The Glass Ceiling

[Martyn Hocking]

'To lose one striker (Meteb) might be considered unfortunate; to lose two (Mifsud?) would appear careless', as Oscar Wilde might have said had he been a City fan. For that reason, this week really feels like a pivotal one in the recent history of BCFC and will go a long way to determining the shape of our season.

If we end it with Mifsud and a.n.other big striker on board, I think we can look forward to another year of progress and a serious promotion challenge. Yes, we need a replacement for Vasko at the back, but centre halfs are a lot easier to sign that centre forwards and I believe that will be taken care of before the end of August.

I don't believe that there is a big money replacement for Carle coming in - pretty sure LJ and Elliott will be the 1st choice pairing in centre midfield with Noble or Mifsud playing off a big centre forward (Adebola or our second new signing this week).

If, on the other hand, we fail to land Mifsud, I have to admit that I would be a tad worried.

What I think the last few weeks have really demonstrated is that we are banging our heads against a glass ceiling in that the players we need to sign to move forward aren't convinced we are serious contenders at this level. It's a bit like Blackburn Rovers when Jack Walker first went there. They had Simon Garner up front and knew he wasn't good enough to get them into the Prem, so went out and started bidding for all manner of 'name' strikers - including Gary Lineker (which would be like us bidding for Rooney). Everyone turned them down because they were perceived to be a small club, regardless of their chairman's wealth.

In the end they settled on a team of grafters with a fox in the box (David Speedie) to fire them to promotion.

We can do the same - and a second season chasing promotion will clearly raise our credibility - but it is not simply a case of splashing the chairman's cash at this point in our development. We have to break through that glass ceiling and change the perceptions of players and their agents too.

I know there has been a lot of frustrated, negative talk on here lately to the effect that 'we have forked out for season tickets - why is the club not putting its money where its mouth is?', but I really don't think that is fair. A player of the calibre of, say, Ben Watson, will not sign for BCFC right now, regardless of the money on offer.

If you take an objective view of where we stand in the eyes of the neutral, the following clubs are all better bets for promotion this term than us:

Derby, Birmingham, Palace, QPR, Wolves, Charlton, Sheff Utd, Reading, Ipswich.

That's puts us 10th in the table.

Sure, we (and the players we currently have) think we can do better than that and will be aiming for promotion, but that's because we have already bought into the club. The neutrals remain to be convinced.

Well_red

[jambodinho]

I thought this was going to be about that bar in Blackpool with the glass dancefloor where you can look up women's skirts from downstairs. How wrong was i.

[Eddie Hitler]

If you take an objective view of where we stand in the eyes of the neutral, the following clubs are all better bets for promotion this term than us:

Derby, Birmingham, Palace, QPR, Wolves, Charlton, Sheff Utd, Reading, Ipswich.

That's puts us 10th in the table.

Sure, we (and the players we currently have) think we can do better than that and will be aiming for promotion, but that's because we have already bought into the club. The neutrals remain to be convinced.

Absolutely, and a new stadium will help improve this situation enormously.

I'm not unhappy about the Meteb transfer falling through, somebody like that (or Joey Barton, Jermaine Pennant, Diouf etc.) would have a corrosive effect on team spirit.

I also think people have unrealistic expectations of the level of transfer spend. I haven't been following them all, but at the billionaire-run QPR activity has been slight:

somerset stu

Joined: 02 Feb 2007

Posts: 857

PostPosted: Mon Jul 28, 2008 10:11 pm Post subject: We spent more money last pre season near administration Reply with quote

300.000 on Campo

200.000 on Walton

Then later 900.000 on Legs (admittedly takeover nigh on done then)

If you compare this year Alberti 300.000ish, the players we have got in are better Frees in Ramage & Cerny than last years Nards Curtis Etc & wages be alot higher, but got to say I'm supprised at lack of money spent (SO FAR), so maybe the board really do see it as a 3 year plan?

[Gaffer]

Great post and one that raises excellent points about our stature as a top championship club.

Rather than well_red i think that was well_written.

It show the ambition of the club that we are looking for big name signings, especially ones who still have careers to make and potential to fulfill. Give me an unpronouncable eastern european or a maltese superstar over an premier league reject any day.

I still believe.