After relegation in 2018…

[TerryPHELAN]

Just chatting to a mate of mine, and we both couldn’t understand why after relegation, we didn’t make a fist of going up at the first time of asking?
Sending Ayew on loan that season was a poor decision, the parachute payments would’ve more than offset his wages.
It’s almost as if we started cutting our cloth immediately after relegation.
As the seasons have worn on, it’s become increasingly apparent that promotion is getting harder and harder.

 

[K23]

Just chatting to a mate of mine, and we both couldn’t understand why after relegation, we didn’t make a fist of going up at the first time of asking?
Sending Ayew on loan that season was a poor decision, the parachute payments would’ve more than offset his wages.
It’s almost as if we started cutting our cloth immediately after relegation.
As the seasons have worn on, it’s become increasingly apparent that promotion is getting harder and harder.

Agree with most of that but last season was definitely the best chance we've had of at least the playoffs and we blew it and the fact that Luton were promoted would reinforce that. Burnley were clearly a cut above but Norwich and Watford were nowhere near as good whereas nobody would be surprised if 2 out of Leicester, Leeds and Southampton occupy the auto places next May with the 3rd winning the playoffs.

 

[jasper_T]

The club made an operating loss of £7m that season according to the accounts, before including depreciation/amortisation and taxes (bringing the total operating loss to £34.8m). There was no surplus from the first year parachute to cover another £5m on Andre Ayew. We didn't get half the big fees many expected after relegation, Bony was still sat around earning £90k/week until January, and there was a huge imbalance of debtors vs creditors outstanding form the PL. Hence trying to push Dan James out the door at bargain rates just to get some cash in hand (which Leeds didn't want to fork over).

Gambling on promotion didn't exactly go well for Stoke, whose owners were happy to pump unlimited amounts of addicts' cash into their club until FFP came knocking.

 

[TerryPHELAN]

The club made an operating loss of £7m that season according to the accounts, before including depreciation/amortisation and taxes (bringing the total operating loss to £34.8m). There was no surplus from the first year parachute to cover another £5m on Andre Ayew. We didn't get half the big fees many expected after relegation, Bony was still sat around earning £90k/week until January, and there was a huge imbalance of debtors vs creditors outstanding form the PL. Hence trying to push Dan James out the door at bargain rates just to get some cash in hand (which Leeds didn't want to fork over).

Gambling on promotion didn't exactly go well for Stoke, whose owners were happy to pump unlimited amounts of addicts' cash into their club until FFP came knocking.

That’s a great dissection of where we were at.
Makes you wonder, why we bought Bony in the august window of 2017 and Ayew in Jan 2018, and not inserting a relegation clause in either. Utter madness and negligence

 

[J_B]

Paying £16.5M for Sam Clucas didn't help much in our relegation season either.
Roque Mesa for £12.5M
The loan of Sanches for £8M

Someone thought they were good decisions...

 

[jasper_T]

Paying £16.5M for Sam Clucas didn't help much in our relegation season either.
Roque Mesa for £12.5M
The loan of Sanches for £8M

Someone thought they were good decisions...

Can't imagine Huw you mean.

 

[waynekerr55]

Just chatting to a mate of mine, and we both couldn’t understand why after relegation, we didn’t make a fist of going up at the first time of asking?
Sending Ayew on loan that season was a poor decision, the parachute payments would’ve more than offset his wages.
It’s almost as if we started cutting our cloth immediately after relegation.
As the seasons have worn on, it’s become increasingly apparent that promotion is getting harder and harder.

The reason was we simply couldn't afford to. Huw's stint playing real life Championship Manager caught up with us.

 

[sainthelens]

Last season was a proper fck up. A side that should have strolled into the play offs...with Luton going up! People need to realise that even with the squad we had, Russ messed that up. On the back of Coops bottling a final, we've had massive chances.

 

[LeonWasTheDog's]

Last season was a proper fck up. A side that should have strolled into the play offs...with Luton going up! People need to realise that even with the squad we had, Russ messed that up. On the back of Coops bottling a final, we've had massive chances.

I think a lot of people overrated last season’s side. We’ve got pretty much the same side now bar Manning and Latti, and we can see how well it’s not going. We’ve only been one poor decision away from struggling at the wrong end of the table for 2-3 years now. Piroe has pretty much kept us out of danger almost on his own.

 

[sainthelens]

I think a lot of people overrated last season’s side. We’ve got pretty much the same side now bar Manning and Latti, and we can see how well it’s not going. We’ve only been one poor decision away from struggling at the wrong end of the table for 2-3 years now. Piroe has pretty much kept us out of danger almost on his own.

Agreed my friend, but even with all of that, we should still have made it. League is way way stronger this year and I fear 8 months of a bitta struggle is ahead.