Paul Mitchell

[macphisto]

2 hours ago, TheBrownBottle said:

The rules are the same for all clubs - the issue is still that we spaffed our load over a few windows and it’s eaten up the budget.  We didn’t sell when the iron was hot and old left players on the books, running their resale value down.  We adopted a model of signing younger, expensive talent rather than experience - a strategy built on a ‘sell for profit’ philosophy - and haven’t sold any of them; while at the same time they take time to ‘peak’.  Our revenues haven’t grown at a rate which creates additional financial ‘headroom’.  So now we’re stuck.  None of this lies at Mitchell’s door - it is the result of decisions made before he entered the building (including by Howe). 

 

The club needs to actually sell some of the ‘first wave’ of talents signed by the new ownership while they still attract significant fees - and the support needs to put on big boy pants when some of these players are sold.  Every club in the world - including the very richest - has to sell players.

 

I suspect that this summer will see one or two of the Howe-era ‘big’ signings go - CL qualification or not.  That would not be a sign of anything other than the way football currently works.  The squad left from the Ashley era had a handful of players who could have brought in substantial fees - and Howe improved some of them in the first year or so and they could have commanded even better fees.  Wilson, ASM, Joelinton, Willock, Almiron - all of these potentially could have been sold for more than they have gone for, or more than they would fetch now.  We didn’t, so here we are.

 

Mitchell needs a full summer window to be judged on ins / outs.  The club needs to be a lot more ruthless than it has been - the sale of Kelly to Juve gives me hope.  Previously I suspect any bid of that size would have been rejected and he’d have sputtered along as a poor backup, with lots of ‘he needs time’ or ‘he’s good in the dressing room’ patter to justify it.

 

The club have bought well under the new ownership - I’d have confidence that the transfer budget and wages freed up would be recycled well. 

I'm not so sure we did buy to sell initially, more buy young (better value) and develop the team. 

 

The problem with selling our main players, where are the buyers? A lot of money flowed into the game through PSG, Barcelona and Madrid when we talk about Suarez, Bale, etc. No one is spending that type of money now. 

[SUPERTOON]

30 million for Miggy and Kelly is brilliant business.

[Fak]

Just now, SUPERTOON said:

30 million for Miggy and Kelly is brilliant business.

Should help cover the James Trafford transfer. 

[ponsaelius]

It is. Howe will probably outwardly begrudge it but surely he realises we have to be proactive in this way if we want a refresh in the summer.

[Alberto2005]

Just now, SUPERTOON said:

30 million for Miggy and Kelly is brilliant business.

Aye gained a bit of credit there.

 

Wouldn't have expected much more than £20m.

[MagCA]

Arise, Sir Paul Mitchell

[Miggys First Goal]

Buy that man a pint. 

[Scottish Mag]

Great business from Mitchell on Kelly and Miggy.  Actually gives me some hope that we wont be stuck with Vlachodimos for the next few years.

[Bunk Moreland]

Build this man a statue

[Lush Vlad]

Great business and certainly seems like we are trying to be pretty ruthless with moving on any sellable assets we have, if they’re not contributing much. 
 

It is a more aggressive approach and maybe more of a gamble than before.  
 

All the noise around Kelly, Almiron, Targett, Trippier, Longstaff, Dubravka. It looks like a bit of a mini-rebuild is on the way in the summer. 

 

@ponsaelius had it right. We actually have a lot of senior players. We just have a lot of, well, harsh to call them dead wood. But not far off. They’re not really viable options for the first team. 
 

I agree that I think we would be better off moving on 2-3 of the squad filler types if it means one first team starter or genuine rotation option kind of player can come in. 
 

Some of the current starters are realistically going to be more bit part moving forward if we want to be consistently competing for the top 4. 

 

 

Edited 8 hours ago by Lush Vlad

[Newcastle Fan]

Very good seller! Excited to see who he will buy when we eventually do buy.

[MagCA]

If given the time and the resources, this fella will have a squad built good enough for Wor Eddie to challenge for the title. 
 

Mark my words. 

[Fak]

Just now, MagCA said:

If given the time and the resources, this fella will have a squad built good enough for Wor Eddie to challenge for the title. 
 

Mark my words. 

Has he ever built this at any club? Genuine question btw. 

[mouldy_uk]

11 minutes ago, Bunk Moreland said:

Build this man a statue

Probably have to sell it 

[MagCA]

7 minutes ago, Fak said:

Has he ever built this at any club? Genuine question btw. 

Monaco were second last season, join second currently. 
 

Counts as winning giving PSG spend a billion more than everybody else put together. 
 

IIRC he also started out at Monaco needing to do a rebuild and sell loads of dross. 

 

 

Edited 8 hours ago by MagCA

[christ]

1 minute ago, Lush Vlad said:

Great business and certainly seems like we are trying to be pretty ruthless with moving on any sellable assets we have, if they’re not contributing much. 
 

Certainly seems a more aggressive approach and maybe more of a gamble than before.  
 

All the noise around Kelly, Almiron, Targett, Trippier, Longstaff, Dubravka. Seems like a bit of a mini-rebuild is on the way in the summer. 

 

@ponsaelius had it right. We actually have a lot of senior players. We just have a lot of, well, harsh to call them dead wood. But not far off. They’re not really viable options for the first team. 
 

I agree that I think we would be better off moving on 2-3 of the squad filler types if it means one first team starter or genuine rotation option kind of player can come in. 
 

Some of the current starters are realistically going to be more bit part moving forward if we want to be consistently competing for the top 4. 

The problem with Mandy and Mehrdad is they were too involved with the squad. You saw it on the documentary. And I think that meant that they bought into that group of

personalities and a few bad decisions were made as a result.

For example, we shouldn’t have been giving Miggy a new deal when it was clear to everyone that six weeks was a complete aberration. We should’ve been looking at a way to get rid when his value was at its peak. Similar with Wilson, who has had injury problems since he signed.

[Kilcline]

45 minutes ago, Scottish Mag said:

Great business from Mitchell on Kelly and Miggy.  Actually gives me some hope that we wont be stuck with Vlachodimos for the next few years.

Vlachodimos will be on speed dial for Mitchell in the last week of June in case anyone rings us wanting a PSR fiddle type deal. Maybe no other clubs will ring us for that reason 😅

[Teslact]

3 hours ago, Kilcline said:

Vlachodimos will be on speed dial for Mitchell in the last week of June in case anyone rings us wanting a PSR fiddle type deal. Maybe no other clubs will ring us for that reason 😅

In a bind? Up the creek? If it's a PSR fiddle you seek, it's the Greek! It's the Greek!

[mouldy_uk]

4 hours ago, Kilcline said:

Vlachodimos will be on speed dial for Mitchell in the last week of June in case anyone rings us wanting a PSR fiddle type deal. Maybe no other clubs will ring us for that reason 😅

I just wanna be a PSR bitch and make endless amounts of money for putting on a track suit each day

 

[PauloGeordio]