Max Bird Signed (& loaned back to Derby) - CONFIRMED

[Galley is our king]

4 hours ago, The Coach said:

Wonder if Pearson is laughing or quite peed off.

Had money to spend after alll….

"Had money to spend after all"?

What Christmas cracker did that fall out of?

[Mr Popodopolous]

4 minutes ago, FNQ said:

Well I get what you’re saying but were we bidding against anybody else except ourselves? Can’t imagine that any team who were genuinely interested in the player and  could outbid us with wages in the summer weren’t as smart as us in January and therefore have missed out? You’d think that the players agent would be abreast of any potential interest now and what would be likely interest in the summer. 

Anyway hopefully it’s a good addition.

Bird would have had a fair bit of interest come the summer IMO.

Maybe even one or more of Burnley Luton, Sheffield United had they dropped but certainly significant Championship interest. Seems a smart move provided that we didn't get absolutely rinsed on the fee.

Edited February 2 by Mr Popodopolous

[Davefevs]

13 minutes ago, James54De said:

What do you think we’ll need in the summer? Our work this month has certainly taken some pressure off for the summer.

Obviously, a lot is dependent on Tommy. Barring any other losses, three or four incoming should sort us.

With Nahki, Tommy and Cornick as our current CF options, could we see a full change up front? Sounds expensive. 

I dunno at this point…still don’t know what LM is trying to create system-wise.

Think it’s probably a case of who leaves, we replace.  It won’t be as black and white as that, but we’ve obviously got ahead of the game in many respects.

[Davefevs]

5 minutes ago, FNQ said:

Well I get what you’re saying but were we bidding against anybody else except ourselves? Can’t imagine that any team who were genuinely interested in the player and  could outbid us with wages in the summer weren’t as smart as us in January and therefore have missed out? You’d think that the players agent would be abreast of any potential interest now and what would be likely interest in the summer. 

Anyway hopefully it’s a good addition.

Most teams don’t have a £20m cushion, and have to sell to buy.

[pillred]

1 hour ago, Bristol Oil Services said:

Tbf, until we actually do or achieve something then to clubs like yer Derbys we will always be a bit of a nothing club. It's not the most outlandish slur that could be laid at our door.

How quickly you forget our 3 EFL trophy wins :laugh:.

[exAtyeoMax]

Is he Marley Watkins in disguise?

 

[BrizzleRed]

30 minutes ago, FNQ said:

Well I get what you’re saying but were we bidding against anybody else except ourselves? Can’t imagine that any team who were genuinely interested in the player and  could outbid us with wages in the summer weren’t as smart as us in January and therefore have missed out? You’d think that the players agent would be abreast of any potential interest now and what would be likely interest in the summer. 

Anyway hopefully it’s a good addition.

Fair enough, but maybe many clubs are just put off by the often mentioned inflated January prices and prefer to wait it out until the summer.

In the case of Bird, I believe he’s out of contract in the summer and wasn’t re-signing, so I’m guessing it was just down to us agreeing the compo with Derby and terms with the player.

He seems a very well regarded and you’d have thought his agent would be keeping name out there.   Haven’t a clue if we had competition for his signature but for me, it’s great to see us land one of our targets without getting into a bidding war with bigger hitters and eventually missing out.

I never thought I’d use the words ‘smart’ and ‘our board’ in the same sentance, but maybe with this window being particularly quiet, they saw an opportunity and grabbed it!

[Red-Robbo]

4 minutes ago, BrizzleRed said:

Fair enough, but maybe many clubs are just put off by the often mentioned inflated January prices and prefer to wait it out until the summer.

 

 

Viz nails it:

[BrizzleRed]

9 minutes ago, Red-Robbo said:

 

Viz nails it:

Well that certainly sums up a fair few of our deadline days!

[Mr Popodopolous]

28 minutes ago, BrizzleRed said:

Fair enough, but maybe many clubs are just put off by the often mentioned inflated January prices and prefer to wait it out until the summer.

In the case of Bird, I believe he’s out of contract in the summer and wasn’t re-signing, so I’m guessing it was just down to us agreeing the compo with Derby and terms with the player.

He seems a very well regarded and you’d have thought his agent would be keeping name out there.   Haven’t a clue if we had competition for his signature but for me, it’s great to see us land one of our targets without getting into a bidding war with bigger hitters and eventually missing out.

I never thought I’d use the words ‘smart’ and ‘our board’ in the same sentance, but maybe with this window being particularly quiet, they saw an opportunity and grabbed it!

Smart business for sure.

I would say a combination of factors played a role in the quieter window than we are used to..

1) FFP, notably the Everton -10 and subsequent charges for Nottingham Forest and (once again) Everton.

2) African and Asian Cup through January and into February.

3) New FFP, the whole proposed 70% rule.

There are probably one or two others as well. It's a bit of a perfect storm. As a relatively better placed club for FFP at the level perhaps we stole a march.

Edited February 2 by Mr Popodopolous

[ExiledAjax]

57 minutes ago, Mr Popodopolous said:

3) New FFP, the whole proposed 70% rule.

