More restricted this year

[sage]

38 minutes ago, May Contain Nuts said:

A lot depends on how Clowes / Pearce actually define sustainability, while still putting out the message that we're not there just to make up the numbers.

The agreed business plan last season sounded pretty restrictive written down but in reality was about as effective as putting a paper muzzle on an XL Bully. Even at around 42% wages to turnover we managed to carry what was almost certainly the highest (player) wage bill in the league, to have a squad deep enough that every time we had some injuries there was always a rolling cast of returness of a similar standing to fill the void. The one time we didn't have a ready-made replacement on the books (when Collins got injured) we were able to sort it by almost immediately bringing in a free agent most other teams wouldn't have been able to offer a contract to), and we were able to pretty much waste £200-300k on an injured winger who we'd almost certainly have had for free in the summer anyway!

To what degree that 42% was David Clowes idea of sustainability and his knowledge of the advantage even that  gave us over most other L1 teams, and how much it was based on what the EFL would accept we don't know. We do know that UEFA believe 70% to be the target but we also know that Championship clubs pretty much entirely disregard that figure with the majority going well above that - in the Rowett season we were around 130% for a 6th place finish. I don't think Championship teams particularly have curtaled their spending since?

We may not be under enforced restrictions but self-imposed lmits still count. I'd certainly not say that the idea we may be more restricted this season that last is a fallacy it's just a matter of whether you're a stickler for certain definitions of certain words. This/last season we only really had to worry about ourselves and at worst we had 3-4 teams willing to pay more for individual players. In the Championship we're likely to be competing for players with teams, in double figures, willing to risk their sustainability to best us.

If we're going to dovert towards paying fees more often it will come at a cost of being able to get the best free agents. There's always a trade-off.

I'm not clued in on how much extra revenue being in the Championship gives us or what level 'our' 70% would put us at compared to others and I don't know how much above or below that figure Clowes is willing to go - as per the opening line.

I fear that to meet any expectation above maybe 18th we may struggle to fulfil the remit of being sustainable?

I think you get an additional £7-8m of TV money plus maybe £1m extra in away ticket sales, maybe a little more sponsorship too.

 

[jono]

9 hours ago, Foreveram said:

Before doing what.

I think he means, before you might join the independent pitchfork brigade that Roy founded a while back. There’s one particularly good example of such a tool, in his barn, with PW’s name on it and he’s polishing the tines and putting linseed oil on the shaft ready for the new season when emotions run high.