New Cycles and Financing the Squad

[Bittners a Legend]

Three years ago we lost Harley, Taylor, Jones and Cureton after finishing 8th and were told that it was the end of a cycle and a new one would begin. My question is whether we are still in that cycle or whether we have gone through a failed cycle and are beginning again?

One of the main defences of Tisdale is the lack of finance and the claim that his strategy since the loss of Harley and co was to build a young side. So I had a look at the average age of the players he has signed since this new cycle begun:

2011/12: 10 players signed permanently at an average age of 27.1

2012/13: 10 players signed permanently at an average age of 29.1

2013/14: 5 players signed permanently at an everage age of 27.4

I haven't included loan players, youth players or contract renewals in the figures.

Has Tisdale's plan since 2011 really been to build a young side ala Crewe or has he been forced into it in the last couple of months as a result of mismanagement?

In my opinion the reason the budget has dropped so drastically, aside from the off-field failures, is due to the failure of short-term signings and the negative football driving down the average attendance. We presumably invested all of the Dunne and Troy money into the squad last season with the hope of going straight back up - we failed and played dire football at home which weakened the budget further.

I just don't see any obvious sign of a "new cycle" being built and/or delivered since 2011 until as I say a few months ago Tisdale began to give up on the failing older players he signed and gave opportunities to youngsters such as JMT, Grimes and Nichols.

 

[richard_portland]

I don't think he has specifically tried to build a new young side, he just wanted to build a side as he had before regardless of age. Unfortunately his signings haven't been up to scratch and the home form over the three years has been so poor coupled with the level of entertainment that he hasn't been able to arrest the slide in income. We are likely to once again this summer be told that we can't afford to keep certain players and not to expect many signings, it's just déjà vu and if he can't put a side on the pitch to do better at home and get a cup run it's not likely to improve quickly so we will be trying to cling to our league status. Lord knows what will happen if we don't get another decent away record to fall back on.

20 19 27 is our home form with goals for and against of 72 & 79. Average points per season of 27.5 and average goals per game 1.09 but of course we are below both of those averages this season with so many scoreless losses.

 

[jonny]

I think its just an excuse for a failed season, we really should have pushed on from that 8th place in league 1

 

[Grecian_Jay]

Good OP. I think first ofall the thing Tisdale monumentally failed in was trying to replace Harley with Noble and also then not changing the way we play once we realised that we couldn't replace Harley.

AsI've said before, Tisdale will always go for an ageing journeyman rather than chance his arm on a younger player released from the Premiership etc. Some of us knew PArkin wouldn't do sod all. A few compared him to Curo which laughable (just ebcause he is old doens't make him Curo). You would have been better of getting 2 hungry players who are seeing their professional career slipping away from them. If they didn't work out then no harm done.

To me it seems that Tisdale doesn't trust Grimes or Wheeler, if they can be dropped then he will. Whereas Sercombe, Coles etc will play every game they are fit.

A lot depends on this summer. I can see him renewing PArkin and Coles and then brining in a direct replacement for Oakley in the mould of another has-been.

 

[CC]

Three years ago we lost Harley, Taylor, Jones and Cureton after finishing 8th and were told that it was the end of a cycle and a new one would begin. My question is whether we are still in that cycle or whether we have gone through a failed cycle and are beginning again?

One of the main defences of Tisdale is the lack of finance and the claim that his strategy since the loss of Harley and co was to build a young side. So I had a look at the average age of the players he has signed since this new cycle begun:

2011/12: 10 players signed permanently at an average age of 27.1

2012/13: 10 players signed permanently at an average age of 29.1

2013/14: 5 players signed permanently at an everage age of 27.4

I haven't included loan players, youth players or contract renewals in the figures.

Has Tisdale's plan since 2011 really been to build a young side ala Crewe or has he been forced into it in the last couple of months as a result of mismanagement?

In my opinion the reason the budget has dropped so drastically, aside from the off-field failures, is due to the failure of short-term signings and the negative football driving down the average attendance. We presumably invested all of the Dunne and Troy money into the squad last season with the hope of going straight back up - we failed and played dire football at home which weakened the budget further.

I just don't see any obvious sign of a "new cycle" being built and/or delivered since 2011 until as I say a few months ago Tisdale began to give up on the failing older players he signed and gave opportunities to youngsters such as JMT, Grimes and Nichols.

Good OP.

I'm sure we need a mix of youth and experience, but it seems we can only do each end of the spectrum. Did we have anyone in the matchday squad on Saturday between the ages of 25 and 29?

 

[Moomin Grecian]

Good OP. I think first ofall the thing Tisdale monumentally failed in was trying to replace Harley with Noble and also then not changing the way we play once we realised that we couldn't replace Harley.

AsI've said before, Tisdale will always go for an ageing journeyman rather than chance his arm on a younger player released from the Premiership etc. Some of us knew PArkin wouldn't do sod all. A few compared him to Curo which laughable (just ebcause he is old doens't make him Curo). You would have been better of getting 2 hungry players who are seeing their professional career slipping away from them. If they didn't work out then no harm done.

To me it seems that Tisdale doesn't trust Grimes or Wheeler, if they can be dropped then he will. Whereas Sercombe, Coles etc will play every game they are fit.

A lot depends on this summer. I can see him renewing PArkin and Coles and then brining in a direct replacement for Oakley in the mould of another has-been.

Very true, and it was also assumed that the signing of Bauza would also fill the 'creativity' void left after Harley departed, and look how that went.

You can also add that Jones went and we brought in Pidgeley AND Taylor went and we brought in Danny Coles!

Tisdale's signings over the past 3 seasons, have, for a large part been awful. Too many ageing pros with no pace.

To answer the OP, I think he still feels we're in the same cycle, but it's such an ambiguous statement anyway. Cycle? **** off and play some good football for once would be good.

 

[grecian55]

i think to get out of this league you need a mixture of good older expereinced Pro's and hungry youngsters looking for a leg up to a bigger club ? ,we have not got the balance right in my opinion ,too many players who can not perform week in week out and adapt to different playing formations and conditions ?

 

[manc grecian]

His budget is always going to be restricted hence why it was meant to be boosted by selling young players be they ones picked up from other sides higher up or our own. However it's fair to say that Tis has become completely muddled in his transfer policy. The old players have largely been slow, dreadful and in no way fitting in with how the team wants to play.

We still try to play the same way as 5 years ago with vastly inferior players. Ridiculous contract extensions for players past their sell by date, having two experienced right backs then none and trying 7 different players in that position. He lets players **** around all summer allowing them to get deals elsewhere before signing them for another year. It's muddled, confused and hints of laziness.

He's going on about a new cycle because he's massively ballsed up the last one.

 

[Furious Grecian]

New cycles, what a joke, on your bike Tis.....

The players you brought in have been the ones that have let us down, the younger players are the only ones who can hold their heads high this season, talk about unfair......joke!

 

[John William]

At the risk of sounding like a cracked record, the budget for paying players is also restricted because Tis and the Board have decided to spend excessive amounts of money on non-playing costs: Director of Football, 2 year rolling contract, 2x Chief Executives, paid Chairman, etc. etc.

And finances are being squeezed from the other side as well. Gates are also down significantly, mainly as a result of poor home form and entertainment but also as part of a League-wide trend: L2 average this year so far is 4,251 against 4,420 last year, and even the 4,251 is boosted by Pompey's average of 15,215, as much as the bottom 7 clubs put together.

So there needs to be a very significant reduction in off-field costs next season, whether we stay up or not. My fear is that instead the playing budget will be cut again but the suits will all remain in place.