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Vale captain unsure of future after "big" paycut


robf

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The whole approach at the club at the moment is the wrong way round. It's lazy, and puts the onus on the fans (customers). It's as though the clubs approach to selling ST's is to threaten fans.

 

Exactly right.

 

I guess there's either a carrot or a stick approach. The club seems to think the stick approach is right but there are so many things out there that are alternatives to paying to go to football (the obvious one being not going to the game and saving on the ticket prices) that the club has to adopt a carrot approach and encourage people to come.

 

It needs to adopt a positive attitude. At the moment the manager's departure has created a lot of pessimism and only the club can counter that. But if it's going to continue to say nothing and seemingly make very little effort to try and persuade people to buy season tickets and so on then it just creates a vicious circle - pessimism grows, season ticket sales go down, players leave for better offers and so on...

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Did Mr Smurf go into football club ownership with his eyes shut, he is supposed to be a successful businessman who carried out due diligence. Did he not know that 90% of football clubs run at a loss, surviving by selling their most saleable assets. Problem is Mr Smurf, budget cuts, pay cuts, staff leaving, you haven't got any saleable assets. Last season we finished higher than anyone expected, not least the bookmakers (who dont normally get it wrong) and your rewards to your staff....50% pay cuts. I neither liked nor disliked Rob Page, but how could he get the best out of his players or attract players when there was only peanuts in the kitty. He may have jumped ship but who can blame him, it is afterall a means of employment for him....its a passion for us fans. As one of those passionate fans, I must admit I have never been so unsure of the future.

 

For me, it's like those "loss leader" (I think they are called) deals at shops. The shop makes a small loss but in the hope that repeat business and other sales eventually result in a profit.

 

If, rather than downsizing, the club had built on this last season then there is some chance that the owner could bring in some profits for himself. After all there is some promise in the squad (Alnwick, Andoh etc) and say if that was built on and the potential stars of the future were in a play-off chasing team rather than (as could be) a relegation threatened side then there's every chance one of them could be a big money sale. If you keep the momentum going you may in turn be able to get a couple more promising youngsters onboard and so on...

 

At the moment there are so many things missing...

 

Where is any semblance of a long-term plan. At least the manager had a three-year plan which I felt was sensible. But what is the club's? For instance, is it to get to the Championship? Is it to build a new stadium (which would offer loads of advantages over the now outdated 65 year-old Vale Park - location, non-match revenue etc)?

 

At the moment there just seems to be a season-by-season mentality with no long-term planning at all.

 

Where is the General Manager/CEO appointment? What are the marketing objectives? Does the club keep an up-to-date database of customer information and if not, why not? How is the club going to do things like counter Stoke grabbing all the next generation of fans (does it have any marketing/PR plans to attract youngsters)? What about an effective anti-racism approach (such as reforming Valiants Against Racism)? What are the club's player recruitment objectives (is it to be a Peterborough and look for non-league talent, a Crewe and develop from within, a bit of both, we don't know)?

 

I just read a piece on Gillingham trying to get approval for their new stadium. Other clubs are moving forward and have plans. If we don't get long-term objectives in place we are going to be left behind.

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For me, it's like those "loss leader" (I think they are called) deals at shops. The shop makes a small loss but in the hope that repeat business and other sales eventually result in a profit.

 

If, rather than downsizing, the club had built on this last season then there is some chance that the owner could bring in some profits for himself. After all there is some promise in the squad (Alnwick, Andoh etc) and say if that was built on and the potential stars of the future were in a play-off chasing team rather than (as could be) a relegation threatened side then there's every chance one of them could be a big money sale. If you keep the momentum going you may in turn be able to get a couple more promising youngsters onboard and so on...

 

At the moment there are so many things missing...

 

Where is any semblance of a long-term plan. At least the manager had a three-year plan which I felt was sensible. But what is the club's? For instance, is it to get to the Championship? Is it to build a new stadium (which would offer loads of advantages over the now outdated 65 year-old Vale Park - location, non-match revenue etc)?

 

At the moment there just seems to be a season-by-season mentality with no long-term planning at all.

 

Where is the General Manager/CEO appointment? What are the marketing objectives? Does the club keep an up-to-date database of customer information and if not, why not? How is the club going to do things like counter Stoke grabbing all the next generation of fans (does it have any marketing/PR plans to attract youngsters)? What about an effective anti-racism approach (such as reforming Valiants Against Racism)? What are the club's player recruitment objectives (is it to be a Peterborough and look for non-league talent, a Crewe and develop from within, a bit of both, we don't know)?

 

I just read a piece on Gillingham trying to get approval for their new stadium. Other clubs are moving forward and have plans. If we don't get long-term objectives in place we are going to be left behind.

 

I've said my piece on this more than once.

 

I have had a season ticket for many years now. Last year I contacted Smurf in frustration at literally not being able to give my money for a renewal to the club, due to a lack of response from the Ticket Office. It took personal intervention from Smurf to get the Ticket Office to call me and take the payment. Guess what? I've had no reminder for this year - nothing. No e-mail, no letter, no phone call.

