General Brannagan & Co to stay and take us to the championship?or not....

[Foley]

Obviously cup runs are not budgeted for but we would all be foolish to think that having one will prevent fans being told that we could not turn down the offer or stand in the players way.

I reckon that most fans understand.
If championship club (or even PL club) comes up with a big bid then of course the club and player will be tempted.
Surely that is pretty obvious?
The key things are that we get the best deal for the player and we have players lined up and reinvest (so Whyte goes and Fosu comes in, Nelson goes and Moore comes in , Obika goes and Taylor comes in!!)

 

[LondonRoader]

For me the January window will be about intent, do the club want promotion that will be heralded by the fans but will come with a heavy cost financially to stay there, or do they cash out on players and we just miss out on a chance of promotion from what seems a good position at the moment.

 

[horseman]

For me the January window will be about intent, do the club want promotion that will be heralded by the fans but will come with a heavy cost financially to stay there, or do they cash out on players and we just miss out on a chance of promotion from what seems a good position at the moment.

it's no coincidence that on previous occasions when we've been in similar positions something always happened to screw it up, whether via a player/players moving on, manager looking to exit, Ownership issues or Chairman stalling on contracts.

 

[horseman]

What's different is the belief through the club that we can really compete for promotion. There is one thing having those aspirations in July, and another to see that being delivered on the pitch. I'm not knocking you for not going to games, but there is a real feeling that this could be a special year that rarely comes across on this forum, and that is felt by the players too.

As for Gavin Whyte, he wanted to put himself in the shop window ahead of the Euros and knew that playing in the Championship would enhance his chance of playing regular internationals. Seeing the opportunity to move to Cardiff with time to establish himself before the summer was something he grabbed with both hands. His departure helped the bank balance but had no impact on our playing budget which we stayed within.

Of course some bids will be too good to turn down for player or club, but that is very different than anyone going into January expecting sales to happen.

Too good to turn down is very subjective, also if you want to avoid such scenarios then don't entice players with give us a year and we wont stand in your way...As you rightly say it could indeed be a special year although it's too early to get ahead of ourselves so how about a statement of intent from the board that nobody will be leaving whilst we have a chance for promotion.This is surely better than hints from staff that indeed we may sell or Tigers weekly don't forget to buy your tickets to the CURRENT fan base.

To answer your question on the Sunderland thread, i've waited for you to correct your little dig about my waiting for tickets to be a pound but since tickets are 25% off why am i not getting mine for 75p

I am on record for several seasons that evening games are sadly not really possible as there is only 1 train home and by the time the buses actual turn up and we tour Oxford for best part of an hour it is not practical and especially not with a young child.

 

[Foley]

Well money from the Cups is racking up which should mean that there is no need for a sale in January unless there is a huge offer.
£75K to £110k in the FACup first round, 10k crowds v West Ham and Sunderland and if we beat Sunderland ....
Plus the micky mouse Cup where there is good money for winning games.
I reckon that if we continue to do so well the Boxing Day game could be another 10k + and league crowds should start increasing.

 

[LondonRoader]

it's no coincidence that on previous occasions when we've been in similar positions something always happened to screw it up, whether via a player/players moving on, manager looking to exit, Ownership issues or Chairman stalling on contracts.

As you say we mustn't get ahead of ourselves, but come January if we are around the play off places it could be stick or twist for the owners, cash in on players or go for a promotion that comes with a heavy price tag.

 

[MarkG]

Well money from the Cups is racking up which should mean that there is no need for a sale in January unless there is a huge offer.
£75K to £110k in the FACup first round, 10k crowds v West Ham and Sunderland and if we beat Sunderland ....
Plus the micky mouse Cup where there is good money for winning games.
I reckon that if we continue to do so well the Boxing Day game could be another 10k + and league crowds should start increasing.

Without player sales the club loses millions per year on the current wage bill. If the billionaire board are helping fund this then ok. But I thought ZN said day to day was down to ST. And after all the financial issues last year has ST got more ready cash ?

Anyway if it’s ST on his own I would expect to see a player go in January. But if it’s a board commitment perhaps they will stick unless silly money comes along.

 

[Upthecowboys]

Eastwood seems the obvious one to sell. For whatever reason his performances haven’t been up to his previous seasons high standards , his family is back up North etc. Could then get a proven goalie in on loan to see us through to the end of the season, giving us more time to secure a number 1 for next season (maybe even the loan goalie does well enough etc).

With the likes of Brannagan I guess it is down to the player’s & clubs attitude to risk. If bids come in January then strike a deal with him that we won’t stand in his way at the end of the season. Of course that is a risk for both parties, but both could see a better return if he had a full season of this great form.

It’s easy when it is not your money but I hope we can find a way of doing any player sales business at the end of the season. I don’t think we will but if we lost 2 or 3 of our players in January then it would feel a punch in the guts and we’d probably end up thinking ‘if only....’

