It is obvious Tony Pulis has done a great job since coming in. However, if he wants Matthew Etherington (32) and Peter Crouch (33+) then I for one applaud the board for not sanctioning those transfers.

Pulis would have been reassured about having money to spend. I absolutely believe that side of the story. However, the board have consistently said that they would only buy players with sell on value. They will also not be put over a barrel regarding wages. That ladies and gentlemen is sensible, long term, sound financial management. I amazes me that given our history some on this board demand we gamble our future.

Ultimately I want success. I am also fickle in that I love seeing a signing come in. That said I try to keep a lid on it and remember that we are 16th in the league due to the team spirit that has been created by Pulis. I have no doubt we will sign some players in this window. And if we don't? Well, I trust the board to make those difficult calls about wages and transfer fees.

If I have one criticism there may well indeed be too many chiefs at the moment. However Pulis knew that structure was in place when he joined. If he is grumpy about it now then quite frankly he has no reason to be.

laddo

"People say, live fast, die young. I say live fast, die old. That's me, the non-conformist".
David Brent.

The one thing that we don’t know is the nitty gritty of the discussions between Parish and Pulis that led to Tony Pulis accepting a job that he clearly had reservations about.

There was an agreement that the board would make available funding in January for new purchases but was Tony Pulis told that whilst he was being employed for his skills in football management the board who had no footballing background at all would hold the power of veto over players that met his budgetary requirements.

Have the board actually come out and said that they would only buy players with a sell on value as if so I think that it’s a ridiculous idea as we are a football club and not commodity traders. Was the huge fee paid for Dwight Gayle paid on the basis that he would have a sell on value as whilst he undoubtedly does, it’s nowhere near what we paid for him and he isn’t good enough to play in the Premiership but that’s what you get when you have the commodity traders mindset in a football club

Not being put over a barrel in terms of wages is a sound idea and good business practice but it depends on what they view as a decent wage level. It appears from all of the players that turned us down (allegedly) in both the closed season and in the January window that our wage scale is not a Premiership wage scale at all but is set (probably) at The Championship.

It’s a bit like joining the most expensive golf club in the area and then constantly complaining about the costs of membership.

Your comment about there being too many chiefs is interesting as whilst the structure may have been explained to Tony Pulis before he took the job we don’t know that the supposed structure is actually working. Dor a start Iain Moody is supposed to be negotiating with the players on Tony Pulis’s wanted list but I suspect that isn’t happening and secondly with the best will in the world I don’t suppose he realised that the club’s chairman wanted to have the last word on almost everything.

A common question asked on this forum is surely you would rather have our owners than those that own Cardiff or Hull. Well my answer is that I’m not sure that I do as Hull and Cardiff may have issues with their colours and strips but both owners have backed their club and it’s managers fully with the necessary funding and don’t interfere with the running of the clubs

Edited by Ian J (26 Jan 2014 8.40am)

A couple. Of good posts from you Ian, couldn't disagree with any of it.

Thank you but many will

I'm amazed that people are still believing this rumour. If push ever does come to shove in the summer, god forbid we dont get lumbered with a manager who spends our parachute payments on crap.

"Look at that. Accident blackspot? These aren't accidents! They're throwing themselves into the road gladly! Throwing themselves into the road to escape all this hideousness!"

if he quits then we dont have to pay up his contract...thats fine by me.

i know he is doing a good job,but i still prefer the owners choice of player signings over his.

at the end of the day...this is the 1st time in my lifetime (bar el tel) that weve actually had a big name manager at the club, its good, but you are bound to have more situations like this as a by product of employing such manager.

if he wants to bitch & moan then let him...in a weeks time he cant do anything about it and has to get on with his job for the rest of the season.

‘Football isn’t instant coffee. You have to work at it. You must grow the bean, grind it.’ Ian Holloway