Pace

[Flying Without Ings]

VK and the players are getting the plaudits recently and rightly so but thank you Alan Pace and co for appointing VK. Could've been easy to appoint a steady hand who knows English football (Wilder, Allardyce etc) but gambled somewhat because he knew we needed a rebrand/fresh ideas. We are nowhere near getting promotion at this stage, but we're also nowhere near the finished article which is the scary thing.

Irrespective of people's opinions on the leverage takeover argument, credit where credit is due on that call.

[Superjohnnyfrancis]

Took a lot of bottle to get where we are, well done Alan.

[Gee123]

Early days Utc nnn

[wbfc]

Still worried about the future...but good transfer window in the summer..the likes of which we have not really seen before..looking like a good managerial appointment...and promotion to premier league even for a season should help debt..

Hope it can continue.. UTC

[Woodleyclaret]

Well done and if this is what the future holds I for one am enjoying the ride

[helmclaret]

Refreshing to have someone with so much ambition and belief at the helm.

[bfcjg]

All Pace is a football fan due to time spent watching Barcelona, glad he did as their style of play obviously influenced his choice.

[bobinho]

There will be people on here absolutely SPEWING because of how things have turned out so far. There are plenty (and not too far under the surface) sat waiting to scream “I told you so!” at the first sign of us struggling.

There are also those who won’t give Pace any credit whatsoever under any circumstances and that’s just a little bit sad.

His only mistake for me was the length of SD’s final contract.

[Rileybobs]

Plenty to remain sceptical about but hiring VK seems to have been a master stroke.

[quoonbeatz]

Glad he took my advice and brought the big man in, it's working out nicely.

[FeedTheArf]

Plenty to remain sceptical about but hiring VK seems to have been a master stroke.

This!

Can’t and won’t ever make my peace with the finances, but credit where it’s due, going for Kompany in the first place was a bold move. Persuading him to still take the job after relegation and what that would mean for player sales was impressive.

[RVclaret]

Plenty to remain sceptical about but hiring VK seems to have been a master stroke.

Spot on! VK talked a lot about the owners and their transparency when he arrived so fair enough.

[Bosscat]

Irrespective of people's opinions on the leverage takeover argument, credit where credit is due on that call.

Exciting Times

[Swizzlestick]

Lots to still question, not least the conditions of the buyout and ongoing ramifications, which we have heard and will continue to hear about, but he deserves immense credit for hiring and convincing Kompany to come here. Could easily have gone for a safer choice like Wilder (who, I admit, I would have been happy with - shows what I know). You can criticise him for the Dyche contract, but you have to see it from his perspective - he's coming into a club where he's essentially being told this is the best manager we've had in eons, who has worked miracles. It's difficult to go against that.

[gtclaret]

There are financial storms ahead, but I'm enjoying the ride ATM

[randomclaret2]

I see Mr Pace popped into the Royal Dyche yesterday

[tiger76]

Appointing Kompany is proving to be Pave's best ever decision, and like others I was advocating Wilder, thank goodness we didn't go down that route.

Regarding the finances a season or two at the top table should help us right the ship.

[Big Vinny K]

Enjoying the atmosphere and football immensely.
VK was a great capture.
He speaks so well about his team and the club and it’s fantastic to see someone who has had the unbelievable career he has had be so passionate and work so hard to make a success at our club.

But let’s not forget that our ownership model now means that if we do not succeed on the pitch or VK leaves that our future is balancing on that tightrope that we have seen with the demise of many bigger clubs than us in the last few years.

[ClaretAndJew]

Those players on that pitch tonight wipe the entire debt out in 2-3 years when sold. Easily.

[Spijed]

But let’s not forget that our ownership model now means that if we do not succeed on the pitch or VK leaves that our future is balancing on that tightrope that we have seen with the demise of many bigger clubs than us in the last few years.

Just asked about that in the ALK thread.

[ClaretPete001]

Only an idiot thinks that spending £50 million on shares rather than playing assets is a good thing.

