January Transfer Window Looking Crucial

[gariboldi]

CF is an awful manager.

Where do you think the Chairman's secret stash of money is? The club is only allowed to spend 55% of it's gate receipts on the playing budget. Or are you suggesting the Chairman uses his personal money? Why should he? PAFC is a business, as such it must make a profit or at least break even. Making sustained losses means administration. What are you talking about, it wasn't overspending that got us in a mess? Who spent £17m we didn't have then? You clearly have absolutely no fiscal understanding at all.

Oh dear, here we go again! The facts! We had won an award as the best financially managed club in the division the year before and were riding high in the Championship with a chance of Premiership football when Stapleton decided he wasn't going to renew the players contracts that January prompting a superb manager Holloway's departure because he was mortified at the lack of ambition shown and understandably so.

There followed a mass exodus of players, namely our best for which the Club raked in millions and millions. That money was not put back on the table for purchases at anything like the rate fat sales were arriving at the bank. We instead went cheap, getting in utility players, bringing back a manager who got the best out of those types of players (Sturrock, except this didn't work at that level) and we started to plummet, simply because the squad was rendered incapable of competing. When panic buttons were hit and we had arrivals such as Mpenza, etc, etc, the whole thing had already gone so badly pear-shaped we were already in free-fall. Money was then spent very unwisely (agree) on a massive squad of useless players (now THIS is your 17 million !) but the catalyst WAS lack of ambition, lack of that old addage of speculating to accumulate.

For the Club to survive we DO need investment. If James Brent can enter in to a project such as Pavillions then my question is is his heart in Argyle to an equal extent. If not, what is he doing there?? The Club needs a fresh impetus, it is stagnating and in grave danger of losing it's league status and as a fervent fan this concerns me greatly.

Now some people may think well, all well and good but we are in this position now so the mistakes of the past, whichever way you see them, are irrelevant but I'd say no to that. We have to break this culture that we are just a selling club. Every time a young lad shows promise we are talking price tags in no time. Look at Palace's refusal to part with Zaha because they want him to play for THEM in the Premiership NOT Man Utd. Good!! Another trait we have to break is thinking it is acceptable to field a group of mainly average/sub-standard players week in week out in the forlorn hope that they make click and produce a string a good results. From evidence of previous glimmmers of light, green shoots, all the analogies going, this is clearly not going to happen. So, yes it needs our Chairman to delve in to some alternative fund in order to improve the team as he is the man in charge out there. I can't understand the 'why should he? philosophy, he would, maybe indirectly, be the beneficiary of much improved attendances allied to a promotion in any case.

We have to put some pride back in the fans by putting all of our efforts in to buliding and maintaining a good squad of able players. This is plain and simply the only viable way forward for this Club. There is no other argument. When people put a case against this they are not so much being pragmatic or realistic as they are vindicating our way to the Blue Square Zone of total obscurity..

 

[Cerbera]

Love the passion, but you still haven't mentioned where this mysterious pot of money is coming from? Also, you are forgetting that JB only bought the club because nobody else would. Now I'm not coming over all 'look how far we've come' because that is bull, but you have to understand there is a debt that needs to be paid off, that is budgeted for. There is a sizeable laying budget that allows us to compete at this level and get out of L2. We definitely need a new coaching set up though and Sexstone is surely the footballing man to push for this. We don't need mega millions invested now. We need organic affordable growth and to suggest the Chairman bankrolls the club with no constraints is very, very naiive.

 

[mattym]

There are a number elements that needs reviewing at Argyle here are some suggestions. 1) Moving training from our ameteur Harpers Parker set up, by agreeing a season deal to use indoor and outdoor footy facilties at places like Estover colleage, just been finished of great standard, Marjons, Ivygridge sports ground - recently refurbished through national sports federation grant, thus avoiding headlines like "Argyle unable to train due to water logged pitches, 2) Approach European clubs with the aim of setting up a Young and Player development programme, with similar sized club in Europe, perhaps France i.e. Lorient, Nantes, Rennes or Poland like Krakow. The strategy to exchange players whom manager or coaching staff have sighted as having potential to reach the senior squad and make an impact on the league in a season or two time i.e. Jared Sims, Matt lecont, players who may benefit from a change in cultural football - learning new techniques skills etc or simply mental rehabilitation (confidence boost) by playing or training away from home environment. This scheme would be jointly funded, could be incorporated as part of pre-season and close season. Companies from both local area's could bid for sponsorship, thus help funding the project.

