Transfers, finally looking to the future.

[Tipps69]

http://m.bristolpost.co.uk/bristol-city-chief-mark-ashton-already-planning-january-transfer-business/story-29683981-detail/story.html

One of my biggest gripes with the club for far to long has been the seemingly short-sightedness with regards to signings, especially in our illfeighted play-off campaign of 2008 where we should of been looking to progress come the January window but seemed to have very little foresight in planning to get players in to help us progress with the obvious momentum that was in place from us having only recently won promotion from League One & which was again evident only last year!!

We finally look like we have the personel in place to carry on progressing the club.

To have an idea on who maybe out of contract in the coming year or so, so we know who maybe available at a knock down price in January or who maybe available on a freebie next summer & could save us wasting much needed money on a similar player that maybe available.

And to stop us panic buying at the last minute & getting stung cash wise (Aston Villa).

Finally there is reason to believe that we maybe starting to get our house in order.

[JoeAman08]

This did start the summer of the year we went up from L1. Last summer, someone was doing their best to ignore it and we only got one player in. Credit to them that the one turned into 8 figure profit but we are back on track after that blip. I've got full faith in SL, DT, MA and LJ. This summer is the exact kind of business we should be striving for every window. I think we'll have targets for January that we will go for looking towards next season in the championship but if we are in a position to compete for top 6 I could also see us  having the money to get 1 or 2 proven championship players as well. The policy creates situations like this where if we need the money, we will have it. If we don't go up, you'll see players like Kodjia, Flint, Smith and O'Dowda leave but you'll also see us bring in 3-5x what we paid for them. We will always have the means to spend if needed. SL doesn't need the money but the club does for FFP purposes. In the next few years, SL won't have to spend a penny and we will turn a profit. It's where all clubs need to be but we're ahead of most of them in regards to getting it done. So when these championship teams need to sell off for not going up(looking at you Derby and Blackburn as examples) we will be in good shape to pick up who we want. 

[Tipps69]

26 minutes ago, JoeAman08 said:

This did start the summer of the year we went up from L1. Last summer, someone was doing their best to ignore it and we only got one player in. Credit to them that the one turned into 8 figure profit but we are back on track after that blip. I've got full faith in SL, DT, MA and LJ. This summer is the exact kind of business we should be striving for every window. I think we'll have targets for January that we will go for looking towards next season in the championship but if we are in a position to compete for top 6 I could also see us  having the money to get 1 or 2 proven championship players as well. The policy creates situations like this where if we need the money, we will have it. If we don't go up, you'll see players like Kodjia, Flint, Smith and O'Dowda leave but you'll also see us bring in 3-5x what we paid for them. We will always have the means to spend if needed. SL doesn't need the money but the club does for FFP purposes. In the next few years, SL won't have to spend a penny and we will turn a profit. It's where all clubs need to be but we're ahead of most of them in regards to getting it done. So when these championship teams need to sell off for not going up(looking at you Derby and Blackburn as examples) we will be in good shape to pick up who we want. 

But one of the biggest problem over the years is that we have seemed to get to a window before deciding who we want or recognising who might be available instead of looking ahead & recognising what we may need or who maybe available in the coming transfer windows or putting our feelers to see where we may stand.

Instead, we would wait until we already short or in need before making a move (maybe to some extent similar to replacing JK in this window).

But one facet we could definitely improve on is picking up out of contract players on pre contract agreements, I'm not saying these deals need to be made public before going through but if we identified potential targets before their contracts had actually run down, we might be able to get a march on our potential competitors?

[Red Skin]

It is a massive step forward.   I was struck by how even some Premiership clubs were scrambling around and competing with other clubs for last ditch signings for very obvious 'names' rather than playing the long game and working on more imaginative targets months ahead of time.  Certainly for a club our size our current policy is the only sustainable strategy alongside developing our own talent.

[redcityman]

Any chance of a copy and paste of said web page?

