Hearts will spend more on players

[I P Knightley]

1 hour ago, Craig_ said:

 

Guessing you weren't actually a member of the SaS? Can't imagine you storming embassies with that sort of attitude...

 

[Jambo61]

3 hours ago, Sooks said:

If we make the group stages of a European competition this summer , then we will receive that money the season after , I think . We have not exactly been tight with the purse strings though recently , so you would expect that to continue at the very least in the summer . Interesting times ahead though if external and non football raised funding like benefactor contributions and FOH pledges are being more directly channeled in to the first team squad . Once automatic group stages disappear we will need to be a better team and actually qualify for the groups through play offs . I see that as being the oft mused over “ next level “ . We will also get compensation for our international players and our contingent has grown recently 

Think they said they split extra income over the next 3 years to cover contracts! So an improvement of course but not a particularly giant leap!

[boag1874]

I think the next 2 summers at least we should have money to spend with Euro prize money available next season (not wrapped up quite yet but pretty damn close) and no big projects on the horizon although appreciate this could change. Could be an exciting couple of years to be a jambo coming up

[Costanza]

1 hour ago, Craig_ said:

 

Guessing you weren't actually a member of the SaS? Can't imagine you storming embassies with that sort of attitude...

 

 

A Super Army Soldier obvs. 

 

 

 

 

 

[Bull's-eye]

Like the use of the "made a few managerial mistakes" mantra, lazy pathetic journalism trotted out to keep the crayon munchers happy in our support.

 

Did anybody of sound mind expect one manager to last the entire 10 years like ?

 

Did anybody of sound mind expect a pile of Silverware in a country dominated by 2 clubs when we started this 10 journey with an empty bank account ?

 

Whats she's achieved from scratch is quite phenomenal and I seriously hope she understands how appreciative the mass majority of supporters feel about her efforts.

[boag1874]

27 minutes ago, Chimp said:

 

This is it, I really can't see that somehow. He's already stressed numerous times how much he's loving it being at Hearts and very aware he's under contract here.

 

Low offer - club rejects and Shanks understands, gets his head down and does the business for us again next season, also putting himself in the shop window for anyone who wants him on a free.

High offer - club accepts, Shanks happy and club happy we've made a big profit on a player which can then be invested to sign similar or higher calibre of player in future.

Exactly that. It's win win the way I see it, either someone pays us good money and we can reinvest on bringing in another proven striker, or we get another season of his goals and hopefully he guides us to another Euro spot.

 

Regardless of what happens next season with Shanks I just hope we see the goals spread out across the team a bit more.

[Drylaw Hearts]

1 hour ago, kingantti1874 said:

Jesus Christ 🤣 we are in the best shape we’ve ever been in. 
 

 

We’re not though…….

 

We don’t have a quality RB/RWB.

 

We are well short in the creative areas of the pitch.

 

We need better option in attack….we are relying too much on one man.

 

There is lots of room for improvement.

[kingantti1874]

2 minutes ago, Drylaw Hearts said:

We’re not though…….

 

We don’t have a quality RB/RWB.

 

We are well short in the creative areas of the pitch.

 

We need better option in attack….we are relying too much on one man.

 

There is lots of room for improvement.

Off the pitch the best ever, on the pitch despite some obvious areas for improvement which you point  we have achieved our goals and have just need one of the best runs of form in 40 years. 
 

I don’t challenge the room for improvement, I’d  challenge and post or  any poster who suggests the “board should stand down” if we don’t resolve all of these challenges. We are hearts, like all the other non OF teams in Scotland we operate nearer bottom end of the football talent pool becuase that’s how far out money stretches.  

 

physcopthic, idiotic crazy idiotic stuff to suggest the board should stand down.  And I’ll happily critics them we it’s due. 

[Schevchenko]

2 hours ago, Ricardo Quaresma said:

Skip to the last 4 paragraphs

 

That doughball witters on more than F. Scott Fitzgerald

 

Always with a wee tinge of snide too, the worm

Yeh, the granny and knitting needle patter is cringy.