3) Need to stop relying on the loan market so much, by starting an acadamy assessment programme, Mr N and senior scount at start of August choose to visit seven premier club acadamy games to review strengths, tactic's, weaknesses and how they compare to PAFC 's current set up, then in Sept we look to review finding with PAFC manager a, board and coaching team. Then in Oct we do the same but with seven Championship acadamy games, then same review in NOV and so forth working down the leagus to the Blue Square premiership.

I believe with these ongoing programmes it would give you an indepth insite to the skills, strengths and abilities of UK football, and perhaps using the knowledge and different attributes of the european partnership to enable Argyle to adapt their footballing product accordingly, and laying foundations for a more such successful club.

 

[crownhill pilgrim]

I agree with the above. There's a general malaise about the club that's persisted over the course of the last 4 mangers - Sturrock, Mariner, Reid and Fletcher - and the dramatic descent down 3 divisions. Even taking into account administration (other clubs have been through it have just about kept their level - Port Vale, Bournemouth) there seems to be some kind of losing disease at Argyle, possibly a symptom of the amateurish set-up - training on a muddy field, drafty dressing rooms in a crumbling stand (at least we've tarmacked the car park).

Some fans may like to tout us as a 'big club' (for this level) but our facilities and set-up seem to suggest otherwise.

 

[gariboldi]

Love the passion, but you still haven't mentioned where this mysterious pot of money is coming from? Also, you are forgetting that JB only bought the club because nobody else would. Now I'm not coming over all 'look how far we've come' because that is bull, but you have to understand there is a debt that needs to be paid off, that is budgeted for. There is a sizeable laying budget that allows us to compete at this level and get out of L2. We definitely need a new coaching set up though and Sexstone is surely the footballing man to push for this. We don't need mega millions invested now. We need organic affordable growth and to suggest the Chairman bankrolls the club with no constraints is very, very naiive.

OK, that is well balanced but what I do know in real layman terms is what has been going on at Argyle for years now is a methodology of patching things up without real investment. I some cases this was unavoidable, yes, especially during the dark days of administration BUT we have to adjust out of this now. There is a pressing need.

If there is a damp problem in a room it is no use wallpapering over it because you are going to have the problem back. You can get a decorator in 10 times in a year but it actually makes financial sense to damp proof it properly in the first place even though the initial expense seems unsettlingly large. I draw an analogy. Recently I heard Brent & Akkeron are commendably covering the shortfall in anticipated attendances. It is guaranteed that this will be ongoing. Why? Because they haven't really addressed the underlying issue. We havent the players to get the results and performances to put bums in seats which is a considerably higher intitial expense but one which will not outweigh paying say 2 years of shortfall via the turnstiles. To me, ignoring the sense in this argument is equally as naive as having a massive spend.

The answer does lay somewhere in between but the team obviously needs investment. To what degree remains to be seen but new players in green shirts who can worry defences and thereby gain results is an essential need. After all the league table is as vital to our survival ethic as the trial balance.

In my opinion we have arrived at the point that new, good and permanent personnel on the field of play is 'beyond doubt' the essential need to propel the Club out of the shadows and in the right direction. How it is managed financially is the conundrum, yes indeed, but nonetheless it remains a task which needs to be executed. Mere patching up must stop.

NB, I agree your words on the coaching set up. Sexstone is a very welcome addition.....

 

[demportdave]

You could bring any player in the world to Home Park, but without competent mangement they will never be any benefit.

This.

I believe we have a good squad generally. Certainly capable with the right manager of the play offs come May. Definitely top ten. I don't think any more money needs to be thrown at the squad. The budget is big enough.

These are really valid points.

Our squad is not that bad and should be in the top half at least, just look at the "quality" of some of the teams in the top 6 or 7 places.

Anyone who was at Southampton to witness the first Pulis game will remember that after just a couple of training sessions, the same shambolic bunch of players from before looked a completely different team.

Don't forget, he never made any signings until brought in Nalis in January, but he made the existing players into a better team.

They looked organised with shape and discipline as a team and the players individually knew what they were supposed to be doing, especially the basics such as defending set plays.

That's what a good Manager brings in, compared to somewhat who is utterly clueless and doesn't know what he's doing.

 

[Greenblooded1]

Love the passion, but you still haven't mentioned where this mysterious pot of money is coming from? Also, you are forgetting that JB only bought the club because nobody else would. Now I'm not coming over all 'look how far we've come' because that is bull, but you have to understand there is a debt that needs to be paid off, that is budgeted for. There is a sizeable laying budget that allows us to compete at this level and get out of L2. We definitely need a new coaching set up though and Sexstone is surely the footballing man to push for this. We don't need mega millions invested now. We need organic affordable growth and to suggest the Chairman bankrolls the club with no constraints is very, very naiive.

