Quote Originally Posted by Rjk View Post
I've done a very rough estimate based on a lot of dubious information, and come up with a first team wage bill of around £20 million last season and about 12 million this season, which if we aren't much worse in the league is actually good progress.
once we get the remaining high earners off the books (or offer a new contract on a sensible wage) and if some of the youngsters start to make an impression then we won't be in a bad place.
at the moment too much if our operating budget has been chewed up by players who aren't delivering a proportional amount of impact. (Tomlin, Murphy, smithies etc etc).
that has meant we aren't competing with our full resources available - it's like fighting with one hand tied behind our backs.

in one or two seasons, if we bring the youth through, and are not wasting half our budget then we might be a much better bet for Tan to have another push (assuming we don't make too many losses in the meantime that ffp would preclude that)
I honestly think it's over with Tan and there won't ever be another push. I think we've had our chances and blown them. I'm completely at odds with current thinking and see us as a club in decline. This wasn't just about losing Murphy, this was about no buzz or excitement for the fans (or prospective fans) on the final day of the transfer season. I'm not embarrassed by this reaction as I think there's too much groupthink about our current situation and I'm very comfortable being at odds with the majority (that's never bothered me). I've said before, we're a spreadsheet now and not a living breathing club. There's money. There's just no will. What we're doing will never work out well. Football doesn't play by City's and the board's rules.