Smurf interview

[cheshirevaliant 88]

If the budget is set, then that should be the figure that the recruitment staff (whoever that is, I'm still not 100% sure that it's Page alone) are working towards, be it high or low. If we are spending more than we can afford, then that will only end in disaster. If £1.7m is all we can afford, then that should be all we are spending. Unfortunately, again, NS appears to have set a figure, then blamed everyone other than himself when the figure is exceeded.

 

I agree with your point about a cup run however, albeit last season we didn't get much luck with draws.

[Rampant Zebra 140]

I thought the cup run thing was a V2001 initiative... lol

[Howjy04 156]

If there is one thing the cheque books have been it isn't blank. The budget has been reduced from the mid 2 mils in league 2 promotion season to what £1.8 odd for this.

 

Personally I would say it is impossible to run a league 1 club adjusted for inflation on that sort of money these days. Even our relegation, Bill Bratt, we are where we are season had a budget of £1.6 million. Adjusted for inflation and rising market prices, this is our lowest squad budget in living memory from the early 1990s.

 

The Swindon Town claim is a massively misleading as they bought plays for excess of £500,000 on a similar budget, but in fairness to Smurf they also get much bigger crowds.

 

Pope has gone which is saving us thousands each week, Williamson was on around £1,000 a week. Unless Streete is on £10,000 a week, God knows where the money has gone.

 

However I saw this coming. We need a much better cup run next season. The FA cup is our biggest competition. We can earn thousands from that and a good run meeting a top prem team could total an extra million to the budget.

 

I would say that the lack of cup runs is the single biggest problem for us at the moment.

 

The budget in 2009 was £1.1 million under Lord Bratt.

[Conrad 163]

I think we'll start to see budgets at a lot of clubs being reduced, it's about time clubs stuck together and started to reduce such obscene amounts of money to players.

If just one club refused then the better players would just go elsewhere, if they all refused then the players have little choice, take it or leave it.

[fraggle 56]

Thank You l have learnt a lot over the last 3 seasons

Let me be clear

To support a budget of 1.7M l need ST at circa 3300

The budget currently stands at 1.85M

There will be some player movement next week but that will still leave the budget over 1.7M

If we only sell 2500 that 800 represents a reduction of circa £233,000

What would you have me do ?

 

Norman, please forgive me, I've not read the proceeding 15 pages of this thread after your post here.

 

I salute you Sir for your honesty, please don't get me wrong I think you are doing a sterling job. Sometimes though, when you are riding on the crest of a wave (all the new signings during the last 10 days and good ones at that!) fans are just starting to feel really positive again about what we might do next season, especially after some of the players that were offered contracts by Mr Page, but that's history now!

 

I'd sometimes like you to back up that positivity, by talking up the players we've brought in and also talk about finding a few good strikers too, to help us push on.. Instead you rolled out that comment, which for many as you know now, killed that wave we were all riding on at the time.

 

We all know you are being honest about the situation, but sales of football as a product, is all about living in the belief from the club and it's players performing, belief gets people out to buy season tickets and the like. I can't wait for the season to start, 2 ST's brought, 4 Vale tops purchased already for myself and family members... Can't wait, let's all stay positive and stay on that wave for as long as possible :)

 

Gd luck over the next week with new signings!

[Jacko51 719]

Smurf,would you say that the 2 strikers you are going to talk to are PROVEN goalscorers in this League??

 

I still think JJ Hooper is worth a look and someone we might be able to cash in on in the future although i guess we would have to pay a fee so i think we would be ruled out there.

 

 

Hopper is currently on trial at Inverness Cally.

[smithie 50]

I think there could be a bit of fun being had with phrasing here.

 

It may be that the budget SO FAR has been spent - but that there would be "Phase 2" of outlay if it was known that Lines would be going. So if the £1.7 million has gone, it doesn't matter nearly so much if we know that we are going to be freeing up Lines' pay-packet.

[Andyregs 138]

I thought the cup run thing was a V2001 initiative... lol

 

Difference is, now we need them to boost our budget (like it would every single team in the league), where as your mates relied on it to stay afloat. Big difference.

[Yukon 56]

Difference is, now we need them to boost our budget (like it would every single team in the league), where as your mates relied on it to stay afloat. Big difference.

 

V2001- hand to mouth football club ownership in its purest form

[Burslem Academicals 85]

Hopper is currently on trial at Inverness Cally.

