2024/25 Squad and Transfers

[CM48]

1 hour ago, TopCat said:

Will our financial position be significantly worse than Ayr, Airdrie, Livi and Inverness/Hamilton? 

Falkirk, Queens Park, Dunfermline, Partick and one of Raith/St Johnstone/Ross County would normally outbid us in a straight offer but I don't see any reason as to why we couldn't compete directly with the first group for signings. 

You might be right and I hope you are, but I thought Ayr had people pumping in cash, is it just for doing up the ground? Livi will have way more prize money than us to spend even for being bottom. Inverness (if they stay up) seem to habitually spend money whether they have it or not. Airdrie and Hamilton (if they come up) I guess will be about the same. Agree with Madton on Ross County though, they'll outbid us all if they drop.

[vikingTON]

12 hours ago, CM48 said:

At our level it is ALL about the money. No one playing in the championship would pass up an extra £100 per week unless it perhaps was a real inconvenience for living/travel costing them more. They quite simply couldn’t afford to. 

Well no - if they're getting offered a new contract with their current club that is in line with current inflation, then they quite clearly can afford not to take a different offer. Unless they're sloping off to the nearest food bank after training at the moment which isn't really happening (for established senior players anyway - wouldn't be at all surprised about young/fringe players tbh). 

While wages rightly play a major factor in a professional footballer's choice of club at any level, for any sensible footballer it will be weighed alongside other issues such as:

- sporting potential: to play at the highest level/biggest stage; to challenge for a meaningful trophy or two. (More relevant to some than others of course) 

- logistics of travel and/or relocation

- working relationships: especially with the manager

Let's take George Oakley as an example. While George absolutely does not owe GMFC a debt of loyalty to sign a new contract, he would have to be absolutely stupid to sign for more money elsewhere, if said contract required working with confirmed, Grade A fud Billy Dodds again. Just like any other employee, a job offer is not actually the best choice if your new boss is known to be bad news.

I can see us struggling to compete on 2 of those 4 criteria anyway, thanks to our insipid end to the league campaign. But any player who disregards all other factors simply to chase a higher wage at EK or Johnstone Burgh is quite simply a shameless mercenary. And it's no surprise that those clubs habitually underperform expectations, after their bloated 'marquee signings' rock up without a shred of genuine professionalism in tow. 

[Ferguson]

It'll be an interesting summer, the club is in the best place it's been in a long time, turned a profit for the second year running and Dougie's been promised an increased budget. If the club are serious about this 3 year strategy to consolidate the club in Scotland's top 16, not losing our key players to other Championship clubs is a fundamental part of that. We really can't wobble at the first hurdle and give ourselves even more ground to make up on Partick etc over the summer.

[dunning1874]

50 minutes ago, Ferguson said:

It'll be an interesting summer, the club is in the best place it's been in a long time, turned a profit for the second year running and Dougie's been promised an increased budget. If the club are serious about this 3 year strategy to consolidate the club in Scotland's top 16, not losing our key players to other Championship clubs is a fundamental part of that. We really can't wobble at the first hurdle and give ourselves even more ground to make up on Partick etc over the summer.

Thing is, even with an increased budget through the profits of the last two years being reinvested back into the playing squad, we're still ultimately living within our means on average crowds of 2000 while Partick are overspending by £500K per season on average crowds of 3500 and Falkirk are overspending by £400K per season on average crowds of 4500.

We can use some of the budget to put an increased offer on the table for Oakley and Strapp in the hope of keeping them here, but if clubs like that come and blow us out the water for a player then that's not anyone's fault, we can't spend money we don't have.

[The Bewilderedbeast]

Jordan Davis

 

https://x.com/sgorio/status/1783499998518300869?t=c3VBzYqUOylEocxi9guxrQ&s=08

[Ferguson]

37 minutes ago, dunning1874 said:

Thing is, even with an increased budget through the profits of the last two years being reinvested back into the playing squad, we're still ultimately living within our means on average crowds of 2000 while Partick are overspending by £500K per season on average crowds of 3500 and Falkirk are overspending by £400K per season on average crowds of 4500.

