Often Partisan

Money, Money, Money

The start of July sees the transfer window officially open and with teams coming back for pre-season training now it’s likely we’ll see much more action in the transfer window.

Blues have already completed two signings – Robert Tesche on a Bosman free transfer from Forest and Ryan Shotton for an undisclosed fee from Derby County while Denny Johnstone has left Blues for Colchester United also for an undisclosed fee.

There does seem to be impatience from some sections of the fan base that more hasn’t happened; impending money from the takeover of Birmingham International Holdings by Trillion Trophy Asia coupled with money due from the profits of the Nathan Redmond transfer seems to have got some people wondering why Blues aren’t doing more.

While it’s true that Blues aren’t quite the paupers they once were, I think there is still a need to be realistic. The money from the takeover will not come through until the takeover is completed; legally it cannot come through now it’s all officially underway. There is precedent for this too; cast your minds back to when Carson took over in 2009 and tried to give the club money to bring in Tuncay Sanli from Middlesbrough while his takeover was in progress only to have it nixed because it broke stock market rules.

It’s also worth bearing in mind that the £10million named in the announcement is an arbitrary figure; it’s only been mentioned because BIH had to say what they would do with the money to satisfy the stock market – they might spend less, they might spend more with the money raised.

The Redmond money is a bit more complex – Blues get money when Norwich receive more than the £3.2million that Norwich paid Blues for Redmond. Most transfers are done over a period of time and therefore it might not be for a while that Blues see any more from that deal either.

This doesn’t mean for a second that Blues are scraping around for cast-offs and the like again. I’ve heard mention of not one but two strikers being pursued, along with a left-back and a left winger so it’s possible we may see another four players come into the club over the next few weeks. There is definitely a wider net being spread and I think with the addition of Ewan Chester as football consultant we may see transfers being wrapped up quicker than we have in previous seasons.

Although Blues aren’t in the same market as teams like Newcastle who have just shelled out huge amounts of money to bring in Dwight Gayle, Matt Ritchie and Matz Sels, I don’t think it’s as big a deal as is made out. Blues have the nucleus of a tightly knit squad that can perform, it just needs a few additions to improve it a little more to take it to the next level.

Looking at the Euros, Wales have proven just how well a well-drilled, passionate team can perform – we’ve seen how Gary Rowett can organise Blues; let’s have some faith that we can build on that.

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46 Responses to “Money, Money, Money”

  • ZR says:

    excellent stuff OP.

  • Dave Mann says:

    As I said in an earlier post , money , money, money does not mean that Newcastle , Derby or Norwich are a certainty for promotion as Leicester have showed winning the premiership and Iceland as well as Wales have showed good management , leadership and organisation can beat teams with so called better and more expensive players .. We have a tight nit group with two signings that have played with us before … Let’s not get to down about players coming in because they will and they will have to gel with the rest of the squad as we don’t want players upsetting the bandwagon .. Can’t wait for the season when hopefully we will have those four positions sorted and it’s off again .. Bring it on KRO

  • Your right DAN there are out of contract players good enough to take blues to the next level . And the signing of the likes of Tesche and shotton will aid this windows signings coming in. .And in January we will move up a level being able to put money down for a couple of neccessary match winners .get in there.KRO

  • mark says:

    neymar….new contract 20,946.058.64 year 402,808,,82 a week, 57,544,.11 a day, 2,397,.64 a hour, 39.96 a minute, 66p a second……………………………..us humble bluenoses……..lol there me thinking zigic come back you were cheap man………………any way hes sh@t in my FIFa 16 ;)

  • Mirkwood55 says:

    And ManYoo are allegedly close to paying £100m for Paul Pogba, a player they let go on a free transfer barely three years ago! The game’s gone mad!

  • StevieW says:

    Good blog Dan lots of positives with some realism for good measure. I fully agree with the Wales bit, it is all about getting teams to punch above their weight, however the Championship season is more of a challenge than a 4 week tournament as GR has experienced, at some point the team will drop its effectiveness hence the need for that bit of quality to carry us in times of strife.