 

[Foley]

Without player sales the club loses millions per year on the current wage bill. If the billionaire board are helping fund this then ok. But I thought ZN said day to day was down to ST. And after all the financial issues last year has ST got more ready cash ?

Anyway if it’s ST on his own I would expect to see a player go in January. But if it’s a board commitment perhaps they will stick unless silly money comes along.

No I totally agred but... the Board have made clear that Cup takings gave not been budgeted for.
So on the basis thay were planning to get through the season financially and there was no guarantee that a player could be sold in January, then an extra £250k or so will surely help if we are close in January?

 

[Foley]

As you say we mustn't get ahead of ourselves, but come January if we are around the play off places it could be stick or twist for the owners, cash in on players or go for a promotion that comes with a heavy price tag.

Surely it isnt simply thr clubs decision these days. If there is a big offer from a PL club and the player says he wants to go then it isn't that easy keeping a player these days?

 

[holdsteady]

If a prem club offer £5 million for Brannigan and £20k a week wages then he will be off won’t he? I have no problem with that as everyone has a price tag, we’re a league one club.

It would be disappointing if we are at the top challenging and an important player leaves for a relatively small fee to a championship club.

 

[BigCrompy]

Eastwood seems the obvious one to sell. For whatever reason his performances haven’t been up to his previous seasons high standards , his family is back up North etc

Genuinely, how much would you expect us to get for Eastwood? He’s 30, not old in goal-keeping terms appreciably; but highly unlikely to walk into a #1 shirt at a higher level.

I’d be amazed if a Div 2 club offered much more than £250K for a 30-year-old potential backup.

In a thread about balancing the books, selling Eastwood wouldn’t prevent an additional player being sold.

 

[Scotchegg]

Genuinely, how much would you expect us to get for Eastwood? He’s 30, not old in goal-keeping terms appreciably; but highly unlikely to walk into a #1 shirt at a higher level.

I’d be amazed if a Div 2 club offered much more than £250K for a 30-year-old potential backup.

In a thread about balancing the books, selling Eastwood wouldn’t prevent an additional player being sold.

You're right that we wouldn't get a huge amount for Eastwood, and we would still need to replace him, but it may not be only about finances.

Eastwood committed to the club this summer but has found being away from his family harder than expected. I wouldn't necessarily use this as a reason why he's made a mistake or 2, but it may be a good time to look at other options for all parties.

 

[horseman]

You're right that we wouldn't get a huge amount for Eastwood, and we would still need to replace him, but it may not be only about finances.

Eastwood committed to the club this summer but has found being away from his family harder than expected. I wouldn't necessarily use this as a reason why he's made a mistake or 2, but it may be a good time to look at other options for all parties.

A timely reminder of some of the difficulties players face, it's not always about the £££££

Easy to say but i hope he can see it out to the summer and keep the more solid looking defence together.

 

[LondonRoader]

Surely it isnt simply thr clubs decision these days. If there is a big offer from a PL club and the player says he wants to go then it isn't that easy keeping a player these days?

That would be a leap in faith by everyone.

 

[Northernyellow]

A timely reminder of some of the difficulties players face, it's not always about the £££££

Easy to say but i hope he can see it out to the summer and keep the more solid looking defence together.

We'll keep all our players in January if Tiger has the funds he has always claimed he has..... ?

 

[Foley]

We'll keep all our players in January if Tiger has the funds he has always claimed he has..... ?

Tiger has said that KR can spend in January.
It isnt just about having money. These days it is also about the players who can just about make sure that they can leave if a decent offer comes in and they want to go.

 

[Northernyellow]

Tiger has said that KR can spend in January.
It isnt just about having money. These days it is also about the players who can just about make sure that they can leave if a decent offer comes in and they want to go.

On the other hand... an ambitious Chairman, with the funds to back up the chat, would keep this squad intact. And then add 1-2 players in January to make us genuine promotion contenders. Brannagan's etc. value won't have dropped significantly by the Summer. So let's see how January pans out...

 

[Foley]

On the other hand... an ambitious Chairman, with the funds to back up the chat, would keep this squad intact. And then add 1-2 players in January to make us genuine promotion contenders. Brannagan's etc. value won't have dropped significantly by the Summer. So let's see how January pans out...

It's not necessarily about ambition.
Some players these days virtually go 'on strike' even in the PL because they are ambitious and can treble their money and want to play at a higher level.
You say the player will be worth the same in the summer. Not if something happens similar to Nelson and suddenly the player has a long term injury.
I would hope and expect that we will keep our players if we are still near the top in January. Most players dont have too many goes at promotion in their careers.
But if Liverpool came in for Brannagan for £10m then the club could hardly stand in the way of that could they?

 

[horseman]

Let's keep things realistic there is no way any of our players are getting anywhere near the Top clubs in the Premiershi*e.

I could see a Southampton or Newcastle at a push but it's more likely a Championship club which is the very place we aspire to be so other than a few months extra £££££ why can we not hold on to them and all parties realize their ambition together?