 

Scored a goal first game on trial......could be the one that got way.......Inverness Cali have one of those micro-stadiums they have in Scotland at around 7,000 capacity and average 3,500 gates....SPL is said to be League 1/League 2 standard.....considered as a possible replacement for Pope

and the imminent saving on Lines wage can not Port Vale compete on wages with a much smaller club for an out of contract player.

Had hoped it would be the plan after all to take two on loan from Palace with Keshi Anderson joining with Inniss on a season long loan and the permanent signing to replace Pope would be JJ Hooper from the same Newcastle youth team as Remie Streete.

Just have to see what kind of striker the club can afford next week.

[Robbie Earle's Perm 50]

Scored a goal first game on trial......could be the one that got way.......Inverness Cali have one of those micro-stadiums they have in Scotland at around 7,000 capacity and average 3,500 gates....SPL is said to be League 1/League 2 standard.....considered as a possible replacement for Pope

and the imminent saving on Lines wage can not Port Vale compete on wages with a much smaller club for an out of contract player.

Had hoped it would be the plan after all to take two on loan from Palace with Keshi Anderson joining with Inniss on a season long loan and the permanent signing to replace Pope would be JJ Hooper from the same Newcastle youth team as Remie Streete.

Just have to see what kind of striker the club can afford next week.

 

Inverness have european football to offer him, top flight football and a sucessful season last season on wwhich they are hoping to build.

 

Its also bliddy beautiful if a little remote and slightly cold at times.

[Michael 10]

The striker issue is a big one and no doubt some people are waiting see how we try replace our top scorer before they commit to a season ticket but for me who we replace Marshall with is equally important.

[barry 50]

The striker issue is a big one and no doubt some people are waiting see how we try replace our top scorer before they commit to a season ticket but for me who we replace Marshall with is equally important.

 

Give over, at our level wingers are ten a penny.

[Yukon 56]

Give over, at our level wingers are ten a penny.

 

Exactly. Outside of the championship they can either dribble, have pace or cross, or if you're very lucky two of the three. It's never the lot at this level

[Valiant62 82]

Catch 22 for Smurf is, he needs to appear to have very little money to spend to agents / prospective signings and loads of money to slosh around to fans.

[Conrad 163]

Or a manager that should have realised that before signing 17 midfield players that we had no strikers before the budget was spent.

[SourceOfTheTrent 52]

Smurf's reference to doing something with existing players is obviously a reference to Lines who must be on a fair whack but the big risk is Brizzle Rovers not matching his wants meaning he'll sit out his contract with us. Thus even if he plays regularly and performs like Iniesta we'll be stuck with no budget for strikers and won't have the required goal output whilst having a glut of midfield talent in the reserves. This all adds up to a risky gamble by whoever is calling the shots on this one. Let's just hope Rovers want him badly enough.

[Burslem Academicals 85]

The striker issue is a big one and no doubt some people are waiting see how we try replace our top scorer before they commit to a season ticket but for me who we replace Marshall with is equally important.

 

Foley has been a left winger for most of his career and won promotion to the Championship playing left wing.....Foley played central midfield last season and has also played as a second striker/number 10/attacking midfielder and has goals in his game....said to be a hard working player and

similar to Loft something of a Mr Perpetual Motion....an intelligent player with quality and a sweet left foot.....so the work rate of Marshall while

perhaps not the all out pace but certainly a better end product and all round team game.......given this rough summary of opinions on Foley a

quality signing and with the signing of Grant to partner O'Connor perhaps Foley can be viewed as a signing to replace Marshall.

Not to forget new signing Kelly and U23 International Andoh both very quick wingers.

[Burslem Academicals 85]

Smurf has said the club will be in talks with two strikers next week....perhaps given the budget it could be that double loan signing from Palace and

Smurf lands Keshi Anderson on loan along with Inniss.....as for the permanent signing it's anyone's guess.....Smurf said a younger striker that the club

can develop.....Elliot turns 25 next season and can't be considered a development player and if it was Elliot at the club recently nothing seems to have

come of the talks...JJ Hooper looks to be headed for the SPL.....also Smurf said it's not Pogba.....perhaps Uche who knows but Dodds/Anderson playing off Campion/Uche along with young Kapend is five strikers.

[geosname 320]

Catch 22 for Smurf is, he needs to appear to have very little money to spend to agents / prospective signings and loads of money to slosh around to fans.

 

If it appears he has very little money would agents bother talking?... unless they were getting desperate.

Releasing the budget details surely tells everyone what you have so no need to create false appearances.