Wages

You forgot Aurelio Puppy, not hard really considering he spent more time on the treatment table than on the field

Its been a weird transfer window for sure, its like a feeding frenzy in here at times.

Never known it be like this, even level headed rational posters are losing their cool.

Did he not go in May, out side of the window? That's my excuse and I'm sticking to it.

But age 32, and as you said, Blue badge Holder.

Tbh, and this is just my opinion, I cant get excited about any of the transfers that are doing the rounds, except Ramirez, I dont think any of em look like an improvement on the ones we have, or are getting rid of.  Dempsey or Kuyt, Allen or Henderson etc.
It looks to me like we are just trimming wages.

I could be wrong.

edit
An afterthought, have they slashed the staff wage bill too. I reckon so.

Do I think Borini and possibly Allen will be our only signings this summer ?

No I don't so I won't be getting my knickers in a twist until its been proven otherwise.

Sadly I don't think that the four players who have already left will be our only losses either mate. I will be delighted if we get as many quality players in as we lose this transfer window, never mind that we should be strengthening not standing still.

Like I said there is time yet, but the signs are we will lose more than we sign, certainly all the messages from FSG and Brendan have been to downplay rather than raise expectations.

I think we will probably get Allen and Dempsey (or equivolent) but no one else unless we sell Carroll or another big money player. IMO that will not be enough to ensure CL never mind a title challenge.

Not saying you would be happy with that either, but I know I won't be.

I don't think there are many getting their knickers in a twist mate, just trying to read the writing that's on the wall


   
 

I'm not going to complain just yet mate, the transfer window is going exactly how I expected it to, to behonest.

I said on here whilst Kenny was still in charge that senior members of the squad on higher wages who did not feature much would probably be shifted on and younger players brought in.

I'm just going to sit on my fence and see which way this plays out as its better for my blood pressure.

But every season teams ship out players to make room in the wage budget and generate more money for transfers, Chelsea done it this year allowing Kalou and Drogpa to move on and at the moment I don't see anything that we are doing as extrordinary to be honest.

An afterthought, have they slashed the staff wage bill too. I reckon so.

Not sure if they have slashed the wage bill mate but we have acquired a lot of staff from somewhere over the last few years.

2004

Total fulltime staff: 280 (99 players and coaching staff)

2011

Total fulltime staff: 535 (142 players and coaching staff)

I think most of the increase in players is probably due to the number of 16/17 year olds that are now professional, no idea how the staff has nearly doubled though.

I'm not going to complain just yet mate, the transfer window is going exactly how I expected it to, to behonest.

I said on here whilst Kenny was still in charge that senior members of the squad on higher wages who did not feature much would probably be shifted on and younger players brought in.

I'm just going to sit on my fence and see which way this plays out as its better for my blood pressure.

But every season teams ship out players to make room in the wage budget and generate more money for transfers, Chelsea done it this year allowing Kalou and Drogpa to move on and at the moment I don't see anything that we are doing as extrordinary to be honest.

Difference is that Chelsea have spent £65million on 4 players already, we have spent £10million on Borini, and we are trying to catch up?

If you stand still in this league you are going backwards, as we proved once H&G cut the purse strings.

A bold statement.

3 1st team players out and 1 in as I understand it. (3 other squad players have gone too.)

Kuyt, (32), had become a bit part player, and although I liked him he was getting on, and was very slow.
Maxi, (31), another bit part player & wanted to go.
Aquilani, (28), was never here, & wanted to go.

So not really asset striping is it?

I agree. The problem as I see it is that too many players who are NOT CL quality have been paid CL wages, that is a recipe for losing money. The solution obviously is to pay the right wages to the CL quality players, and not to players who are not up to that standard.

I realise that this solution is somewhat guesswork, but that is what people like Comolli were paid to do.

I understand what you are saying S@int but Chelsea still released players to free up wages.

Chelsea also have an oil rich Russian who is bank rolling them following their Champions League win.

I think we'll invest wisely firstly by reducing the wage bill of players that don't feature much or at all and then buy players for the Starting XI thus relegating some of last seasons starters to that of squad fillers.

I think we'll invest wisely firstly by reducing the wage bill of players that don't feature much or at all and then buy players for the Starting XI thus relegating some of last seasons starters to that of squad fillers.

During last season this is what I thought was going to happen during this summer with Kenny and it will be interesting to see if the transfers this window are as I expect.

I understand the scepticism, I do, but really, It's not like FSG came in and said they were going to throw tons of money into the club.  They said that what was made would be spent.  Having said that, there is still time to do so.

If the window goes by and Borini and Allen are the only incoming players than I'll be fully on board with getting on the firewagon.  As of now, I'll still give it a bit of time (not much as it's only three weeks). 

