mat wrote:
Problem with that scenario is that this years salary cap spend is likely to be based on income generated from season ticket sales. So it will affect recruitment. Next year, once new owners have an idea of income levels from walk up support, it probably won't affect recruitment. Problem is if we have a bad year on the field next year and walk up isn't good which in turn affects next years cap spend. Then downward spiral starts again.
Can see where you're coming from but, to be fair, I'd suggest that salary levels will have been pretty much set already for the first year, all be it with a little 'wiggle room', no doubt. I would imagine it would be regarded as part of the initial 'investment' or start up costs. In exactly the same manner as OK wouldn't wait to see how many diners he got before kitting out his restaurants, you certainly can't wait until tickets are sold to sort out your general aims for the season or to begin recruitment, as indeed we haven't. Having low aims would only impact adversely on sales anyway, so it would be self defeating, imo. Though whether lower sales means there will be some cut backs is something we'll have wait and see I guess, and there has already been talk of, "a smaller squad than last year", I think from FC in the T&A, which appears to cut across the earlier, "we'll spend up to the cap" from OK at the forum, though I appreciate that "smaller" doesn't necessarily have to mean "cheaper".
I agree that we need a 'good season'. Though, without external support, I guess we always need a good season so there is nothing really out of the ordinary in that to my mind, we're never more than a bad run away from the 'downward spiral' at the best of times as some of the support can be very fickle.
