Where does this leave us?

[ExiledAjax]

26 minutes ago, Mad Cyril said:

Why would FIFA send us money for Diedhou when he isn't our player. Is this a bung or just dodgy money laundering?

Because he played for us within two years before the world cup. We will receive about 25% of the total payment for Diedhiou. Alyanspor will get the rest. We'd have been given money for Wollacott as well had he been fit and properly playing for Ghana.

https://www.fifa.com/tournaments/mens/worldcup/qatar2022/media-releases/fifa-distributes-more-than-usd-200m-to-clubs-across-the-world

[Northern Red]

9 minutes ago, ExiledAjax said:

Because he played for us within two years before the world cup. We will receive about 25% of the total payment for Diedhiou. Alyanspor will get the rest. We'd have been given money for Wollacott as well had he been fit and properly playing for Ghana.

https://www.fifa.com/tournaments/mens/worldcup/qatar2022/media-releases/fifa-distributes-more-than-usd-200m-to-clubs-across-the-world

And Joe Morrell if he'd hung about for another couple of months.

[ExiledAjax]

1 minute ago, Northern Red said:

And Joe Morrell if he'd hung about for another couple of months.

I know right. Shafted out of about £50k. Outrageous.

[Harry]

10 hours ago, Mr Popodopolous said:

Why Kalas and DaSilva can't stay on majorly reduced terms, wouldn't be against it although Kalas and his availability would need to improve drastically.

No thanks. Let’s move them on and move on 

10 hours ago, Davefevs said:

It is….but it’s a compromised squad, a squad “developed” out of necessity in the main.  It is not his chosen squad.  That starts to happen in the summer.  So let’s recognise that before we get too carried away!

Of course. I’m not getting carried away. Just saying that pretty much the last of the Ashton overpriced layabouts are now all gone. 

5 hours ago, Engvall’s Splinter said:

Let’s get that stick ready to beat him with. 
 

The guy up until yesterday has worked pretty much on a shoestring. After the Aug 2023 window I’d agree. 
 

I think you misunderstand. I’m not beating with any stick. Just saying in response the person who said there’s still plenty of Ashton/LJ era to get rid, but no, it’s only 2 more players who are leaving in a couple of months. 
I’m saying it as a positive. We’ve removed all but 2 of the Ashton era players and Nige now has his own players on board. 
 

I’m very happy with the window. The additions of Mehmeti & Cornick is great. They are 2 players I’ve long admired. They’ll add pace and trickery to our wide play and give us another dimension. 
I’m very happy with that. 
 

Just simply saying that all bar Kalas & Dasilva have now departed us from the Ashton debacle. Which is a good thing. 

Edited February 1, 2023 by Harry

[beaverface]

To me, with all the departures of players, it now feels like the beginning of Nigel Pearsons reign. Up til now he's had his hands tied massively, and now he finally has that wriggle room start moulding his own squad.

It's not gonna happen straight away this summer, but one would hope that giving him three transfer windows from now on would give us a competitive team to push for the top 6 in a season or two.

Until now, he's been given him the benefit of doubt. From now on is when I think he'll be truly judged.

[cityexile]

2 hours ago, Shuffle said:

I think the one disappointment for me is that throughout this season NP has said he needed a CB but we didn’t get one. I think Pring would play CB if Atkinson out. There’s lots who could do a job out of position but that’s too big a risk for me.  Kalas is covering two positions if we don’t move Naismith & just a personal opinion but is it a risk worth taking. Time will tell I guess but on a positive with new signings we have lots of pace and energy. Where does Weimann fit in is a great problem to have

Fair. I think AS going allowed NP to get on with some signing he would have otherwise had to wait to the summer for, and it’s also clear given those we did not get over the line where his priorities remain. Yes a CB and alongside that some physicality and height.

Football is always about probabilities rather than certainties, so I imagine the thought process yesterday was ‘do we think with what we have we should be confident of staying up, or do we chase these other two harder’. Given it looks like we went the former, then why not wait to the summer?

In terms of the glass being half full, he got two of the four that were targeted in, and now has six months to work with them before next season. Risks of course with not getting the CB in, but  a risk they seem to think is acceptable.

At the very least we are chasing players for defined positions rather than collecting players like Pokémon cards.

 

 

[TonyTonyTony]

For me its almost working miracles to cut wages so much, and effectively be in a similar position on the pitch. I think this is overlooked by so many. It's a real credit to the club we have been able to fall back on the academy players - say what you like about previous leadership but you have to give them credit for planting those seeds.

