2024/25 Squad and Transfers

[SassenachTon]

1 hour ago, vikingTON said:

Why didn't you respond to the post directly instead of passive-aggressively mewling about it? 

Because responding directly to your posts opens up yet another another silver-plate opportunity for you to to try and prove to the rest of the forum what a misguided twat I am for daring to have an opinion. I'd have thought that after almost 22,000 posts, you'd have pretty much nailed the 'antagonistic and argumentative' persona by now. Such a shame. Your knowledge and respect for our club is off the scale, your posts are always hugely well-thought-through and always totally on point. It genuinely saddens me when I see someone of your calibre heading down minor-point rabbitholes such as this. You really are way, way better than that, VT.

[vikingTON]

26 minutes ago, SassenachTon said:

Because responding directly to your posts opens up yet another another silver-plate opportunity for you to to try and prove to the rest of the forum what a misguided twat I am for daring to have an opinion. I'd have thought that after almost 22,000 posts, you'd have pretty much nailed the 'antagonistic and argumentative' persona by now. Such a shame. Your knowledge and respect for our club is off the scale, your posts are always hugely well-thought-through and always totally on point. It genuinely saddens me when I see someone of your calibre heading down minor-point rabbitholes such as this. You really are way, way better than that, VT.

If you don't like your opinion being criticised then stop posting on an online forum. Either that or put your dummy back in and accept that's how the whole concept works. 

Btw your faux concern trolling about the calibre of posting has been duly filed in the bin where that belongs too. 

[SassenachTon]

28 minutes ago, vikingTON said:

If you don't like your opinion being criticised then stop posting on an online forum. Either that or put your dummy back in and accept that's how the whole concept works. 

Btw your faux concern trolling about the calibre of posting has been duly filed in the bin where that belongs too. 

Jesus wept.

[Cappiecat 1.2]

1 hour ago, SassenachTon said:

Jesus wept.

Is that Oakley definitely away then?

[Greacen2000]

Much as I am disappointed at Muirhead, Crawford & (if it happens) Oakley leaving us, I am ok with the likes of Ayr & Partick spunking away money in order to outbid us.  We have been there in the past (during most of the Rae years) and ended up with little to show for it other than a load of debt & disappointment.

For now I am ok with us living within our means and operating in a market where we pick up guys who have untapped potential, or whose careers have went off track and are looking for a fresh start and have something to prove.  It has worked well for us (albeit not 100% of the time) up until now. 

While there is every possibility that the 3 players I mention might end up being amongst the championships top performers next season, equally I would unsurprised(and delighted) to see a regression back to the sort of form they showed before working under Imrie.

From the last club update, the only one that really surprised me was Broadfoot being offered a deal.  I know GIllespie raised a few eyebrows too, but I was in favour of us keeping 1 out of him & Power for another season, so I will be happy enough for him to be kept on.

[TONofmemories]

The long and short of it is, we're a fan owned club who, for decades, failed to return any sort of profit. We've successfully managed over the last two years and looks same for next set of accounts to change that narrative, albeit it's small gains and largely due to favourable cup draws. We simply cannot live outwith our means and unfortunately that looks like the reason why we'll lose our better players, even with an improved budget and subsequent contract offers. 

That said, and what pains me, is the fickleness of footballers (fans too). Emotional interviews saying they owe a lot to the club for getting their careers back on track is met with no reward for the club whatsoever. Its a bitter pill to swallow, even if 99% of us if offered significantly more money would do the same. Doesn't make it easier though. 

Sometimes better the devil you know if you believe in the project. We set out to be a top 16 club in our recent blueprint; looks like it's going to be quite difficult to achieve that if we're constantly rebuilding. 

[vikingTON]

2 hours ago, TONofmemories said:

The long and short of it is, we're a fan owned club who, for decades, failed to return any sort of profit. We've successfully managed over the last two years and looks same for next set of accounts to change that narrative, albeit it's small gains and largely due to favourable cup draws. We simply cannot live outwith our means and unfortunately that looks like the reason why we'll lose our better players, even with an improved budget and subsequent contract offers. 

Will focus on this point though agree with the rest too. While we can get on our high horse about sugar daddies, we also need to recognise another key failure of the Rae tenure: they created nothing in terms of revenue-generating infrastructure to outlast them. While a supporters' hub is not funding the difference between what we can offer and what Ayr might be, they are currently streets ahead of us in investing in their club infrastructure to get more revenue outside of gate reciepts, prize money and commercial tat. 

The club is making some steps towards addressing this and I think everyone clearly recognises the issue, but we are particularly vulnerable right now because our early 2000s business model has not yet been fully overhauled.

