I get your point that finances are important and that the more you spend the better the quality of the player you can get. But the ironic thing is that many of the best signings at Argyle have arrived unheralded, and on free transfers ( or else for little money).
I think there is an untold story about pre-season 2018-2019, and I wonder whether James Brent or Derek Adams will ever tell it? On the one hand I find it difficult to believe that ASB and Tafari Moore weren’t scouted prior to signing, but on the other hand I find it impossible to believe that they were.
I saw the two players in pre-season games at Tavistock and Yeovil.......and on the evidence of those games, I wouldn’t have signed either of them.....
I understand. And your right. But circumstances meant because we haven’t spent significant money on transfers that we would pull a few rabbits out of the hat.
I look back at the Shilton era though. Some of the money we paid for players, which was a lot for us then in the 90’s, meant we did see quality on the pitch. Steve Castle springs to mind.
Obviously football has changed with the bosman ruling but players still expect a decent signing on fee when going on a free transfer.
So far the transfer have been decent. I still never understood the George Cooper one as where in our system was he suppose to play?
If you keep losing your best players, it’s very hard to keep replacing and moving forward.
People mention Brentford but their owner has significant wealth behind him. He has helped to build a brand new stadium. When they lost players for decent money they replaced them with players they brought for significant transfer fees. So for example in 14/15 (their first season in the championship) they sold Adam Forshaw to Wigan for 3.4 million. They brought 3 players with 3 seperate fees over a million and two other players who’s fees were both over half a million.
Does this sound something like Argyle’s going to do? Especially when Hallett explains he wants to spend money on things that make money. And says we won’t be paying significant transfer fees.
Brentford model is great one to aspire to. But they re-invested some big sums of money on transfer fees. Here is where our model and Brentford’s is different.