davieG Posted 23 April 2005 Posted 23 April 2005 WHEELER-DEALER LEVEIN IS TO SLASH CITY'S WAGE BILL Next Story | Previous Story | Back to list BY BILL ANDERSON 10:30 - 23 April 2005 Craig Levein's search for more points will soon turn into a search for improvement despite a reduction in the wage bill of up to £5million. Achieving the balance of cost-cutting and yet still having enough cash to provide a squad strong enough to mount a realistic promotion challenge is going to be a delicate one - and there will be a fine line between expediency and recklessness. As City slowly but surely move towards safety in the table, Levein is already plotting ahead. As for every previous City boss, the balance sheet holds sway and he accepts that wheeling and dealing is all part of it. Indeed, he has done little else in his managerial career and said: "The wage-bill is coming down by about four or five million from last year. That is something that has to be done. "I am not panicking because the budget will still be among the top three or four in this division. "Some players are still on Premiership money so we have to get the thing under financial control. That has been pressed home to me after what happened here before. "It is very similar to what I was doing at Hearts. The wage bill there was £6million to start and I got it down to £3million." Savings will have already been made with the departure of big earners Trevor Benjamin and James Scowcroft, plus the retirement of Matt Elliott. Another parallel to Levein's previous post is the well-known one of trying to bring in enthusiastic younger players and he would have done more of that if City had secured safety earlier. He said: "When you go down the route of bringing in younger players, it takes a bit of time for them to grow into it and get the balance right. But I can't go down that road until the points are secure. "For example, I would like to try Stefan Moore a bit more, but we need the points first. "I am encouraged even with the way the results have gone. I can think of about 10 of those games that we should have won and it is not an exaggeration, so I believe these things will come. "The only thing that frustrates me is that we are not putting together a string of wins at home. "I just hope the fans can see that we appear to be going in the right direction. "They have been great so far considering they are watching their team, who started off as promotion favourites, now sitting three or four points away from relegation. "If we can get something at Sunderland and then beat Derby for them that would be a big plus. "That, as well as showing a bit of good form before the end of the season, will be our aim."
MON Posted 23 April 2005 Posted 23 April 2005 (All these figues are estimated) That will not mean such a big thing as is being made out. Scowcroft has left, apparently he was on 20k a week, that is £1.04 million of the wage bill. Elliot was on 30k, that is another 1.560 million off. Benjamin was apparently on 12/13k that is another £650k off the wagebill. Walker will not get the 20k or so he is on now so that is another £1.04 million off the toatal wagebill. Keown was on 10k, as is Dublin. I think Dion will not get that again this time. Maybe 5k if he is kept on. (780000 off the total wagebill) This already amounts to 5.07 million pounds. Then i cannot see Gemmil (3k weekly, total 156k), Dabizaz (7k weekly, total 364k), Blake (5k, 260k) Nalis (6k, 312k) This can be another saving off about 2 million.
Louise Posted 23 April 2005 Posted 23 April 2005 I believe the wage bill at the start of the season was said to be 9 million wasn't it? That means we should still have 4-5 million next year, more than enough.
Chimp Posted 23 April 2005 Posted 23 April 2005 Where did you get these figures? Are they published somewhere?
davieG Posted 23 April 2005 Author Posted 23 April 2005 Where did you get these figures? Are they published somewhere? 97473[/snapback] Only his head
MON Posted 23 April 2005 Posted 23 April 2005 Where did you get these figures? Are they published somewhere? 97473[/snapback] Their estimates, and figures that have been branded about.
TrickyTrev Posted 23 April 2005 Posted 23 April 2005 Where did you get these figures? Are they published somewhere? 97473[/snapback] Only his head 97489[/snapback] I don't think they are absurd apart from Gemill and Blake who i suspect were on small pay as you play contracts. Cutting 5 million of the wage bill will not be that difficult.
davieG Posted 23 April 2005 Author Posted 23 April 2005 Where did you get these figures? Are they published somewhere? 97473[/snapback] Only his head 97489[/snapback] I don't think they are absurd apart from Gemill and Blake who i suspect were on small pay as you play contracts. Cutting 5 million of the wage bill will not be that difficult. 97831[/snapback] Did someone say they were?
