Newsletter

Get your daily update and weekly newsletter by signing up today!

News

How On Earth Can We Not Compete With Southampton?

11 years ago
Share

I have been concerned and confused from something that I read recently in which Alan Pardew was quoted.

The quote; “We can’t compete with Man City, Chelsea, Manchester United and Arsenal in those Champions League positions with that extra revenue.”

Ok, this to a certain degree is true. Under Mr Ashley’s current regime it is true that we don’t have the huge and stupid amounts of money to spend on wages and transfer fees. This was not the part that has got me seriously concerned.

The next quote is what has made me chew over in my head since reading it, “We can’t compete with teams like Southampton in spending.”

How on earth can we not compete with Southampton, Fulham, West Brom and even Norwich & West Ham in the transfer market? I do not believe these clubs have more money to play around with on transfer fees and wages.

Their owners are not exactly Sheikhs as at Manchester City with huge long arms and even deeper pockets. I have not been able to stop thinking about it all day.

We lost Darren Bent to Fulham (wages, and slightly overrated but will score goals), didn’t follow up on Norwich’s Van Wolfswinkel ( looks like a handy lad that’s going to score goals) and not really getting involved in attempting to bring Andy Carroll back ( would not even match West Ham’s offer to bring home one of our own).

How is this the case? It is seeming like we are falling behind the smaller, less followed, smaller capacity stadiums, less revenue generating clubs and yet being told from the financial report coming from the club that we are moving forward.

I understand Mr Ashley’s business thinking on trying to clear debts and help the club be back on a level that is not so far in debt that we become another Leeds Ttd,but surely the man himself does not want to be being beaten by the let’s face it, smaller owners in the club owners world.

He seems to have too much showmanship and business pride to lose out in the retail sector to let this happen to this amazingly highly followed and regarded club.

He just needs to remember that once the business side is sorted to how he wants it to be, he can turn his showmanship and billions to our huge sleeping giant of a club, make history and have us singing his name for all the right reasons, which is competing in the transfer market and winning silverware.

Share

If you would like to feature on The Mag, submit your article to contribute@themag.co.uk

Have your say

© 2024 The Mag. All Rights Reserved. Design & Build by Mediaworks