth last season but still had to fund some overpaid 'stars' of the past. A similar budget this season would afford the manager a chance to make some real decent signings, but with loss of revenue it remaisn to be seen if the same budget is available.

 

[dongonzalos]

Our budget is for wages not just transfers. Free transfers still need to earn a wage. We were vastly under strength, under-budget and without depth last season but still had to fund some overpaid 'stars' of the past. A similar budget this season would afford the manager a chance to make some real decent signings, but with loss of revenue it remaisn to be seen if the same budget is available.

I agree I think it needs to be 4 season long loan signings and 5 free transfers who can do the business at league 1 level.

We are going to lose Cranie, Keogh, Clingan, Norwood, Nimely, McPake. That is a lot of our best players (and hibs best player from last season). We were already short before these 6 are off so I think grab the extra 3 were short and replace those 6.

You make a good point though Rob some of them would be big earners, so if SISU are true to their word they will be able to replace them and have a bit left over wages wise to replace the ones that we were missing from last season.

The big question is are there 5 free transfers out there who can improve our squad. There will definitely be 4 loanees out there.

 

[Grendel]

I agree I think it needs to be 4 season long loan signings and 5 free transfers who can do the business at league 1 level.

We are going to lose Cranie, Keogh, Clingan, Norwood, Nimely, McPake. That is a lot of our best players (and hibs best player from last season). We were already short before these 6 are off so I think grab the extra 3 were short and replace those 6.

You make a good point though Rob some of them would be big earners, so if SISU are true to their word they will be able to replace them and have a bit left over wages wise to replace the ones that we were missing from last season.

The big question is are there 5 free transfers out there who can improve our squad. There will definitely be 4 loanees out there.

We don't need 9 new players - even you said 8 this morning - we need 5 to compete and that assumes both Keogh and Cranie go. Squads at this level are smaller. If Thorn signs the correct players (most critically a goalscorer and a central midfielder) there is no way we should be below the likes of Bury, Stevenage etc.

 

[mark82]

We don't need 9 new players - even you said 8 this morning - we need 5 to compete and that assumes both Keogh and Cranie go. Squads at this level are smaller. If Thorn signs the correct players (most critically a goalscorer and a central midfielder) there is no way we should be below the likes of Bury, Stevenage etc.

You are being very positive at the moment! Have to say I totally agree. If we spend wisely we will be top 6. We need a striker and a midfielder as you say. Also some cover at left back. The rest are nice to haves. Obviously we may need to find replacements for anyone who is sold also.

 

[dongonzalos]

We don't need 9 new players - even you said 8 this morning - we need 5 to compete and that assumes both Keogh and Cranie go. Squads at this level are smaller. If Thorn signs the correct players (most critically a goalscorer and a central midfielder) there is no way we should be below the likes of Bury, Stevenage etc.

Yep I said 8 this morning when I though McPake would come back. Looks like he is off as
well.

Pretty much everyone agreed our squad was too small last season even including SISU

If we lose Cranie, Keogh, McPake, Clingan, on top of Nimley and Norwood

Thats six out and you want us to sign 5

So you want a already to small squad to lose 6 players 5 of whom were arguably the best players last season and replace them with 5?

Cant see your logic really.

We got injuries last season and it screwed us why are we not going to get injuries in league one?

I accept the players that replace those that leave dont have to be just as good. They just need to be good enough to perform in league one. Nevertheless we need to replace the six that go and we need at least 3 on top to try and have a medium sized squad

 

[rob9872]

We definitely need more than the two you suggest. Two quality signings would give us a team that could compete at the very top but unfortunately we need a squad not just a team and for that we need much more. We were thin this season and with impending losses we need replacements. Not necessarily with outstanding quality or expense (although that would be nice) but enough to pad the squad and ensure we are not weakened through injury, suspension or loss of form.

 

[mark82]

Everyone is assuming Cranie & Keogh are going. Have I missed someone putting in a bid?

 

[rob9872]

Well Cranie is out of contract so no bid required and I would imagine that Keogh is one of the few assets that we could command a fee for and who has genuine and deserved aspirations of playing at a higher level. It would free wages for an assault on League one, so I think its more a question of when rather than if they are both going.

 

[mark82]

Yep, forgot Cranie was out of contract.

 

[dongonzalos]

We don't need 9 new players - even you said 8 this morning - we need 5 to compete and that assumes both Keogh and Cranie go. Squads at this level are smaller. If Thorn signs the correct players (most critically a goalscorer and a central midfielder) there is no way we should be below the likes of Bury, Stevenage etc.

Didnt bury beat us last season?

 

[mark82]

Didnt bury beat us last season?

In the cup. Which doesn't really count. When Sutton United beat us did that make them good enough for top flight?

 

[dongonzalos]

Hopefully we dont get to find out about Sutton. Like we are going to find out with Bury.

 

[Steve.B50]

I will put a £10 on it. If we could keep the same team (minus sideways Glingy) we would do ok in that league, our problem is who we sell. but its only £10.

 

[mark82]

I will put a £10 on it. If we could keep the same team (minus sideways Glingy) we would do ok in that league, our problem is who we sell. but its only £10.

We surely have more chance than bloody Doncaster.

 

[1nilandwe...]

I heard a rumour (Just a rumour. I have no facts to back this up) that Keogh has enjoyed himself very much at Coventry and would like to stay. Apparently he's big mates off the pitch with Cranie, who he is trying to convince to stay also. So it could be a case of if one stays, they both stay.

Rumours aside, if we do manage to keep them it would be a massive boost and we'd have the makings of an excellent back four (and five with Murphy) for League 1. I genuinely think those two could be the difference between a top and bottom half finish in that division, provided we have a reasonable goal-scorer.

 

[TheUKGryphon]

14-1? That's worth £50 of anybody else's money.

 

[ccfcway]

I think from reading a chunk ofthis thread its pretty clear that most of you don't understand how gambling and odds work.

The price is a reflection of the chance a bookie offers which you have a choice to accept or decline. Each firm will have a group of odds compilers that judge based on many factors and a tremendous amount of research taking the ability of each squad at any given moment in time. There is a science to it and the figures are not plucked out of the air and I would guess if they think we are 14/1 then that's close to our true odds. I only say close because they are not a charity and will have built in an over-round as their expected profit spread over the whole book (an example is an evenly matched boxing bout where both fighters are 5/6 when a coin flip would be even money). However ... you have a choice. I'm sure many of you will have heard of Betfair which is punter v punter and if we are 14/1 on there and you think 50/1 is a fair price then you have the option to truely put your money where your mouth is and lay that price to others. If you don't have the balls to do so, then you don't genuinely believe what you are stating about the 50/1

It's not on betfair yet pal, else I would be laying 20's all day long

 

[Sky Blue Kid]

In the cup. Which doesn't really count. When Sutton United beat us did that make them good enough for top flight?

The thing is mark82, we've been turned over in most Cup and friendly games by lower division teams over the last 4-5 years, Bury Morecambe, and drew against teams who gave us "A lesson in football":facepalm: