Back from the game Ipswich

[RoyalBlue]

I do hope that you aren't including me in that? I made no reference to Federici's ability. If I had it would have been to remind people that he is one of the very best in this division.

My point is that you are stuck in the ridiculous groove that no money is spent on the team. That is factually wrong, simple as that. Just because they don't buy the players you want doesn't mean they don't buy at all.

If you look at how much we've sold since relegation vs spent, its easy to see why myself amongst others are annoyed. I don't want this debate all over again, but like I said I don't welcome us selling ANY players any more because there is loads of evidence to suggest minimal amounts of that get pushed back into the team. Its even more frustrating when you see people who aren't selling players for the astronomical amounts we are investing in players anyway. I don't welcome the sale of feds because despite what some people think he is our best keeper and selling him would weaken us. So you and Ian can continue your personal agendas, im not interested in that, im interested on discussing things to do with the team.

But the money we are receiving from selling players is going back in to the team - it is covering the wages of the players we have in the squad because our revenues from other sources aren't sufficient. The other alternative is to have a far weaker squad so that the wages are at a level where our revenue streams are sufficient to pay them.

Which you would prefer?

Yet according to Mr Fordham, we pay amongst the lowest wages in the Championship. We certainly don't have the lowest attendances (or admission prices) and have revenue streams other clubs don't, yet still we have to sell the family silver to meet the cost of the players' wages.

Such a well run business!

[Wycombe Royal]

Yet according to Mr Fordham, we pay amongst the lowest wages in the Championship. We certainly don't have the lowest attendances (or admission prices) and have revenue streams other clubs don't, yet still we have to sell the family silver to meet the cost of the players' wages.

Such a well run business!

I don't believe we are one of the lowest wage bills and also we don't run at a loss like many other clubs or have constant cash injections.

So yes we are a well run club that balances its books and makes sure its bills are paid.

[Snowball]

Focher is talking bollocks because the longest railway platform in the country is at Colchester and not Gloucester cause I measured it yesterday!

What kind of man measures train platforms?!?

A Train-Platform Measureman.

[Snowball]

Just a note on "Fed-Hating"


I most certainly DON'T hate him. I rate him HIGHLY


However, we have three very good keepers, two of whom are very young with massive potential.

IF we are in danger of losing a keeper, and IF we therefore might be ready to sell one, on balance
(and it's not an easy decision) I would just about sell Fedders, really only because this season I
think we are in transition and have the time and space to fully blood someone like McCarthy

[Svlad Cjelli]

Yet according to Mr Fordham, we pay amongst the lowest wages in the Championship. We certainly don't have the lowest attendances (or admission prices) and have revenue streams other clubs don't, yet still we have to sell the family silver to meet the cost of the players' wages.

Such a well run business!

Firstly, if you start believing Jonny Fordham on football finance no good will come of it. I have The Deloitte survey open in front of me and for the last year in which wage figure are available (2009/10) we were 4th highest payers. The figures are :

Newcastle 47.458 (Million)
Middlesrough 31.203
West Brom 22.542
Reading 20,127
Sheff U 19.409
Ipswich 17.082
QPR 16.943
Cardiff 16.750
Derby 16,410
Forest 15.600
Leicester 14.478
Bristol C 13.824
Blackpool 12.622
Preston 11.627
Coventry 11.287
Watford 11.199

Admittedly, this was the final year of having parachute payments, but last season (without them) our wage bill was approximately 15M, which puts us comfortably mid-table in terms of wages.

By any criteria of being well-run we undoubtedly are - we know exactly what our financial situation is, we are not tied into long-term contracts so we have financial flexibility, we pay our bills and have liquidity and no massive interest overheads - and we are in complete control of our finances (unlike most other football clubs). And we survived relegation, financially, unlike so many others. Why does "well-run" have to equal "making a profit" - because the latter is impossible the way football finance is currently structured.

Lastly, in one sentence you criticise us for not spending enough money and also for making a loss. Can you please explain what your criticism is - because you can't have it both ways!

[Snowball]

I read somewhere that the owner of Preston is ploughing in 750K A MONTH just to stay afloat

[RG30]

A welcome relief to have secured an important three points after a mixed display. Great to see Harte back in the team and although harsh on Mills who has improved in recent weeks Harte did what he does best and delievered two outstanding assists at key moments in the game. For a team like us who don't have the game changing midfields in form at the minute we tend to rely on the set-plays to bail us out.

[Thankgodisfriday]

For all the Platform measurers out there,apparently the First half of Saturdays game was less exciting than this set of facts

The combined length of platforms 1 and 2 at Gloucester is 494m.
Combined length of platforms 1 and 4 at Cambridge is 467m.
Longest single platform seems to be Darlington platform 4 at 458m

[M-U-R-T-Y]

A welcome relief to have secured an important three points after a mixed display. Great to see Harte back in the team and although harsh on Mills who has improved in recent weeks Harte did what he does best and delievered two outstanding assists at key moments in the game. For a team like us who don't have the game changing midfields in form at the minute we tend to rely on the set-plays to bail us out.

Mills was injured.

[Vic_Flange]

Focher is talking bollocks because the longest railway platform in the country is at Colchester and not Gloucester cause I measured it yesterday!

What kind of man measures train platforms?!?

A Train-Platform Measureman.

I have just heard on BBC News that the NUTPMM (The National Union of Train Platform MeaasureMen) are on strike on Wednesday too and are already starting to go slow.

How lucky for us all that Space Cruiser got that measurement in on time.

