Signings - Spend Big Or Bargain Hunt ?

[Ace 3,556]

In the last week we have spent a grand total of £200k on one signing & our other is a free transfer.

This week we have been linked with quite a few free agents, again no cash spent?

This is not a "bash DK" thread but I do wonder if this is what the support want ?

Do you want us to be fishing around with others hand me downs or do you consider this to eminently sensible, bringing in younger players with 'potential' and a very clever way of seeking 'value'.

Too often we have purchased players who are beyond their sell by date & we end up paying loads for them & too them but get little back as a return ie Ian Black. By sourcing young, hungry talent we are future proofing the club and may actually get something back at the end of their tenure, while they deliver we what we seek ... success.

Or ..

As DK has already stated that being promoted is paramount, should we be looking at the finished article, someone we are fairly sure will do a job because they have been doing it elsewhere.

Remember DK said we aren't buying fur the Championship, we are buying for the Premiership but that costs money and, as yet, we've seen little evidence of any of the wealth promised.

What's your thoughts, what should our transfer policy be ... Youth, Experience ... Cash, Free ??

[RFC55 108,893]

I think there are will be one "biggy" and the rest will be loans, bosmans and small fees.

I'm not against free transfers and I think MW will work that market well

[Mr RFC 696]

It's a fucking disgrace mate. I'm thinking of just throwing in the towl just now if i'm honest.

[rbr 364]

We dont need to spend big , what we need is a manager that brings in the players that he thinks will fit into the system that he prefers to play , its the scottish championship we are in not the champions league .

We are starting to do what we should have done 3 years ago , when Ally and co threw 3 years down the drain

[Brightside 41]

I think a mix of all the types you mentioned is ultimately what we'll end up with. It may be that the signings we've made to date just happen to be free or inexpensive.

In saying that, I don't expect to see players arriving for 3&4 million but I'd be very surprised if we don't add a couple for a little less. As long as they fit the 'value' mould, I think the club will pay the money.

[bombaybadboy08 15,660]

I don't think it matters a fuck the fee or lack of one, it matters if they can improve us as a team and maybe get us a wee bonus when they move on.

[Prso's headband 35,444]

I think generally the type of player MW wants is a free because I think, am not too sure that most lower championship/league 1 players are on one year contracts. Apart from the big names or the captains etc. I think we will sign another 5 players and 2 big money signings. I hope Stuart Dallas is one of them.

[BlueSuedeSambas 53,782]

I'm happy with it tbh and I'm assuming Warburton must be happy with what he was given or promised otherwise I don't think he would have taken the job.

I'm sure he said that he doesn't like more expensive, marquee signings and that's going to be a shift in philosophy that a lot of people will need to get used to because as a support we are used to high profile, bigger name signings, but if Warburton can build a side capable of finishing in a play off spot in the championship without spending more than one million on a single player then I'm confident he can build a team here capable of going up and challenging in the SPL by adopting a similar approach.

We've got a manager who has a string of contacts, a decent eye for a player and a reputation for developing youth, we have to trust what he's doing even if it comes across as a bit underwhelming to some fans.

[Bigsasasfloppyhair 13,310]

I'd be happy to build a team of free agents of better quality as W&W are trying too. With one or two signings for a fee.

Look at it as a three step build with January window and next Summer. If we get it right we could buy 4 or 5 quality players and be ready to fuck these manky taigs and all the rest next season.

[govanblue 16,847]

You all know how tight I am. I'd be delighted if we got a whole squad without spending a penny!

Spending big has rarely paid off for us in recent years anyway.

[GMac 1,405]

Is a player valued at say £3 million going to be that great? Not sure its worth it at this stage.

[bombaybadboy08 15,660]

I'm happy with it tbh and I'm assuming Warburton must be happy with what he was given or promised otherwise I don't think he would have taken the job.

I'm sure he said that he doesn't like more expensive, marquee signings and that's going to be a shift in philosophy that a lot of people will need to get used to because as a support we are used to high profile, bigger name signings, but if Warburton can build a side capable of finishing in a play off spot in the championship without spending more than one million on a single player then I'm confident he can build a team here capable of going up and challenging in the SPL by adopting a similar approach.

We've got a manager who has a string of contacts, a decent eye for a player and a reputation for developing youth, we have to trust what he's doing even if it comes across as a bit underwhelming.

I agree with you right up until your last point, I don't think it's underwhelming at all.

When we're qualifying for the Champion's League group stages every season and winning titles the signings we have made would probably be underwhelming.

[Parlaneloyal 353]

We seem to be buying a pile of second rate shite who have little knowledge of Scottish football.

However I thought our team of 'stars' would romp,the league last season with the quality of Boyd etc in the team .

I'm hoping Mr Warburtons approach pays off this coming season

[Prso's headband 35,444]

I also think this window will be the foundations for the return to the SPFL. January - if needed will be to blend in some other players Warburton feels is good enough for the SPFL and the next summer will see middle english champ, decent players from europe arrive to really mount a challenge with the current squad being the core and back up. Players like Wilson and Kiernan and hopefully a few others signed this window will be the core for next year. I really hope we dont sign a team for the championship and a team for the SPFL

[Misteral 2,932]

Bargain hunt is continuing...............for the time being at least. Goalkeeper Wes Foderingham rumoured to be at MP

[californiadreamin52 339]

Warburton is not the type of man to suffer in silence he will tell you if he is unhappy about money, everything I have read about him it would appear this is the way he wants to approach his job.