[Selkirkhmfc1874]

25 minutes ago, Bull's-eye said:

Like the use of the "made a few managerial mistakes" mantra, lazy pathetic journalism trotted out to keep the crayon munchers happy in our support.

 

Did anybody of sound mind expect one manager to last the entire 10 years like ?

 

Did anybody of sound mind expect a pile of Silverware in a country dominated by 2 clubs when we started this 10 journey with an empty bank account ?

 

Whats she's achieved from scratch is quite phenomenal and I seriously hope she understands how appreciative the mass majority of supporters feel about her efforts.

Agree , we landed very very lucky the day Mrs Budge became involved with our football club ! Been our best owner in my lifetime that's for sure

[GorgieFifeLife]

1 hour ago, HoGwash said:

You clearly have no idea what the functions and responsibilities of the board are. Hint - it's not deciding which right back to sign.

 

Despite the sniping, the Hearts board gave done an incredible job in transforming the club off the pitch and generating income which allows us to continually increase our player spend.

 

Undoubtedly there will be decisions that people with disagree with (every decision will have some dissenters), particularly around recruitment of managers but after many decades of supporting Hearts, the club is in the best place it has ever been in my lifetime. This board is unquestionably the best we've had in the last 70 years.

Delegate responsibility but retain accountability.  

[Go for it 1308]

2 hours ago, Ex member of the SaS said:

If we don't fill obvious gaps in our team this summer then the board should step down.

There you go mate....£10.99 at  B&Q

[GBJambo]

1 hour ago, Sooks said:

Exactly my thoughts too . We would be sitting there with about six million coming in guaranteed , and then we would have the choice of keeping Shankland or adding another two or three million to what we know is coming in ………… I could handle either of those two situations . A minimum of eight million guaranteed income with no infrastructure commitments would allow us to replace his goals and improve the team overall you would think / hope . If nobody offers a fair price then we keep him and I think we all know enough about what sort of a man Shankland is to know he would not toss in the towel if nobody met our valuation 

Thing is though . That 6 million European money won’t hit until the following season. 
 We won’t have it to spend in the summer 

 

[BigAlim]

Very exciting stuff, hopefully the likes of Neilson and Tait will be prepared to be involved and Vargas will continue to improve. If we can keep Shanks on top of that we can really focus on quality over quantity with the group stage football incentive.

 

I would like to see us start looking at the best players from the teams below us, hopefully our budget is now at that level. 
 

If our budget is looking really healthy then I would love a left field signing from the Portuguese, Dutch or Greek leagues

 

 

[Negan]

4 hours ago, kingantti1874 said:

Back Up to the price they were in 2019 ? Still amongst the cheapest in the country .  
 

I really hope to **** that wasn’t a bit of a moan

If you look down at my further comment you will have the answerto your question.... jesus

Edited March 20 by Negan

[Jim Panzee]

1 hour ago, Sooks said:

I 8 being greedy but sometimes you just have to say “ when in Hamilton “

😆

[colinmaroon]

17 minutes ago, Negan said:

If you look down at my further comment you will have the answerto your question.... jesus

 

Yes, He is the answer!!! 

 

 

[Sooks]

27 minutes ago, GBJambo said:

Thing is though . That 6 million European money won’t hit until the following season. 
 We won’t have it to spend in the summer 

 

Yeah I know . What I found interesting though , was the reference to no infrastructure projects being on the visible horizon . So , if that is the case , then could it be that FOH and benefactor contributions will be going in as usual but they will be spent on strengthening the first team ? That would tide us over to the potential European money hitting the accounts the following summer if we make it 

[jamboinglasgow]

2 hours ago, Chuck Berry said:

Hopefully quality over quantity, move a few out and bring a few quality players in. No wholesale changes required, especially now we have 2 or 3 from the B team involved.

 

I dont think there will be a big change in numbers that some think. One of the things that has helped us and will benefit us more is the stable squad. With 3 or possibly 4 players off from end of loans or contracts (depending on what happens with Beni and that Vargas stays.) Then there is a few positions that we need to pick up (RB, another striker.) I could see if Sibbick was to go then Neilson moved up to take his space. 

