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Thompson confirms exits; Most of the midfield to leave
Topic Started: Mar 9 2011, 10:51 PM (4,511 Views)
Morvant's Finest
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Tommy McLean
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I think there is a lot of common ground in the opinions here, despite the 4 page thread.

We can all agree that the pressure on United's finances from external forces outwith the club's control are going to continue to present the club with problems when players we buy (or rear) make progress and receive significantly better contract offers (or imagined offers whispered into their ears by their agents...).

The argument seems to stem from the club's current approach to all this, which - without other major backers coming in anytime soon - pretty much equates to how much of his remaining inheritance Stephen Thompson wants to (or the terms of the will states he has to) plough into the club.

In his defence it’s evident from what has been said by the Chairman and other owners (e.g. Rangers) that the Banks are no longer willing to be flexible with SPL club’s overdrafts. And the recently announced accounts to June 2010 testify to his family’s continuing input into the club -
Quote:
 

(taken from the link above it stated that in a year when we made a net profit of £66K)
“Directors' loans for the year increased by £300k to £435k. This increase demonstrates the continued support of the Thompson family towards the football club.”

So without external input we would have made a net loss of £234,000 in our most successful season for years….ouch.

However the thing that sticks in the craw is as Ivan pointed out his “constant negative, woe is me, unenthusiastic stewardship of the club.” And at a time when we’ve built our best squad of players for may years the only plan he seems to have is to let some of our best players run out their contracts allowing them to leave for nothing. If we couldn’t afford new contracts why weren’t we actively trying to sell them?

The failed Conway deal we all know about, but why did we manage to let someone like Buaben, who hits 23 in April, run down his contract when we could have at least got some compensation based on his wages beforehand. If Hibs can sell Steven Fletcher for £3M and Aberdeen can get £500K for Lee Miller why haven’t we been able to drum up even one serious offer for our other out of contract players?

If the only strategy in the meantime is to massively cut costs (without generating extra income or investment in the club), there is only one way the team’s performance on the pitch will go without a smarter transfer policy.
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Naebody
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Twat
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Morvant's Finest
Mar 11 2011, 01:40 PM
So without external input we would have made a net loss of £234,000 in our most successful season for years….ouch.
Well, no. The director loans rose by £135,000 over the period, so without this assistance the net loss would be £69,000.

Otherwise, we agree in nearly synchronous posts.
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The Eggman
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Tommy McLean
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Morvant's Finest
Mar 11 2011, 01:40 PM
So without external input we would have made a net loss of £234,000 in our most successful season for years….ouch.
And if United had finished 7th and gone out of the Scottish Cup in the third round, how much would that loss have amounted to? £700k? More?

If that's the case, then clearly the club is existing far beyond its means. A club can't budget in terms of hoped-for success.

Most of the United first teamers who are out of contract soon, are paid what, a couple of grand a week, with assorted bonuses here and these. So Prince Buaben may be being paid £120k a year, something like that? So Buaben, Gomis and Conway go, that's perhaps £350-400k saved.

What are United paying in staff wages in terms of a % of income, and how much should that be to be breaking even (during a season of mid table finish and no cup success, which next season may well be).
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whatsthatonyourback
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Waldo Jeffers
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Naebody
Mar 11 2011, 01:26 PM
What's needed is someone at the top to say: "here's what we want to achieve and this is what it'll cost, so this is how we'll be paying for it." A plan, basically.
Such as ST would express any "plan" with the support, I suspect there is one and we already know what it is: operate at break even, budgeting for top 6 finishes and QFs of both cups.

The debt gets paid down whenever there's a player sale windfall or an unusually successful season.

It's not an exciting plan, but I'd be interested to hear what other plans he should be considering.
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findus
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Jerry Kerr
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Morvant's Finest
Mar 11 2011, 01:40 PM
The failed Conway deal we all know about, but why did we manage to let someone like Buaben, who hits 23 in April, run down his contract when we could have at least got some compensation based on his wages beforehand. If Hibs can sell Steven Fletcher for £3M and Aberdeen can get £500K for Lee Miller why haven’t we been able to drum up even one serious offer for our other out of contract players?
I hope United have learned from this as we have recently shown as much guile on the selling end of the transfer market than that of a rhino on a space-hopper in a minefield.
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Naebody
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Twat
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WhatsThat
Mar 11 2011, 01:26 PM
Such as ST would express any "plan" with the support ...


Wait, what? We shouldn't be expecting Thompson to communicate his objectives with the support? Wow.

WhatsThat
Mar 11 2011, 01:26 PM

I suspect there is one and we already know what it is: operate at break even, budgeting for top 6 finishes and QFs of both cups.


That was the plan, undoubtedly. Is it still? I see no evidence of any targets beyond the break-even one, which could just as easily be called "orderly decline". Or perhaps just "survival".

WhatsThat
Mar 11 2011, 01:26 PM
The debt gets paid down whenever there's a player sale windfall or an unusually successful season.