MON Posted 23 April 2005 Posted 23 April 2005 I do not understand why this needs to be done though. Surely we will have the same income as this season, thus the wage bill can stay the same. It seems like the club may be planning on another season in the Championship, rather then giving the Premier League another go.
Chimp Posted 23 April 2005 Posted 23 April 2005 I do not understand why this needs to be done though. Surely we will have the same income as this season, thus the wage bill can stay the same. It seems like the club may be planning on another season in the Championship, rather then giving the Premier League another go.97867[/snapback] That may be the best thing in the long run though?
Mad Dog Posted 23 April 2005 Posted 23 April 2005 did you know keown is on 3 grand a week at reading. apparently he doesnt care about money at all and just wants to play football. ferdinand is the opposite, is on 15k and he only trains with the squad twice a week if that
Nathan_Ellington_WAFC Posted 23 April 2005 Posted 23 April 2005 at the start of the season your wage bill was double ours and you call us big money spenders eh?
Foxes_Trust Posted 23 April 2005 Posted 23 April 2005 MON isn't far wrong. We were told last summer that the combination of Jones, Scowcroft, Elliot, Walker & Benjy's wages was around £4.5m. So from year to year budget that only leaves £500k to clear. We believe the PR is based more on the fact that CL wants to change the squad around further than originally expected, therefore if clubs come in for players he may let them go if they are not key to his plans, those could be players not anticipated to be ones on there way (i.e still in contract next year & worth a fee)
Chimp Posted 24 April 2005 Posted 24 April 2005 [..] We believe the PR is based more on the fact that CL wants to change the squad around further than originally expected, therefore if clubs come in for players he may let them go if they are not key to his plans, those could be players not anticipated to be ones on there way (i.e still in contract next year & worth a fee) 97986[/snapback] If that's the case then I hope to god that CL doesn't make the same mistake as MA did last year when in a similar situation, that is, state that they hope to achieve one of the automatic play off places. He needs to make clear to the press and fans that he's rebuilding City and needs time to get things into shape, that the team need time to gel and that our league position won't necessarily be a true reflection on how things are going. He needs to emphasize that there will be frustrating times and dissapointing results ahead as the team learn how to play together. I hope the fans give him chance.
davieG Posted 24 April 2005 Author Posted 24 April 2005 [..] We believe the PR is based more on the fact that CL wants to change the squad around further than originally expected, therefore if clubs come in for players he may let them go if they are not key to his plans, those could be players not anticipated to be ones on there way (i.e still in contract next year & worth a fee) 97986[/snapback] If that's the case then I hope to god that CL doesn't make the same mistake as MA did last year when in a similar situation, that is, state that they hope to achieve one of the automatic play off places. He needs to make clear to the press and fans that he's rebuilding City and needs time to get things into shape, that the team need time to gel and that our league position won't necessarily be a true reflection on how things are going. He needs to emphasize that there will be frustrating times and dissapointing results ahead as the team learn how to play together. I hope the fans give him chance. 98003[/snapback] Up to now he's just talked about trying to emulate Derby by going from the 'fringes' of relegation to a play-off spot - that should be a realistic target for LCFC.
Chimp Posted 24 April 2005 Posted 24 April 2005 Up to now he's just talked about trying to emulate Derby by going from the 'fringes' of relegation to a play-off spot - that should be a realistic target for LCFC. 98005[/snapback] I hope he keeps talking like that.
step Posted 24 April 2005 Posted 24 April 2005 The wages have already been cut by about 4.5 million so dont panic. It does not mean we have to get rid of the rest of the squad
breadandcheese Posted 24 April 2005 Posted 24 April 2005 The wages have already been cut by about 4.5 million so dont panic. It does not mean we have to get rid of the rest of the squad 98048[/snapback] That's a shame. The way they've been playing.
Vardinhio Posted 24 April 2005 Posted 24 April 2005 at the start of the season your wage bill was double oursand you call us big money spenders eh? 97983[/snapback] At the start of the season we still had premiership wages. Nathan doesn't understand finance does he???? he'd rather get done by a gimp in full leathers . Yes he would, yes, he, would!
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