I feel sad Gaz and Dobbo are gone. I feel lucky that they were ever here and I feel particularly lucky they stayed so long.
I feel pleased that we've got a manager that loves the football club like we do. Much better that just another badged up nobody from the merry-go-round
And as always, I feel deeply thankful that I'm a supporter of Wycombe Wanderers and not any other club on the planet.
I think we've got the best possible candidate to build on Ainsworth's legacy, yes he's a gamble (in terms of relative lack of experience) but so is any manager, but he's 100% steeped in GA's way of doing things, whilst giving every appearance of being right up to do what it takes to learn his trade and graft, and bring his own ideas to the party.
So the continuity is very much there, but in every interview I've seen with him he's been immediately at pains to point out he's his own man with his own ideas, and of course who wouldn't be.
GA deserved his shot at something else after so long at the club, and deserves our very best wishes, if any of his successors contribute half as much as he has to the club then they'll have done very well.
Thinking:
I feel like we'll miss out on the playoffs, not through any lack of faith in the ability of MB or the team, but I just feel like any kind of disruption at this stage is something we could have done without, especially in an environment where the teams above us just do not seem to be willing to play fair and lose any games.
The funding situation is of course a concern, who knows how things have come out in the wash after the Mehmeti fees and compensation for GA (although in turn we'll have had to shell out compensation for Bloomfield)...but also the bigger picture of how interested the Couhigs still are...and there's the small but costly matter of unglamorous things like repairs needed to the stadium.
It'll be a big season of transition from a player perspective, which is always exciting, but again a risk.
Any idea if the share re-structure happened? Only ask as obviously year to date we have had another cash influx and just wondered where it was ending up?
Impact on contracts, transfers, infrastructure. Our future. Be nice to be told
I think Rob has backtracked on the ‘£3m loss’ statement in subsequent interviews. At the time I’m pretty sure he said ‘A £3m cash injection (or cash deficit)’ which would include the building of a new road and possibly ground improvements. Neither of which have happened. Also cash spend on those capital projects would be written off in the accounts over time rather than 100% in the year the cash is spent. Finally, as @Blue_since_1990 says we have sold Mehmeti, reduced the squad etc.
As a Trust member and 25% shareholder I am concerned but I’m more concerned that the Trust don’t share the club accounts with Trust members so the finances can be reviewed. I raised this as a question at the AGM and was told that the Couhigs don’t want to do that. I’ve never come across a 25% shareholder who doesn’t get to see the annual accounts.
I’m also concerned that the Trust is way out of its depth financially and in no position to pay its share of any ground improvements or running costs etc. This was completely out of the question as long as the Trust held 25% of the shares and will remain a massive challenge even at 10%.
Woe betide me for being a negative Nelly, so I’ll try and put a positive spin on things…
I don’t think it’s unreasonable for fans to worry that we might just be about to find out how good a job Ainsworth was really doing and making an utter mockery of those that questioned him and called for his head.
I feel it Matt and his team could go on and emulate GA over the coming months. I also think we could also end up trailing off and not doing anything for ages just like arsenal did when Wenger finally left despite a host of good and proven replacements there
sometimes you don’t know what you’ve got till it’s gone.
I think Dev is right about the accounts, you're only classed as a 25% shareholder if you own all of the trusts shares, that isn't to say I don't share your concern about the trusts suitability and impact. I'd hope we'd have been told if the deal had completed. Under its new terms the trust shouldn't have to chip in a percentage of cash calls for a while but without the detail it's difficult to know if anything is going on tick with us expected to repay later, or inevitably to tidy up if it goes wrong. Good to see Rob about and leading the talks around management as a sign that he isn't imminently about to bail, was very difficult to gage any detail from a fairly disastrous EGM and stifled AGM.
For comparison QPR apparently lost £25m last season and would have done so the year before except for making nearly £18m on player sales (Eze?) . Very difficult to know how losses are funded in football or if they are just being left for someone else to sort out down the line.
Apparently the club who were financially strong enough to nick our best player lost the most, nearly £30m, although they've sold a lot of players since. In a weird way if we are going to gamble any money at least that spent on young players has a chance of multiplying.
I was a little flippant earlier but I still have this feeling despite the emotional turmoil of the last week that we will pip Derby to 6th place.
Last Monday & Tuesday were an emotional rollercoaster for all concerned with the club so it is little wonder our performance on Saturday was a tad flat especially against a side that was as up for the fight as the Shrews. I thought David Wheeler's piece on the club website was very measured & honest & like him I think a week of training with Blooms will make a huge difference to our performance this weekend.
