This Day In History

[M4]

That was such a frustrating season. It ended in familiar fashion with a no show and everything just falling flat in Marseille.

[fredbob]

I know people go on about the fact we only spent £9m in the time we actually played Champions League football...but let's not forget we spent around £35m in the 18months leading upto that, before we received the European football money.

 

So whats your point?

 

Money was spent to get us into that position but money wasnt spent to consolidate that position. Not only was only £9m spent in the previous season, but that money was recouped with the sale of the player we bought the previous January, in essence Woodgate was on loan. To make matters worse - he was sold without the managers knowledge.

 

If you want to make this even more crude - relatively speaking SBR's last major signings were Bramble and Viana in July 2002.

 

I dont really count the summer of 2004 because it was clear in hindsight that the signings were being made by Shepherd with SBRs needs compeltely ignored.

 

Sad times.

[Optimistic Nut]

Robson had 5 years, the others 1.

 

So are you saying he needed less money because he was here longer?

 

Well, no, but that's a good point. My point is, that if you're there for 5 years the chances are you're going to have seasons where you spend more in one period and have to sell at others, etc. Also, there's differing circumstances. For example, Robson nearly had Rooney for £20m, a year later, Souness had Owen for £16m.

[johnnypd]

i dont think you can separate the disappointment of that season with the block on transfers. we dropped points many a time in the 2nd half of the season due to conceding very late on. and in the semi-final we were without Jenas, Dyer, Woodgate and, most importantly, Bellamy. we didn't have the replacements needed. both of these points show that squad depth was a problem and we paid for it. the squad we had assembled got very, very, very close to both a major european final and 4th position, we just fell away during the closing stages. 3 or so good players on top of what we had would've made the difference imo.

[fredbob]

Robson had 5 years, the others 1.

 

So are you saying he needed less money because he was here longer?

 

Well, no, but that's a good point. My point is, that if you're there for 5 years the chances are you're going to have seasons where you spend more in one period and have to sell at others, etc. Also, there's differing circumstances. For example, Robson nearly had Rooney for £20m, a year later, Souness had Owen for £16m.

 

To be fair - Shepherd actually denied SBR funds in the summer 2004 in SBR book he says he wanted a midfielder and a CB as his priority positions after the chariman had sold both Speed and Woodgate under his nose, he then went and bid £20m for Rooney even though SBR didnt want him, i remeber reading quotes of confusion from him about the bid becasue he didnt want him.

[Optimistic Nut]

Funny, because I remember him in the post-match interview after we drew 2-2 with Norwich (another sign he was on his way out), him with a glint in his eye and a broad smile at the prospect of it, going on about how "even Manchester United can't afford to sign Wayne Rooney" when it looked close.

[Mick]

 

Well, no, but that's a good point. My point is, that if you're there for 5 years the chances are you're going to have seasons where you spend more in one period and have to sell at others, etc. Also, there's differing circumstances. For example, Robson nearly had Rooney for £20m, a year later, Souness had Owen for £16m.

 

Robson had little to spend early in him Newcastle career and stabilised the club, when he was backed financially he took the club forwards and when money became tight again the club stagnated and was overtaken by others.

 

Dalglish was given 50% of what Bobby was given and he took the club backwards, Souness was given almost the same as Bobby and also took the club backwards, I'm talking 50% of what bobby was given in 5 years and almost the same as Bobby was given in 5 years, if money was going to be reduced for Dalglish and Souness than Dalglish would have been given £14.5 million over 4 years and Souness nothing.  

[Gallowgate End]

That was such a frustrating season. It ended in familiar fashion with a no show and everything just falling flat in Marseille.

 

Ah the "frustrations" of missing out on 4th and getting 5th and having a Uefa Cup Semi Final run.

 

Watching Greame Souness be given the opportunity to completely rip apart a team that had previously finished 3rd, 4th, 5th to plummet to 14th our lowest premiership finish in our history after spending £50 million I'm not sure about you was slightly more frustrating.

[fredbob]

Funny, because I remember him in the post-match interview after we drew 2-2 with Norwich (another sign he was on his way out), him with a glint in his eye and a broad smile at the prospect of it, going on about how "even Manchester United can't afford to sign Wayne Rooney" when it looked close.

 

Seems strange that he'd say he wanted CB and a midfielder in his book then forget to mention he wanted Rooney as well - especially with the circumstance inwhich Butt and Carr were bought instead of Carrick and Miguel and Woodgate and Speed were sold.

 

Must be lying though, fancy going through the entire summer "making" small time signing knowing all the while you have 20 odd million sitting in the bank and deciding to use it all on one player you clearly dont need. Remeber we had Lua Lua, Ameobi, Chopra, Shearer, Kluivert and Bellamy in that position if i rememebr correctly.  

[Mick]

Funny, because I remember him in the post-match interview after we drew 2-2 with Norwich (another sign he was on his way out), him with a glint in his eye and a broad smile at the prospect of it, going on about how "even Manchester United can't afford to sign Wayne Rooney" when it looked close.

 

Bobby would have taken Rooney, without a doubt and every other manager in the country would have taken him.  Bobby wanted a centre-half more than anything and actually went to the chairman’s office expecting to be told he had one but got the sack instead.  He didn't go expecting a forward or a midfielder because he didn't want either, even though we did bid for one of those positions.

[johnnypd]

Funny, because I remember him in the post-match interview after we drew 2-2 with Norwich (another sign he was on his way out), him with a glint in his eye and a broad smile at the prospect of it, going on about how "even Manchester United can't afford to sign Wayne Rooney" when it looked close.

 

Bobby would have taken Rooney, without a doubt and every other manager in the country would have taken him.  Bobby wanted a centre-half more than anything and actually went to the chairman’s office expecting to be told he had one but got the sack instead.  He didn't go expecting a forward or a midfielder because he didn't want either, even though we did bid for one of those positions.

 

when interviewed outside SJP he made it sound like it was the chairman behind the move for Rooney and not him. "i can only tell you what the chairman's just told me, we've put a bid in for rooney" or words to that effect.

 

back to not spending - funnily enough from reaching the semis of the uefa cup we made as much as we did from getting to the first group stage of the champion's league the season before. obviously we got a lot more from getting to the 2nd group stage, and also in 2003-04 they changed the makeup and payout of the CL, but it still shows that either way we had money to spend before the partizan game but chose not to.

[Guest ObaStar]

fuck.. it wud have been nice to have gotten rooney. although he probably would have left the club by now.

[Baggio]

The Summer we only brought in Bowyer on a free was the same Summer the club was lining the Halls pockets by buying back shares from them iirc.