ExiledAjax

Is this not the very same argument that a Spurs fan might use about loans to the Championship? Edits required shown above and are very limited. And again, just sub "Premier League" for "Championship" and you've got Man City's loans manager's argument for sending 50 17 year olds to Millwall. Which is a fair assumption, but isn't one that I personally am willing to make. I'm just probing the dual stance of the Club shown in those answers as I think there are follow up questions to ask.

Yes so part of the question is do we charge loan fees ourselves? Are our players relatively high earners in a League 2 dressing room? Have our demands changed much in the past 10 years? I suppose as well is there a feeling amongst L2 clubs that matches how Gould and Pearson describe PL loans? There are of course answers to those questions which would, if given, preclude accusations of hypocrisy. But without asking that question we can't know for sure.

I'm working my way through the video. Have just heard the excellent answers to the loans question. First we get an exceptionally transparent answer from Gould and Pearson. They explain in detail why we aren't going for PL loans, and this includes complaints about the cost of those loans and about the fact that in taking them we add value to that PL club's squad rather than our own. The very next answer is Tins explaining how valuable it is to Bristol City to be able to loan a player to a L2 club in order for them to get 40 games of experience. Is this not rank hypocrisy from us? How can we reconcile complaints about the PL's exploitative practices and in the next breath sing the praises of our own use of the system? As interesting as it was to hear about Nige's hikes on the Mendips I'd have loved to be there to ask the above as a follow up.

Yep. Takes 5 minutes to pay £8m for a player and agree £25k a week. Takes 5 years to wind that contract up and amortise it out. Extreme example perhaps but that's what it is. I hope last night helped more fans appreciate the severity of the situation we were in when Pearson and the Gould came in. Honestly to be doing what we're doing on the pitch and in the league whilst simultaneously doing what we're doing on the balance sheet is very impressive.

Haven't quite got to the formation bits yet. I'm up to the question about Euell. Again I thought that was answered well by Nige. Pearson is clearly conscious of his own weaknesses and values a member of staff who brings things to the table that he doesn't have - including a black role model for some of our squad to relate to. Giving Euell some credit for our attacking prowess as well. Sounds like he's really happy with his staff at the moment.

Anyone fancy chatting about the fans forum? I thought it was great to hear some details around the season tickets. Teenagers up, adults down, and a slight increase overall. But also a significant migration to the south stand within the stadium. I'd also like to compliment those who attended for asking some really thoughtful questions in a polite manner. I'm proud of our fanbase after watching the video of last night. Fan engagement is a two way street and we have to demonstrate to the Club that it's worth them doing things like last night. Well done to all.

Just gone up on the Clubs YouTube channel. Not sure why this is just showing a link though... Warning. Some viewers may find this content offensive. https://youtu.be/KZsf2qciHpo

Norwich's accounts recently showed that they received £6.4m in loan fees last season (when they were a Prem team). Looking at their loan list that season that £6.4m was spread across 14 or so players, but would likely be concentrated on 6 big loans (Cantwell to Bournemouth etc). That's Norwich's prices. Imagine what the big Clubs are charging. It's not a guaranteed cheap option at all.

Agree, I'm fine with JL being on the board, but it should be made clear that he's a non-exec director there to represent the shareholder. His title of "Chairman" is confusing as his role is clearly not what most fans perceive the title to mean. I agree there's next to no chance of JL becoming the CEO. Gould is going to be hard to replace, that's obvious and has been said many times. I just hope that whoever replaces him continues his calm and professional approach.

I'd love them to distill the bits about loans and cat 1 academies into an article or blog post or something that could be pointed at every time someone suggests either option as the solution to our Club's woes. It sounds like there was a really good breadth of questions and some candid answers. Hopefully the video is posted online in full for those of us who couldn't attend or watch live.

Yes. @Mr Popodopolous. I think 23/24 is answered by the EFL being favourable on add backs. It had been indicated to me that if that did not happen we could potentially be in a £(25)m FFP hole in 23/24. That would obviously be problematic and would necessitate the sale of our brightest young assets. Hence my caution and pessimism over the past few months. However it sounds like the answers last night suggest that the £(25)m scenario is now very unlikely, and I expect the accounts and the accompanying materials will clarify that. That is all excellent news. It obviously does not mean we're off to sign a £15m striker or CB, but it means we're steady, and still well on the road to being a prudential club.

Gospel truth from Nige.

And this is why I've been more pessimistic than you. Think I may have said high 20's loss rather than mid 20s. It's next season that could be dicy if we don't sell for big dollar in the next two windows. If the new info is that the EFL are on our side re FFP then great. This is what I meant when I say my info was old. I didn't have an update on the EFL position. I couldn't attend/watch tonight but am hoping it goes up on YouTube.

Are Luton just not turning up!?

The club had hoped to publish in October but I suspect the discussions around Gould's future delayed it. Not great to publish when there's public speculation over your CEO's future. That's now settled so I'd expect to see accounts some time soon. Definitely something to ask about at the fans forum tomorrow night - if you're attending.

The accounts are already audited. They are ready to publish but the club are in discussions with the EFL re FFP. I suspect that now that Gould's future is decided the next job is to release the accounts.

The governmental turmoil of the last 6 months has not helped things. However, the FLR has not entirely fallen off of the table. Donelan is at least more informed and more competent than Dorries. She seems slightly more interested in the culture and media rather than the sport part of her portfolio, but she is at least willing to talk. Crouch is also continuing her very good work and not abandoning her pet project at all. I'm speaking to Fair Game again next week, and expect to hear that the white paper (which has been written but unpublished for months now) will finally be published before Christmas. Sunak is pretty anti-regulation, but not to the extent that Truss was. Sunak may also see intervention in football as a potential vote winner, but that's a bit esoteric. It's not dead yet. Lots of people have been continuing to pressure and speak to the politicians even whilst the zeitgeist has been about bigger picture economic issues. We live in hope and we go again!

Edit. Ignore me.

My car was in the place specially reserved for me as first team coach. I drive a Jaguar XJ8, 3.2, the sports version. It’s a very nice motor; 3.2 litre AJ-V8 all alloy engine. Classic colour interior theme, fluted leather seats, contrast colour keyed facia, figured walnut veneer. As good a motor as you can hope to drive. But not a car you’d choose when trying to follow a Ford saloon in a discreet manner… Bruce, S. Striker! 1999

I'd love him on the Board as a director. Love it. But I doubt he's got the full plethora of skills to be a football CEO.

Done

He's been involved with the club informally. Both as a counsellor/confidant of Gould and in establishing the new Heritage Trust company (which is going to be incredible). That's not the "sharp end" of football business though, and my understanding is that he's seen even that as being too much of a demand on his time. He loves the club and works hard, but I'll be incredibly surprised if he replaces Gould in any capacity.

I just hope that whoever takes over, in whatever shape the role is, keeps the phone line to Gould open. Richard is an absolute gent and would be an invaluable source of informal advice for his successor.

More to the point we've gone from a team who's average shot registered about 0.14 xG to one that averages about 0.09 xG. Turning point was the QPR game by that metric. @Davefevs any interesting personnel changes between that game and the preceding one - Burnley? That gap was the international break right? Weimann injury is all I can recall changing. By which I mean he was clearly playing through pain in those first few games after the break. Strapped up and not at his normal full on self. It's a huge drop. Our average shot after the break has been only 60% as good as prior to it. It's what explains the drop in scoring, we're not just taking fewer shots, but the ones we are taking are much lower quality.

Yeh of course. My point is that those doubts were also there in August. If you looked at our squad in the summer (and the summer prior) then it was glaringly obvious that we lacked players in their prime.