Our Academy

ivoralljack

Grizzled Veteran
Staff member
Their academy has earned them £35 million between Oli and James alone. They have no clue. Hope for new owners soon.
Not to mention the asset value of Roberts, Rodon and others. But we lose £15 million parachute payments next season and the shortfall has to be made good. Not from the owners' pockets of course from where it SHOULD come.
 

Jackflash

Midfield General
Staff member
It says the objective is to give Cooper buying money for the January window. Who in there right mind would give Cooper buying money? He's conned us enough with his speil. Also Birch Curt & Leon must accept some of the blame for believing him. How can you believe someone who tells you what he can do against top Championship sides when he has absolutely no experience at this level,or at any professional level.Birch hired him and now must do the honorable thing for the club and fire him.I think the squad is reasonably adaquate under the right manager who can once again be Curt in a caretaker role if not perminant. Hopefully then on on reflection in fulfilling the post they will realise there's no substitute for experience. Also I feel this decision needs to be imminent,as Cooper taking us into the second half of the season will be fatal.
 

ivoralljack

Grizzled Veteran
Staff member
For sure we have a very realistic chance of at least top 6 but under the RIGHT MANAGER. Unfortunately, imo, Cooper is not the right man for us at this point in time. As I've said previously, I'm sure that he will become a very good manager in due course but, his inexperience as he learns, could be costing us a golden opportunity which might not come again for years. If we fail to go up, this team will break up as loanees return to their parent clubs and Ayew etc will be sold on.

In addition, our money grabbing owners will flog any player we have of value, so the likes of Rodon and Roberts etc will be sold off with NO FINANCIAL BENEFIT TO THE CLUB. Thus we will be reduced to another also-ran Championship team back to the bad old days and back to struggling just to stay in the Division. We absolutely NEED to try and get promotion this season whilst we are still in with a realistic chance of achieving it and our best bet is to get a battle-hardened, experienced manager to drive us towards this target.

I like Steve Cooper and it gives me no pleasure whatsoever to wish for his departure but my club comes first. If Cooper starts proving me wrong I would be delighted to admit it but I feel that Trevor Birch has to show some leadership and act sooner rather than later - particularly if we have a bad run of results over the coming holiday.
 

Yankee_Jack

Key Player
A bad run of results over the Christmas period will bury in the bottom have of the division requiring exceptional performance thereafter to reach the play-offs. Birch needs to act now. The recent string of results are similar to Shit Streak #1. #2 is now underway. I would hope that Curt and Leon are looking at these matches and aligning performance, style and results to what was promised during interview, what was achieved by Potter last season, and what was delivered by the likes of Martinez, Sousa, Rogers, Laudrup and realize that Cooper is not delivering and act before the season's promise is wrecked before we're half way through.
 

KVetch

Key Player
Is Birch more of a financial guru than a talent scout? Who has he signed before, Ashley Cole? If I owned the team I would invest everything into getting back to the Premier. I get you don't want to end up another Bury or Bolton. But they were spending £10 million a year on Wayne Rooney for a team that wasn't ever facing promotion or relegation.
 

ivoralljack

Grizzled Veteran
Staff member
Bit of fun here in Soccer AM's challenge 'King of the Academy'. Fair play, those youngsters impressed!

 

KVetch

Key Player
I've checked it out, they have a preview but no mention of airing it. Would like to check it out though there isn't much at stake.
 
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