There are probably one or two others as well. It's a bit of a perfect storm. As a relatively better placed club for FFP at the level perhaps we stole a march.

Very much so. Our forced reset over the last 2-3 years has placed us quite nicely for the advent of the Championship SCMP regime. I don't think that will come in for 24/25 but it's more than "proposed". It's coming. Clubs have been sent the draft regulations. They know where it's going. So contracts being handed out now and in the summer window, will likely still be in force when those new regs come in.

There will be a transition period where effectively if a club doesn't fully comply with the new regime but would be ok under the old regime, they won't get badly punished.  But that will only last for one, maybe two seasons, certainly not for a "full" contract cycle of 3 years.

We're nicely positioned to be strong in the market in the summer as well. That doesn't mean £8m signings and £30k a week wages, but it means strong compared to our peers. So maybe we snipe a player who otherwise might go to Hull, or Sunderland, or Stoke. That is strength. That is good.

Edited February 2 by ExiledAjax

[Davefevs]

Dunno why, I just imagined we did it all at Derby.

 

[Mr Popodopolous]

24 minutes ago, ExiledAjax said:

Very much so. Our forced reset over the last 2-3 years has placed us quite nicely for the advent of the Championship SCMP regime. I don't think that will come in for 24/25 but it's more than "proposed". It's coming. Clubs have been sent the draft regulations. They know where it's going. So contracts being handed out now and in the summer window, will likely still be in force when those new regs come in.

There will be a transition period where effectively if a club doesn't fully comply with the new regime but would be ok under the old regime, they won't get badly punished.  But that will only last for one, maybe two seasons, certainly not for a "full" contract cycle of 3 years.

Were nicely positioned to be strong in the market in the summer as well. That doesn't mean £8m signings and £30k a week wages, but it means strong compared to our peers. So maybe we snipe a player who otherwise might go to Hull, or Sunderland, or Stoke. That is strength. That is good.

Thanks for this. I do tend to agree.

The Transition Period while necessary feels a bit of a Cop Out in some respects because we to take an example have worked very hard to get in line.

I see clubs with ridiculous wage ratios at the level. Granted some of the accounts we have to wait and see on and they're always a year behind but that feels like undue leniency to clubs who don't plan correctly whereas we have planned for both, arguably to our detriment in some ways.

2025-26 then, one more year of P&S? That'll suit WBA quite nicely and one or two other yoyos who are still down at the level, could really help Hull too if they don't go up. Watford especially, Norwich less so.

It's funny though we got Sweet FA in leeway last season or not that much anyway..often these slices of fortune don't fall our way.

Supposing the Transition Period isn't too generous, maybe some averaging combined with a Soft Embargo until clubs call back below the limit then a monitored plan that can see them able to take up to the % but not beyond.

Edited February 2 by Mr Popodopolous

[Ian 6920]

Hi

Sorry to hear you have signed Max, Jason knight was a good player who gives 100 percent every game.Max is poor, doesn’t do much in a game and when he does the pass is either square or backwards, very few Derby fans sorry he’s gone. 
Hope it works out for him and yourselves but will be very surprised if it does.

[Davefevs]

1 minute ago, Mr Popodopolous said:

Thanks for this. I do tend to agree.

The Transition Period while necessary feels a bit of a Cop Out in some respects because we to take an example have worked very hard to get in line.

I see clubs with ridiculous wage ratios at the level. Granted some of the accounts we have to wait and see on and they're always a year behind but that feels like undue leniency to clubs who don't plan correctly whereas we have planned for both, arguably to our detriment in some ways.

2025-26 then, one more year of P&S? That'll suit WBA quite nicely.snd one or two other yoyos who are still down at the level, could really help Hull too if they don't go up.

It's funny though we got bugger all in leeway last season or not that much anyway..often these slices of fortune don't fall our way.

Supposing the Transition Period isn't too generous, maybe some averaging combined with a Soft Embargo until clubs call back below the limit then a monitored plan that can see them able to take up to the % but not beyond.

Think we have to be mindful that wages for Champ SCMP is “playing” wages.  Even with us, BCFC total wages are 73% of BCH’s, and only a percentage of that is what will be reportable under new rules.  So I wouldn’t get too hooked up on other club’s accounts and looking too rigidly at wages v turnover.  Don’t get me wrong there are some shockers.

[Mr Popodopolous]

2 minutes ago, Davefevs said:

Think we have to be mindful that wages for Champ SCMP is “playing” wages.  Even with us, BCFC total wages are 73% of BCH’s, and only a percentage of that is what will be reportable under new rules.  So I wouldn’t get too hooked up on other club’s accounts and looking too rigidly at wages v turnover.  Don’t get me wrong there are some shockers.

Ah but the football wages, Amortisation and Impairment. Agents Fees..still think we're one of the better placed.

I've always taken the football wages to be 70-75%, perhaps 75-80% at a push.

