Arsenal, Manchester United, Liverpool – we were beating them all

[swansnews]

The words “Brentford in the Premier League” may not have been uttered quite as much this summer as the words “Football’s coming home” but I was listening to the radio yesterday where the discussion had turned – albeit briefly – away from Euro 2020 and into the new season ahead. If I am...

Read more

 

[Pegojack]

Sorry, Phil, but I can't agree with your conclusion. Our big problem is the lack of ambition of the owners, who don't seem to be sure why they're here. Maybe they started out thinking this was going to be a gold mine, but when that objective failed to materialise, they appear to have lost interest and don't know what to do next.
I think we are going nowhere, except maybe drifting down, until those deadlegs dispose of our club. We can only pray for the day.........

 

[Dr. Winston]

Our big problem is the lack of ambition of the owners

Why don't people just say what they mean? For "Ambition", just say spending.

Phil's right. We can't outspend other clubs without jeopardising our long term survival, so the only way for a club of our size to get back to the Premier League is to be shrewd. To do things smarter than everyone else. It's how we got there the last time, it's our main way of getting there again.

We're starting from solid foundations. We're in good financial nick, we've got a reasonable squad with scope to improve. Huge question marks remain about the man in charge, but I guess we're just going to have to hope that he ups his game.

 

[Manselton Jack]

We didn't get promoted last time based on spending on the team, we did it with intelligent recruitment & excellent management.
We'll only get back there by doing the same thing again.
Do we have that in place now?
I don't think so unfortunately.

 

[Badlands]

Sorry, Phil, but I can't agree with your conclusion. Our big problem is the lack of ambition of the owners, who don't seem to be sure why they're here. Maybe they started out thinking this was going to be a gold mine, but when that objective failed to materialise, they appear to have lost interest and don't know what to do next.
I think we are going nowhere, except maybe drifting down, until those deadlegs dispose of our club. We can only pray for the day.........

The majority shareholders have have more ambition than the next largest group!
They also know they can only see a profit if we return to the PL. as it is they are about £40 million off breaking even if they sell now. They have taken steps to stabilise us at a good level a level us foggies spent most of our Swans supporting lives dreaming about.
You think or you we drop?

 

[Badlands]

Sorry, Phil, but I can't agree with your conclusion. Our big problem is the lack of ambition of the owners, who don't seem to be sure why they're here. Maybe they started out thinking this was going to be a gold mine, but when that objective failed to materialise, they appear to have lost interest and don't know what to do next.
I think we are going nowhere, except maybe drifting down, until those deadlegs dispose of our club. We can only pray for the day.........

The majority shareholders have have more ambition than the next largest group!
They also know they can only see a profit if we return to the PL. as it is they are about £40 million off breaking even if they sell now. They have taken steps to stabilise us at a good level a level us foggies spent most of our Swans supporting lives dreaming about.
You think or you we drop?

 

[PSumbler]

Sorry, Phil, but I can't agree with your conclusion. Our big problem is the lack of ambition of the owners, who don't seem to be sure why they're here. Maybe they started out thinking this was going to be a gold mine, but when that objective failed to materialise, they appear to have lost interest and don't know what to do next.
I think we are going nowhere, except maybe drifting down, until those deadlegs dispose of our club. We can only pray for the day.........

The majority shareholders have have more ambition than the next largest group!
They also know they can only see a profit if we return to the PL. as it is they are about £40 million off breaking even if they sell now. They have taken steps to stabilise us at a good level a level us foggies spent most of our Swans supporting lives dreaming about.
You think or you we drop?

Thats unlike you to take a swipe at the Trust... :lol:

 

[PSumbler]

Sorry, Phil, but I can't agree with your conclusion. Our big problem is the lack of ambition of the owners, who don't seem to be sure why they're here. Maybe they started out thinking this was going to be a gold mine, but when that objective failed to materialise, they appear to have lost interest and don't know what to do next.
I think we are going nowhere, except maybe drifting down, until those deadlegs dispose of our club. We can only pray for the day.........

They're here to make a return on their investment, a return they can only make in the Premier League. Which is one of the ironies of the last five years is that the desire for the club to be successful should be completely aligned with the Trust's desire. Had they made the engagement they needed on Day 1 this could have looked so different.

I don't disagree with you as such but I do think that financially we are run without the "abandon" that some demand (that wasn't pointed at you) that would risk long term sustainability but we still have a good squad. The article was designed to hint at what we probably need to do to complete a certain synergy but it isn't going to happen just yet.

The problem I have with the last sentence (and I suspect you know my views on the current majority owners) is that compared to others out there what if they are the best option?

 

[Dr. Winston]

The Trust owning the club outright would be the best option, but as that's unlikely the most we can hope for is someone who will run the club sustainably whilst working to retain the respect/support of the fanbase. After a rocky start they're doing a bit better at the first than the second. As you say, they wasted a golden opportunity to get a lot of people onside and perhaps have done irreperable damage to what should be a harmonious working relationship between club and support.

Having said that, they're taking a hell of a lot of flack from some quarters for doing the sensible thing in terms of the finances, so perhaps some of the support needs to take a share of the blame too. It never ceases to amaze me how so many supporters of a club that has nearly gone to the wall twice because of reckless overspending are comfortable railing against an ownership group for refusing to recklessly overspend.

 

[PSumbler]

The Trust owning the club outright would be the best option, but as that's unlikely the most we can hope for is someone who will run the club sustainably whilst working to retain the respect/support of the fanbase. After a rocky start they're doing a bit better at the first than the second. As you say, they wasted a golden opportunity to get a lot of people onside and perhaps have done irreperable damage to what should be a harmonious working relationship between club and support.

