What an impossible position we now find ourselves in.
We have no idea of the solvency/legitimacy of our "owner". Hard for Chris to make decent signings of free transfers with an uncertain future.
We have no idea how many of the players we have to sell off to keep solvent.
We have no idea of how many of our players will be fit. 3 first choice strikers out before a pre-season ball was even kicked doesn't bode well. Our unbeaten run was down to 2 things imo - no injuries and Chucho as the perfect foil for Jerome. Our relegations have largely been about key player injuries (as well as crap too defensive tactics).
Surely our targets this year should be i) new stable ownership (if Yeung has any decency surely he should be resigning even if he stays on as a shareholder) ii) acquiring some young up and coming players that stay fit and can be appreciating assets iii) not getting relegated to further our woes, iv) evolving a more attractive style.
How much do you think Big Eck knew before he jumped ? Did he know Yeung was under investigation or just broke? He surely knew he was being asked to sell off all the silverware without getting any of the proceeds and being asked to come straight back. Mission impossible. I don't think he can be blamed for jumping ship even if to the SS Villanic (icebergs ahead?).
Last time we got back up by retaining a lot of the team and getting some oldies (Super Kev) and great loanees (Bendtner, Seb and Muamba if I recall), but Sully and Gold had enough with the parachute to finance things. We blew our wad on crocked loanees last year.
Even if we got promotion we wouldn't have enough to not come straight back down again.
On the plus side Chris seems like a good manager and Myhill/Foster deal seems good in the circumstances.
Still can't see up heading forward until the ownership is fixed.
Feeling the blues
BP1
Winter of discontent?
posted on 1/8/11
That season we was last relegated our outs was.
Forsell, Muamba, De Ridder, Kapo, Aluko and De La Cruz.
Leaving us with this 16 players.
Taylor, Doyle, Kelly, Parnaby, Taylor, Jaidi, Ridgewell, Queudrue, Murphy, Larsson, Nafti, Johnson, McSheffrey, McFadden, Jerome, O'Connor
Then signed in Summer
Carsley, Phillips, Bent, Agustien, Quincy,
To give us a main 21 man sqaud plus kids.
We dont know who will be going so far we can assume that Jerome, Zigic and Dann would defo be off, and maybe Ridgewell and Michel, worst case would also be Carr and Beausajour aswell.
But we just dont know yet, i think you may find the best 16 players we had come September the 1st last time was not much better than what we could have this time. In fact we would be stronger in areas this season.
The KiD
posted on 1/8/11
As far as Yeung one things for sure he does not himself have much cash not enough to bank roll us out his pocket or to loan our club out his own money.
Thus his money comes from loans from banks and other people and that means interest on top and debt.
Yeungs arrest has not helped but we do not know 100% what the outcome could be.
On story is the guy has been moving his money about from bank to bank in different names so as to avoid taxes. Some cash then goes into offshore accounts where it cant be traced.
This could be to simply save him some cash and do a fiddle and most people do some kind of fiddle when ever they can.
The other side goes to the extream that Yeung is laundering drug money, and he is only using us to wash that money. And thats why he paid £80M because paying £30M+ too much is £30M extra dirty money washed, and the same reason for £80M pledge so as to wash dirty money and also why we sign loans on big wages again to wash money.
Again we dont know which of these are the true case, and it could take some time to find out if Yeung is just a Del Boy trying to avoid taxes etc. Or if he is some criminal mastermind.
The KiD
posted on 2/8/11
Oh another thing, CH has said that we do not have to panic sell and no fire sale will happen, a few more players will move on but will not be sold for cheap.
I think the main panic/firesale and release was because of the fact that from June to begining of August with Yeung in trouble the club has no cash flow from outside sources and thus only Season Tickets as main source of income in addition to inevitable cuts. Thus Gardner and Johnson sold for less than we would like.
We now have Parachute payments comming, the season will start and we would have gates, merchandise and sponsor cash comming in (no shirt sponsor mind, unless someone comes in per game).
Thats income from now, that we never had over last 2 months.
Also rumours are that some investors look to pump some cash into the club to save BIH from having any financial problems, and that shares can be sold etc come end of next week.