Most of the family silver was sold and replaced with loanees. It's a bit like selling a solid family car and lease hiring a BMW. Some will always think that it is a trade up.

As a sporting director, I think Pace has done a fantastic job. As an investor he is likely to make money but as an owner of a community club I'm afraid the jury is out until we have cleared the debt and have a squad good enough to retain it's place in the PL.

We sold/loaned 8 players of PL quality at the end of summer. How many of those who played yesterday could we sell to PL clubs: probably none.

My advice is enjoy the ride, stop talking sh*te and if in 3 years time AP is still at the club and we are in the PL all the nay sayers like myself will have to eat the biggest slice of humble pie ever. Personally, I wouldn't be buying in the custard just yet.

[claretonthecoast1882]

[alf_resco]

"We sold/loaned 8 players of PL quality at the end of summer. How many of those who played yesterday could we sell to PL clubs: probably none."


I disagree with that.

[Socrates]

How many of those who played yesterday could we sell to PL clubs: probably none.

You don’t think we could sell Brownhill and Zaroury to Premier League clubs?

[IanMcL]

There is still a huge debt and massive interest to pay.
However, support for the manager welcomed.

[warksclaret]

Its been a tremendous achievement all round since the end of last season-and we still have Churlinov, twine and Westwood to come back from injury

[KRBFC]

I always said I admired his approach of not shirking the big decision of sacking Dyche, he never hid away either, always showed his face to back up his decision. Almost worked out for us in surviving relegation. The appointment of VK I fully supported from the start, excellent appointment. It seems Pace likes similar football to myself.

Non of this will detract from my thoughts on the leveraged buyout and how immoral I think selling players to fund debt for shares is.

Whilst we've dropped a division, had £100m+ taken out of the club, sold big players to pay debt, I have enjoyed this season enormously, that buzz is back for me. Pace has to take some credit for that.

[ClaretPete001]

You don’t think we could sell Brownhill and Zaroury to Premier League clubs?

Evidentially, all the players who left were taken by PL clubs or purchased by a PL club last season. So, no arguments.

Brownhill wasn't and neither was Zaroury. Whether their stock has risen subsequently I don't know but the point still substantively stands.

[Billy Balfour]

I'm just enjoying the ride, and I said I would do so before the season even began. Being too concerned about stuff I have no control over was beginning to grate.

[basil6345789]

Pace had this strategy in mind from his onset

[Socrates]

Evidentially, all the players who left were taken by PL clubs or purchased by a PL club last season. So, no arguments.

Brownhill wasn't and neither was Zaroury. Whether their stock has risen subsequently I don't know but the point still substantively stands.

It absolutely does not.

By your rational Messi couldn’t be signed by a Premier League as no Premier League club has ever signed him.

[Belgianclaret]

Only an idiot thinks that spending £50 million on shares rather than playing assets is a good thing.

Most of the family silver was sold and replaced with loanees. It's a bit like selling a solid family car and lease hiring a BMW. Some will always think that it is a trade up.

As a sporting director, I think Pace has done a fantastic job. As an investor he is likely to make money but as an owner of a community club I'm afraid the jury is out until we have cleared the debt and have a squad good enough to retain it's place in the PL.

We sold/loaned 8 players of PL quality at the end of summer. How many of those who played yesterday could we sell to PL clubs: probably none.

My advice is enjoy the ride, stop talking sh*te and if in 3 years time AP is still at the club and we are in the PL all the nay sayers like myself will have to eat the biggest slice of humble pie ever. Personally, I wouldn't be buying in the custard just yet.

This.

[jen1066]

If we go up, which I think we will, won't we be able to pay off another huge chunk of the debt?

[Cooclaret]

If we go up, which I think we will, won't we be able to pay off another huge chunk of the debt?

Yes, if the payments are solely directed there.

No, if you’re hoping to turn the loans into permanent deals and add a replacements for Cork and Jay.

