• Bridpanorama_fish_eye
    a month ago

    It’s not a PSR sale in the Elliot Anderson / Douglas Luiz stylee - “shit, if we don’t sell this bloke by 30 Jun then we’re in points deduction land”. But it is a PSR sale in that owners aren’t allowed to just stuff more of their own money in (unless they’re Chelsea) & the club must balance the books (within the bonkers definition of “balance” that constitutes PL rules). Had we sold no-one major, the “shit, if we don’t sell…” scenario would have been pretty likely next Summer.

    I entirely agree with Tricky’s thing about knowing value - but as fans we never will; we have no idea whatsoever about contract clauses, the reality of negotiations, what our books actually look like, or the player’s (agent’s) wishes.

    In the end this is a simple equation, albeit from our position of almost zero knowledge of the true numbers:

    1. Most of us would agree that last season’s top 14-ish players were a match for most, but thereafter the drop-off was too steep to sustain.
    2. Therefore the aim this Summer was probably to keep as much of the band together as was possible, buuurt…
    3. Adding quality in depth, esp for Yurp but also to mitigate vs the fatigued final few games.
    4. You’re not going to fund point 3 with an O’Brien here and a Turner there; we somehow achieved that 12 months ago, but the chances of doing it again were always slim-to-none.
    5. So when someone with deeper pockets than you approaches you for a player, you extract maximum value (realistic value - not the fan “not a penny less than £100m” bollocks). I was afraid it was going to be MGW when Citeh were sniffing around, but it’s proved to be Elanga instead.

    I’m sorry to see him go, but I’d rather it were him than MGW or Murillo. Others will disagree, no doubt

  • noodlehelp_outline
    a month ago

    Indeed. His wealth will be subject to the whims of the global economy (and That Orange Cunt probably isn’t a friend to the shipping billionaires) but someone who’s built up the wealth that he has is generally doing a lot better than a 1.5% annual return. So notwithstanding my other comments, he can likely spend all that and still go to bed, nearly every day, richer than he was when he woke up.

  • Lessredpanorama_fish_eye
    a month ago

    Also the correct value isn't necessarily all about the number.

    Getting it done early has a value, who we buy being integrated has a value, time pressure on getting who we want (there may be others circling) has a value. Also if we wait would the price we pay have to increase too?

    We need a formula.

  • a month ago

    Same

  • BrettWilliamspanorama_fish_eye
    a month ago

    Me too

  • BrettWilliamspanorama_fish_eye
    a month ago

    You'd also presume that the sale has only been sanctioned now because they've got a replacement lined up and close to finalised.

  • trickylens
    a month ago

    There's a temptation to think about spending money on football in terms of some sort of hobby, from the perspective of an ordinary person. Being a billionaire involved in football is almost certainly not about that. There will be owners who use football club ownership to raise their profile, and make them less prone to prosecution (or assassination), who use them to establish an asset base in a territory to shelter (or land) portions of wealth, and probably sometimes to move cash around between business interests, and as part of a portfolio of interests in collaboration with other billionaire or state interests. And as expensive football is, you get a similar return on the pound, and it scales much better, than washing cash by pumping fifty pence pieces into slot machines at the casino.

  • Sevenpanorama_fish_eye
    a month ago

    Good balanced view from @henrywinter

    Anthony Elanga’s arrival, when confirmed, should address Newcastle United’s right-sided issue. 14 goals, 23 assists in 113 PL games (36 of them sub) as a wide player is a decent return (at Manchester United and Forest) and he’s developed under Nuno’s coaching/man-management. Only 23, he’ll doubtless continue developing under Eddie Howe. Frightening pace, good to watch, great pro. But, as Forest fans will tell you, Elanga still needs greater consistency and more clinical finishing. If the reported circa £55m (nb United due sell-on) ensures Forest don’t have to sell any of their main gems, Anderson, Milenkovic, Murillo, Gibbs-White etc, and they strengthen then Elanga’s exit is necessary and important business. Also partly the price of missing out on CL. Ola Aina’s contract extension good news. #NFFC #NUFC

  • Seanpanorama_fish_eye
    a month ago

    Nah fuck that. Doomed.

    Not really.

  • BrettWilliamspanorama_fish_eye
    a month ago

    No idea how reliable Football Insider is (I suspect not too much) but they're reporting a line that Morgan Gibbs-White has agreed terms with Manchester City.

  • Sevenpanorama_fish_eye
    a month ago

    It’s not at all reliable.

  • BrettWilliamspanorama_fish_eye
    a month ago

    Thought not. They're claiming it as an exclusive.

    You'd have thought that if Forest did get another offer they couldn't refuse, there would need to be some replacements lined up fairly sharpish. Again, the recruitment team ought* to have some decent credit in the bank here with the fanbase.

    (no, me neither)

  • Simonhelp_outline
    a month ago

    I'm pretty relaxed about losing one of the big boys (who I'd classify as Elanga, MGW, Murillo, Anderson, Milenkovic, CHO, Aina) and I could have made a case for any of them, really. But losing a second would put a hell of a lot of pressure on recruitment.

  • BrettWilliamspanorama_fish_eye
    a month ago

    Yes, and particularly if both were attacking players. Gibbs-White is the heartbeat of this side, capable of seeing and executing things on a football pitch that few others can. Elanga brings goals and assists, plus lightning pace on the counter attack (central to the way we set up last season).

    Both would take some replacing but we'd have significant money to spend. That said, we've seen many provincial sides fall apart once one player leaves and it triggers a bunch of others to decide it's also time to move on.

  • JimShadypanorama_fish_eye
    a month ago

    Slightly odd there is still nothing official from us or Newcastle on Elanga.

  • Simonhelp_outline
    a month ago

    Not really. A few days after journalists have said its done, to get you worried/ hopeful, is pretty common for transfers this early in the window.

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