 

Obviously there is a few players who could get offers to sell them, Cochrane, Rowles, Tagawa and Shankland being the most obvious ones. So they would need replacements.  But I do agree that I also see a few more B team players promoted to add to the squad.

 

If I am being honest, I dont think we will sign more than 6 players. But if we have a higher budget then it should mean more quality rather than quantity. 

[Negan]

10 minutes ago, colinmaroon said:

 

Yes, He is the answer!!! 

 

 

So they say!

[Sooks]

1 minute ago, jamboinglasgow said:

 

I dont think there will be a big change in numbers that some think. One of the things that has helped us and will benefit us more is the stable squad. With 3 or possibly 4 players off from end of loans or contracts (depending on what happens with Beni and that Vargas stays.) Then there is a few positions that we need to pick up (RB, another striker.) I could see if Sibbick was to go then Neilson moved up to take his space. 

 

Obviously there is a few players who could get offers to sell them, Cochrane, Rowles, Tagawa and Shankland being the most obvious ones. So they would need replacements.  But I do agree that I also see a few more B team players promoted to add to the squad.

 

If I am being honest, I dont think we will sign more than 6 players. But if we have a higher budget then it should mean more quality rather than quantity. 

That is what I think and hope the plan is . Numbers need to stay quite high to deal with competitions , and if we can bring in a handful of better quality players then ideally some of our starters now will be back up or competition for a jersey , like Devlin now is 

[joondalupjambo]

5 minutes ago, Sooks said:

Yeah I know . What I found interesting though , was the reference to no infrastructure projects being on the visible horizon . So , if that is the case , then could it be that FOH and benefactor contributions will be going in as usual but they will be spent on strengthening the first team ? That would tide us over to the potential European money hitting the accounts the following summer if we make it 

I am with you on this and that is why I asked earlier in this thread would we be spending bigger this summer than we normally do.  Budge is very astute, and careful with her wording when being interviewed.  I took from her comments that it would be business as usual this year with the usual healthy spend on players coming from existing income streams and then we go big next year when we have hopefully the additional Euro income and no big infrastructure projects.  I accept though that her words could be interpreted in different ways.

 

"What I’m looking forward to in a way is next year when there is no big infrastructure project on the horizon. All of the money that comes in will continue to be spent because we’re not a bank and we’re not looking to build up a war chest or whatever. We will be spending on the players to make us stronger, I hope."

[Diego10]

2 hours ago, RustyRightPeg said:

 

Say we don't cash in, and reject a large sum of money for him. He comes into pre-season unhappy, has no Euro's as motivation at the seasons end...where are we then? It would be stupid not to sell him when his stock is high.

 

As I've said before, even Spurs sold Kane when they had to. 

I think if we got offered 103m we'd sell as well

[Watt-Zeefuik]

In 10 years it's going to be, "if they don't quit burning the edges of the kebab pies to a dark brown the board should resign."

Edited March 20 by Watt-Zeefuik

[Chillidigits]

1 hour ago, boag1874 said:

Exactly that. It's win win the way I see it, either someone pays us good money and we can reinvest on bringing in another proven striker, or we get another season of his goals and hopefully he guides us to another Euro spot.

 

Regardless of what happens next season with Shanks I just hope we see the goals spread out across the team a bit more.

Please God don't let this guy get a long term injury.

[Ex member of the SaS]

2 hours ago, HoGwash said:

You clearly have no idea what the functions and responsibilities of the board are. Hint - it's not deciding which right back to sign.

 

Despite the sniping, the Hearts board gave done an incredible job in transforming the club off the pitch and generating income which allows us to continually increase our player spend.

 

Undoubtedly there will be decisions that people with disagree with (every decision will have some dissenters), particularly around recruitment of managers but after many decades of supporting Hearts, the club is in the best place it has ever been in my lifetime. This board is unquestionably the best we've had in the last 70 years.

