[Atomic]

Keep:

Palmer
Griffiths
O'Shea
Molumby
Yokuslu
Gardner-Hickman
Dike
Thomas-Asante

AT ALL COSTS!

Build around them.

Obviously we have other good players but be it age, wages, all of the others should have a value we should be happy to sell at or in some cases we should be actively looking to get off the books. Of course we can't let all go and I'd certainly be happy to keep a number of them but a number have to go.

The above list, unless offered insane money, we absolutely should not let go.

[baggiejohn]

Personally, if we could get the £7 million we paid for Dike, I'd let him go, as a striker he's very limited.

If you consider the "going concern" comments in the accounts, it's also unlikely that we'd "impair" the values of Grant & Diangana (around £4.5 million each as it stands I believe).

In a perfect world, you're probably right, but, as others have said, the next 12 months are going to be a difficult navigation to balance the on & off field issues.

[gazberg]

Now we know the finanicial situation a bit better i'd let all the players out of contract go including Pieters, no fault of his own, he's done ok overall but he's 34 already and 35 when the next season starts pretty much, he's probably on 5 figures a week and we are getting Caleb Taylor, Kipre and Ashworth back so CB and LB will be covered.

Pieters, Bryan, Livermore, Rogic can all go for me.

I'd look to move on Martin Kelly, Reach, Button and we need one of Grady or Grant to be gone.

CC will need to start integrating some of the better young players into the squad.

TGH I would love to see stay here but CC doesn't seem to rate him so it's pointless.

Use whatever finances are leftover to bring in players CC will consider playing and pray we go up.

[Atomic]

Now we know the finanicial situation a bit better i'd let all the players out of contract go including Pieters, no fault of his own, he's done ok overall but he's 34 already and 35 when the next season starts pretty much, he's probably on 5 figures a week and we are getting Caleb Taylor, Kipre and Ashworth back so CB and LB will be covered

That's fine as long as they are good enough.

[gazberg]

That's fine as long as they are good enough.

That won't be an option we will have to base our selections on soon enough. Our finances will dictate what is good enough.

[baggie82]

That won't be an option we will have to base our selections on soon enough. Our finances will dictate what is good enough.

That has been the case for years. Had we been serious about getting straight back into the top flight we would have kept Pereira.

[gazberg]

That has been the case for years. Had we been serious about getting straight back into the top flight we would have kept Pereira.

In the years gone by we did have money, Lai/Dowling/Bilic and on and on, squandered the vast majority of it all sadly

[Atomic]

That won't be an option we will have to base our selections on soon enough. Our finances will dictate what is good enough.

We can't afford to do that unless you want to fall down the leagues.

I understand finances get tighter but Luton are a good example. They don't pay extravagant fees but they have players good enough to get them in the top six.

We have to be smart without compromising in quality. It isn't easy, if it was everyone would do it, but it's possible.

[gazberg]

We can't afford to do that unless you want to fall down the leagues.

I understand finances get tighter but Luton are a good example. They don't pay extravagant fees but they have players good enough to get them in the top six.

We have to be smart without compromising in quality. It isn't easy, if it was everyone would do it, but it's possible.

Luton are not run by Lai though. Luton don't have the 'executives' we do.

[baggie82]

In the years gone by we did have money, Lai/Dowling/Bilic and on and on, squandered the vast majority of it all sadly

The last time we were in the premiership we spent a pittance - guaranteeing relegation and every season since in the championship since we have been financially out muscled by others in the league. It is all relative, we are still well off compared to Rotherham, but equally have invested nowhere near enough to expect promotion and any success in the top flight.

[gazberg]

The last time we were in the premiership we spent a pittance - guaranteeing relegation and every season since in the championship since we have been financially out muscled by others in the league. It is all relative, we are still well off compared to Rotherham, but equally have invested nowhere near enough to expect promotion and any success in the top flight.

I don't expect any success in the PL if we go up but i do hope Lai would finally have the brains to sell and take the loss he so richly deserves.

[Atomic]

Luton are not run by Lai though. Luton don't have the 'executives' we do.

At this stage we can't do anything about the owner. Luton still wouldn't have the financial clout we have. Its up to Corberan, Ian Pearce and whoever else is involved to deliver.

[gazberg]

At this stage we can't do anything about the owner. Luton still wouldn't have the financial clout we have. Its up to Corberan, Ian Pearce and whoever else is involved to deliver.

I admire your optimism!

[Atomic]

I admire your optimism!

Or blind hope 

[gazberg]

Or blind hope 

That as well!

