claretonthecoast1882 wrote:You claimed we will soon be a squad of journeymen, just pointing out that replacing a 33 yr old keeper with a 22 yr old isn't exactly what you are claiming. That is what I am on about
I think the more important question is why we are thinking about replacing our best keeper ( an England international ) and club Captain with a fowl keeper from Leeds. The best thing that can be said about BPF is that he has a lof of potential for improvement, because he is young and crap.
Strengthening Villa and weakening ourselves to put a measly £6m ( money from Tom less the cost of BPF ) in the coffers is a ridiculous thing to do.
Huge impact on the dressing room before the start of the season. Very risky in light of the groin strain to Pope and how our season played out last year. Diminished support for the Gaffer ( players who are in the latter stages of their careers, desperate for another contract, and new entrants with no developed allegience to a club are less likely to say boo! to a goose in the face of change ). Losing Tom is a massive loss to the character and culture of the club when that has been a key part in keeping us up.
We don't need to sell = ********
Character is important = ********
Next level recruitment = ********
Stable pre season build up = ********
We are looking to strengthen = ********
If we stay up ( and it is looking less and less likely ) Hart will leave for a big contract pay out at the end of the season, which will leave us with Pope and BPF.
If we drop down Hart will leave and Pope will be sold to the vultures who descend on us, leaving us with BPF to mount an attempt to win promotion.
There is a big difference between a player who is desperate to leave and a player that is being actively pushed towards the door. In the same way that Vokes was handed his last minute hat.
If we continue to shoot ourselves in the foot we are only going one way. The departure of Tom could mark the end of an Era in more ways than one.
This is looking like a window ( ongoing strategy ) aimed at making our task of staying in the Premiership more difficult.
Keep the dry powder store well stocked,
Drop down a league and bolster the dry powder store with parachute payments ( less the money spent on wages )
Sell our best players to the clubs who would pick our bones should we go down.
Give the twilight players a season to turn things around until their contracts end ( nobody will step in to buy them and pay equal wages ). Release those at the end of their contracts to lower wages.
Spend a minimal amount to fill all of the gaps ( can't risk the future of the club by spending ) or play the youth.
Give the Gaffer a play off place or bust ultimatum, knowing he will honourably fall on his sword if he doesn't succeed.
Watch a team subjected to huge change, deprived of its core characters, falter and fail.
New Head Coach, new vision, all of the money in the dry powder store is wasted on a massive squad overhaul that brings in a succession of poor " analytical " players on excessive wages.
The financial value and competitive performance of the club diminishes and Rigg adds another devastated club to his CV.
Caveat - Compliment Garlick on all of his hard work, point out that the value of his investment is falling and how selling his shares to another investor ( with no affinity to the club and no knowledge of football who will interfere less ) is the way forward and in the best interests of the club.
In management terms this would be a classic " set people up to fail " strategy. A nefarious back stabbing strategy that is partcularly effective against honest, good hearted people whose nieive belief in the " inherent goodness of other people " lends them a gullability that is easily exploited.
On second thoughts, Heaton to Villa is an excellent move ( the same for Tarks or anyone else that is thinking of leaving for another club ). Tom has earned his place in the Premiership and his chance of staying in it will probably be a lot better with Villa. Now that they are free from FFP if they stay up ( which will be a lot easier with Tom ) another round of spending will see them carving out a secure future for themselves. Strange to think they were begging us to advance payment on Westwood to keep afloat not so long ago.
I think this post, along with its hypothetical doom mongering, should put me well ahead of Boysie in the down cast and dissapointed competition. From Happy Clapper to Doom Sayer in the space of one year, quite the turn around.