Going back to Saint's post and talking about spending CL wages and not being in the CL, well, It's pretty clear we've been spending Cl wages and for our money have ended up well out of it for a few years now.  So a complete rebuild to get back up there isn't the worst idea is it?  It might cause alot of infighting amongst fans and silly "Yanks Out" banners won't do anything.  This may be a long process.  A proces that may not sit well with many. 


Now I'm going to ruffle some feathers.

Many on forums tout the SOS movement as being a big part of getting Hicks and Gillette out.  And their contributions were felt.  To a point.  But in the end it was their financial situation that made them have to leave the club.  Not protests.  Not signs and banners.  It was down to money due to the debt.  FSG are not in that situation.  There isn't any debt (worthwhile) to speak of.  So therefore there are only two routes for the bit of unhappiness towards the owners can go. 

1)  Allow them to go along with their plan and see where things go for another year.

2) Start protesting and moaning at an owner who has no FINANCIAL reason to get out of the club, and further alienate the owners, therefore completely f**king over any chance at them ever spending any money.

I don't think anyone is suggesting we get the banners out and start marching mate. I just feel a little let down by some of their actions and inaction since they took over. They have made quite a lot of mistakes and I think if they concentrate on reducing wages rather than building the squad they will be making another.

I don't think they are going to read one of my posts and think "f**k him, I am not going to spend another penny on transfers now" , at least I hope not!

My point is that we have spent CL money and not got CL performances over the past few years, but my solution is to move on the players who haven't performed, but bring in better quality ones who will, rather than cheap squad fillers, journey men or not even replacing them just to save on wages.

I think we are close to being left behind, the other top clubs are building or have built their teams, building or have built their stadiums, and have their CL money to fall back on. We have a small window of opportunity to get back amongst them before they disappear over the horizon, and when the only way a team will catch them will be with Shiek money.

They don't need to spend as heavily to maintain their positions they have their teams, we need to spend more or more importantly spend better, but we do need to spend.

Cutting wages, cutting expectation and ambition will only lead to mediocrity as our best players leave and top players won't join us.

FSG (Werner) said "we have the money to compete with anyone", maybe it's time to spend a little of it Tom?

I don't think anyone is suggesting we get the banners out and start marching mate. I just feel a little let down by some of their actions and inaction since they took over. They have made quite a lot of mistakes and I think if they concentrate on reducing wages rather than building the squad they will be making another.

I don't think they are going to read one of my posts and think "f**k him, I am not going to spend another penny on transfers now" , at least I hope not!

My point is that we have spent CL money and not got CL performances over the past few years, but my solution is to move on the players who haven't performed, but bring in better quality ones who will, rather than cheap squad fillers, journey men or not even replacing them just to save on wages.

I think we are close to being left behind, the other top clubs are building or have built their teams, building or have built their stadiums, and have their CL money to fall back on. We have a small window of opportunity to get back amongst them before they disappear over the horizon, and when the only way a team will catch them will be with Shiek money.

They don't need to spend as heavily to maintain their positions they have their teams, we need to spend more or more importantly spend better, but we do need to spend.

Cutting wages, cutting expectation and ambition will only lead to mediocrity as our best players leave and top players won't join us.

FSG (Werner) said "we have the money to compete with anyone", maybe it's time to spend a little of it Tom?

The nail on the head s@int, can't karma it at the moment as I've been a nice boy today too many times already.

The bit in bold is bang on the money!!

Totally hypothetically, take these made up scenarios for instance.

Say Andy Carroll and Jordan Henderson were on £150k a week - with their standard of performance last year and the fact we didn't qualify for the CL we'd be screaming from the rooftops to get them off the wage bill for sure. BUT, would replacing them with two £60k a week players get us in the CL?

Now if we had an 09 Gerrard and Torres on £150k a week last season we would be looking forward to a season in the CL and not having any conversations about LFC player wages.

It's not how much we are paying people, its who we are paying and how much we are paying them thats been the problem - hoping FSG know this.

We'll find out at the end of the month.

Great points made above by saint and wahs but the only point I'd make at this moment concerning wages and the possible cutting of the wage bill is that I'm not sure any of the players sold or released so far, and I'll include Bellamy in this, are ones who would be main players for us in the coming years.

If at the end of the transfer window we have cut the wage bill massively and the squad is weaker for it I'll be as disappointed as anyone but at this point we still don't know if that is going to be the case.

Great points made above by saint and wahs but the only point I'd make at this moment concerning wages and the possible cutting of the wage bill is that I'm jot sure any if the players sold or released so ft, and I'll include Bellamy in this, are ones who would be main players for us in the coming years.

If at the end of the transfer window we have cut the wage bill massively and the squad is weaker for it I'll be as disappointed as anyone but at this point we still don't know if that is going to be the case.

I agree totally mate, we won't know what's what until the end of the window.

What we do know right now is that the wage bill is being cut - the older players and higher earners who aren't expected to play much are being removed from the wage bill and they all need to be replaced. Within the next 26 days.