As for the finances, of course the Trust's nominated directors get to see the accounts & will be involved in the day to day board decisions of the club, however they will be operaitng under the usual expectation of confidentiality. The Trust as a body should be shown the accounts on completion as they are a shareholder, but given the vageries of company law they could be 12 months old by the time they are in the public domain. I suspect that some or all of the Trust board are aware of the amount received for Mehmeti, the reduction in the wage bill due to departures & loans & therefore the current forecast outrun in terms of deficit, my own suspicion is it is significantly less than the figure being bandied about here. Equally, the terms of the shareholding reduction are such that the Trust will be protected from any cash calls once it is completed, so perhaps some are worrying about nothing?
I feel some of you have, deliberately or otherwise, misread the Couhigs intentions & feel that Rob's comments in his recent WWTV interviews point to his commitment to the club & his frustration at the percieved negativity in some quarters. I take a lot of what he says with a pinch of salt, as he is prone to the sort of hyperbole common of US business people, something many in the UK seem to find quite alien & often mistake for arrogance. I suspect he is genuinely fond of the club & has little in the way of regrets at his purchase/investment.
I didn't really intend to write an essay, but obviosuly had a lot to get off my chest...
He was a bit of an arse for that comment - insulting your owns fans rarely ends well - especially as he said only a couple of months ago that they were listening to offers, did he not?
Pete joined in some fan bashing with Darragh on Twitter too. My concern is that if they are willing to go that far publicly, how do they feel privately?
Comments
Is that optimism or pessimism?
Feeling that we will pip Derby to 6th spot by a point
I feel sad Gaz and Dobbo are gone. I feel lucky that they were ever here and I feel particularly lucky they stayed so long.
I feel pleased that we've got a manager that loves the football club like we do. Much better that just another badged up nobody from the merry-go-round
And as always, I feel deeply thankful that I'm a supporter of Wycombe Wanderers and not any other club on the planet.
I think an Amen might be appropriate
feelings first eh?
I think we've got the best possible candidate to build on Ainsworth's legacy, yes he's a gamble (in terms of relative lack of experience) but so is any manager, but he's 100% steeped in GA's way of doing things, whilst giving every appearance of being right up to do what it takes to learn his trade and graft, and bring his own ideas to the party.
So the continuity is very much there, but in every interview I've seen with him he's been immediately at pains to point out he's his own man with his own ideas, and of course who wouldn't be.
GA deserved his shot at something else after so long at the club, and deserves our very best wishes, if any of his successors contribute half as much as he has to the club then they'll have done very well.
Thinking:
I feel like we'll miss out on the playoffs, not through any lack of faith in the ability of MB or the team, but I just feel like any kind of disruption at this stage is something we could have done without, especially in an environment where the teams above us just do not seem to be willing to play fair and lose any games.
The funding situation is of course a concern, who knows how things have come out in the wash after the Mehmeti fees and compensation for GA (although in turn we'll have had to shell out compensation for Bloomfield)...but also the bigger picture of how interested the Couhigs still are...and there's the small but costly matter of unglamorous things like repairs needed to the stadium.
It'll be a big season of transition from a player perspective, which is always exciting, but again a risk.
In short: Optimistic but cautious right now.
Any idea if the share re-structure happened? Only ask as obviously year to date we have had another cash influx and just wondered where it was ending up?
Impact on contracts, transfers, infrastructure. Our future. Be nice to be told
There’s a trust meeting on Thursday so I’m sure there’ll be an update.
I think Rob has backtracked on the ‘£3m loss’ statement in subsequent interviews. At the time I’m pretty sure he said ‘A £3m cash injection (or cash deficit)’ which would include the building of a new road and possibly ground improvements. Neither of which have happened. Also cash spend on those capital projects would be written off in the accounts over time rather than 100% in the year the cash is spent. Finally, as @Blue_since_1990 says we have sold Mehmeti, reduced the squad etc.
As a Trust member and 25% shareholder I am concerned but I’m more concerned that the Trust don’t share the club accounts with Trust members so the finances can be reviewed. I raised this as a question at the AGM and was told that the Couhigs don’t want to do that. I’ve never come across a 25% shareholder who doesn’t get to see the annual accounts.
I’m also concerned that the Trust is way out of its depth financially and in no position to pay its share of any ground improvements or running costs etc. This was completely out of the question as long as the Trust held 25% of the shares and will remain a massive challenge even at 10%.
