Wesley Fofana

[UniFox21]

2 minutes ago, Abrasive fox said:

If I was putting 100m to something I'd do on something that might increase our turnover before doing that.

It potentially could. Common wealth games, Euros all being in the country in the next few years. With a huge set up, we could get a bit of money in from teams training here. It also helps indirectly. Better facilities help attract better youth or senior players, who in turn sell for more. 

[AjcW]

Easily the worst view @Abrasive fox has ever had  I used to worry you were ITK because you worked at the club... now I’m even more worried! 

[st albans fox]

12 minutes ago, Abrasive fox said:

Yeah - becoming clearer by the day that money is tight and the vanity project of the training ground is a bad investment.

 

4 minutes ago, Abrasive fox said:

If I was putting 100m to something I'd do on something that might increase our turnover before doing that.

The training ground is part of helping us to attract players who may be deciding between us and others at similar pay scales 

 

amongst other things re on field improvement 

i suspect someone of the decor and fittings will have been ‘over indulged’ which will seem wasteful now - infact they may j noW have rowed back on some of that spend 

 

[sphericalfox]

1 minute ago, Abrasive fox said:

If I was putting 100m to something I'd do on something that might increase our turnover before doing that.

Currently the turnaround time for prospective stars to come through our academy/development team is very slow and inconsistent. This massive investment is to speed up this process. Our current model of selling a player or two every year to help support our reinvestment in the squad and maintaining a strong stab at European qualification is not long-term tenable. If we are going to attract youth prospects both nationally and internationally, and on a side note attract other players for our first team, showing our ambition and a solid and stable club, this is for me a wise (yet expensive) investment. It'll be a good few years before it returns the investment, but as long as the club supplements the training ground with coaches who can utilise this, then I have no worries.

[st albans fox]

2 minutes ago, AjcW said:

Easily the worst view @Abrasive fox has ever had  I used to worry you were ITK because you worked at the club... now I’m even more worried! 

He is on occasions but he doesn’t so you don’t need to worry  !!

[Chocolate Teapot]

7 minutes ago, AjcW said:

Easily the worst view @Abrasive fox has ever had  I used to worry you were ITK because you worked at the club... now I’m even more worried! 

Hindsight is a wonderful thing but I fail to see how it puts us up a level - would far rather invest 100m in the playing squad or the stadium. If the word vanity project has triggered a few people on here then mission accomplished 😂😂😂. I'm not sure players will make a decision of joining a club based on the training ground with a golf course but it sounds like that's just me.

[rachhere]

24 minutes ago, Abrasive fox said:

If I was putting 100m to something I'd do on something that might increase our turnover before doing that.

We know this is a project - first step get us established in the premier league, second step get the training ground sorted, third expand the stadium and increase the fan base, fourth focus continue developing the team (using the draw of the training ground and the bigger stadium) to get us established as a European side. 

Edited 12 September 2020 by rachhere

[st albans fox]

6 minutes ago, Abrasive fox said:

Hindsight is a wonderful thing but I fail to see how it puts us up a level - would far rather invest 100m in the playing squad or the stadium. If the word vanity project has triggered a few people on here then mission accomplished 😂😂😂. I'm not sure players will make a decision of joining a club based on the training ground with a golf course but it sounds like that's just me.

Are we allowed to spend 100m on players ?  I thought infrastructure investment was outside FFP ......(and apologies to those looking in on the topic showing ‘hot’)

Edited 12 September 2020 by st albans fox

[Jacnah]

33 minutes ago, Abrasive fox said:

Yeah - becoming clearer by the day that money is tight and the vanity project of the training ground is a bad investment.

 

Edited 12 September 2020 by Jacnah

[Raw Dykes]

9 minutes ago, Abrasive fox said:

Hindsight is a wonderful thing but I fail to see how it puts us up a level - would far rather invest 100m in the playing squad or the stadium. If the word vanity project has triggered a few people on here then mission accomplished 😂😂😂. I'm not sure players will make a decision of joining a club based on the training ground with a golf course but it sounds like that's just me.

Would you be more willing to sign for the club if you had to train every day at Belvoir Drive, or a brand-new, £100m, state-of-the-art training ground?

[Matt]

19 minutes ago, Abrasive fox said:

Hindsight is a wonderful thing but I fail to see how it puts us up a level - would far rather invest 100m in the playing squad or the stadium. If the word vanity project has triggered a few people on here then mission accomplished 😂😂😂. I'm not sure players will make a decision of joining a club based on the training ground with a golf course but it sounds like that's just me.

People keep claiming we can't attract players because of our location and "we're not in London" so as you say I don't see what difference the training ground makes, doesn't seem to make a difference for other clubs outside the capital but hey ho.

 

A new one was needed Belvoir Drive is getting tired and we could probably have done with serious upgrades or a move for a while however I questioned the cost of the new one last week when asking questions about lack of investment in the squad, i'm sure we could have had a competitive new facilities without the price tag, it's all about balance.

 

Edited 12 September 2020 by Matt

[Walshy5]

1 hour ago, Abrasive fox said:

Rob Dorsett is saying we wont pay the asking price of 26m. As ever, confusing.

Not as confusing as a government Covid announcement.

[Chocolate Teapot]

5 minutes ago, Raw Dykes said:

Would you be more willing to sign for the club if you had to train every day at Belvoir Drive, or a brand-new, £100m, state-of-the-art training ground?

Probably rather have an extra 10k a week to myself probably...

[foxpleasure]

Firstly we will not know how much we have had to spend until the end of the window (assuming we've been able to spend it)

Secondly if Covid hadn't happened there wouldn't have  been an issue (if there actually is).

