If promotion this season is the be all and end all for the owners then why are we only signing young players? Why aren't they giving NP the resources to sign the quality, experienced players that we need to improve the squad sufficiently enough for us to get out of this league? Or do some think that NP has the funds but chooses to sign youngsters instead?
If it has to happen this season or else then surely the owners would throw a bit more money at it? My interpretation of the fact they're not indicates to me that it's not so desperate for us to go up this season.
I genuinely think that this season is one too early and believe that NP will get it right and be able to bring in the players we need to make a real fight for the title next season.
I also want to clarify something, I mentioned on another thread that I didn't want us to get promoted this season but what I meant is not at the expense of going up next season with a better squad. If the reality of staying in this division means we will lose some players then of course I would rather we were promoted, though I can't think of many if any that will leave at the end of the season should we fail to go up, I mean none of them are consistently good enough for us so why would a prem team want to sign them? I can't see it myself!!
I wonder how many Cardiff fans would wish they went up via the play-offs last season (or previous seasons) rather than winning the league this season? Not many I wouldn't have thought? It seems that after all these years building a squad they've finally got it right. I'm sure many of their fans have been just as impatient/frustrated as some of ours over the past few seasons but I bet they couldn't be much happier right now?
How desperate is promotion?
posted on 19/3/13
Good post and one I agree wholeheartedly with.
Which makes this response rather boring, but hey!
posted on 19/3/13
^ ditto and ditto
posted on 19/3/13
It would appear that the owners are showing the bottle required at present to actually stick with the manager. Yesterday was the key day, I thought: There could have been murmurings of press conferences and people not speaking to the media; instead, the team's gone off to Portugal for a fortnight.
If indeed things are as they appear and they're sticking with Pearson (at least until the end of the season) then this is surely a good thing, precisely because it doesn't show absolute desperation. Such desperation would not improve our chances of promotion - they'd almost certianly dent them - and it would put big question marks over the owners' mid/long term intentions at the club.
You're right, arro, when you point out that it appears a squad is being built, and one that is potentially more profitable and geared up for life under FFP. Arguably they might have had to do this anyway if they had an eye on selling, but at least they have this in mind at all.
Where the whole desperation rumour comes from is a few factors:
First of all, the idea that any previously unknown owner (and I doubt many of our fans had heard of these guys before they came here) will be treated with suspicion in this era of administration and asset-stripping.
Second, there has been the odd comment I've heard along the lines of "the owners are going all-out for promotion this year", as though they'd be willing to walk away at the end of it if promotion isn't achieved. Other evidence suggests against this of course.
Thirdly, they already have a history of replacing managers at our club in an uncompromising way.
Fourthly, perhaps most significantly, the finances must weigh heavily on their minds. I have no doubt that they're genuinely football fans, Top in particular. But they are also businessmen who won't want to see their fortune flushed down the toilet so easily. They also have a lot invested in loan form. Therefore logically, we'd need to reach the Prem for them to get any money back.
There are a lot of theoretical reasons why the owners might be desperate for promotion and wield the axe right now. The fact that they haven't is, I believe, quite hopeful and indicative that these potential concerns aren't that bad - or at least not at a point where their future out at club is under question.
This is a big part of the massive difference between firing the manager now and at the end of the season: These issues needn't be part of the equation for a close season sacking. Whether I'd agree with a firing at the end of the season for footballing reasons, I don't know. I still err toward not but I can see that there is a debate to be had and neither decision would be particularly unreasonable at that point.
posted on 19/3/13
Dunge I understand your comments about the owners intentions and financial losses but as businessmen I would have thought that they would lose/not recoup any of their investment if they walked away at the end of the season, they would lose tens of millions.
While this couldn't continue indefinitely, they must also be able to see how NP has transformed the squad and while not there yet, we're not far off from having a very good, young, exciting team that will also conform to the new FFP regulations.
I don't think there are too many managers out there that would do anywhere near as well as NP is with the same funds, MON is an obvious one but I can't think of anyone else?
As for rumour's of the owners going all out for promotion this season, I would say there is evidence to suggest they're not given the fact they haven't given NP the funds to buy experienced, quality players and we're still signing youngsters?
. It suggest to me that this season we'll see how far we can go and then in the summer, should we not go up of course,
posted on 19/3/13
Dunge I understand your comments about the owners intentions and financial losses but as businessmen I would have thought that they would lose/not recoup any of their investment if they walked away at the end of the season, they would lose tens of millions.
Would they though?
I thought all the money was in loans and they are guaranteed returns but under the FFP these loans will have to be transferred into assets at which time the money is at risk?