[Alendrin 298]

Hearts n hibs managed to build teams in very little time, that tbh played way better football than we managed and we had a big head start,

ill give warburton time, signings so far are players that can help win the championship...though i expect more, season tickets need to be sold.

[THE_Ibrox_Preacher 2,812]

.

[govanblue 16,847]

I believe the mantra of the minute is 'Value'.

'Value' is not merely a soundbite by the club or the support, it's the reality we face. Granted, Dave King is a supposed billionaire and he did claim he was going to put in 10's of millions. The reality of the man though is that he didn't want to pay a penny to get in the club, he has said different values at different interviews as to how much he's putting in and finally,...this is key for me,...he's never explicitly said he's putting in his money and when he will do so.

Now I'm not concerned by this just now as the important thing is the circus around the board and running of the club is dying down and there's optimism where there was despair. The football is where we (the mere fans and permanent cash-cows) can measure the running of the club, 'is it good or is it bad'? I would say that the answer has to be 'so far so good'. We have an up-and-coming management duo that with no real money almost got back to back promotions with Brentford, they were within touching distance of the Premiership and putting their services well out of our price range (one would imagine). Having finished second and won promotion the hard way they leapfrogged the division winners (Wolves) in the Championship, this is no easy task considering you have a good manager in Kenny Jacket leading them, a man who has won promotion twice in the English leagues with different clubs.

Further to the ambitious appointment of the management team for where we are, one of our first signings is for £200k, this is money being spent that caught almost everyone in our support by surprise. Why the surprise? Well I think deep down even the most hearty King supporter thought spending money was off the table until such times as set up the table for a game of 'find the lady'. Once again this is positive.

Let's look at the players - we have brought in 2 CB's (we needed them) and we've made a start with an aging pro in Eustace (could he be the metaphorical Dave McKay in the Clough at Derby analogy?!). 3 positions we need filled and 2 are young and had to be wrestled from competition for their signature and Eustace is the man who appears to be coming in to show the young lads what to do and when, a leader on the pitch and a leader off it.

The combined cost is irrelevant it's a case of we need these people and we've got them at a price that's within the scope of being sensible with our finances (this should signal delight among the support that just watched £30M+ spunked away on pals and chancers). The other players we're linked with so far are all young and coming from here, there and everywhere - one imagines this is us casting the net out to catch players who have something to offer in ability and for the price they command with regards to sale/moving-them-on. We are like it or not a team who's reputation and finances have been through the grubber, finishing 3rd in the Scottish Championship is not a draw to even lowly-placed, ambitious, England-based players nevermind continental stars. We have to (as a support and as a club) get real, winning this division will not see us earn prize money that will cover the wages of one decent squad player. We simply cannot go back down the road of chucking money at it and hoping it all pans out in the end, that approach is well out of date for this club and the result of that approach is what leads us to the position we're in.

Let's re-brand ourselves as a club with regards to how we play and how much we pay for it - it gives us scope to make money so that we can afford the odd big signing going forward. Good football with 11 better players than the opposition and at a price we can sell them for a profit - should be a future we're all happy with considering where we were 3 years ago. If the rest of football changes then perhaps we'll adapt when that bridge comes but just now we're signing the right players for the challenge at the right price and I struggle to imagine how anyone could expect £2M and £3M signings just now.

On-wards and upwards, I'm optimistic,.......it doesn't mean however that Dave King can "Fergus McCann" it at us, taking some money every month and using everyone elses money to fulfill his promises. It just means that unless an alternative plan comes to the fore having bought it's stake - we have to support what appears to be a comparably brilliant approach to the running of our club and the football it plays.

I'd put a couple more paragraph breaks in there if I were you IP.

[BlueSuedeSambas 53,782]

I agree with you right up until your last point, I don't think it's underwhelming at all.

When we're qualifying for the Champion's League group stages every season and winning titles the signings we have made would probably be underwhelming.

I don't personally think it's underwhelming. I've just seen a few posts on here where people seem to be giving off the impression that that's how they are finding it so I was just sort of generalising.

I it was McCoist in this situation I would be worried, but because it's Warburton and he's shown he can operate successfully in this market I'm quite happy for us I take the approach that we are.

[THE_Ibrox_Preacher 2,812]

.

[the_r_sole 366]

Realistically any big name/expensive player will only be attracted to us for the money, until we are in the top league and challenging for Europe every year we have hardly any draw to established players - Warburton has said time and again that he wants young, hungry players, to me that means he will be looking at guys who have points to prove and want to show they are capable.

If the team perform on the park and play attractive football whilst youths are developing I really don't care if we hardly spend any money assembling the team!!

[govanblue 16,847]

I always edit my sprawl's after posting

Me too. Adding all that red and blue takes a lot of time and concentration.

[cushynumber 25,178]

Like we have a choice. Why do you think we got MW? Cause cheap players that he thinks are value for money are his specialty - and that is exactly what DK and the board want for the championship.

[Ryan_1 1,136]

I'd much rather the large amounts of money (if there is any) was left until next summer and this season was left down to Warburtons knowledge and contacts around Britain to bring in talent from down south that don't command much of a fee, that can be developed and to use a phrase popular with Warburton 'add value' to our squad then I have the upmost confidence in their management abilities in doing so.

Signing players for a hefty fee (hefty for the division we are in at least) would more than likely be bringing someone with a reputation and most probably from a higher standard than we currently can offer. Do we want another bunch of Billy big times, who think they are better than the league they play in and therefore overlook their opposition? Happended far too often last season and even the season beforehand.

Warburton and Weir seem to be putting together a hungry, ambitious squad who have a point to prove, alot like most of the rest of the Championship will have. No more passengers.