tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7398540357670130024.post4341842663437753053..comments2023-11-02T10:31:30.961+00:00Comments on From The Hill To The Valley: At The CrossroadsUnknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger3125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7398540357670130024.post-31582779574033802072010-02-01T11:25:26.355+00:002010-02-01T11:25:26.355+00:00I think the assumption that we would struggle to a...I think the assumption that we would struggle to avoid relegation was on the basis that we would have sold most of our best players, and would have invested none of that money on new recruits.<br /><br />On the basis that Parkinson has been allowed to keep a squad that is one of (of not the) most expensive in this division the expectations can only have risen.<br /><br />If the board had cut their losses in the summer and sold Shelvey, Bailey, Sam and Racon to finance this season, and it had balanced the books then I would have accepted mid table as we start to build for the future, but as we have spend at least £7m more than we’ve earned this season on the assumption that we will be in the Championship next season the least that will be acceptable is promotion.<br /><br />The alternative is probably a brush with the real prospect of going out of business altogether. I know that sounds desperate, but anyone that thinks the Olympics in two years is going to make a failing third division club with no real assets worth the £50m* that the board have been rumoured to want for it, must be mad.<br /><br />I think that based on where we are we should stick it out to try and see if we can just make it to second, or win the playoffs. However, it has been argued that the incremental gambles in January 2008, that failed to even secure a playoff place, ran up the debts that forced the sales of Majid Bougherra and Paddy McCarthy. The lack of these two, particularly the former, was responsible for our relegation for following year – in my view.<br /><br />Thus, your post is frighteningly accurate – we are “At The Crossroads”. I cannot see any more money being spent, nor can we expect it. Anything short of winning our remaining 18 games could leave us unable to catch Leeds or Norwich. Even 18 wins might not be quite enough. If Leeds and Norwich finish the season with their current averages, we would need 100 points to finish second. That means we’d need 45 points out of a possible 54. Those numbers make spending any serious money now look as sensible as the Andy Gray signing. Any money we spend now would have to be recouped in the summer, along with something like the £7m worth of savings that the board needed to ‘raise’ this summer.<br /><br />It does look like we are going to be banking on a good showing in the playoffs to save the clubs immediate future, and we thought the playoff final in 1998 was a significant point in the clubs history.<br /><br />Just for the record, I’m not aiming any criticism at Parkinson. I have disagreed with some of his decisions, but he’s proved to be right most of the time. We have to trust him and hope that we can keep enough form to make the playoffs and find three (or maybe just two) performances when we get there.<br /><br />We are certainly entering what Alex Fergusson calls the ‘squeaky bum time’.<br /><br />* The £50m is made up of the Boards Loan Bonds, the Mortgage on The Valley, some short term 'overdrafts' to cover the day to day running of a business, and a notional fee to purchase the club.Kings Hill Addickhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08523787530053799457noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7398540357670130024.post-53226661997551512912010-02-01T11:22:34.352+00:002010-02-01T11:22:34.352+00:00This comment has been removed by the author.Kings Hill Addickhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08523787530053799457noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7398540357670130024.post-26684387244841246592010-02-01T10:08:23.165+00:002010-02-01T10:08:23.165+00:00Great stuff KK, we have missed your slant on thing...Great stuff KK, we have missed your slant on things, welcome back.Kettsnoreply@blogger.com