We can use some of the budget to put an increased offer on the table for Oakley and Strapp in the hope of keeping them here, but if clubs like that come and blow us out the water for a player then that's not anyone's fault, we can't spend money we don't have.

Fully understand that and I trust the club will do everything in their power to keep them with what is available, but if we're going to be losing key players every year, especially to teams in the same division, then it becomes difficult to see how we achieve what is set out in the strategy. 

Replacing him with a striker who has 6 goals and a red card for scrapping his own teammate mid-game in that Arbroath team is a grim summers work, but this is just me being pessimistic about the worst case scenario from this point. Hopefully we've got enough behind us to hold onto the big man and there's a long summer to find a solution if not.

[bob_the_builder]

2 hours ago, dunning1874 said:

Thing is, even with an increased budget through the profits of the last two years being reinvested back into the playing squad, we're still ultimately living within our means on average crowds of 2000 while Partick are overspending by £500K per season on average crowds of 3500 and Falkirk are overspending by £400K per season on average crowds of 4500.

We can use some of the budget to put an increased offer on the table for Oakley and Strapp in the hope of keeping them here, but if clubs like that come and blow us out the water for a player then that's not anyone's fault, we can't spend money we don't have.

This absolutely rips my knitting.  Weren't both these clubs claiming just over a season ago they were at death's door and were struggling to even pay wages?  Are they both getting bank rolled again or something?

[HamCam]

Not sure we can complain about other clubs running at a loss given during the DDFR years we regularly posted annual losses of £300k. 

[Madton]

Are Partick not fan owned now? Hopefully they now need to live within their means like we do.

[vikingTON]

1 hour ago, Madton said:

Are Partick not fan owned now? Hopefully they now need to live within their means like we do.

Even if they do, the reality is that their current revenue is going to be significantly higher than our own. 

I'm really not sure what people expect the club to do about that this summer, other than shouting 'ambishun' because they set a target of being a 'top 16' club - which about 24 clubs would set as at least their minimum aspiration too. We're in a relatively good position as most key players are tied up over the summer - we need to replace any who do go and upgrade on the options who simply didn't deliver often enough. 

[vikingTON]

19 hours ago, CM48 said:

You might be right and I hope you are, but I thought Ayr had people pumping in cash, is it just for doing up the ground? Livi will have way more prize money than us to spend even for being bottom. Inverness (if they stay up) seem to habitually spend money whether they have it or not. Airdrie and Hamilton (if they come up) I guess will be about the same. Agree with Madton on Ross County though, they'll outbid us all if they drop.

Livingston - surprise - are once again in a protracted legal dispute about the ownership and pretty much every aspect of their business 'model'. Never mind spending prize money - they'll be lucky to avoid administration if an unfavourable court verdict combines with their imminent relegation. 

[Toby]

Jordan Davies plays his final game for Connah’s Quay today against The New Saints in the Welsh Cup Final at Rodney Parade Newport.

Game’s a 5.25 kick off on S4C. Good luck to him!

[capitanus]

On 4/26/2024 at 10:42 AM, dunning1874 said:

Thing is, even with an increased budget through the profits of the last two years being reinvested back into the playing squad, we're still ultimately living within our means on average crowds of 2000 while Partick are overspending by £500K per season on average crowds of 3500 and Falkirk are overspending by £400K per season on average crowds of 4500.

We can use some of the budget to put an increased offer on the table for Oakley and Strapp in the hope of keeping them here, but if clubs like that come and blow us out the water for a player then that's not anyone's fault, we can't spend money we don't have.

But surely the players themselves must have some kind of moral compass too.  If they choose to knock back an offer from Morton to accept a few extra shekels from Falkirk then they have sold their soul to the devil and deserve everything that happens to them.  History has proven that isn't a good move, and is part of a downward trajectory on the road to being a Herbalife wanker.

[Cet Homme Charmant]

While money on its own is rarely the sole factor in any career move, it's often a significant one. Footballers of course have a short career, so if they get offered a contract elsewhere on substantially more money it would be churlish to resent them for it, particularly in the middle of a cost-of-living crisis.