Thirdly the long term vision is right as a sensible way to move the club forward

[Raw Dykes]

2 minutes ago, Abrasive fox said:

Probably rather have an extra 10k a week to myself probably...

That's not what I asked.

[MPH]

32 minutes ago, Abrasive fox said:

Hindsight is a wonderful thing but I fail to see how it puts us up a level - would far rather invest 100m in the playing squad or the stadium. If the word vanity project has triggered a few people on here then mission accomplished 😂😂😂. I'm not sure players will make a decision of joining a club based on the training ground with a golf course but it sounds like that's just me.

 

 

That’s often one thing that impresses players actually- the facilities. if a player thinks there’s something in the club that can improve them, then that can be a pulling power..

[CloudFox]

Cool, so this thread has descended into discussing finances too. Joy.

 

On topic: latest news story (a recap of the last few days, basically) suggests Fofana will play for St. Etienne this evening.

 

https://insidefutbol.com/2020/09/12/leicester-target-wesley-fofana-expected-to-play-for-saint-etienne-today/471946/

 

So watch this space I suppose. At he very least be interesting to see how he gets on.

Edited 12 September 2020 by CloudFox
Bringing thread back on topic

[Babylon]

16 minutes ago, Matt said:

People keep claiming we can't attract players because of our location and "we're not in London" so as you say I don't see what difference the training ground makes, doesn't seem to make a difference for other clubs outside the capital but hey ho.

 

A new one was needed Belvoir Drive is getting tired and we could probably have done with serious upgrades or a move for a while however I questioned the cost of the new one last week when asking questions about lack of investment in the squad, i'm sure we could have had a competitive new facilities without the price tag, it's all about balance.

 

Of course it makes a difference. Being known for giving young talent a pathway makes a difference. The ground will make a difference. The ambition of the club makes a difference.
 

It all adds up in the end. 

If you are convincing a parent of the next hot talent where they should go. Or competing with rival clubs for a player, they are going to look at the whole package.

 

Its all one step at a time until all of the pieces slot into place. As I keep saying, people need to look at the project over years and decades and not judge it on one transfer window.

 

 

[Guest SO1]

So nothing.

[Nick]

I completely disagree and think the training ground is an amazing investment. If you go to Belvoir Drive as a Premier League footballer most days as oppose to the Seagrave site you'd very much want to move clubs. This puts us up there on every level and will help prevent our rising stars leaving so easily and attract better quality players.

[Matt]

1 minute ago, Babylon said:

Of course it makes a difference. Being known for giving young talent a pathway makes a difference. The ground will make a difference. The ambition of the club makes a difference.
 

It all adds up in the end. 

If you are convincing a parent of the next hot talent where they should go. Or competing with rival clubs for a player, they are going to look at the whole package.

 

Its all one step at a time until all of the pieces slot into place. As I keep saying, people need to look at the project over years and decades and not judge it on one transfer window.

 

 

I'm not disputing that but I just think we could have spent slightly less balancing it with investment in the squad, without investing in the squad now chances are we'll slip, undo the hard work we've done to get where we are and have to start again, you only keep rebuilding for so long, as I said it's a balance.

 

I'm sure we could have spent less, had competitive facilities without it impacting or giving us the excuses for lack of investment now, then in a few years spend abit more of the facilities to upgrade and improve - the plans could be there, but make it a project over years and decades like you say, it'll ned upgrading and improving over years anyway whether we spend £100m now or not.

 

For me investment in the squad now, and in previous years (Which imo we should have done) is more important to our future, thats what gives us the platform to keep building, balance that with the new training ground and facilities, it shouldn't be a case of one or the other.

[Richardson]

3 minutes ago, MPH said:

 

 

That’s often one thing that impresses players actually- the facilities. if a player thinks there’s something in the club that can improve them, then that can be a pulling power..

The Training grounds shows ambition and gives a fantastic working environment for the players and staff. Its a status symbol and investment that will be there long after any players. Nobody could have seen this drop off in the clubs income the owners have been hit more than most due to the nature of there business, if we have to cut our cloth to suit for one season so what? Lets trust the owners to get it right and remember how lucky we are. I bet we still get a couple of new players in, but lets not buy for buying sake they have to improve the side not just add squad numbers.

[sphericalfox]

7 minutes ago, Babylon said:

Of course it makes a difference. Being known for giving young talent a pathway makes a difference. The ground will make a difference. The ambition of the club makes a difference.
 

It all adds up in the end. 

If you are convincing a parent of the next hot talent where they should go. Or competing with rival clubs for a player, they are going to look at the whole package.

 

Its all one step at a time until all of the pieces slot into place. As I keep saying, people need to look at the project over years and decades and not judge it on one transfer window.

 

 

The pitch, excuse the term, is to prospective players, that we will be investing and coaching you to a path of first team opportunity. Come join us we have one of the best training facilities in the world (for now). Ok, some of them will be, we can bring you on a you can use us as stepping stone, but our long-term ambition is to be a stable, self-sufficient model in generating and maintaining talent, so we don't have to be held to ransom for transfers and pay over the odds, as we have a conveyor belt of players coming through. Something that currently and historically has been absent or lacking.

[mozartfox]

7 minutes ago, SO1 said:

So nothing.

Apart from some sparring between FT members, nothing on Fofana. The previous fuss seems to have died over night.   

Edited 12 September 2020 by mozartfox

[honeybradger]

Spending 100 mil on players doesnt immediately make us compete either. If anything i think being forced into making smarter investments is where the club shines, players that cost 30-50 mil that are willing to come to us are usually safe options with a middling ceilings, talented young players in the 25 mil and lower bracket are higher risk but have a higher potential ceiling and this bracket of players usually turn out to be our best.