So what has our wage bill gone from, at its peak, to now? And how much more would getting rid of JD and Kalas save?

[Davefevs]

9 minutes ago, TonyTonyTony said:

For me its almost working miracles to cut wages so much, and effectively be in a similar position on the pitch. I think this is overlooked by so many. It's a real credit to the club we have been able to fall back on the academy players - say what you like about previous leadership but you have to give them credit for planting those seeds.

So what has our wage bill gone from, at its peak, to now? And how much more would getting rid of JD and Kalas save?

 

***(Football side wage bill, includes football staff and academy, not just first team players)

I think this season it will have come down a small amount, not too much.

But next season, assuming we don’t go mad this summer I expect it to have come down quite a bit more, we will have lost the wages of:

• Martin
• Dasilva
• Bentley
• Moore
• etc

Should Kalas stay, him and Wells will be on much less too.

Pure guesswork, expect that wage bill to be £20m(ish).

[DaveInSA]

There's way too much optimism on this thread, where's @andy2005 or whatever his name is when you need him (or her or they/them)

Where are we now? Thankfully still in BS3.

Where will we be - also in BS3. 

In terms of the football, I'm not expecting miracles now or in the summer. The turnover in playing staff could go either way on the pitch - they gel quickly and perform well. Or, they don't. We will either be entertained or bored stiff. And we'll either be Pearson in or Pearson out, depending on what happened in the last 2 games.

We're Bristol City. Anything is possible. Except promotion to the premier league.

[WarksRobin]

Presumably we could sign out of contract players? Otherwise we really shafted Martin and Klose by releasing them yesterday

[cidered abroad]

4 hours ago, GrahamC said:

Cardiff too only brought in one player on loan in the entire month.

It has been a really strange month, the likes of Wigan & Rotherham (added by the Barlaser sale) have brought in a lot of players, whereas others haven’t.

Huddersfield have also done a lot of deals, so will be fascinating to see who improves & who doesn’t.

We have played a game more than a few but go into the latter part of the season 7 points clear of the bottom three, with a superior goal difference to everyone down there & on a 7 game unbeaten run.

Following your post, I look at it slightly differently.

Let's remind ourselves that it is a team game with eleven out of twenty two or three starting each game. Change more than two at a time and the "team" has the effect of reducing the efficiency of the team for a period. So bringing in a lot of players at this stage of a season will not always improve the team performance and increase point gathering.

So our recruitment of only two could benefit us much more than others especially as we are already in an improved performance spell and a better points gathering than the previous two months.

Assuming that Scott goes for big money in this summer, I don't expect a large influx but a couple or three who will blend in more easily. A couple may leave as Pearson may see them not being able to keep improving. Thus there could be a surprise or two among the summer departures as new recruits and Academy graduates with a better level of skill take over.

Rome wasn't built in a day and City won't rebuild in one or two seasons unless we get to be extremely fortunate. So 2025 may be a very good year. Hope I last that long.

[Jerseybean]

My overall take is an optimistic one. We are focused on adding hungry, up and coming prospects who our staff can develop and who can come of age together e.g. Atkinson, Sykes, Tanner, Mehmeti plus we have a crop of exciting academy players some already in the first team squad. There is experience too  in the shape of James, Wells, Weimann, Kalas, etc 

As others have said we are getting to the point where NP can really build his team and create the team culture and ethos he aspires to. 

From the outset NP said and we knew it was a long-term task. I think the business (both ins and outs) this window has significantly shifted the momentum towards BCFC getting where NP intends.

The summer will be huge as potentially AS will exit = £££££++++ hopefully rather like Semenyo going that will provide resources to strengthen the team overall and despite inevitably losing our best young players (that’s where we are in the football pecking order) the squad balance, depth and quality will be improved.

In NP and his team I trust.

[downendcity]

2 hours ago, DaveInSA said:

There's way too much optimism on this thread, where's @andy2005 or whatever his name is when you need him (or her or they/them)

Where are we now? Thankfully still in BS3.

Where will we be - also in BS3. 

In terms of the football, I'm not expecting miracles now or in the summer. The turnover in playing staff could go either way on the pitch - they gel quickly and perform well. Or, they don't. We will either be entertained or bored stiff. And we'll either be Pearson in or Pearson out, depending on what happened in the last 2 games.

We're Bristol City. Anything is possible. Except promotion to the premier league.........

.......and getting a penalty awarded!

[REDOXO]

1 hour ago, WarksRobin said:

Presumably we could sign out of contract players? Otherwise we really shafted Martin and Klose by releasing them yesterday

You can’t just release players unless there is an agreement over the remainder of their contract. 
 