 

As much as we can sometimes knock Smurf, his job is made no easier by having an utterly incompetent Ticket Office Manager in place.

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Norman's killing the club. Dicko lives locally, settled with kids and well-liked by the fans. Of all the players to leave he'd be the least likely. The contract offer must be poor.

 

I warmed to Dicko last year, he was pretty consistent at full-back and it'd be a shame to lose our captain and a lad who didn't have many (if any) 'bad' games last season.

 

The longer we are left without a manager the more likely it is we will lose our current players, due to uncertainty and the cuts, and longer we will miss out on potential targets. Norman has already done enough damage to PVFC, he needs to pull something big out of the bag, and soon, to salvage anything for next season.

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I've said my piece on this more than once.

 

I have had a season ticket for many years now. Last year I contacted Smurf in frustration at literally not being able to give my money for a renewal to the club, due to a lack of response from the Ticket Office. It took personal intervention from Smurf to get the Ticket Office to call me and take the payment. Guess what? I've had no reminder for this year - nothing. No e-mail, no letter, no phone call.

 

As much as we can sometimes knock Smurf, his job is made no easier by having an utterly incompetent Ticket Office Manager in place.

 

I dont disagree but it depends on what directives are in place. If it isnt policy to collect data it wont be collected because no one has been directed to do it

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Tend to agree. As someone has mentioned already, I'd try and keep Dicko and Dodds. They've been here a while now and have an affiliation with the Club, as well as being good solid pros. Perhaps also AJ, but the others I can perhaps take or leave.

 

We are rudderless at the moment aren't we? I notice already some league one teams have contacted players and made signings. It isn't just losing players but once we get round to having a manager only the tat will be left on the shelves.

 

What do they say? Silence is golden.

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You get paid what is market value.

 

Players and agents are now finding out that ALL players at every level have been overpaid for years. The market is now swinging back in favour of club owners and directors.

 

Every single club across the land has released players. The country is awash with footballers who are not deemed good enough.It's a buyers market. Smurthweight is offering them what he feels they are worth.

 

Players know deep down they will find it hard to get better offers in the current climate.

 

If people like Dickinson or Dodds were any good, then they'd be moving up the ladder. A sideways move or a backwards step is all they will get.

 

This has been coming for a while. The Chairman has not hidden his intentions. He even tried out his strategy on Pope. ( It worked. Pope left and many people called him a greedy b ****** for doing so) I wonder if the same venomous comments will apply to the many that will leave this time?

 

And having read someone on the thread saying Dicko and Dodds are settled in the area so it's unfair for them to be asked to take a pay cut, oh how I did chuckle. I think the pay deals have something to do with certain players being NOT GOOD ENOUGH.

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He even tried out his strategy on Pope. ( It worked. Pope left and many people called him a greedy b ****** for doing so)

 

Actually very few people called him a greedy b ****** for doing so.

 

If the players who leave can be replaced with those of similar or better quality for the wages on offer then the chairman will be vindicated. Do you believe this will happen?

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None of that is reason to give him a contract, neither is the fact he is good at fist pumping or getting done on his outside by quick wingers.

 

He's improved but I wouldn't be pushing the boat out for him.

 

If the reported 50% reduction is correct then rather than pushing the boat out, this is actually holing the boat below the waterline.

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Actually very few people called him a greedy b astard for doing so.

 

If the players who leave can be replaced with those of similar or better quality for the wages on offer then the chairman will be vindicated. Do you believe this will happen?

 

Only time will tell.

 

What a look back in time has told the Chairman though is that if you want mid-table mediocrity and a large wage bill to boot, then pay Dodds Dicko et al above their value as footballers. Smurtweight is saying he can get the same for cheaper.

 

And I'd disagree with you on the Pope issue, but we are all entitled to our opinions.

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People spend two years moaning about him and now want to break the bank to keep him. A number of players Moaned about the pay cut last year, then signed anyway. Funny that. The problem was that we have a lot of players who were on big wages. Our current budget will still be competitive for this league despite people banging on as though we will be the smallest budget in the league.

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People spend two years moaning about him and now want to break the bank to keep him. A number of players Moaned about the pay cut last year, then signed anyway. Funny that. The problem was that we have a lot of players who were on big wages. Our current budget will still be competitive for this league despite people banging on as though we will be the smallest budget in the league.

 

As someone has already suggested the budget should be about 800K... is that competitive?

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Who knows what the going rate for average players is in L1? Obviously the right mix of experience and skill for the various positions to achieve a mid place position, which could depend upon the tactical and motivational skills of the manager to achieve that position. For a chairman with a few years experience, that knowledge should have been gleaned by now. So setting a budget to suit, maybe reducing the squad size and spreading the money over fewer players should be possible. Whether some players have been very well paid in the past or not is something they have to come to terms with, whether we will be able to cope with lower quality in some positions who knows? Until there is a manager in place it is all speculation.

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