[RossMcC1874]

It's always going to be this way until we make more money or fans start to come back to cappielow in much bigger numbers we are never going to have someone splash the cash like we did previously so we need to live within our means and unfortunately that does mean if our best players play well and other clubs come sniffing more than likely they will be off, it's always shite to see it as nobody wants to lose Oakley, Muirhead etc but it's a harsh reality. 

However until we see who actually gets re signed and who we are looking to bring in I'm not going to panic I trust Imrie to find a few gems like he has done the past few seasons for us, if we also keep the likes of Strapp, Blues and O'Connor again you have three good players who can contribute at this level if it's a mass exodus than more than just a few leaving then it becomes a lot more difficult. 

[TONofmemories]

2 hours ago, vikingTON said:

Will focus on this point though agree with the rest too. While we can get on our high horse about sugar daddies, we also need to recognise another key failure of the Rae tenure: they created nothing in terms of revenue-generating infrastructure to outlast them. While a supporters' hub is not funding the difference between what we can offer and what Ayr might be, they are currently streets ahead of us in investing in their club infrastructure to get more revenue outside of gate reciepts, prize money and commercial tat. 

The club is making some steps towards addressing this and I think everyone clearly recognises the issue, but we are particularly vulnerable right now because our early 2000s business model has not yet been fully overhauled.

Not sure what point in my post this relates too, however i agree with what you're saying. I have been banging the drum about that supporters hub/social building since way before i even knew we had that piece of land. Incidentally, whilst you say its not the difference between us and Ayr and i agree, they recently opened up (or renovated) some function suite. If i've misunderstood you in terms of "supporters hub" meaning, fair enough, but Morton absolutely MUST find funding for a building that will generate income solely for the club. Office space/function suite/bar. Open min 3 x a week and obviously match day. I know me and my pals would scrap our local quiz and attend something at Cappielow if all profits were circulated back into the club. 

Bit of a tangent, that, but point remains true. 

[ChampTon]

Hearing murmurs that things aren't all well down Cappielow way. The fans being told "best budget in 10 years" but it actually horseshit and Jack Bearne signing was a decision of the board not Imrie. Our budget was also categorically the worst in the league last season.

[Cet Homme Charmant]

2 minutes ago, ChampTon said:

 Our budget was also categorically the worst in the league last season.

Even lower than Arbroath's? Surely not.

[Cet Homme Charmant]

3 minutes ago, ChampTon said:

 ack Bearne signing was a decision of the board not Imrie.  

I find that very hard to believe. Dougie just doesn't seem the the kind of guy who would simply accept players being imposed on him against his will. 

[Madton]

7 minutes ago, ChampTon said:

Hearing murmurs that things aren't all well down Cappielow way. The fans being told "best budget in 10 years" but it actually horseshit and Jack Bearne signing was a decision of the board not Imrie. Our budget was also categorically the worst in the league last season.

What was each teams budget last season then??

I'd put money on Airdire being less and of course Arbroath.

 

[SpoonTon]

I don't think it's a secret that Dougie thinks it's the lowest in the league. Who knows exactly, but it's certainly among the lowest anyway. It is what it is. 

I don't see the point in throwing around unsubstantiated rumours that the board are signing players. That's hardly helpful. 

[TONofmemories]

24 minutes ago, Cet Homme Charmant said:

Even lower than Arbroath's? Surely not.

Bigger gates at times and they managed to hook a good few thousand season ticket holders after their push for promotion. Probably less outgoings

[Cet Homme Charmant]

19 minutes ago, TONofmemories said:

Bigger gates at times and they managed to hook a good few thousand season ticket holders after their push for promotion. Probably less outgoings

But were they not still part-time? If so, hard to believe they were paying part-timers more than we were paying full-timers.

[Mr.Blue]

51 minutes ago, ChampTon said:

Hearing murmurs that things aren't all well down Cappielow way. The fans being told "best budget in 10 years" but it actually horseshit and Jack Bearne signing was a decision of the board not Imrie. Our budget was also categorically the worst in the league last season.

Here we fucking go.

[Jamie_M]

4 minutes ago, Cet Homme Charmant said:

But were they not still part-time? If so, hard to believe they were paying part-timers more than we were paying full-timers.

Not necessarily more, but if they were paying similar with a bigger squad.

[Jamie_M]

52 minutes ago, ChampTon said:

Hearing murmurs that things aren't all well down Cappielow way. The fans being told "best budget in 10 years" but it actually horseshit and Jack Bearne signing was a decision of the board not Imrie. Our budget was also categorically the worst in the league last season.

Increased budget does not automatically mean a good or competitive budget when it's coming from a low starting point. Did you actually expect our budget not to be worse than most of the league?

The Bearne comment sounds like the ramblings of a crackpot.

[Cet Homme Charmant]

4 minutes ago, Jamie_M said:

Not necessarily more, but if they were paying similar with a bigger squad.

Do you honestly believe a part time squad costs more than a full-time one?