In the past 20 years we've had one of each, and remained loss-making both times. You're as well to hope there's oil under Gussie Park (were we not selling it).

WhatsThat
Mar 11 2011, 01:26 PM
It's not an exciting plan, but I'd be interested to hear what other plans he should be considering.


He should consider whether he wants to own a football club. If not, the rest of the plan writes itself.
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whatsthatonyourback
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Waldo Jeffers
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Fine Naebody. you've no respect for ST & his stewardship of the club.

However, with no suggestions of what he should do instead, your derision just sounds like internet gumbumpery.
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The Eggman
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Tommy McLean
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Whatsthat, what's your impression on Thompson in terms of his feelings on the club? Do you think he's glad to be the owner, and wants to continue being the owner for the foreseeable future?
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whatsthatonyourback
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Waldo Jeffers
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The Eggman
Mar 11 2011, 03:03 PM
Whatsthat, what's your impression on Thompson in terms of his feelings on the club? Do you think he's glad to be the owner, and wants to continue being the owner for the foreseeable future?
I don't really care about that, Eggs.

All I'm bothered about is whether he is doing a good job under the circumstances. Which I think he is. Not perfect by any means, but I'd take him over most other Chief Execs of the SPL competition.

ETA: Even if he isn't happy being the owner and wants out, I don't really see a conflict between that and his current role. It will be easier for him to exit, with as high a purchase price as possible, if he runs the club well.
Edited by whatsthatonyourback, Mar 11 2011, 03:16 PM.
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Naebody
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Twat
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whatsthatonyourback
Mar 11 2011, 02:56 PM
Fine Naebody. you've no respect for ST & his stewardship of the club.
Not much, no. Though I've made that clear for at least a year.

I'm rather busy at the moment with the day job, but later today I'll set out a five-year-plan for United to excape purgatory (for the little good it'll do).
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findus
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Jerry Kerr
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whatsthatonyourback
Mar 11 2011, 02:56 PM
Fine Naebody. you've no respect for ST & his stewardship of the club.

However, with no suggestions of what he should do instead, your derision just sounds like internet gumbumpery.
'Gumbumpery' :rock:

Has anyone mentioned Hitler yet?
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Alpha
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Craig Brewster
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I confess to being just a lowly fan of the club, I did have a season ticket for a number of years, a luxury that I can no longer afford, that and I am still in treatment from seeing and hearing Mcall preaching to the east stand.

I would dearly love to go the games, and put my money in to the club, and perhaps if the job prospects improve I may do so again. But times are hard so hard I am going to ditch Sky sports* and movies, I would rather not but £30 a month is just something I cannot afford right now.

I guess we might have been in a different position if we had made even a little progress in Europe this season.









* Not till Monday
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The Eggman
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Tommy McLean
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whatsthatonyourback
Mar 11 2011, 03:09 PM
The Eggman
Mar 11 2011, 03:03 PM
Whatsthat, what's your impression on Thompson in terms of his feelings on the club? Do you think he's glad to be the owner, and wants to continue being the owner for the foreseeable future?
I don't really care about that, Eggs.
You don't care enough about it to have an opinion? Or you have an opinion but don't want to discuss it (because you see it as irrelevant, etc)?

I care about it because a person's motivation affects their performance.
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reekie
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lum raker
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Naebody
Mar 11 2011, 01:26 PM
Thompson has effectively told us all that the club is entering The Death Spiral.
Car's packed, boys are fed and re-nappied, mother and brother's birthday gifts are bought and we're about to head off to Dundee for a weekend of celebration and cup fun.
I pop on here for one moment...

Fux ache, Naebs!
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whatsthatonyourback
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Waldo Jeffers
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The Eggman
Mar 11 2011, 03:22 PM
whatsthatonyourback
Mar 11 2011, 03:09 PM
The Eggman
Mar 11 2011, 03:03 PM
Whatsthat, what's your impression on Thompson in terms of his feelings on the club? Do you think he's glad to be the owner, and wants to continue being the owner for the foreseeable future?
I don't really care about that, Eggs.
You don't care enough about it to have an opinion? Or you have an opinion but don't want to discuss it (because you see it as irrelevant, etc)?

I care about it because a person's motivation affects their performance.
Maybe you missed my edit:

ETA: Even if he isn't happy being the owner and wants out, I don't really see a conflict between that and his current role. It will be easier for him to exit, with as high a purchase price as possible, if he runs the club well.

Even so, if he's doing a good job, why should you concern yourself with his motivation? Once you start bringing that into it, it becomes a murky world. He could be in it for money, or for his father's memory, or for a feeling of self-worth, or a deep love of United, or a hatred of Dundee, or to impress chicks, or he's got nothing better to do, or he wouldn't have been able to run a company of this size any other way. So what? Plenty of people have run the club they love and made a complete arse of it.
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