💰 💷 Saints Finances

Fake news…jog on. :lou_wink:

Its how he acquired the club, we’ve now sold our best players and won’t get anywhere near that money again, if we go down we’ve players on contracts who we won’t be able to sell on, Villa Part II.
If we go down we’re fucked.

How much has Gao put in for players?
What have the board said about future investment?

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They will, the tv money is what they want, I see Steele stated we’re paying too much for our League position, now imagine we’re in a lower league?
We’ve no real player assets like the last few seasons and the ones we could sell will be picked off as we’re in a lower league.
If we do stay up we need to obviously strengthen, are you confident?
This is an outfit that pays ex hockey coaches ÂŁ636,000 a year.

Blackmore was on Twitter yesterday saying his conversation with Steele gleaned that the owner(s) will not be putting in any money for player investment. Quite how this sits with Ralph, we can only guess. We can also only guess about the immediate future of the Club, but i think it’s safe to say that Gao hasn’t a pot to piss in and intends to invest all of that in the club. Bearing in mind we are a bottom 6 club at best, 3 will go this season and be replaced by good teams with investment and all other Clubs will invest in order to progress next term, I agree with you Baz that the immediate future is bleak.

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To be fair, at the time of the takeover it was clear and statements were made that Gao was never going to invest in “running costs” ie player purchases.

What WAS said however was that Gao would invest in the infrastructure (which would help increase asset value as well). Now what Adam B & L both missed out on was to question Steele about that especially when it was stated that the ground refurbishment was cancelled last year, Equally, there has been investment at Staplewood and no question was asked as to where that came from.

Thing is what does it give you? Everton owners invested 300mil and got 3 places up… hardly a ringing endorsement the investment potential of football… TBH, i would rather we had a club that was run WITHIN its commercial means - eg when we earn more, we can spend more, than one that relies on owners pumping in cash… than can be withdrawn at any time and usually is at some point or the club is left with debt escalation when it is committed to contracts without the financial support of the owner to service them…
… and we hear all clubs bullshit about long term plans and ambition etc as platitudes to the stupid…

If Gao has no money, then that is fine as long as he does not therefore borrow heavily against the club assets to prop himself up etc.

As to development of the club, well there was nothing wrong with the way we were operating a few years ago, unearth some talent at a good price and sell on at a higher… Augmented by youth development - it worked, it’s not without risk, but it’s also a decent model to avoid being a club that lives outside its means. Does mean for a more ‘up and down’ experience though as we have a couple of good seasons whilst new talent beds in, then as its sold it takes a while to replace with the same quality.

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Yep, but that’s why it was the wrong deal, not that any fan would have a say on it, mind. The training ground asset value only would only apply if we retain PL status in any case. At best it’s a risky business strategy when all of your competitors are investing and at worst an excellent way of throwing away your initial investment.

It’s a simple economic solution MoT. If your Company is in danger of losing most of its income, you invest in areas of the business to minimise the risk of that happening. If any danger becomes a reality and you lose most of your asset value as a result, then you have only yourself to blame. It seems to me that Gao is happy to take this risk and i have no idea why. Why buy a football club, knowing the dangers, financial input and expectations and then not do anything to prevent a failure. If we stay up this year, then it will be two years on the trot that we have escaped by the skin of our teeth - that alone tells me the business model is incorrect. And expecting RH to be the only PL manager to have player investment funds based purely on the proceeds of selling players is folly.

Don’t be agreeing with me, you’ll be the forum pariah even though you’re bang on the money.
The key to this lark is to follow obediently, not question and think it’ll turn out alright (based on what fucks knows) even though we’ve sold all our best players, have got worse the last 4 years and haven’t got anything of real value to sell.
Yes its all rosy…

I’d prefer a sugar daddy and preferably one with a brain and good advisors.

However, I am ECSTATIC to have Gao in charge, rather than Oyston - Blackpool, Anderson Bolton, SISU or whatever their name is this week - Coventry or that idiot at Notts County to be honest.
Hell, I’m happy we aren’t even Wet Spam when it comes to ownership & strategy.

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But you’ve picked for your narratives sake poor owners, we can all do that.
West Ham average 60,000 in a stadium they paid minimal rent for and will be far ahead of us soon, their fans are militant.
Gao simply wants the tv money and the academy to fund transfers, the naive little bellend, fat Kat proper stitched us up.

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West Ham pay far more rent than we do, we own the stadium remember. Will be interesting to see how much money Brady and the Porn King have put into the club themselves.

uhm… I think its a little more complex… as the risk is that you can spend to try and stay up and fail and this go down with debt… I strongly believe that the 3 that go down each year are usually those where they are a shit manager doing a shit job - look how we picked up with someone committed and knowing what they are doing - yes we still have a lot to do, but our points average would have us comfortable now had we had that all season.

It’ll be great if we own our stadium with no one to sell and a high wage bill which will send us in admin, I’d have a porn king all day long over a crane owner who sold us (out) to a tax dodger.

Yes but he has a funny hat.

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No argument from me there.

He probably wears it to Glasto

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He’s probably the 43rd youngest there…

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