Steve Hitchen

[Raziel]

To add to the story, here's the budget numbers all in Euros (via transfermarkt)

2017 - In 121, Out 103, Net 18
2018 - 0, 5, -5
2019 - 151, 65, 86
2020 - 110, 13, 97
Total - 382, 186, 196
Average net spending per year 49m Euros

Since
2021 - 96, 35, 61
2022 - 180, 39, 141
2023 - 272, 121, 151
2024 - 149, 55, 94
Total - 697, 250, 447
Average net spending 112m Euros

We've clearly been elevated into a different transfer league since the Poch days. I think Jose and Conte started to feel the benefits but there was so much work to do. Ange has it best, and will continue to have that luxury although I don't think it will be at previous spending levels. I could be wrong on that though.

There will continue to be more money for Ange

- That was the point of the stadium
- The uptick/approval of additional non football events (now 30 a year?) will bring more revenue
- Back in Europe
- Lots of brick wages off the bill

Really hope Ange can pull a trophy out this year, because I think it would go a long way to giving him the time he needs to build a challenging squad.

 

[Muttley]

There will continue to be more money for Ange

- That was the point of the stadium
- The uptick/approval of additional non football events (now 30 a year?) will bring more revenue
- Back in Europe
- Lots of brick wages off the bill

Really hope Ange can pull a trophy out this year, because I think it would go a long way to giving him the time he needs to build a challenging squad.

All the things you say (and more) have materialised and we will find ourselves at this fantastic plateau of revenue streams. Even so, when you look closely you see losses on our P&L, implying we've been spending slightly above our means. Hence my logic why net transfer kitty may normalise a little lower than what we have today. With FFP/PSR being mostly a 3-year rolling calculation, can we even spend that much again even if we wanted to?

I guess we find out.

 

[Raziel]

All the things you say (and more) have materialised and we will find ourselves at this fantastic plateau of revenue streams. Even so, when you look closely you see losses on our P&L, implying we've been spending slightly above our means. Hence my logic why net transfer kitty may normalise a little lower than what we have today. With FFP/PSR being mostly a 3-year rolling calculation, can we even spend that much again even if we wanted to?

I guess we find out.

The 30 events is new (up from 16 I think?), Karting probably hasn't shown up yet in numbers, there has been subtly more commercial sponsorships (we now have official furniture sponsors), a few good cups runs could up the ante a little bit more as well.

So, my view, we will probably still have a bit more ceiling but I don't think the noise around outside investors is smoke without fire, club probably feels now is the time to double down (finally) and some addition investment is probably needed to supplement that new revenue stream to really compete.

 

[Muttley]

The 30 events is new (up from 16 I think?), Karting probably hasn't shown up yet in numbers, there has been subtly more commercial sponsorships (we now have official furniture sponsors), a few good cups runs could up the ante a little bit more as well.

So, my view, we will probably still have a bit more ceiling but I don't think the noise around outside investors is smoke without fire, club probably feels now is the time to double down (finally) and some addition investment is probably needed to supplement that new revenue stream to really compete.

That's fair. With the players rolling off in the summer and close to 150m euros of net spending, we really could see another gear change in this team.

Sunday's 1st team bench was fantastic and perhaps the biggest reason we sent Villa home packing. 2 or 3 more will make a massive difference.

 

[Raziel]

That's fair. With the players rolling off in the summer and close to 150m euros of net spending, we really could see another gear change in this team.

Sunday's 1st team bench was fantastic and perhaps the biggest reason we sent Villa home packing. 2 or 3 more will make a massive difference.

Piece for me is

- We have a great pipeline of promising youth players
- We need to add finished (or close to) finished product, those 2-3 need to be "Solanke like"

If we can either do like Solanke or even experienced pro later in their career (if they have been part of a successful team), to your point, I think the difference would be considerable

 

[metalgear]

good discussion.... for the ENIC thread

hitchen has done well for himself after seriously botching up our transfers around and after 2018
the appointments saw the decline of poch and the ridiculously inappropriate appointments of mourinho and conte (without proper funding) - like hiring an F1 driver to race in the go kart nationals