OK, that is well balanced but what I do know in real layman terms is what has been going on at Argyle for years now is a methodology of patching things up without real investment. I some cases this was unavoidable, yes, especially during the dark days of administration BUT we have to adjust out of this now. There is a pressing need.

If there is a damp problem in a room it is no use wallpapering over it because you are going to have the problem back. You can get a decorator in 10 times in a year but it actually makes financial sense to damp proof it properly in the first place even though the initial expense seems unsettlingly large. I draw an analogy. Recently I heard Brent & Akkeron are commendably covering the shortfall in anticipated attendances. It is guaranteed that this will be ongoing. Why? Because they haven't really addressed the underlying issue. We havent the players to get the results and performances to put bums in seats which is a considerably higher intitial expense but one which will not outweigh paying say 2 years of shortfall via the turnstiles. To me, ignoring the sense in this argument is equally as naive as having a massive spend.

The answer does lay somewhere in between but the team obviously needs investment. To what degree remains to be seen but new players in green shirts who can worry defences and thereby gain results is an essential need. After all the league table is as vital to our survival ethic as the trial balance.

In my opinion we have arrived at the point that new, good and permanent personnel on the field of play is 'beyond doubt' the essential need to propel the Club out of the shadows and in the right direction. How it is managed financially is the conundrum, yes indeed, but nonetheless it remains a task which needs to be executed. Mere patching up must stop.

NB, I agree your words on the coaching set up. Sexstone is a very welcome addition.....

But CF had a competitive "promotion chance" budget to spend, "capable of success at this level"? Link - Page 10-11

 

[gariboldi]

Love the passion, but you still haven't mentioned where this mysterious pot of money is coming from? Also, you are forgetting that JB only bought the club because nobody else would. Now I'm not coming over all 'look how far we've come' because that is bull, but you have to understand there is a debt that needs to be paid off, that is budgeted for. There is a sizeable laying budget that allows us to compete at this level and get out of L2. We definitely need a new coaching set up though and Sexstone is surely the footballing man to push for this. We don't need mega millions invested now. We need organic affordable growth and to suggest the Chairman bankrolls the club with no constraints is very, very naiive.

OK, that is well balanced but what I do know in real layman terms is what has been going on at Argyle for years now is a methodology of patching things up without real investment. I some cases this was unavoidable, yes, especially during the dark days of administration BUT we have to adjust out of this now. There is a pressing need.

If there is a damp problem in a room it is no use wallpapering over it because you are going to have the problem back. You can get a decorator in 10 times in a year but it actually makes financial sense to damp proof it properly in the first place even though the initial expense seems unsettlingly large. I draw an analogy. Recently I heard Brent & Akkeron are commendably covering the shortfall in anticipated attendances. It is guaranteed that this will be ongoing. Why? Because they haven't really addressed the underlying issue. We havent the players to get the results and performances to put bums in seats which is a considerably higher intitial expense but one which will not outweigh paying say 2 years of shortfall via the turnstiles. To me, ignoring the sense in this argument is equally as naive as having a massive spend.

The answer does lay somewhere in between but the team obviously needs investment. To what degree remains to be seen but new players in green shirts who can worry defences and thereby gain results is an essential need. After all the league table is as vital to our survival ethic as the trial balance.

In my opinion we have arrived at the point that new, good and permanent personnel on the field of play is 'beyond doubt' the essential need to propel the Club out of the shadows and in the right direction. How it is managed financially is the conundrum, yes indeed, but nonetheless it remains a task which needs to be executed. Mere patching up must stop.

NB, I agree your words on the coaching set up. Sexstone is a very welcome addition.....

But CF had a competitive "promotion chance" budget to spend, "capable of success at this level"? Link - Page 10-11

I agree that was the statement eminating from Home Park, so is the problem CF wanted to please JB so much he was too careful with the purse strings for his own good. Probably yes! He should have realised in the close season that quality additions were absolute priority. Instead we got non league players, an ex-fireman and loanees, no stability and no advancement. Now that attendances have dropped, redundancies are being orchestrated and relief funding from Akkeron is keeping the Club afloat. Again the window of opportunity to invest in the team has been sacrificed to the detriment of the entire set up. A more aware Chairman football-wise would perhaps had insisted CF did buy in some better players. Anyway, whatever the situation is now deriving from yet more team neglect, we still do need to bolster it and fast...and somehow.