[gandhisflipflop]

Pace had this strategy in mind from his onset

Any fan with an ounce of common sense could see it. Sadly, a lot don’t. He isn’t doing bad though for a ‘chancer’ is he?

[Cooclaret]

I haven’t seen many apologies that are overdue from the detractors.

[jedi_master]

My thoughts on the mechanism used to ‘purchase’ the club have been said enough times, but you have to absolutely doff your cap to the decision making from Kompany appointment onwards.

The squad has the overhaul it desperately needed with young players who will grow in value brought in, supplemented by superb use of the loan market (something we never really bothered with under SD, and it’s clearly a factor that has held us back a bit I think when we talk about the lack of pace/dynamism that the PL sides had).

Kompany of course his biggest victory - what an unbelievable appointment it’s turned out to be. We were all excited by such a name coming in when the rumours started (albeit it seemed to take absolutely ages to be confirmed) but there was the slight nag of Waddle in my mind as we had been burnt with our last ‘name’ appointment. He’s been an utter revelation, and the transfer market has been his playground.

Pace deserves credit for getting (overall) good, solid fees for our PL assets, appointing Kompany, and seemingly paying down a large chunk of the debt that he stuck on us. My biggest concern this summer is he would go all out for promotion, taking additional loans and pumping everything into it to chase his return. From my outlook, he has been very sensible and tried to do it as sustainably as is possible in the confines of the risks he initially placed upon us.

You can only say well done for his decision making from the point we were relegated.

[GodIsADeeJay81]

The vitriol lobbed around on here and other social media platforms at Pace and anyone who vaguely backed him was shocking.

There was zero patience from some with what the club was doing and the silence from them is deafening at times now.

I'm glad it's starting to work out, they've done some great work and long may it continue.

[Big Vinny K]

You do realise that you can be happy with the appointment of VK, the players and the great style of football and still be unhappy with the financial model of the club ?

There is a middle ground and that’s where most Burnley fans I know sit. There are around a dozen of my mates who go on the game with me and we all think VK and the football is fantastic but every single one of us are also not happy and concerned by the takeover and the level of debt the club is now burdened with.

To gloat about the situation and ask for apologies is a bit embarrassing. I’ve worked in commercial finance for 30 plus years including dealing directly with a number of football clubs including , Chelsea, Man City, Liverpool, Celtic, Leeds and Sheffield Wednesday and I have seen things in the way that clubs run their finances that you would literally never see in any other sector of business - and they are not good things.

So I do not come at this from a view where I don’t understand what I am talking about. And that’s the same for some of the other posters who have expressed concerns about our new financial model where it’s clear those posters also have good financial knowledge.

It’s to put it mildly a bit simplistic to say that this was the new owners ‘strategy’ all along.

[Spijed]

The vitriol lobbed around on here and other social media platforms at Pace and anyone who vaguely backed him was shocking.

Wasn't that because every financial expert involved in football who gave their opinion on our takeover said that a leveraged buyout for a club like Burnley, who can't guarantee PL football (unlike Man. U.) was a massive gamble, which could go into a downward spiral very quickly?

[Cooclaret]

You do realise that you can be happy with the appointment of VK, the players and the great style of football and still be unhappy with the financial model of the club ?

There is a middle ground and that’s where most Burnley fans I know sit. There are around a dozen of my mates who go on the game with me and we all think VK and the football is fantastic but every single one of us are also not happy and concerned by the takeover and the level of debt the club is now burdened with.

To gloat about the situation and ask for apologies is a bit embarrassing. I’ve worked in commercial finance for 30 plus years including dealing directly with a number of football clubs including , Chelsea, Man City, Liverpool, Celtic, Leeds and Sheffield Wednesday and I have seen things in the way that clubs run their finances that you would literally never see in any other sector of business - and they are not good things.

So I do not come at this from a view where I don’t understand what I am talking about. And that’s the same for some of the other posters who have expressed concerns about our new financial model where it’s clear those posters also have good financial knowledge.

