fans behind WGS and finally pointing fingers at the board

I am not convinced your figures are accurate. WBA get a fortune from Sky just for being in the Premiership. Much more than the figure you have quoted.

In broad terms, and there is no denying this, EPL clubs pay much bigger wages across their squad than we do. Wages are the biggest part of a club's expenses therefore clubs who pay more have bigger operating costs.

What does annoy me is that we continually appear in the top 20 rich list and yet lots of EPL clubs who don't appear on the list can get players we can't afford.

 

Isn't it the case that most Prem clubs are run with millions of pounds of debt?

They can afford to do so because they know that big TV income is guaranteed every season they stay in the league and even if they drop out they get parachute payments.

 

Yes, that's the difference. They are comfortable with running up huge debts because, as you say, they know what income they have coming (if they stay in the EPL) and are able to service that debt. Even the parachute payment is huge.

Still, if we are richer than another club (i.e. we are above them on the list) then we should be able to compete with them for players.

 

100% spot on there chelsea are the only really different club as abromovich can write off their debt straight away if he wants, but if he goes they are buggered.

 

What do you really expect?

I would be very worried if WGS had to sign 11 players every year, which would mean that his last lot were crap,,, Do you see the like of Man U sign half a team every season - NO -

 

I think our problem is that any substantial increase in transfer money or the wage bill is a complete gamble.

By that I mean the club are gambling that we will be successful at home and more importantly in Europe. The Champions League money is now essential for us and we rely on tickets and merchandise to make up the majority of our revenue. And both of those revenue streams fluctuate depending on the success of the team.

Whereas the EPL teams near or below us in the rich list can rely on a steady stream of TV revenue regardless of how their team performs.

 

I accept all of this but I still we could be a wee bit more ambitious.

 

Sorry Martin perhaps I was a little un-clear those figures are not mine I am not too sure were they came from or indeed how accurate they may be. However they are suposed to be figures from last season when WBA was the biggest spenders in the championship.

Your point about the EPL paying much higher wages is spot on, but that's only one league.

Do you think we should be able to compete with cluibs who deal at a lower level. For example the top clubs in France, Holland, Portugal and Germany?

IMV this is our competition in terms of signing players, or at least it should be.

 

David Villa is now on 3 Mill EUROS , which he can earn more in the EPL - and he does not really want to leave Valencia - I spend a lot of time in Valencia and I can understand why!!

 

Aye true. The board seem to have accepted that the last 16 of the Champions League is our glass ceiling. It's hard for me to criticise them for running the club well in our football environment.

Speculate to accumulate I suppose tho.

 

German clubs can offer bigger wages than us. The tv money in France is pretty good too.

But Holland and Portugal I agree with.

 

But there European champions a believe that means your already the best so you dont need to buy players. Dont recall us recently having a European winning side

 

We could compete with Spain as well thats why Cuellar left for Rangers in the first place he was only gettin something like 3k a week with Osasuna

 

Was that because of his perceived role and value to the team (whereas he could walk straight into rangers) or a typical reflection of a good CBs value in Spain? (not rhetorical, honestly asking)

 

When GS came in, the majority was slating the boards decisions e.g. biscuit tin mentality etc etc. Their resistance to this pressure to spend spend spend has gotten them 3 SPL's 2 x Last 16 UCL, reduced debt, Lennoxtown and a very healthy financial position.

Things havent worked out as planned according to Strachan, spending for the sake of spending and getting ripped off just to get in a player would be stupid. We should wait and spend it on a worthwhile player. This board have proven to be successful, people keep referring to them like the Kelly/White/Grant era which is wrong mainly because they have brought success and we are a PLC, the books cant be fiddled that easily by anyone.

So what if Rangers have spent millions now, we'll see in a years time if they have spent wisely. I think they have done what some fans want us to do, spend stupidly. "Look what we spent", Miller, Velicka, Lafferty, Edu, Mendes are all average and poor players for millions. Miller was how much again??

 

This is all true. However I, and I think all of us, would like to see us buy a few players of proven quality. We're one of the biggest clubs in the world.

 

Its so obvious whats happeneing -the SPL is a stepping stone to the Goldien Egg which is the EPL - no rocket science required......

 

So would the board, it would be good for business to get the manager the player that he wants. But the problems, as you know, the transfer fee (is the club asking for a reasonable price) and wages (is the player asking for reasonable wages). Should we get ourselves into another Gravesen/Balde/Donati/Jarosik situation, i.e. big money for a perceived talent, only to see them flop almost instantly for reasons that you wouldnt think happen. I'm sure that was on the mind of Lawwell.

We are one of the biggest clubs in the world in one of the smallest leagues. That is a factor that we cannot escape from and it will continue to hinder us for the forseeable future unless we continually get into the knockout stages of the UCL. Then the preception of us might get sweeter.

 

Most clubs in La Liga cant pay decent wages it's ony the top clubs that can. However a decent percentage of the players throughout the leagues are connected to the big clubs. Usualy a player has a hefty buy out figure within their contract, but if the big clubs don't want them then the smaller clubs usualy negotiate a decent fee.

Spot on we talk like one of the biggest clubs in the world but we dont act like one, or at least it apears we dont.

 

The fans' aspirations and expectations are the highest and so they should be,that's fitting for Celtic." Peter Lawell
AYE RIGHT!!!

We might have a PLC but the club is still in the control of a VERY few individuals. The fans say is very limited and we do not have a voice at this level.

Don't think talk of the biscuit tin is far off the mark - I suspect from what we are hearing that relations between WGS and the Board are pretty shaky.They have not supported the manager at all in strengthening the team.