reddevil

This very much seems to be the football authorities trying to be seen to do the right thing but not really knowing what that is. So kids junior football is cancelled but cinemas and theme parks stay open, doesn’t seem to make sense to me. Appreciate people have different takes on this but seems a lot of people would have appreciated being able to attend matches to show respect as a community

11 minutes ago, GrahamC said:

Abraham & Maynard are the only 2 since John Galley!

Which seeing as Tammy wasn’t our player, underlines the achievement.

Bobby Reid got 21 in 17/18. 
 

Brilliant season from Weimann, especially coming back from a torn ACL

19 minutes ago, Delta said:

Interesting

Where have you sourced the wages that we were paying him from?

Likewise, where have you sourced the "several million" that we were paying for him from?

This article suggests the wages would have been c£2m for the season. https://www.google.co.uk/amp/s/www.birminghammail.co.uk/sport/football/transfer-news/tammy-abraham-wolves-aston-villa-15636578.amp In terms of a fee there is no evidence for this but fees for similar players like Nketiah have been quoted around £3m a season, hence why i said £4-5m was an estimate. 

On 14/02/2020 at 20:56, Delta said:

Villa are the one that you all want and most of you have said as much.  We've been called odius, cheats, deluded, refusing to acknowledge the existence of FFP, etc, etc.  We are certainly being made out to be the pantomine villain, despite most accusations coming in before the penny dropped re the ability to sell the ground.  It certainly comes across to me as vindictive retribution.  People have suggested that we should have been made to sell Grealish for £3m, ourselves and Derby be replaced by Leeds & WBA in the play off final and many other ranges of sanctions.  This despite the fact that we are not guilty of any wrongdoing.

The myth has grown to such an extent that many believe we're some ogre, turning a blind eye to all rules, safe in the knowledge that the EFL are too scared to challenge us.  It's ridiculous.

Our CEO sat on the original panel when FFP was first set up.  I have confidence that he knows what he is doing.  Yes, we are close to the limit but this is all down to a chancer who gambled with our club's entire existence.  It was that very first summer that did us the damage - After that, the player incomings were very modest.

I understand the frustrations at the apparent lethargy shown by the EFL but I'm convinced that a lot of communication and checking goes on behind the scenes - It isn't just a case of end of years figures being submitted and then the EFL deciding to have a look.  Certainly in our own case, I know that our CEO has been in constant communication with the EFL all the way through the season.  The EFL will have been aware of our situation - Especially in the 2 windows and will have given the all clear to make the moves we did.

Regarding the stadium sale - The opportunity was there for everyone.  We chose to take advantage of the opportunity.

It's worth repeating that Villa did not gain promotion through any financial advantage.  The big spending almost entirely failed.  No big money signings started the play off final last season, 4 loan players started, 2 home grown and 5 with a total value of less than £10m.

Look at these teams who are succeeding - It is nearly always the manager rather than the players: Leeds, WBA, Brentford,Norwich,Sheff U,Cardiff (Warnock).  Birmingham who spent all that money sacked their manager within a few weeks of the season, likewise Villa in 2016 (and again in 2018).  If we ever end up back down there, give me the right manager ahead of a war chest all day long.

Just a couple of points on this. I don’t get the arguement that having loan players is a way of pleading poverty, Tammy could easily have cost Villa c£4-5m for last season based on estimates for loan fees and assuming his wages are paid in full. However the bigger arguement is more conceptual, FFP exists to make the league more susbstainable, and clubs like Villa, Sheffield Wed, Derby and Reading have have used a loophole to bastardize it, to the detriment of other clubs playing within the spirt of the rules.