I agree totally mate, we won't know what's what until the end of the window.

What we do know right now is that the wage bill is being cut - the older players and higher earners who aren't expected to play much are being removed from the wage bill and they all need to be replaced. Within the next 26 days.

Agree.

The players have to be replaced and I think that they will and come the end of the window things will not be as bad as they appear to some now.

The wage bill might well be a bit smaller, who knows, but if it is and the squad is better,  stronger or even more suited to what the manager wants is it necessarily a bad thing?

Agree.

The players have to be replaced and I think that they will and come the end of the window things will not be as bad as they appear to some now.

The wage bill might well be a bit smaller, who knows, but if it is and the squad is better,  stronger or even more suited to what the manager wants is it necessarily a bad thing?

No not at all, excellent even, and then as Rodgers has signed the players to suit the system he plays I'd expect us to be using the system on the pitch to a decent standard sooner rather than later.

Agree.

The players have to be replaced and I think that they will and come the end of the window things will not be as bad as they appear to some now.

The wage bill might well be a bit smaller, who knows, but if it is and the squad is better,  stronger or even more suited to what the manager wants is it necessarily a bad thing?

I think that is the key mate. If the squad is stronger everyone is happy, if the squad is just smaller and cheaper then I think most will be decidedly unhappy.

Due to our monetary restraints over the last few years under H&G there is no doubt that there was a lot of fat to be trimmed, as we kept players maybe a little too long, or brought in players that solved an immediate problem but weren't a long term solution. The problem is even most of our freebies like Degan and Jovanovic ended up costing us quite a bit both on and off the pitch. We just can't afford to find ourselves in a similar situation again where we have no adequate cover for every position.

Trim the fat by all means but make sure we leave enough meat on the bone or we will go hungry yet again.   

 

Its a toughie no doubt but we need to hold our nerve at the moment & trust the manager.
I have no problem with the wages we have saved so far this transfer window.
If i were the manager the same players would also be gone along with a few others.
Adam Spearing Downing & probably Carroll we have had a shocking return on our
investment over the last 3 years so BR has to MANAGE the club properly if we are ever to
be challenging.
Big Job.
Good Luck Brendan..

 It is allright saying cut the wage bill but that is tantamount to saying to your wife/partner  I am going to cut your housekeeping in half and still expect to receive the same quality food etc.As regards players wages I think they should all be allied to  performance and I would like to see somethink like a basic wage for a loss,with increases for a draw and a win.I know I am an old sod but that was the way it was years ago when footballers earned their wages.
                                                                 The sad part in all this is even if we send players out on loan the borrowing club still expect us to pay a big percentage of the players wages.So even though the player is off our books and the wage bill is reduced a small bit we have to wait till his contract is up to get the full benefit.

Do I think Borini and possibly Allen will be our only signings this summer ?

No I don't so I won't be getting my knickers in a twist until its been proven otherwise.

Me neither, I still believe the players will come in but suspect (as Rodgers has suggested) that most of the club's business will done in the last few days of the transfer window. My biggest worry is still that our best players will be scrutinising everything the club does (or doesn't do) in this window and the longer it goes without new players coming in the more at risk we are to losing these players to rival clubs. I actually think Arsenal will keep RVP now because he must surely be impressed with their business this summer (Giroud, Podolski and now Cazorla). I can't imagine our senior players are particularly impressed with LFC's dealings SO FAR and that is a worry.

I can't imagine our senior players are particularly impressed with LFC's dealing s SO FAR and that is a worry.

The worrying thing for me has been when the rumours about Suarez came out Brendan was quick to comment about sorting his contract out. Agger and Skrtel rumours start fueled by want of a new contract and ....... nothing.

I think a bit of perspective is needed, so far the players to leave are all in their 30's, Maxi, Kuyt and Aurelio and Aqualani was on ridiculous wages that did not reflect his contribution to the club. If we started selling the likes of Agger, Skrtel and Suarez then the alarm bells would start ringing. I think we need to keep calm.

Who have we lost so far ?

Aurelio. Spent more time on the treatment table than the pitch.

Aquilani. Spent a season on loan.

Kuyt. Was in and out of the starting XI and his form suffered for it.

Maxi. never really got a look in.

Bellamy (possibly) Can't play every game because of his knee's.

Lets presume that's a £20m saving on wages a year.

Who've we gained.

Cole.

Pacheco.

Borini.

So 5 out and 3 in.

With Aquilani on loan and Aurelio basically never featuring.

In terms of numbers were no worse off than we were last season, but we've slashed around £20m off the wage bill, less the difference in Pacheco, Borini and Coles wages.

That gives the potential for maybe 4 signings to arrive on around £4m a year.

So we could end up 4 players more than we did last season and hopefully players that will regularly compete for a place in the starting XI.

great post that, does my head in when people say 5out and only 1 in