indeedido
Well-known member
Nonsense.This dream of getting up and staying up is a poisoned chalice for all involved and almost certain to end in failure.
I don't think even the most ambitious Boro fan truly expects us to have promotion, then a future of PL football only.
But neither will they accept 1 season in 16 in the top flight - and we all know how Bob Mortimer succinctly put that one season.
The football "giants" of Brentford, Bournemouth, Fulham, Wolves, Palace, Everton have all done much better.
Other clubs have been down, but quickly returned, like Burnley, Sheff U, Leicester.
Completely unremarkable clubs like clubs like Watford, Norwich, Southampton, West Brom, Cardiff, Swansea and Stoke have all had more top flight seasons than us in that 16 seasons.
Christ even your sorry lot on the Humber have one more season.
Of the teams who have finished above us this season, only Ipswich have not been in the PL across that time span.
One bloke (not me) at the Q&A said we Boro fans deserve better than 1 season in 16 in the PL and Gibson's immediate response was "You don't deserve anything". I thought his caustic response was quite revealing. He then went on a monologue about wage bills and his contribution versus ours as fans and the malaise of current football finances outside the PL.
He quoted rival wage bills at Leicester, Leeds, Southampton and other recently promoted PP clubs.
But what of other clubs promoted to the PL without Parachute Payments?
An owner DOES have to spend to get up.
They then DO have to both spend AND invest to stay up - and do so intelligently.
They invest in a squad. How well they invest is determined by amortisation versus Profit from sales of player registrations, plus market value of squad over book.
They spend on wages/fees.
Virtually every club who goes up has to spend and both invest and spend to stay there (Brighton the most obvious)
But the spending:
Brighton's wage bill was £40m in their promotion season year to 2017, up £13m and almost doubling. They did not spend big on buying players, but they paid them very well.
Wolves' was £51m in promotion season to 2018, up £22m. The same season Cardiff's was £48m up £19m.
Sheff U wage bill was £41m (almost doubling) and up £19m in year to 2019.
Leeds wage bill was £78m, up £32m in their promotion season to 2020
Brentford's wage bill in promotion season to 2021 was £41m, up £16m.
Forest wage bill in promotion season to 2022 was £59m up £22m.
All other clubs promoted since we were have had Parachute Payments, and much higher wage bills. The exceptions are Luton (wage bill £28m up £10m) in 2023 and most remarkably Huddersfield £22m up £9m in 2017.
Gibson strangely said our wage bill would be £22m at the Q&A, when it was £30m last season. I think perhaps he was talking players only, rather than full published wage bill. If not then how will we realistically defy financial gravity?
Steve is very defensive about his position, and the format of the Q&A as I posted, was not conducive to interaction when he didn't want it. (No criticism Rob, just a reality)
Luton and Huddersfield have defied gravity to get up, but the chance of emulating their experience is extremely slim.
Not investing (wisely) in a squad fit to stay is a surefire route back to the Championship with short term relief only via PP?
So Brian, what alternative do you see but a spend to invest model to step change status and give a good chance of gripping on?