    Really looking forward to the season and what the coming weeks may hold.

  • Dave Mann says:

    That’s a lot of course and many fans will say he don’t deserve it along with the money that messi , Ronaldo and now ibrahimovich are earning but with image rights , shirt sales and the money those players bring in to the club then obviously Barcelona , Real Madrid and Man Utd think they are so who’s us to say they ain’t worth it .. They are the three richest clubs in the world so it’s not a problem for them but yes I agree the money is getting rediculous and when you get crystal palace offering £33 million for players then you know that its getting out of hand but the premiership or the top leagues in Spain , Germany and Italy is where the money is . KRO

  • Andrew says:

    shotton i rekon was about £500k, can’t be much more than that paid for a player in last year of contract in the championship

  • Andrew says:

    not great comparisons with wales and blues imo, although they’re underdogs theres still a huge gap, they have the most expensive player in the world (possibly the best, if not at least in the top 5) the rest of their team is littered with prem experience and also good solid key players. A team that does well needs a good spine; centre defender, midfielder and striker or play-maker which they have and quality around that to boot (no pun intended). Im not saying blues don’t have quality, because they do play like wales as a team but any of the players we have are not worth anything transfer wise else they’d have been sold by now, like gray was last year. Basically the wales team if it were a league team would be top half of the premier division on paper.

  • Mitchell says:

    With only a month away from the first game- just how important is the Cardiff game. Only one game I know but massive imo. Three points at the off set would create a very,very healthy atmosphere. GR knows what the fans want and a new home formation with bags of balls in the box is key. Midfield is important but the wingers and the two up front-whoever they are-have got to deliver and crucial for all concerned. Bravery required by GR.

    • Dave Mann says:

      So your saying 4-4-2 at home Mitchell . KRO

      • StaffsBlue says:

        Rowett could switch to 4-4-2, but I very much doubt it. If, as it seems, he’s going to persist with the 4-2-3-1, I hope he’ll bring in better players in the important positions to make it work more successfully than last season. If it turns out to be more of the same, I’m afraid I’ll get very bored very quickly.

        • Dave Mann says:

          Boredom at home is regular , but more exiting times wait away from home with that formation . KRO

          • StaffsBlue says:

            Whether it’s at home or away, I think, if you’re a paying customer, you deserve to be entertained, otherwise, attendance figures at StAns will continue to dwindle.

          • Dave Mann says:

            The point I was making staffs is that 4-2-3-1 works better away that at home agreed ? KRO

          • StaffsBlue says:

            Definitely. But Rowett seems totally inflexible.

  • Sounds good but how much would francis . Latchford . Merrick be worth now . If playing for man u instead of STANS …..

  • Martin says:

    I’m happy with the two we have got. Rather a well run club living in its means and being well organised and giving us the odd thrill than up n down and massive expectation creating nervous inductions of players who think they r better than they are.
    I’d take top half table and new owners building a strong club with coaching staff bringing players on and a strong youth system.
    Strength and depth in every part of the club for me.
    KRO

  • Dave Mann says:

    Well said Martin . KRO

  • Bluenose says:

    What happen to supporting the no matter what players are sign,all you arm chair fans need to get down St. Andrews an start making noise again.kro

    • Dave Mann says:

      You tell them Bluenose . KRO

      • Mitchell says:

        Dave.Playing two at home up front should I feel be imperative. Nothing more frustrating for the fans just to have Donaldson on his own-even if we score first at home. Then it is a case of holding on and hoping. Cardiff game has to be a ‘new approach and formation’. GR may surprise us all and make this change but I would not be taken aback if our new top two upfront did not include Donaldson.

  • Neil says:

    Is James Vaughan still a BCFC player ?