Never suggested the board pick the players to sign, BUT they have to make funds available for the manager. Plus my post was in response to someone suggesting we won't be signing any players this summer window. There are obvious gaps in our first team with regard an attacking mid and right back. These places MUST be sorted this window if we are going to make headway in Europe.

[Ex member of the SaS]

2 hours ago, Heartsofgold said:

You do realise that THE BOARD don't sign players yes?  This is the job of the Director of Football and the First Team Coach and his team yes?  The board look after the solvency of the club and the future, they only sanction the funds to pay for new players, they don't negotiate the deals themselves.

 

So please tell me my the board should completely resign for the perceived failures of the people scouting and signing the players they say they need??

Already replied to a similar post, The board have to make funds available and I replied to someone posting we would not be signing in the summer window. 

[Ex member of the SaS]

1 hour ago, Go for it 1308 said:

There you go mate....£10.99 at  B&Q

Joke fell flat as this is not a pitch fork.

[boag1874]

9 minutes ago, Ex member of the SaS said:

Never suggested the board pick the players to sign, BUT they have to make funds available for the manager. Plus my post was in response to someone suggesting we won't be signing any players this summer window. There are obvious gaps in our first team with regard an attacking mid and right back. These places MUST be sorted this window if we are going to make headway in Europe.

Do you not think that the board has made funds available to the manager? We’re having to live within our means and have had infrastructure to upgrade which costs money but we’ve shown we will spend money if we think the player is worth it

[i wish jj was my dad]

4 hours ago, Ex member of the SaS said:

If we don't fill obvious gaps in our team this summer then the board should step down.

Jumping the shark this time? 

[Chimp]

Wonder if we'll break our transfer record this summer. To think how long ago it was since we signed Beslija and haven't topped that all these years later. 850k really isn't much in today's market. Spend some cash (within reason) on quality players and build from there. We already have a very good spine of the team. No more spreading it out with average squad fillers. We've got the academy guys for that who haven't looked out of place so far. You do find the odd gem on a free or for low 6 figure fees but it doesn't happen very often so we can't always rely on that. That said, obviously more expensive players can still flop so it's no guarantee they'll be successes but the odds are slightly higher.

For us to improve and progress we will eventually have to start spending a bit more money, and it's exciting to hear Budge saying that's what they plan on doing.

[boag1874]

1 hour ago, jamboinglasgow said:

 

I dont think there will be a big change in numbers that some think. One of the things that has helped us and will benefit us more is the stable squad. With 3 or possibly 4 players off from end of loans or contracts (depending on what happens with Beni and that Vargas stays.) Then there is a few positions that we need to pick up (RB, another striker.) I could see if Sibbick was to go then Neilson moved up to take his space. 

 

Obviously there is a few players who could get offers to sell them, Cochrane, Rowles, Tagawa and Shankland being the most obvious ones. So they would need replacements.  But I do agree that I also see a few more B team players promoted to add to the squad.

 

If I am being honest, I dont think we will sign more than 6 players. But if we have a higher budget then it should mean more quality rather than quantity. 

Yup. We should only look to sign someone if they're better than what we already have or if a player leaves, we don't need to have a stupidly high turnover of players for the sake of it.

 

We should of course aim to bring in better in every single position but there's no need to just move players on for the sake of it, the players we have now are all capable of playing in the 3rd best team in the country so keep them together and add quality to the squad rather than changing everything and starting from scratch again. If they drop to 3rd/4th choice or if someone tables an acceptable bid then you move them on but just punting players because we think we can get better is one of the things that got us into the mess we were in pre pandemic.

[boag1874]

Just now, Chimp said:

Wonder if we'll break our transfer record this summer. To think how long ago it was since we signed Beslija and haven't topped that all these years later. 850k really isn't much in today's market. Spend some cash (within reason) on quality players and build from there. We already have a very good spine of the team. No more spreading it out with average squad fillers. We've got the academy guys for that who haven't looked out of place so far. You do find the odd gem on a free or for low 6 figure fees but it doesn't happen very often so we can't always rely on that. That said, obviously more expensive players can still flop so it's no guarantee they'll be successes but the odds are slightly higher.