Edited February 2 by Mr Popodopolous

[exAtyeoMax]

3 minutes ago, Ian 6920 said:

Hi

Sorry to hear you have signed Max, Jason knight was a good player who gives 100 percent every game.Max is poor, doesn’t do much in a game and when he does the pass is either square or backwards, very few Derby fans sorry he’s gone. 
Hope it works out for him and yourselves but will be very surprised if it does.

Hope he does ok for you until the end of the season

[BrizzleRed]

4 minutes ago, Ian 6920 said:

Hi

Sorry to hear you have signed Max, Jason knight was a good player who gives 100 percent every game.Max is poor, doesn’t do much in a game and when he does the pass is either square or backwards, very few Derby fans sorry he’s gone. 
Hope it works out for him and yourselves but will be very surprised if it does.

Oh well, if he’s that bad, your club won’t want him for the rest of the season, so let’s take him off your hands now then

[Davefevs]

6 minutes ago, exAtyeoMax said:

Hope he does ok for you until the end of the season, but he’s shit really, I’d have driven him back myself

Fixed, think that’s the way you’re meant to post to another club.

[Ian 6920]

5 minutes ago, BrizzleRed said:

Oh well, if he’s that bad, your club won’t want him for the rest of the season, so let’s take him off your hands now then

I’m not trying to cause trouble pal but being honest, he’s shite!. We need him back because we still can’t buy players so owt that has come in is old timers or freebies which some work out but a lot don’t.

[Davefevs]

6 minutes ago, Ian 6920 said:

I’m not trying to cause trouble pal but being honest, he’s shite!. We need him back because we still can’t buy players so owt that has come in is old timers or freebies which some work out but a lot don’t.

He’s not shite though is he?

[exAtyeoMax]

9 minutes ago, Davefevs said:

Fixed, think that’s the way you’re meant to post to another club.

I was being sarcastic/sardonic because he was saying how shit max was

[exAtyeoMax]

9 minutes ago, Ian 6920 said:

I’m not trying to cause trouble pal but being honest, he’s shite!. We need him back because we still can’t buy players so owt that has come in is old timers or freebies which some work out but a lot don’t.

Sounds a bit like us when Nige came in!!

[ExiledAjax]

32 minutes ago, Mr Popodopolous said:

Supposing the Transition Period isn't too generous, maybe some averaging combined with a Soft Embargo until clubs call back below the limit then a monitored plan that can see them able to take up to the % but not beyond.

I don't think it will be as complicated as averaging. I've chatted a little with a mate who recently left the EFL finance reporting unit. Basically it'll be as I say, that once SCMP is in place then there will be a season or two where not fully complying with it won't be seen as dreadful so long as you would be compliant with the P&S regs.

That's all easier said than done, but it will be a transition rather than a hard switch over to SCMP on 1 July 2026.

Anyway, we basically took our medicine over the past 3 years so hopefully will have a window of opportunity over the next 3-4 transfer windows to be one of the more attractive Championship clubs.

[Swede]

2 hours ago, pillred said:

Yes, the near future.

When he does his hamstring he will be ready for our treatment table club

[Mr Popodopolous]

10 minutes ago, ExiledAjax said:

I don't think it will be as complicated as averaging. I've chatted a little with a mate who recently left the EFL finance reporting unit. Basically it'll be as I say, that once SCMP is in place then there will be a season or two where not fully complying with it won't be seen as dreadful so long as you would be compliant with the P&S regs.

That's all easier said than done, but it will be a transition rather than a hard switch over to SCMP on 1 July 2026.

Anyway, we basically took our medicine over the past 3 years so hopefully will have a window of opportunity over the next 3-4 transfer windows to be one of the more attractive Championship clubs.

Birmingham fans clearly haven't read up like you as some of them talk of a major spending spree this summer, one on Twitter even spoke of outspending the Parachute Clubs.

[ExiledAjax]

Just now, Mr Popodopolous said:

Birmingham fans clearly haven't read up like you as some of them talk of a major spending spree this summer, one on Twitter even spoke of outspending the Parachute Clubs.

Will that be before or after they've paid Rooney off?

[Mr Popodopolous]

58 minutes ago, ExiledAjax said:

Will that be before or after they've paid Rooney off?

Plus Eustace albeit I assume still paying until June and no.major cost addition there. I think they aren't paying attention tbh.

Albeit some claim he isn't due a payoff due to a Performance clause or waived it.

Edited February 2 by Mr Popodopolous

[Ian 6920]

1 hour ago, Davefevs said:

He’s not shite though is he?

Think he has 6 goals in 190 app for us if I remember right.

[BrizzleRed]

1 hour ago, Ian 6920 said:

I’m not trying to cause trouble pal but being honest, he’s shite!. We need him back because we still can’t buy players so owt that has come in is old timers or freebies which some work out but a lot don’t.

Fair enough.  

Had a quick look at your forum and it sounds like he needs a fresh start, to recapture his previous Championship form.  Also appears that team mates and tactics have changed and the current set up doesn’t bring the best out of him.

Hopefully he’ll find our midfield will suit him better and playing under a new head coach can also help.

Just don’t break him though, as we can do that very well ourselves!