[Droitwich Baggie]

I haven't posted for over a week because I have been fuming as to how this team has become gutless.
If we go down (which is almost nailed on), will Lai spend on fit, exciting and hungry players?
Our knackered old millionaire has-beens should be put out to grass and out of our misery. [They don't use cars, they use Zimmer frames and wheel chairs]....How many are over 30? Their legs and quick thinking have gone...They still think in the Pulis way...pass back, pass back and pass back to Foster to let him hoof (how many times did that happen tonight, even?)
I don't think that FFP applies in the Championship, so he can pay to build a team which can get up and compete with the best in the Premiership (as did Chelski and Man Chitty who did it before restraints were imposed).
Also he has to stamp his authority on the board and get shot of the dead wood.

[baggie82]

I don't think that FFP applies in the Championship, so he can pay to build a team which can get up and compete with the best in the Premiership (as did Chelski and Man Chitty who did it before restraints were  imposed). Also he has to stamp his authority on the board and get shot of the dead wood.

FFP does apply in the championship but they don't have short term cost controls, own football league version of FFP which is easier to get around than the premiership. With parachute money and squad we should have enough to assemble a team to at least challenge for the automatic places. If we go down we'll find out what the owner is made of in the summer.

[kamarasboot]

I haven't posted for over a week because I have been fuming as to how this team has become gutless.
If we go down (which is almost nailed on), will Lai spend on fit, exciting and hungry players?
Our knackered old millionaire has-beens should be put out to grass and out of our misery. [They don't use cars, they use Zimmer frames and wheel chairs]....How many are over 30? Their legs and quick thinking have gone...They still think in the Pulis way...pass back, pass back and pass back to Foster to let him hoof (how many times did that happen tonight, even?)
I don't think that FFP applies in the Championship, so he can pay to build a team which can get up and compete with the best in the Premiership (as did Chelski and Man Chitty who did it before restraints were imposed).
Also he has to stamp his authority on the board and get shot of the dead wood.

He didn’t overspend in the premier league, he won’t do it in the championship - not sure what folk are expecting.

[albion59]

The vile and the dingles get a sugar daddy who spend money and take chances, we get Jeremy Peace the second.Ain't worked as it?

[brummyroader]

The vile and the dingles get a sugar daddy who spend money and take chances, we get Jeremy Peace the second.Ain't worked as it?

Just over £40m spent in the summer with Greg’s 105k wages, 6/7th biggest net spend in his first proper summer window is hardly penny pinching. Plus Sturridge’s wages in Jan, very lazy to blame Lai the people who run the show day to day our responsible for where we are.

[kamarasboot]

Just over £40m spent in the summer with Greg’s 105k wages, 6/7th biggest net spend in his first proper summer window is hardly penny pinching. Plus Sturridge’s wages in Jan, very lazy to blame Lai the people who run the show day to day our responsible for where we are.

Numbers need context - forget net spend, forget whether we we first or last in the spending charts. Did we get what we needed - I’d argue no. It will be the same next season.

Personally I’d find it histerical how this guys let his investment get wasted if it wasn’t for the fact it’s the club I love.

Bit like trying to sell your house by having a sh*t in the living room whilst doing a viewing

[brummyroader]

Numbers need context - forget net spend, forget whether we we first or last in the spending charts. Did we get what we needed - I’d argue no. It will be the same next season.

Personally I’d find it histerical how this guys let his investment get wasted if it wasn’t for the fact it’s the club I love.

Bit like trying to sell your house by having a sh*t in the living room whilst doing a viewing

Proved my point, what it was spent on isn’t Lai’s doing he gave the resources that haven’t been used correctly by the people who run the club daily.

[kamarasboot]

Proved my point, what it was spent on isn’t Lai’s doing he gave the resources that haven’t been used correctly by the people who run the club daily.

Not necessarily - we may have spent £40m, but we may have needed £70m and lai refused - we’ll never know. All I can say is we’ve never spent beyond our means, and I don’t expect us to change that - that means Lai hasn’t put any extra (other than the Chinese lad who is a marketing exercise)

[Standaman]

I have no idea how Lai will react to relegation nor does anybody else. I have seen suggestions that he will asset strip the club, I have no idea where that notion comes from but I'm not sure there are £200m worth of assets to strip

The issue in the Championship is the same as that in the Premier League it is not the club doesn't have the resources to compete from the income it can generate but that it can't spend that money badly and hope to compete.

