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Post by Deleted on May 11, 2018 6:24:20 GMT
Simple truth is money doesn't buy all the qualities you need in a player. Big wages and long contracts do NOT guarantee commitment to the cause, quite the opposite in many cases as we are sadly finding out. Technically gifted expensive players don't offer value unless there is already a very strong team spirit and a clear mission about the club that goes beyond treading water above the relegation zone to guarantee another years inflated wages. The top 6 have this. The rest of us don't. We've managed to recruit quite a few shit houses and not replaced the Pulis era spine of solid, dependable, honest pro's Hughes final two seasons he had no direction nor plot, recruitment seeming haphazard and chaotic The recruitment team and the manager must shoulder responsibility with the Board holding the ultimate blame for sanctioning the appointments |
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Post by potterblade on May 12, 2018 8:46:56 GMT
So in the end it turns out that the three teams going down are the three longest-serving clubs outside of the "big 7", and next year the entirety of the bottom half and upper mid-table Prem will have been promoted to the division during the last six years. Goes to show what a crapshoot it's going to be in the Championship next season. Even a mediocre campaign can leave you with a punchers chance at the playoffs for most of the season. So much of it is about momentum and we built up way too much of this in the WRONG direction under Hughes. A good start next season will make every difference, likewise a poor one. |
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Post by chiswickpotter on May 12, 2018 9:33:20 GMT
I can't quite get my head round this... if and when Baggies and us drop this year, the longest-established team in the Prem outside the "big" seven (including Everton) will be Swansea. To put that in context that means that outside those big seven, every team currently in the Prem has been promoted to the division since we played in the FA Cup final. And since we were promoted, the 12 other PL spots have been occupied by twenty-eight different teams, with not one of them ever-present over that ten-year spell. Two-thirds of the top flight seems to have become a conveyor belt of teams of very modest size and history - many of whom were making their first appearance in the top flight for a very long time, or ever - Swansea, Watford, Bournemouth, Brighton, Burnley, Huddersfield, Palace... then there's us, Baggies, Leicester, Saints - it would be no surprise if any of those disappeared soon (most of them could still go down this season). In recent years we've had Hull, Cardiff, Blackpool, Norwich, Birmingham... and Derby, Bristol City, Preston and Sheff U are all in with a chance of the play-off spot for next year. Is this a normal turnover for two-thirds of the teams in the top division? Meanwhile lots of traditionally big and succesful(-ish) teams have been relegated or languish in the lower divisions - Forest, Villa, Derby, Sheff Wed, Leeds, Sunderland... (there are more major trophy-winning teams in the Champo than there are in the Prem). When the Prem TV revenue ballooned (and parachute payments for relegated teams with it), the received wisdom was that PL teams would strengthen their grip on the places at the top table and it would become harder and harder for smaller teams to break into. But if anything the contrary has happened - beyond the PL top six it's turned into a free-for-all for the rest of the Prem and most of the Championship, regardless of the "size" of the club. How come? Its because of Financial fair Play which means established teams can only increase wages by £7 million a season whereas promoted teams can spend more freely. It also means established teams can only add one or two top players even though they have more TV money for transfers as the wages are the barrier. The longer you stay up, the more baggage you have in terms of players on the wage bill you cant shift as they are overpaid. Result is higher transfer fees for average players and now the 3 longest established teams outside the top 6 and Everton are being relegated this year and the gap to the top 6 on and off the pitch gets wider |
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