[Svlad Cjelli]

For all the Platform measurers out there,apparently the First half of Saturdays game was less exciting than this set of facts

The combined length of platforms 1 and 2 at Gloucester is 494m.
Combined length of platforms 1 and 4 at Cambridge is 467m.
Longest single platform seems to be Darlington platform 4 at 458m

How little you know.... The longest platform *was* a link between Manchester Victoria & Exchange Stations (actually the longest in Europe at the time) at 669m.

The longest now is the Shuttle terminal at Folkstone (791m) but if your want more "traditional" platforms there's Colchester which has a length of 630m.

[melonhead]

If you look at how much we've sold since relegation vs spent, its easy to see why myself amongst others are annoyed. I don't want this debate all over again, but like I said I don't welcome us selling ANY players any more because there is loads of evidence to suggest minimal amounts of that get pushed back into the team. Its even more frustrating when you see people who aren't selling players for the astronomical amounts we are investing in players anyway. I don't welcome the sale of feds because despite what some people think he is our best keeper and selling him would weaken us. So you and Ian can continue your personal agendas, im not interested in that, im interested on discussing things to do with the team.

But the money we are receiving from selling players is going back in to the team - it is covering the wages of the players we have in the squad because our revenues from other sources aren't sufficient. The other alternative is to have a far weaker squad so that the wages are at a level where our revenue streams are sufficient to pay them.

Which you would prefer?

Yet according to Mr Fordham, we pay amongst the lowest wages in the Championship. We certainly don't have the lowest attendances (or admission prices) and have revenue streams other clubs don't, yet still we have to sell the family silver to meet the cost of the players' wages.

Such a well run business!

LOL @ you for listening to fordhams finacial assessments, pretty sure we have a average wage bill
and we pay our proven/experienced players a decent wage.
the point you deliberately miss is that itspreceisely because we are well run, and refuse/are unable to go into debt by spending more than we bring in that means we are at a disadvantage against the teams that are doing that

[melonhead]

For all the Platform measurers out there,apparently the First half of Saturdays game was less exciting than this set of facts

The combined length of platforms 1 and 2 at Gloucester is 494m.
Combined length of platforms 1 and 4 at Cambridge is 467m.
Longest single platform seems to be Darlington platform 4 at 458m

How little you know.... The longest platform *was* a link between Manchester Victoria & Exchange Stations (actually the longest in Europe at the time) at 669m.

The longest now is the Shuttle terminal at Folkstone (791m) but if your want more "traditional" platforms there's Colchester which has a length of 630m.

youve been out-measure-manned

[purleyroyal]

Have I missed the considered analysis of the game from those who were there, player scores etc?
Is it in another thread somewhere?

Or did not many nobbers go?

(BTW is measuring platforms anything like chasing pavements?)

[mr_number]

For the first 90 mins or so, I thought this was a pretty rubbish game; neither side had that much quality, but I would have been disappointed to lose, since I do think we were better.

We started quite brightly, and Church had a chance to touch in a rare classy cross from JK, but didn't get enough on it, stretching from three yards out. Then they had a bit more posession, Chopra had a chance or two, but as the half went on, I think things fizzled out a bit. Hunt didn't see very much of the ball, and whilst Church did, he did very little with it. Jury definitely out on him.
Both midfields seemed fairly dull in the middle, cancelling each other out a bit. When we got the ball wide, we didn't really manage to do that much. Cummings had a nice cross into Hunt that could have resulted in more.

To be honest, the first twenty mins or so of the second half kind of passed me by. There was little to get excited about. Then the goals... Fed probably at fault for their first, got caught out a bit coming for the ball (but to be fair to him, he did make a few decent saves). Poor defending from them to let Gorkss in, although it was a nice firm header. Their second was just unlucky, Feds had no chance. Our second, same as first. For the third, Alfie did well to get to the ball and check back to give himself time. Though Hunt's shot was a bit weak, but it had enough on it...

All in all, it was fairly dull, and there weren't that many highlights. Our defence does generally look solid, but we seem to find it hard to get our wide men free, and this is clearly how our midfield is set up to play. I don't think Hunt & Church is a viable pairing up front, but then it's a bit of a tricky one. Without the creativity in the centre of midfield, we can't really get our strikers in good positions (/ they don't get into good positions).

Was it Ivar out of position for Hunt's winner? If so, that was nice of him...

[Rex]

The hit upright, cross and spoon was pure class from Ipwich.

[urz13]

Feds - 7.5
Harte - 9 dont remember him being caught out once
Gorkks - 8
Pearce - 8
Cummings - 7
Kebe - 8 best game for a while
Karacan - 7
Leigertwood - 7
McAnuff - 7
Church - 6
Hunt - 8
Subs:
ALF - 8 great play for the 3rd
HRK - 7

Ipswich fans - 1
Reading Fans - 8

[Tilehurst End]

Kebe - 8 best game for a while

Glad to see him involved in the celebration "bundle" after the third goal, rarely seems to show any emotion.

[melonhead]

Harte - 9 dont remember him being caught out once

clearly shown in the highlights is him struggling to get back, and a CB being dragged out of position to fill that gap.

i wasnt there though, so im oin no position to quibble

[Ian Royal]

Harte - 9 dont remember him being caught out once

clearly shown in the highlights is him struggling to get back, and a CB being dragged out of position to fill that gap.

i wasnt there though, so im oin no position to quibble

Suspect in about 3/4s of the Ipswich attacks shown on the OS highlights. Which isn't necessarily reflective of the match as a whole of course.