Another rumour is depending on Yeungs outcome a wealthy Chinese business man could be interested in taking over Blues or becoming majority share holder.
These two positives are not set in stone and thus not stonewall fact.
But then again selling all our players and administration is no stone wall fact/certainty either.
The KiD
posted on 2/8/11
Hey you can't be a blues supporter without an inner optimism that every now and then we'll beat the odds. I
'll always be grateful for the season before last and grabbing the cup from Arsenal's sweaty mitts. If eck rightly gets blame for neg tactics, not using subs etc. He should get some kudos too. and if you don't like villa then perhaps they got what they deserved in him. I
Just feel that thanks to our alleged money launderer the club and our new manager have been dumped right in it and I think the fundamental culture shift and rebuild needed is beyond one season and will require new ownership.
BP1
posted on 2/8/11
NO NO FRIGGIN NO
He doesnt deserve to be allowed to stay in the country never mind any kudos
He was tapped up, he sold his soul and jioned that lot down the road.
And his name aint ECK anymore its Mc JUDAS
posted on 2/8/11
Right lets get this straight, if McJudas had come out when he resigned and said to the supporters.
sorry lads but they are making me sell all our best players and i am not getting a penny to replace them, then yes he may have been able to walk away with some credability.But to do what he did and the way he did it, in my opinion is paramount to treason.
If he had any modicom of loyalty he at least owed us that.
KRO
posted on 2/8/11
BP1, you say the following..
"Hey you can't be a blues supporter without an inner optimism that every now and then we'll beat the odds."
After writing the most damning and pessimistic article on these boards for weeks, which sums the whole attitude up perfectly.
About a month ago, this article would be more at home with all the pessimism and doom mongering that the papers at the time were spewing up.
The majority of us have now overcome this and in past weeks, especially the last week, there has been (certainly I have felt) an upturn in morale amongst the Blues following.
We're starting to build the squad for the Chris Hughton era. The performance against Everton was promising. The players we are getting linked with, such as Spector, seem like good additions.
The timing of your article is beyond ridiculous with the Derby match just four days away.
You then go on to praise Alex McLeish? Are you related to him? That's the only reason I can think of for anyone wanting to give him credit. The only credit I can give him is getting us relegated so we can start afresh.
The man asked for everything the board could offer, plus more, and blew it on expensive - mainly attacking - players that he no intention on using. Utter disgrace.
posted on 2/8/11
BP1, I have to agree with everyone else.
If we hadn't have got relegated, then even CY's 'predicament' would not have mattered as much as it does now. If we'd have kept the core of the squad, even without spending, I think it would have been more than good enough for the premiership if played in the right way.
Last season, we were on the slippery slope for a long time, and nothing was done about it. AM has to be to blame. It's not so much that he jumped ship, it's that he was responsible then jumped ship - it's quite a difference.
posted on 2/8/11
I think McLeish did a lot for our club.
But he also was the one who took us down because he often reverted back to his beloved 4,5,1
--------------------Ferguson
Larrson----Gardner-----Bowyer-----Fahey*
--------------------Jerome
* would also mix and match other players at LM inc Bowyer and at times when he rarely played 4,4,2.
That side is not only one he used a lot last season, its also the side he reverted back to after we dropped Chucho for our last run of the season, a run that returned Jerome no goals, and only 0.6pts a game which is what Ecks 4,5,1 always returned.
Surely he would see the stat of 0.6pts per game, surely he would see that Jerome was not scoring, and our side was not getting many corners or shots at that 4,5,1
But McLeish stil persisted with it.
Ok we had injuries Dann was a big loss, Jiranek did fine until he got injuried aswell, then defence kind of fell apart.
Even so for the last 6-7 games ther was no way that every player who never played was not unfit, Zigic and Martins maybe could not have played.
But why did Hleb not get more chances, why did Bentley not get as many chances playing in his best role, and why did we not play 4,4,2 more and give Phillips and Derbyshire chances.
The KiD
posted on 2/8/11
I agree Kid the good, the bad and the ugly of McCleish. He ultimately blew it through poor decision-making, but had his moments.