It’s to put it mildly a bit simplistic to say that this was the new owners ‘strategy’ all along.

They go hand in hand for me. The club was bought using a widely accepted sporting finance model.

Just because an individual doesn’t like it, or wouldn’t do that means diddly squat, you’re not Alan Pace. You can’t apply mainstream economic practices to a football model. Especially in the UK.

Kompnay was attracted to Pace’s vision. This won’t have been a pie in the sky conversation, they will have discussed the finances available to the manager based on a return to the Premier League.

I’ve always read that Kompany was an intelligent man. I think he would have seen through a charlatan.

I think Pace will be working hard on seeking investment in the club for when we return to the Premier League. Considering the relationship Kompany enjoys in Manchester, I don’t think it’ll be too hard a job.

[Superjohnnyfrancis]

If we go up how much money would we have to spend on players do you think?

We need starters in defence midfield and attack I would say.

[Cooclaret]

Wasn't that because every financial expert involved in football who gave their opinion on our takeover said that a leveraged buyout for a club like Burnley, who can't guarantee PL football (unlike Man. U.) was a massive gamble, which could go into a downward spiral very quickly?

And those same financial experts marvelled at how a small club like Burnley managed to keep themselves in the Premier League. It was only a matter of time before we would go down, this buy out gave us the only chance to return consistent premier league football.

Unless of course you knew of a rich oil magnate that was about to buy us?

The greater threat to BFC was doing nothing and keeping Garlick in charge.

[GodIsADeeJay81]

Wasn't that because every financial expert involved in football who gave their opinion on our takeover said that a leveraged buyout for a club like Burnley, who can't guarantee PL football (unlike Man. U.) was a massive gamble, which could go into a downward spiral very quickly?

Could being the operative word there.

As it is, we haven't, the squad has been rebuilt despite plenty on here stating as fact it wouldn't happen etc.

Some people need this to go wrong, to satisfy their own needs.

[Vegas Claret]

if we do go up I suspect it will be far easier for Pace to attract further investment with VK at the helm than it was the last time we were in the division

[mdd2]

if we do go up I suspect it will be far easier for Pace to attract further investment with VK at the helm than it was the last time we were in the division

Not sure that will be the case given the World Economy

[Big Vinny K]

Could being the operative word there.

As it is, we haven't, the squad has been rebuilt despite plenty on here stating as fact it wouldn't happen etc.

Some people need this to go wrong, to satisfy their own needs.

I don’t think ‘plenty’ people on here did state that. I can remember one specifically who was convinced and he isn’t posting on here much anymore !!
I also don’t know of anyone at all (who support Burnley) who would rather this go wrong on or off the pitch just to prove they were correct. I honestly think that’s just a bit of a silly comment - but if you know of these fans then apologies in advance.

[GodIsADeeJay81]

I don’t think ‘plenty’ people on here did state that. I can remember one specifically who was convinced and he isn’t posting on here much anymore !!
I also don’t know of anyone at all (who support Burnley” would rather this go wrong on or off the pitch just to prove they were correct. I honestly think that’s just a bit of a silly comment - but if you know of these fans then apologies in advance.

Oh there's definitely some who don't want it to work out.
They want to be able to trot out "I told you so"
They're also the same sort of people who'd only appear on here,.when Dyche was the manager, if we went on a bad run because they love a bit of doom and gloom.

Several on here were adamant this wasn't going to work and we were going to be knackered this season, they've made all sorts of allegations that they couldn't support and still can't.

They're a joke quite simply.

[Cooclaret]

Not sure that will be the case given the World Economy

The world economy is struggling, those who want to invest in sports teams, well they’re just fine.

Two totally different postcodes.

[dsr]

If we go up how much money would we have to spend on players do you think?

We need starters in defence midfield and attack I would say.

If Alan Pace repays the £100m++ that he has borrowed, we'll have lots of money for new players. If he keeps it for himself, not so much.