I've seen/heard nothing from those in charge of our club (off field) to suggest they can improve us. A team of nodding dogs happy collecting their fat wage packets.

[Atomic]

The last time we were in the premiership we spent a pittance - guaranteeing relegation and every season since in the championship since we have been financially out muscled by others in the league. It is all relative, we are still well off compared to Rotherham, but equally have invested nowhere near enough to expect promotion and any success in the top flight.

"Success" in the top flight doesn't come into it. I'm not sure people are grasping the reality. If we go up the club is pretty much safe. It doesn't matter if we don't get a point in the PL, West Bromwich Albion could die as a club potentially if we don't get there.

I'm sure everyone would accept one ultra pooh season to save the club's existence.

We just need to get there (as things stand).

[baggie82]

"Success" in the top flight doesn't come into it. I'm not sure people are grasping the reality. If we go up the club is pretty much safe. It doesn't matter if we don't get a point in the PL, West Bromwich Albion could die as a club potentially if we don't get there.

I'm sure everyone would accept one ultra pooh season to save the club's existence.

We just need to get there (as things stand).

I presume by reference to the club dying or not existing you are referring to the danger of the club being placed into administration. Our debts are limited as far as we know to £20m. That can be addressed through player sales over the next few seasons if needs be. It wouldn’t be good for the team, but there isn’t any obvious reason why we should be turning into the next Derby county.

[Standaman]

I think most posters on this topic don't seem to have grasped quite how desperate the club's finances are.

It won't be the debt that kills us which is £26m with interest but cash flow.

To get through the season we need to cut the wage bill by between 40 and 50 percent.

This summer will brutal and the playing squad will be entirely shaped by financial necessity .

Atomic posted a list of players that we must keep but unfortunately they are the only players that might command some sort of fee. If we could hold onto those players as a core we could build from there but I am not optimistic.

Nobody is buying the players most fans would happily sell. Many we will struggle to give away just to get the wages off the books.

[paulosull]

Think we have problem moving on senior pro’s as can’t see the likes of Reach, Grant Phillips or Button getting any where near what Albion are paying them. I’d be worried for clubs coming sniffing for two keepers and any gems we have in academy.

[baggie82]

I think most posters on this topic don't seem to have grasped quite how desperate the club's finances are.

It won't be the debt that kills us which is £26m with interest but cash flow.

To get through the season we need to cut the wage bill by between 40 and 50 percent.

This summer will brutal and the playing squad will be entirely shaped by financial necessity .

Atomic posted a list of players that we must keep but unfortunately they are the only players that might command some sort of fee. If we could hold onto those players as a core we could build from there but I am not optimistic.

Nobody is buying the players most fans would happily sell. Many we will struggle to give away just to get the wages off the books.

This all seems a little hyperbolic in the short term as the £20m loan should provide sufficient cash-flow to keep the club operating at a reasonable budget next season and the wage bill is falling each summer.

[robnewbold]

The problem also is , if by an outside chance we got promoted this year, off the field it may help us, but on the field we would be an unmitigated disaster. the football is surely, really all that matters?

Our owner ship and mismanagement has led us up shut creek without a paddle, we have managed to hog tie ourselves to mid-table championship standing at best.
Staying in the Championship is now our best hope. A Premiership future is all down to a sugar daddy arrival. thats it.

[KN22]

The problem also is , if by an outside chance we got promoted this year, off the field it may help us, but on the field we would be an unmitigated disaster. the football is surely, really all that matters?

Our owner ship and mismanagement has led us up shut creek without a paddle, we have managed to hog tie ourselves to mid-table championship standing at best.
Staying in the Championship is now our best hope. A Premiership future is all down to a sugar daddy arrival. thats it.

Brutally truthful Rob.

[EastYorksAlbion]

Not an expert on things financial, but should we go up this summer, do we trust Lai not to make anymore loans between companies with the Sky money?

[NJS]

 I don't buy the argument that if we don't go up next season we're damned - possibly to administration.

If we go up with the present ownership we are likely coming straight back down - with possibly the worst set of results ever recorded in the EPL.  This will not win us any new fans and possibly lose some and at the same time give us a stinking reputation that will last years.   Is that worth the parachute payments whose future is also uncertain?

Promotion or not then (as I understand it) the loan contract with  MDH will prevent Lai siphoning cash out of the club without settling its  debt first. 

Lai might not understand much about football but he surely must grasp that any money he gets out of administration or sale of a club relegated to the third tier will be far less than he would get for a second tier club.

   

[Jeremy Roland Peace]

we need to utilise the loan market properly and make use of the 5 loans that can be in the matchday squad.