• Nigel Adkins has been given the Tranmere job on a permanent basis signing until the end of the 25/26 season. Continue the discussion here.

The Squad for 2018/19

Boz

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Iain Hume
Neither of us can know with any certainty what exactly his knowledge or expectations were. I'm not aware of Mark doing the accounts for any club at this level in the recent past and assumed that his starting point would be the kind of figures we had to pay when last in L2 adjusted for football inflation and the better renumeration L2 sides get compared to 3 years ago. He has said in one of the interviews that we're not currently in a position to pay the kind of wages some L2 rivals have been forking out and there is a degree of ambiguity about this season's budget in comparative terms.
 
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Jason Koumas / John Morrissey
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John King
Palios has spoken about wage levels in League Two, League One and the Championship in interviews. You only have to receive offers for players and speak to agents to understand the wages that are being paid at higher levels. When he says we have a competitive, top third budget I don't have any reason to disbelieve him. Mellon may be many things but he is probably not particularly financially literate. Having a 'competitive' budget does not mean we can spend hundreds of thousands of pounds in transfer fees for any player we want.
 

drwhoman

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Mark is a senior accountant and he will know precisely what we can afford. As has been observed by others we have missed out on league payments for at least the last season while we had the dreadful Little Mix situation before that. MM has to be smart in his player recruitment and in this regard RLC says, quite correctly, that we are not in a position to throw money around. Hence, consolidation has to be the key in the coming season. Boring but there we are.
 

Boz

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Iain Hume
The work that the Palioi have done to increase our non-football revenues has been commendable, pop-concerts aside and it puts the club in a stronger position to cope with the financial demands of being in L2.

However there have been mixed messages about the budget ranging from a top third, which is inevitably going to be significantly bigger than last season, to a similar budget, which clearly won’t. Mark has done a lot of interviews, I’ve not listened to them all, so unsure if he’s stepped back from the top third budget stance now.

With regard to drwhoman’s comment on consolidation, I have no problem with that and think it should have been our position from the outset. Suggesting we will be challenging for promotion, when the chance of another Accrington are slim, raises expectations which may not be met.
 
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Jason Koumas / John Morrissey
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If you don't know what our budget is, how can you know whether a promotion challenge is realistic ? Are you suggesting the owners are deliberately misleading the supporters ?
 
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Jason Koumas / John Morrissey
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Mark has done a lot of interviews, I’ve not listened to them all, so unsure if he’s stepped back from the top third budget stance now.

With regard to drwhoman’s comment on consolidation, I have no problem with that and think it should have been our position from the outset. Suggesting we will be challenging for promotion, when the chance of another Accrington are slim, raises expectations which may not be met.
At the promotion celebration at Prenton Park in May, Palios said the ambition this season was promotion. In his message on the website last week he said that he expected us to challenge near the top of the table. So the message from him is unequivocal: he expects us to challenge for promotion.

We will have the fifth or sixth highest average gate in the division next season, in addition to the off-the-pitch revenue that most clubs don't have. We don't have a wealthy benefactor, but then nor do the great majority of clubs in League Two. On that basis, it is perfectly logical to assume our budget will be competitive, probably top third. To make out we are some 'plucky underdog' with the resources of Acrrington, who have one quarter of our support, is laughable.

I love MM but I don't have to believe everything that comes out of his mouth. It seems that he is frustrated at not being able to sign Rowe, but that does not mean he has no got sufficient resources to have a decent season.
 

bigmart

bigmart
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Ian Muir
Think RLC has hit the nail on the head, think MM is frustrated about not getting the Rowe deal done and missing out on 1 or 2 others.
 

drwhoman

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I see Jordan Archer has gone to Bury. I think we were linked with him at one stage. Is he any good?
 
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Jason Koumas / John Morrissey
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Yes, I can't see Archer being good enough in League Two. Just goes to show that some of our signings have been pretty decent.
 
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aldo
jordan took loads of stick lasy year i know a few chester lads who didnt rate him at all . who knows . still time to get things sorted we are not gonna pay 200k for some one who might not be able to make the step up .
 

Boz

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Iain Hume
Perhaps the reality is that when clubs like Port Vale are splashing the cash, suggestions of a player on 6k a week there, then there has been some re-assessment of our financial position. My starting point is that there are at least half a dozen sides with significantly bigger budgets that Rovers.

It is the right approach that we won't pay silly money for players particularly when they are untested at this level. However, unless we do an Accrington, it is highly unlikely we will be in the promotion mix with the current squad. I am expecting at least 2/3 more signings who will be first team contenders plus maybe the odd squad player. While recruiting late is not ideal it seems that's where Rovers are at for bolstering the squad. It will be easier to assess our prospects when the final squad is known. There is nothing wrong with doing an Accrington, a decent manager can work wonders with the right players and some luck avoiding injuries.

It's hard to assess what level of attendance we'll get next season. While the core will go up due to the increase in season-ticket holders, it otherwise will depend on how well we start the season.
 
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Jason Koumas / John Morrissey
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Perhaps the reality is that when clubs like Port Vale are splashing the cash, suggestions of a player on 6k a week there, then there has been some re-assessment of our financial position. My starting point is that there are at least half a dozen sides with significantly bigger budgets that Rovers.

It is the right approach that we won't pay silly money for players particularly when they are untested at this level. However, unless we do an Accrington, it is highly unlikely we will be in the promotion mix with the current squad. I am expecting at least 2/3 more signings who will be first team contenders plus maybe the odd squad player. While recruiting late is not ideal it seems that's where Rovers are at for bolstering the squad. It will be easier to assess our prospects when the final squad is known. There is nothing wrong with doing an Accrington, a decent manager can work wonders with the right players and some luck avoiding injuries.

It's hard to assess what level of attendance we'll get next season. While the core will go up due to the increase in season-ticket holders, it otherwise will depend on how well we start the season.
So even if five or six clubs have higher budgets, it is reasonable to assume we will have a top third budget, is not it ? Our gates will be the fifth or sixth highest in the division, guaranteed. And to compare us to Accrington is ludicrous. They are a much smaller club and we don't need to overachieved to the extent they did to have a good season.
 
M

Mal

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So even if five or six clubs have higher budgets, it is reasonable to assume we will have a top third budget, is not it ? Our gates will be the fifth or sixth highest in the division, guaranteed. And to compare us to Accrington is ludicrous. They are a much smaller club and we don't need to overachieved to the extent they did to have a good season.
and To make out we are some 'plucky underdog' with the resources of Acrrington, who have one quarter of our support, is laughable.

before I respond in a mature non-emotive fashion, were you misinterpreting my comment asking about Accrington's budget?
 

Sparky

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8 Sep 2009
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Chris Greenacre
Turning back to the squad we’ve signed 19 year old centre midfielder Harvey Gilmour on loan from Sheffield United until January.

I wasn’t at the Liverpool game but apparently he did ok and has been training with us.
 
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Jason Koumas / John Morrissey
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and To make out we are some 'plucky underdog' with the resources of Acrrington, who have one quarter of our support, is laughable.

before I respond in a mature non-emotive fashion, were you misinterpreting my comment asking about Accrington's budget?
I was responding to Boz, not you.
 
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