Thus they got some or all of what they got owed by negotiation OR they wanted a termination in order to be a free agent and go to a club that wants them and not have anything to do with City. 
 

Either way they become free agents who can be signed at any time. 

[ExiledAjax]

2 hours ago, Davefevs said:

 

***(Football side wage bill, includes football staff and academy, not just first team players)

I think this season it will have come down a small amount, not too much.

But next season, assuming we don’t go mad this summer I expect it to have come down quite a bit more, we will have lost the wages of:

• Martin
• Dasilva
• Bentley
• Moore
• etc

Should Kalas stay, him and Wells will be on much less too.

Pure guesswork, expect that wage bill to be £20m(ish).

Any reason you're using the BCFC Ltd wages rather than BCFC Holdings Ltd wages? For FFP the latter is pertinent isn't it?

[Davefevs]

56 minutes ago, ExiledAjax said:

Any reason you're using the BCFC Ltd wages rather than BCFC Holdings Ltd wages? For FFP the latter is pertinent isn't it?

Yes, because we are predominantly talking about the playing wage bill in this discussion (than ffp per se)….and because under new FFP it is likely that it will be players wages being used not turnover / costs / p&l.

You’ll see there is a calculation of percentage of holding company if you want to reverse engineer it?

You know me though, I actually have both!

 

[Red Exile]

My response to the topic title is that it leaves me, personally, feeling much better disposed towards the club. One of the more effective January transfer windows, a clear logic behind the signings and a rationalising of the squad. Looks as though there is a plan. Looking forward to the remainder of the season and more optimistic than I have been for a long time about the future.

[ExiledAjax]

Yeh I saw the % and understood that. I'd been talking from an FFP perspective is all because I'd taken the discussion to be about what/when we could spend in the market.

Wage reduction is greater at BCFC level than Holdings, the difference will obviously be in AG Ltd. So it does show a truer picture of the "football" wage bill.

On the new regs. I'd expect a transitional period whereby they are phased in, so we might see it all being relevant for slightly longer.

[Davefevs]

Just now, ExiledAjax said:

Yeh I saw the % and understood that. I'd been talking from an FFP perspective is all because I'd taken the discussion to be about what/when we could spend in the market.

Wage reduction is greater at BCFC level than Holdings, the difference will obviously be in AG Ltd. So it does show a truer picture of the "football" wage bill.

On the new regs. I'd expect a transitional period whereby they are phased in, so we might see it all being relevant for slightly longer.

Certainly been talk of phasing in the wages to turnover ratio from 90% to 80% to 70%…yet to see anything that phases out the current £39m stuff.  Part of me would be surprised if there wasn’t some form of phasing out.  But the other part of me says - they know it’s flawed, let’s move straight to the new method, and everything gets brushed under the carpet!

[Red Army 75]

In Nige we trust. 

[cidered abroad]

5 hours ago, GrahamC said:

Cardiff too only brought in one player on loan in the entire month.

It has been a really strange month, the likes of Wigan & Rotherham (added by the Barlaser sale) have brought in a lot of players, whereas others haven’t.

Huddersfield have also done a lot of deals, so will be fascinating to see who improves & who doesn’t.

We have played a game more than a few but go into the latter part of the season 7 points clear of the bottom three, with a superior goal difference to everyone down there & on a 7 game unbeaten run.

Following your post, I look at it slightly differently.

Let's remind ourselves that it is a team game with eleven out of twenty two or three starting each game. Change more than two at a time and the "team" has the effect of reducing the efficiency of the team for a period. So bringing in a lot of players at this stage of a season will not always improve the team performance and increase point gathering.

So our recruitment of only two could benefit us much more than others especially as we are already in an improved performance spell and a better points gathering than the previous two months.

Assuming that Scott goes for big money in this summer, I don't expect a large influx but a couple or three who will blend in more easily. A few may leave as Pearson may see them not being able to keep improving. And to allow Academy players to progress. These who leave, may surprise and or disappoint some fans but that's the reality in any type of work.

At long last, we appear to be a club that is football managed well and with a future.

[cidered abroad]

7 hours ago, GrahamC said:

Cardiff too only brought in one player on loan in the entire month.

It has been a really strange month, the likes of Wigan & Rotherham (added by the Barlaser sale) have brought in a lot of players, whereas others haven’t.

Huddersfield have also done a lot of deals, so will be fascinating to see who improves & who doesn’t.

