ewerk

None of whom were likely to have been on huge wages, 50k pw max in total I'd guess. Even assuming that's right (and I reckon it's a bit more than that), that's a £2.5m saving per year. For a company with a turnover of around £90m (from memory), that's a huge saving. Especially when you look at how marginal our profits/losses are. That's not the point anyway though, the point is that we were paying knackers that were shit at their job, and now we aren't. In business terms perhaps it is but in footballing terms it only frees up wages for one good player, I'd say Barton's wages would likely be somewhere in that area.

None of whom were likely to have been on huge wages, 50k pw max in total I'd guess.

Says Mr Death, who lives......... That's a very good point actually.

Aye but with Spurs making a few good signings, West Ham throwing money around, City looking like they have money and Portsmouth making a couple of quality additions this is one season where we can't afford to be patient. Remember the last time we 'kept our powder dry'? As yourself how many times we've been big summer spenders over the year, and where it's got us. Just because these other clubs have now taken on that mantle doesn't guarantee anything. I'm pretty content with things tbh, let them fling daft money around for players I haven't heard of. The difference is that in the past we've had the likes of Souness, Gullit and Dalglish pissing our money down the drain, while SBR made his fair share of expensive mistakes. On the basis of the players Allardyce has brought in so far I'd have a bit of confidence about his ability not to waste money and think he should be given a chance to bring in a few more numbers, you can't say that big spending in the past has gotten us nowhere so we should just stop it, it's about spending big on the right players. I'd like to know how you're so content with things, obviously we've got gaping holes in our squad and as things stand it looks like we're not going to be able to plug those gaps with quality players but more likely free/low transfers.

Aye but with Spurs making a few good signings, West Ham throwing money around, City looking like they have money and Portsmouth making a couple of quality additions this is one season where we can't afford to be patient. Remember the last time we 'kept our powder dry'?

So did Forlan sign for the mackems then?

Ffs it's July 31st, yet more shoddy journalism.

Cheers for the report Tom.

Well I wouldn't say it's quite that straight forward but I see you're point. I'd like to know exactly what this strategic review encompasses, surely a review of playing staff/wages should be the first thing to be done so we could get a move on in the transfer market because one thing is very simple - if we don't sign a few quality players in the next month we will struggle again this season.

I don't think anyone really believes that he's about to sell up but I do believe that the situation at the club is a lot worse than Ashley originally thought. Was I asking you what he thought like? I thought I told you to zip it?

I don't think anyone really believes that he's about to sell up but I do believe that the situation at the club is a lot worse than Ashley originally thought.

As well as the Seneglese LB?

Wasn't it announced whenever Belgravia or Polygon were looking at the books? I'm pretty sure it was and I'm pretty sure there was no due diligence undertaken before Ashley bought the club and he has a track record of not bothering with it in the past. So zip it.

There must have been some degree of it went on? I didn't realise that was the case though. No official due diligence as far as I'm aware, unless SJH gave him unauthorised access, it was apparently part of his plan to push the deal through as quickly as possible to give Freddy no time to mount a rival bid, or so the papers say. You haven't got a clue whether it was undertaken or not in fact, have you? As far as I'm aware when due diligence is being undertaken it must be announced to the stock market, I don't remember any such announcement being made. If you know otherwise then please correct me.

Unless his attitude is that bad that Allardyce wants rid?

There must have been some degree of it went on? I didn't realise that was the case though. No official due diligence as far as I'm aware, unless SJH gave him unauthorised access, it was apparently part of his plan to push the deal through as quickly as possible to give Freddy no time to mount a rival bid, or so the papers say.

That's the point Gemmill, he never undertook due diligence.

Poor move for him if true.

I don't believe he's about to sell up again but I think they've certainly found a few nasty surprises.

It's also interesting to see that he has only taken leave from Freshfields and not resigned completely so I'd think he'd be planning to go back some time in the future.

It'd be interesting to see Freddy's reaction if the club were to be put up for sale again after all his blustering about how he would've put up a rival bid if he had've been fit, I bet part of him is mighty relieved that he's got the money he has out of the club.

Well that's what you get if you don't complete due diligence, there's no point complaining when looking at the books after you've bought the club.

£10m to include wages is sweet fuck all. SLP, any idea why this is? Is he just being cheap or is it just until the review is complete?

In your face Alex, IN YOUR FACE!