  • Liittleblue says:

    Some people on here talk about playing attractive football. Do you not realise you need a better quality of player that means spending money we don’t have so until such a time lay off Rowett and back him and the team. He plays the formation he sees best suited to the player’s availablemail at the moment and I for one don’t think we have good enough centre midfielders to play 4 4 2 I seen slow but steady progress last season and I think we will see the same again so come on boys it could be worse remember the Clark days. Kro

  • Neil says:

    Thanks Dan just seen he is on his way with team to spain

  • Bluesy6 says:

    Thanks Dan, A good realistic post and I totally agree with Martin also.
    Strange how some on here having moaned that no money was being spent now agreeing with you Dan

    • StaffsBlue says:

      Doesn’t matter what’s being spent, as long as we get the right players for the right positions. In our position, it’s more about wages than transfer fees.

      • zxcv says:

        you can pay what you like in wages but you don`t get the players you want unless you pay what the club is asking. In other words you are always looking at a limited market that doesn`t mean you won`t get some good freebees fee wise but you ultimately get what you pay for in life and football is no different. IMO we won`t get promotion until we spend some serious money.

        • StaffsBlue says:

          We’re not going to pay much in terms of transfer fees, but there are some good Bosmans out there and it’s decent wages that get you the better ones.

          • zxcv says:

            But my point is you won`t get that many good freebees to make a team that is capable of winning promotion. It would take some going to operate in such a limited Market place ie you may get the odd one now and again but to only be able to operate in this way is nay on impossible and to have already been doing it this way now for 2/3 seasons is way way way to long. We really do need to fill the priority positions with players that clubs won`t let go unless they are tempted to sell their better players and that means a fee.

          • Andrew says:

            both wages and transfer fees come hand in hand to get the ‘right’ player, and we can afford neither at the championship going rate for this, so bargain basement it is for now. You are right though zxcv, if were talking about spending money not in a newcastle way or fulham (spending £12m on ross mccormack) but sensibly strengthening our team, there isnt one position in the first 11 that I wouldn’t want to replace. even the players we’ve brought in. The clubs been asset stripped for that long there’s literally not one player in that team worth keeping.

          • zxcv says:

            Andrew I said before on here that the likes of Shotton is ok if we are aiming to finish around 10th again, and that for me sums it up. You get what you pay for in the long run they may be ok types of players but like Donaldson for example ok for while but long term you will never progress with as many bargain basement player that we keep buying one or two yes but not in priority positions like down the spine of the team you really need quality in those positions and the one or two is only acceptable if your team is good enough to start with

  • Sometimes people comment on web sites to try to guide the club down the road that the majority of fans would wish it would go .they don’t expect the club will go that far . But will be satisfied if the club go someway to elaying fears of what might happen if nothing is done . When I read of comments that state how much the top clubs have spent . I take it as a spur by blues fans to get that little bit extra quality players to avoid things turning bad if injuries hit .knocking such comments when they are meant for the good ain’t going to help . We all should be pulling on the same end of the rope no matter what effort is put in …..KRO

  • Richard Granfield says:

    Posters have mentioned formations for next season such as 4-2-3-1 and 4-4-2. I believe Gary might play 4-3-3, which gives much more solidity to the midfield.

  • Hillfield Blues says:

    I see Reece Brown isn’t going to Marbella with the first team squad and instead going to Austria with the development squad.It seems GR still needs to see proof of his commitment before he is satisfied he can trust him anywhere near his first team plans.

  • Steve-0 says:

    I’m not sure there’s point in guessing formations before we know the playing staff. 4 at the back is about all we can hang our hat on. I’m hoping we sign a goal scoring forward to compliment Clayton, but if we don’t then I guess we won’t play 4-4-2. It really does depend on who he can get through the door. We may as well be predicting the score against Cardiff.

    • Mitchell says:

      Steve. No way imo will GR play a lone striker at home this season. He simply dare not. He lost many home games last season to very poor low positioned league teams and people in football-not just us fans-take note.Defining season this for Gary and my feeling is that the lone striker for him is history. Not just wishful thinking on my part but stark reality that come October/November when new regime takes hold if we are struggling then he will-not may- be replaced.


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