Having said that, they're taking a hell of a lot of flack from some quarters for doing the sensible thing in terms of the finances, so perhaps some of the support needs to take a share of the blame too. It never ceases to amaze me how so many supporters of a club that has nearly gone to the wall twice because of reckless overspending are comfortable railing against an ownership group for refusing to recklessly overspend.

Most of that I agree with

Bar the first sentence, never have and never will agree with that for a whole host of reasons.

 

[monmouth]

It never ceases to amaze me how so many supporters of a club that has nearly gone to the wall twice because of reckless overspending are comfortable railing against an ownership group for refusing to recklessly overspend.

Different cohort, but even some other seem to have forgotten. I ill NEVER forget 1985. I was heartbroken. I'd rather be scrabbling around the fourth, I mean league 2, thanks.

20 December – Swansea City A.F.C., struggling in the English Third Division just three years after being in the First, are issued with a winding-up order in the High Court and are at risk of closure and being forced out of the Football League.[3]

 

[Dr. Winston]

Different cohort, but even some other seem to have forgotten. I ill NEVER forget 1985. I was heartbroken. I'd rather be scrabbling around the fourth, I mean league 2, thanks.

20 December – Swansea City A.F.C., struggling in the English Third Division just three years after being in the First, are issued with a winding-up order in the High Court and are at risk of closure and being forced out of the Football League.[3]

If there's any fanbase anywhere in football who should be constantly on guard over the financial position that their club is in it's us. Instead there are still far too many people demanding signings or "ambition" like toddlers screaming for sweets. Maybe the Premier League spoiled us a bit.

We should spend what we can afford and no more. Given some of the losses being declared on a regular basis by other clubs in the same division a little bit of caution is no bad thing. Like you say, relegation is preferable to administration again. Or worse.

 

[EagleEye]

Sorry, Phil, but I can't agree with your conclusion. Our big problem is the lack of ambition of the owners, who don't seem to be sure why they're here. Maybe they started out thinking this was going to be a gold mine, but when that objective failed to materialise, they appear to have lost interest and don't know what to do next.
I think we are going nowhere, except maybe drifting down, until those deadlegs dispose of our club. We can only pray for the day.........

They're here to make a return on their investment, a return they can only make in the Premier League. Which is one of the ironies of the last five years is that the desire for the club to be successful should be completely aligned with the Trust's desire. Had they made the engagement they needed on Day 1 this could have looked so different.

I don't disagree with you as such but I do think that financially we are run without the "abandon" that some demand (that wasn't pointed at you) that would risk long term sustainability but we still have a good squad. The article was designed to hint at what we probably need to do to complete a certain synergy but it isn't going to happen just yet.

The problem I have with the last sentence (and I suspect you know my views on the current majority owners) is that compared to others out there what if they are the best option?

“Had they made the engagement they needed on Day 1 this could have looked so different” … what would have looked different?

I don’t see how the failure to engage with the Trust would have made much difference to what is happening on the field. Perhaps you can expand on this view, I don’t want to come across being over cynical but it’s not as if the Trust could have invested anything to further the ambitions other than giving a verbal viewpoint on how the club is being managed

 

[PSumbler]

They're here to make a return on their investment, a return they can only make in the Premier League. Which is one of the ironies of the last five years is that the desire for the club to be successful should be completely aligned with the Trust's desire. Had they made the engagement they needed on Day 1 this could have looked so different.

I don't disagree with you as such but I do think that financially we are run without the "abandon" that some demand (that wasn't pointed at you) that would risk long term sustainability but we still have a good squad. The article was designed to hint at what we probably need to do to complete a certain synergy but it isn't going to happen just yet.

The problem I have with the last sentence (and I suspect you know my views on the current majority owners) is that compared to others out there what if they are the best option?

“Had they made the engagement they needed on Day 1 this could have looked so different” … what would have looked different?

I don’t see how the failure to engage with the Trust would have made much difference to what is happening on the field. Perhaps you can expand on this view, I don’t want to come across being over cynical but it’s not as if the Trust could have invested anything to further the ambitions other than giving a verbal viewpoint on how the club is being managed

Well firstly it would have been far more harmonious normally which undoubtedly would have helped. It was always pointed out to those involved in the deceit that had they not shown such disregard for the fans then who knows what would have happened but the Trust backing the deal would have made it more harmonious and maybe led to far less angst in the boardroom which may have kept the eye on the ball of certain people who were given free reign when eyes were off the ball.

You can have as much cynicism as you want so don't fear that, everyone has always been entitled to an opposite viewpoint on how things were done at the time - those that claim it not to be the case completely ignore every fact where it actually happened including standing up and facing people on multiple occasions.

It may never have been any different but it would certainly be alot better

The irony is these people may have been exactly right for the club but the fact was that every single sellout (with the exception of the dutch bloke who was kept completely in the cold as they couldn't trust him to stay quiet) were afraid that we may actually decide they weren't. Which tells you all you need to know about their desire to sell, if you strongly believe in something then you will stand by it and know you are doing the right thing

 

[Marchamjack]

Lots of talk about the owners being prudent with their money, which I think is both more than fair to say and (agreed) for the potential best future of our club with or without them, a proper approach, but wasn’t the Price of Football or the Swiss Ramble (can’t remember which one) saying on scrutiny of the last published accounts that the club was basically now trading in insolvency, without player sales factored in?

And of course our club has always relied to a good extent on selling on our playing assets, but if what they said is correct that’s a worrying fact (if it is) going forwards under the current owners?