If it happens to be to another Championship club though, and in particular Falkirk or Partick, it would indeed be a hard one to take. 

Edited April 28 by Cet Homme Charmant

[capitanus]

6 hours ago, Cet Homme Charmant said:

While money on its own is rarely the sole factor in any career move, it's often a significant one. Footballers of course have a short career, so if they get offered a contract elsewhere on substantially more money it would be churlish to resent them for it, particularly in the middle of a cost-of-living crisis.

If it happens to be to another Championship club though, and in particular Falkirk or Partick, it would indeed be a hard one to take. 

Boo hoo hoo. Cost-of-living Crises are no recent phenomenon.  Players move from club to club and often in the same division too.  Most folk accept that, however there are certain clubs that are just a sheer wrong move, regardless of how much money is offered.  When they start to mouth off about furthering their playing career and become a benchwarmer at Firhill for three seasons then advancing to *checks notes* Kelty Hearts then they deserve to be pointed and laughed at continually, as well as facing a tirade of verbal abuse every time they play us.

Nobody seems to hold a grudge against Ricky Lamie the way they do to Bam O'Ware.

[Cet Homme Charmant]

1 hour ago, capitanus said:

Boo hoo hoo. Cost-of-living Crises are no recent phenomenon.  Players move from club to club and often in the same division too.  Most folk accept that, however there are certain clubs that are just a sheer wrong move, regardless of how much money is offered.  When they start to mouth off about furthering their playing career and become a benchwarmer at Firhill for three seasons then advancing to *checks notes* Kelty Hearts then they deserve to be pointed and laughed at continually, as well as facing a tirade of verbal abuse every time they play us.

Nobody seems to hold a grudge against Ricky Lamie the way they do to Bam O'Ware.

Tam O'Ware was widely disliked by the Ton fans not so much for the fact he moved on, but for the way he did it. In contrast to Ricky Lamie who left on good terms with the club and the fans, and was generally admired and respected as a result. 

While I wouldn't be happy if some of the current squad rejected a new contract for a better offer elsewhere, I wouldn't hold any personal animosity towards them as long as they weren't a dick about it, like O'Ware and some others were.

Edited April 28 by Cet Homme Charmant

[TONofmemories]

Be a fool not to understand why players move on from Morton to the likes of Partick or Falkirk for likely literally high hundreds/low thousands more per week. That said, it rarely works out well at these clubs for them. Tidser a prime example who, by his own admission in podcasts, has said he probably shouldn't have left. O'ware the same. 

Only really this season has our cast offs worked out for Falkirk but that was bound to happen eventually. 

[capitanus]

3 hours ago, TONofmemories said:

Be a fool not to understand why players move on from Morton to the likes of Partick or Falkirk for likely literally high hundreds/low thousands more per week. That said, it rarely works out well at these clubs for them. Tidser a prime example who, by his own admission in podcasts, has said he probably shouldn't have left. O'ware the same. 

Only really this season has our cast offs worked out for Falkirk but that was bound to happen eventually. 

Exactly my point.  Its fools gold.  They get lured by the prospect of a 'career' with higher salary playing in front of Partick wankers but end up playing for a jumped up juniors outfit whilst punting Herbalife to make ends meet soon after.  At least if they hung about Greenock they'd be guaranteed a 'cooncil' joab after their playing days are over.

Anyways, today is a glorious day for Scotland.  The continuity SNP wanker has resigned.

 

Next.

Edited Monday at 04:49 PM by capitanus

[Cet Homme Charmant]

12 minutes ago, capitanus said:

Exactly my point.  Its fools gold.   

For some but certainly not for all. Plenty have left us and went on to have good careers. 

There also hilarious examples where their careers crashed and burned, the aforementioned O'Ware being one. But if we're being honest his career nosediving was more due to a bad knee injury than leaving the Ton.

[Cet Homme Charmant]

Anyway, back on topic, I totally understand that we have to live within our means, but we should really push the boat out when it comes to Oakley. I've not checked our win rates with and without him, but I'm pretty sure it will be like comparing night and day.