For us to improve and progress we will eventually have to start spending a bit more money, and it's exciting to hear Budge saying that's what they plan on doing.

If we sell Shankland we might well do it. As you said, eventually we will need to up our spending power to create a gap. I'd say more important than a fee is wages though, although it's a bigger commitment long term.

 

I don't know for sure, it's very hard to find reliable info & I'm certainly not itk but I'd guess based on what Hibs/Aberdeen reportedly pay & looking at the markets we tend to shop in, our highest wages are capped at around £8-9k p.w, with most of our first team players sat between £3-6k. If we can continue to sustain what we've been doing well we can hopefully raise that ceiling a bit higher to around £10-12k p.w for our star players and bring our standard first team wage up a bit to go with it. Then we'll start to compete with the Championship/top of League 1 regulars a bit more for better quality signings, especially if we can consistently offer European football & keep a good track record with our players getting national caps. 

[kingantti1874]

1 hour ago, Ex member of the SaS said:

Never suggested the board pick the players to sign, BUT they have to make funds available for the manager. Plus my post was in response to someone suggesting we won't be signing any players this summer window. There are obvious gaps in our first team with regard an attacking mid and right back. These places MUST be sorted this window if we are going to make headway in Europe.

well just to set expectations we probably won’t make much headway in Europe.

 

even clubs I’d argue are smaller than hearts typically have far higher budgets on account of Scotland being an absolute diddy league financially.

 

the board have responsibly made more funds available than at any other point in our history’s. The fact is that is unlikely to be enough to compete effectively in Europe. 

[HoGwash]

1 hour ago, Ex member of the SaS said:

Never suggested the board pick the players to sign, BUT they have to make funds available for the manager. Plus my post was in response to someone suggesting we won't be signing any players this summer window. There are obvious gaps in our first team with regard an attacking mid and right back. These places MUST be sorted this window if we are going to make headway in Europe.

It's because the board have done such a great job that the funds available to spend on the playing squad are way in excess of what we have had available previously and have gone up year on year.

[John Findlay]

6 hours ago, Craig_ said:

 

Guessing you weren't actually a member of the SaS? Can't imagine you storming embassies with that sort of attitude...

The SaS in his username stands for Supply and Secretariat.

[Watt-Zeefuik]

2 hours ago, Ex member of the SaS said:

Never suggested the board pick the players to sign, BUT they have to make funds available for the manager. Plus my post was in response to someone suggesting we won't be signing any players this summer window. There are obvious gaps in our first team with regard an attacking mid and right back. These places MUST be sorted this window if we are going to make headway in Europe.

 

This is a reasonable expectation up to a point but a failure in the recruitment window should hardly fall on the board, hmm?  We have a budget. It's now the third highest in Scotland by a small but important margin, although we're up against some deep pockets taking losses among our closest rivals. The board have "pushed the boat out" more than in past years to get us there.

 

That's frankly all the board should be doing. Beyond that if there's a problem with recruitment, that's on the footballing department, not the board.

[Chimp]

40 minutes ago, boag1874 said:

If we sell Shankland we might well do it. As you said, eventually we will need to up our spending power to create a gap. I'd say more important than a fee is wages though, although it's a bigger commitment long term.

 

I don't know for sure, it's very hard to find reliable info & I'm certainly not itk but I'd guess based on what Hibs/Aberdeen reportedly pay & looking at the markets we tend to shop in, our highest wages are capped at around £8-9k p.w, with most of our first team players sat between £3-6k. If we can continue to sustain what we've been doing well we can hopefully raise that ceiling a bit higher to around £10-12k p.w for our star players and bring our standard first team wage up a bit to go with it. Then we'll start to compete with the Championship/top of League 1 regulars a bit more for better quality signings, especially if we can consistently offer European football & keep a good track record with our players getting national caps. 

agree with that 👍🏼

[RustyRightPeg]

2 hours ago, Ex member of the SaS said:

Never suggested the board pick the players to sign, BUT they have to make funds available for the manager. Plus my post was in response to someone suggesting we won't be signing any players this summer window. There are obvious gaps in our first team with regard an attacking mid and right back. These places MUST be sorted this window if we are going to make headway in Europe.