Surely the Trust gets to see the accounts but they are not shared publicly?
I would like to think they see budgets, cash flows and fairly regular updates not just the statutory accounts nine months or so after the year end.
Or do the two Trust directors on the main board get to see them at board meetings?
Woe betide me for being a negative Nelly, so I’ll try and put a positive spin on things…
I don’t think it’s unreasonable for fans to worry that we might just be about to find out how good a job Ainsworth was really doing and making an utter mockery of those that questioned him and called for his head.
I feel it Matt and his team could go on and emulate GA over the coming months. I also think we could also end up trailing off and not doing anything for ages just like arsenal did when Wenger finally left despite a host of good and proven replacements there
sometimes you don’t know what you’ve got till it’s gone.
I think Dev is right about the accounts, you're only classed as a 25% shareholder if you own all of the trusts shares, that isn't to say I don't share your concern about the trusts suitability and impact. I'd hope we'd have been told if the deal had completed. Under its new terms the trust shouldn't have to chip in a percentage of cash calls for a while but without the detail it's difficult to know if anything is going on tick with us expected to repay later, or inevitably to tidy up if it goes wrong. Good to see Rob about and leading the talks around management as a sign that he isn't imminently about to bail, was very difficult to gage any detail from a fairly disastrous EGM and stifled AGM.
For comparison QPR apparently lost £25m last season and would have done so the year before except for making nearly £18m on player sales (Eze?) . Very difficult to know how losses are funded in football or if they are just being left for someone else to sort out down the line.
Apparently the club who were financially strong enough to nick our best player lost the most, nearly £30m, although they've sold a lot of players since. In a weird way if we are going to gamble any money at least that spent on young players has a chance of multiplying.
As fans we'd like to know all the details of the financial workings of the club, of course.
But, what is to stop Bristol City, QPR, Agents etc also joining the Trust to get the info?
It makes sense that only club directors see everything.
Wouldn't even need to do that, every trust private member's email or meeting snippet ends up on here or the Facebook group immediately.
I was a little flippant earlier but I still have this feeling despite the emotional turmoil of the last week that we will pip Derby to 6th place.
Last Monday & Tuesday were an emotional rollercoaster for all concerned with the club so it is little wonder our performance on Saturday was a tad flat especially against a side that was as up for the fight as the Shrews. I thought David Wheeler's piece on the club website was very measured & honest & like him I think a week of training with Blooms will make a huge difference to our performance this weekend.
As for the finances, of course the Trust's nominated directors get to see the accounts & will be involved in the day to day board decisions of the club, however they will be operaitng under the usual expectation of confidentiality. The Trust as a body should be shown the accounts on completion as they are a shareholder, but given the vageries of company law they could be 12 months old by the time they are in the public domain. I suspect that some or all of the Trust board are aware of the amount received for Mehmeti, the reduction in the wage bill due to departures & loans & therefore the current forecast outrun in terms of deficit, my own suspicion is it is significantly less than the figure being bandied about here. Equally, the terms of the shareholding reduction are such that the Trust will be protected from any cash calls once it is completed, so perhaps some are worrying about nothing?
I feel some of you have, deliberately or otherwise, misread the Couhigs intentions & feel that Rob's comments in his recent WWTV interviews point to his commitment to the club & his frustration at the percieved negativity in some quarters. I take a lot of what he says with a pinch of salt, as he is prone to the sort of hyperbole common of US business people, something many in the UK seem to find quite alien & often mistake for arrogance. I suspect he is genuinely fond of the club & has little in the way of regrets at his purchase/investment.
I didn't really intend to write an essay, but obviosuly had a lot to get off my chest...
@Erroll_Sims where is the perceived negativity? Didn't he say one person/"idiot" questioned his commitment? Hardly seems worth talking about.
I think you may be forgetting Facebook and the cess pit that is Twitter. The gasroom is, in contrast, largely reasonable and restrained.
He was a bit of an arse for that comment - insulting your owns fans rarely ends well - especially as he said only a couple of months ago that they were listening to offers, did he not?
Comments like Rob’s are not needed and especially from a chairman of the club.
Pete joined in some fan bashing with Darragh on Twitter too. My concern is that if they are willing to go that far publicly, how do they feel privately?
That is sad news and certainly doesn’t foster good owner / fans relations. Very disappointing indeed.
Who's Darragh?
A quick flick through twitter and I see he was sucking upto the moron at Peterborough.
Pete also mentions Jacobson was actually in charge, although very briefly?