I cant view anything on that wretched site as every time i try to view it on ipad it just locks my browser up, thank you.

[Tipps69]

Mark Ashton already planning January transfer business for Bristol City

By a_stockhausen  |  Posted: September 05, 2016

Getty Images

Yacine Bammou was linked with a Bristol City move on transfer deadline day as Bristol City chased a new striker

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Bristol City chief operating officer Mark Ashton is already making plans for the next TWO transfer windows.

Having presided over the busiest summer of comings and goings ever witnessed at Ashton Gate, the man responsible for negotiating deals is in no mood to allow the grass to grow under his feet.

City recruited 16 new players for their first team and Under-23 squads between May and the end of August, moved on another half dozen and then loaned out 11 youngsters to other clubs prior to last week's deadline.

Read more: Steve Lansdown reveals full reasons Bristol City sold Jonathan Kodjia to Aston Villa

But the ambitious Ashton says he is already working on plans to further bolster head coach Lee Johnson's senior squad when the window reopens on January 1.

Bristol City chief operating officer Mark Ashton likes to work two windows in advance when it comes to plotting transfer business.

 

And even though it is still nine months away, he is already targeting potential signings in the next summer window in 2017.

"I always like to work two windows in advance," confirmed Ashton. "You can never sit back and admire your handiwork in this business, because the minute you do that, you lose ground on your rivals.

"We're already working on various things for the January window and putting in plans for the window beyond that. It's a constantly evolving picture and you have to do your homework and put things in place early if you want to be successful.

"Yes, we have had a decent and productive summer window and we are pleased with the business we have done, but nothing stands still. The minute the window closed last week, I was thinking about the next one.

Tammy Abraham has hit the ground running since arriving on loan from Chelsea, but Bristol City remain in the market for another striker.

"There will be no holidays now the transfer deadline has passed – there is a lot of work to be done to ensure we are ready to trade successfully in the next one."

Ashton revealed last week that he had been engaged in trying to recruit another striker on deadline day, only for his efforts to end in frustration. As such, signing another forward when the window reopens in January is a priority.

Although Johnson is able to call upon forwards Tammy Abraham, Aaron Wilbraham and Gustav Engvall, it could be argued that City are still one short in this department following the summer sale of Kieran Agard and Jonathan Kodjia to MK Dons and Aston Villa respectively.

Related content: Mark Ashton confirms Bristol City were trying to make one final signing ahead of transfer deadline

Ashton added: "We were trying to get another one in and there are deals we are continuing to work on. Because of the business we have done over the summer, we can now afford to be more specific.

"The squad is always evolving and we are constantly looking to improve in all areas. Although it won't be on the same scale, there will be positions we will be looking to strengthen in January and again next summer. The process of putting those deals in place has already begun."

Former Watford defender Joel Ekstrand is looking to revive his career at Bristol City.

 

Meanwhile, City are expected to announce the signing of unattached free agent Joel Ekstrand this week. Without a club since leaving Watford at the end of last season, the 27-year-old central defender has been training with City since August 15.

He has been offered a contract and, providing he agrees terms, will go straight into the squad when the Robins return to Championship action at Rotherham United on Saturday.

Read more: Bristol City set to announce the signing of Joel Ekstrand next week

Read more: http://www.bristolpost.co.uk/bristol-city-chief-mark-ashton-already-planning-january-transfer-business/story-29683981-detail/story.html#ixzz4JOXPVNMI 
Follow us: @BristolPost on Twitter | bristolpost on Facebook

[MigratedRobin]

The Bristol City that I remember from ten years ago would have probably jumped at the chance to sign an ex England and Man Utd player like Keiran Richardson! So yeah the club has come a long long way. 

[Tom]

16 minutes ago, MigratedRobin said:

The Bristol City that I remember from ten years ago would have probably jumped at the chance to sign an ex England and Man Utd player like Keiran Richardson! So yeah the club has come a long long way. 

Yes, may have dodged a David James type situation.