 

Boy, when you hear who Yan Dhanda is you'll be in for a treat.

[Gorgierools]

8 minutes ago, Chimp said:

agree with that 👍🏼

Yep, bottom line is, we need to,and should be able to, compete with league 1. We have bigger attendances than the majority but not the access to sky cash.

[Don Dan]

3 hours ago, joondalupjambo said:

I am with you on this and that is why I asked earlier in this thread would we be spending bigger this summer than we normally do.  Budge is very astute, and careful with her wording when being interviewed.  I took from her comments that it would be business as usual this year with the usual healthy spend on players coming from existing income streams and then we go big next year when we have hopefully the additional Euro income and no big infrastructure projects.  I accept though that her words could be interpreted in different ways.

 

"What I’m looking forward to in a way is next year when there is no big infrastructure project on the horizon. All of the money that comes in will continue to be spent because we’re not a bank and we’re not looking to build up a war chest or whatever. We will be spending on the players to make us stronger, I hope."

So bang goes filling in the corners then! 

[Drylaw Hearts]

4 hours ago, kingantti1874 said:

Off the pitch the best ever, on the pitch despite some obvious areas for improvement which you point  we have achieved our goals and have just need one of the best runs of form in 40 years. 
 

I don’t challenge the room for improvement, I’d  challenge and post or  any poster who suggests the “board should stand down” if we don’t resolve all of these challenges. We are hearts, like all the other non OF teams in Scotland we operate nearer bottom end of the football talent pool becuase that’s how far out money stretches.  

 

physcopthic, idiotic crazy idiotic stuff to suggest the board should stand down.  And I’ll happily critics them we it’s due. 

I suppose you’d need to wait and see how all this money is spent in the next couple of transfer windows before judging either way.

[Go for it 1308]

2 hours ago, Ex member of the SaS said:

Joke fell flat as this is not a pitch fork.

Ha ha. Googled pitch forks and they came up. In all seriousness...I totally get what you're saying tho. I'm pretty certain that we'll sign the platers in the positions that we need this time

[WDJ87]

7 hours ago, GBJambo said:

Would rather  we didn’t cash in on the pennies that we would get in the summer and have him for another season 

This please ☝️👌 we gain more by keeping him. Depends who comes knocking I suppose.

[Swanny17]

3 minutes ago, Go for it 1308 said:

Ha ha. Googled pitch forks and they came up. In all seriousness...I totally get what you're saying tho. I'm pretty certain that we'll sign the platers in the positions that we need this time

 

Wait, what? We're spending more funds on catering staff?!!!! Everyone oot! 

[Gorgierools]

2 minutes ago, Go for it 1308 said:

Ha ha. Googled pitch forks and they came up. In all seriousness...I totally get what you're saying tho. I'm pretty certain that we'll sign the platers in the positions that we need this time

Bloody hell, surely they're a good age by now

 Seen them in Tenerife 10 years ago and they looked nearly dead then.

[The White Cockade]

spend money on Shanks!

[jr ewing]

8 hours ago, Bazzas right boot said:

 

St sales should go up bt more, they are too cheap imo.

 

Only if you can afford them. 

[Daveandal]

The board should resign 😅🤣😅🤣😅

 

Like it or not.... this is Hearts most successful period since the 1950s. By that I mean sustained success. Yes we've won cups, had title challenges but never qualified for Europe 3 seasons in a row. 

 

We are in a fabulous position on and off the park. 

 

The mythical next level might actually be in sight... regularly qualifying for Europe and regular group stage football.

 

If you're not on board with that, there is literally a waiting list.....

[Go for it 1308]

44 minutes ago, Gorgierools said:

Bloody hell, surely they're a good age by now

 Seen them in Tenerife 10 years ago and they looked nearly dead then.

Ffs I'm having a mare on this thread today 🙄😂