We have played a game more than a few but go into the latter part of the season 7 points clear of the bottom three, with a superior goal difference to everyone down there & on a 7 game unbeaten run.

Following your post, I look at it slightly differently.

Let's remind ourselves that it is a team game with eleven out of twenty two or three starting each game. Change more than two at a time and the "team" has the effect of reducing the efficiency of the team for a period. So bringing in a lot of players at this stage of a season will not always improve the team performance and increase point gathering.

So our recruitment of only two could benefit us much more than others especially as we are already in an improved performance spell and a better points gathering than the previous two months.

Assuming that Scott goes for big money in this summer, I don't expect a large influx but a couple or three who will blend in more easily. A couple may leave as Pearson may see them not being able to keep improving.

[Davefevs]

Guess the next thing we want to start hearing is contract updates?

Not sure we will hear anything on Kalas until he starts playing.

[ExiledAjax]

16 minutes ago, Davefevs said:

Guess the next thing we want to start hearing is contract updates?

Not sure we will hear anything on Kalas until he starts playing.

Who are you looking at primarily?

I'm thinking we will give O'Leary and Vyner new first team contracts. Probably 3 years. Those will be wage increases.

Kalas and Dasilva probably both offered reduced terms, up to them to accept. 

Haikin has to earn his new contract.

Is there anyone else we need to really look at or here from? 

[The Bard]

12 hours ago, ExiledAjax said:

On "healthy" finances this season. I suspect that even with the Semenyo income and further wage savings (mainly Bentley and Wells) we're still going to be looking at approximately a £15m loss. Now that's very good coming down from a £28m loss last season, but it's not exactly healthy.

There may therefore be some temptation to sell Scott before the financial year end on 31 May in order to push us into profit this season (assuming he goes for more than £15m).

Surely as FFP is assessed over 3 seasons  it is more tempting to wait for the sale so that it cushions us for longer?  Only way we'd hurry it through would be to ensure we don't break the rules.  

[The Bard]

30 minutes ago, ExiledAjax said:

Who are you looking at primarily?

I'm thinking we will give O'Leary and Vyner new first team contracts. Probably 3 years. Those will be wage increases.

Kalas and Dasilva probably both offered reduced terms, up to them to accept. 

Haikin has to earn his new contract.

Is there anyone else we need to really look at or here from? 

Dasilva is leaving as he wasn't offered a contract.   Pearson has also said no decision on Kalas as he hasn't played all season.  I imagine both Vyner and O'Leary have offers but haven't yet signed.  The club can extend their current deals by a year.  If they don't sign I imagine they will be sold in the summer if we get a good offer.  Transfer values are slowly creeping back in, though at more sane levels than before.  Players like those 2 with their experience will command decent fees for certain.  

[Merrick's Marvels]

46 minutes ago, ExiledAjax said:

Who are you looking at primarily?

Nigel Pearson.

Going into the final year of his contract and we can't let the bugger run it down and leave for nowt next summer!

Edited February 1, 2023 by Merrick's Marvels

[Davefevs]

45 minutes ago, ExiledAjax said:

Who are you looking at primarily?

I'm thinking we will give O'Leary and Vyner new first team contracts. Probably 3 years. Those will be wage increases.

Kalas and Dasilva probably both offered reduced terms, up to them to accept. 

Haikin has to earn his new contract.

Is there anyone else we need to really look at or here from? 

Those two, the SL mention of Alex Scott too.

Plus starting to think about those beyond w/o an option, e.g. Joe Williams

[Mr Popodopolous]

20 minutes ago, The Bard said:

Dasilva is leaving as he wasn't offered a contract.   Pearson has also said no decision on Kalas as he hasn't played all season.  I imagine both Vyner and O'Leary have offers but haven't yet signed.  The club can extend their current deals by a year.  If they don't sign I imagine they will be sold in the summer if we get a good offer.  Transfer values are slowly creeping back in, though at more sane levels than before.  Players like those 2 with their experience will command decent fees for certain.  

Is that definite? Why wasn't he offered a contract. I'd say there is still some upside in a technically good LB aged 25 or under If the wages are right for the club.

[steviestevieneville]

9 hours ago, bcfcredandwhite said:

Pleased with the new signings but feel we should have focussed more on strengthening at the back, where we've needed to strengthen for some time. Now we haven't even got the option of Klose - and we don't know how long before Kalas will be fit again. 

I really hope there are some good freebies out there that we are looking at. 

We tried to strengthen at the back or weren’t you aware of that . If clubs won’t sell then they won’t sell