We need a major reboot and while I wouldn't expect any ownership group to have the expertise to deliver that, I would hope they would have a sufficient understanding to make competent executive appointments that could deliver the changes required for the club to be revived.  My problem with Lai and his associates is I'm not sure they have the understanding of the football world to make those critical appointments.   

[kamarasboot]

I have no idea how Lai will react to relegation nor does anybody else. I have seen suggestions that he will asset strip the club, I have no idea where that notion comes from but I'm not sure there are £200m worth of assets to strip

The issue in the Championship is the same as that in the Premier League it is not the club doesn't have the resources to compete from the income it can generate but that it can't spend that money badly and hope to compete.

We need a major reboot and while I wouldn't expect any ownership group to have the expertise to deliver that, I would hope they would have a sufficient understanding to make competent executive appointments that could deliver the changes required for the club to be revived.  My problem with Lai and his associates is I'm not sure they have the understanding of the football world to make those critical appointments.

If Lai is true to his word and wants the club to run in the same way as in the past then we know what to expect. I agree with you I have no confidence that the football people at the club are capable of sorting it out- but those who think  Lai is going to blow teams out the water with his spending are in for a big surprise.

The only way he can maintain his investment is to minimise overall expenditure, JP was lucky in that wheen we were a yo yo side the squad was a championship one and was young enough to keep getting us back up with a little bit of investment. This team will need a mass rebuild and I can’t see him splashing the cash.

[caravanc58]

wonder if he'd be interested in selling up, wasn't an offer turned down last September?

[HampshireBaggie]

Nothing wrong with Lai per se, ultimately he is allowing the club to be funded up the FFP limits. We have two players on 100k per week + (albeit loans). The only part of his ownership Lai has got wrong is the appointment of Williams but that was probably Peace's recommendation.

[WBAinDEVON]

when he sacks Williams might he turn to JP

[The Joust]

Pointless owner - May as well have kept JP

[ex coseley kid]

Pointless owner - May as well have kept JP

...and that's no Lai! 

[WBAinDEVON]

jeremy could buy it back for say 60 million then sell it again for 180 million a few years later if and when we go up again. what a money spinner

[johnny Cash]

Lai and/or his team do seem to act.

I personally don’t think the owners have done much wrong

[leeiswba]

I honestly can not see in the slightest what this bloke can be blamed for. He has stumped up all the cash and the football people who were meant to look after he club have failed and he’s also now acted on that.

[Pie]

Breaking: Big change at #wba. Chairman John Williams and Chief Executive Martin Goodman 'placed on garden leave with immediate effect.' Mark Jenkins returns as CEO. Jenkins: "There is much to do but for now the focus must solely be on the remaining games of this season."

https://twitter.com/PaulSuartWBA/status/963384394848272384

Didn't see that happening. Right decision from what we know.

[Atomic]

when he sacks Williams might he turn to JP

I'd rather he found a Paul Thompson mark 2. We need someone with ambition, vision and drive.

[mikehy]

I think this at least proves that he will not asset strip and just take the parachute money. Hope this is a signal we will do everything we can to get back up.

[HampshireBaggie]

Lai hasn't done anything wrong than be badly advised. He was advised to entrust 'football people' but in doing that he trusted 'football dinosaurs'

[BB74]

I think Lai is still taking advice from Peace given the Jenkins appointment.

[baggiebof]

I don't know if the sackings are a good thing or a bad thing regarding our survival chances this season. It does appear that we are chucking in the towel on the season but on the other hand, I'm glad that Lai is being proactive and not accepting the situation.

On balance, it is the right decision so disregarding the timing - i'm pleased.

[Atomic]

I don't know if the sackings are a good thing or a bad thing regarding our survival chances this season. It does appear that we are chucking in the towel on the season but on the other hand, I'm glad that Lai is being proactive and not accepting the situation.

On balance, it is the right decision so disregarding the timing - i'm pleased.

I'm not sure "chucking in the towel" is the correct phrase, more facing realism, but it certainly seems that we are planning for next season and that the owner can see, like everyone, that our survival chances are now slim. The timing would strongly indicate that.