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Barty 6:43 Tue Nov 26
How much do you think a mid table prem club has to spend to have a chance of finishing in the top 4?

I´m having this discussion with someone.

I would say about 100 million pounds 4 years in a row minimum with some good recruitment and manager.

BRANDED 11:16 Wed Nov 27
Re: How much do you think a mid table prem club has to spend to have a chance of finishing in the top 4?

£456.32

Alex V 11:16 Wed Nov 27
Re: How much do you think a mid table prem club has to spend to have a chance of finishing in the top 4?

Good topic.

I think you could spend a billion pounds and not guarantee it. Sure you'd have a squad full of highly-priced players and an enormous wage bill, but it isn't any guarantee of a top 4 place, and the player pool available to a club like ours probably means that we would have overpaid for non-elite players. Plus the top clubs would then respond to the challenge with their own spending power.

£100m 4 years in a row I think would achieve very little in itself. It's not that much different from what mid-table clubs are spending now.

Fans obsess over how much they'd like to see the club spend, but it isn't that relevant really. The key to progress is spending your funds sensibly and building the overall value of your squad, not just throwing money amounts out there.

Sydney_Iron 10:28 Wed Nov 27
Re: How much do you think a mid table prem club has to spend to have a chance of finishing in the top 4?

I think we will never compete with the so called “big clubs” but we still seem to try or think we are on the cusp of joining them, highly paid foreign manager, a squad of foreign talent, problem is we are left with what the big clubs don’t want or are past there best or got an injury cloud over them or pay way over the odds, it’s a bit like the Pound shop trying to compete with Harrods on the high street, we would be far better off in the long run by not over paying for some Foreign or mercenary manager, why not take a punt on some lower league talent, if it doesn’t work out, the sack and pay off would be minimal, may take few attempts but hopefully we strike gold, same with players, get in youngsters and home grown ones who show promises rather than some cast off from a big club or pay over the odds for some bang average foreigner.

Need a total strategy rethink IMO.

Said it a few times but Sheffield United for all there years n the wilderness after the Tevez business are now well ahead of us on a fraction of the cost, with way less resources and way less pulling power, we should be at the same level as Leicester or Wolves at least but there is huge gulf between us even with the money we have thrown around compared to them.

Peterboroughiron 10:13 Wed Nov 27
Re: How much do you think a mid table prem club has to spend to have a chance of finishing in the top 4?

The difference between mid table and top 4 is not necessarily money but having a goal scorer is a must and that’s one thing west ham haven’t had for decades

Sven Roeder 9:40 Wed Nov 27
Re: How much do you think a mid table prem club has to spend to have a chance of finishing in the top 4?

Agree about Leicester
They are the sort of owners that provide the money even despite the death of the father and appoint football people with a sensible strategy.
Can remember when Rodgers took over thinking he was going into a good situation as they had had the strategy of young hungry players and knowing what could work for a club of their size.
They have made a few mistakes .... Iaenacho.... but generally it’s players of the profile of Maddison, Ndidi and when they have had an outrageous offer ie Maguire they’ve taken it and not skipped a beat.
The older players they have got like Jonny Evans are good hardworking pros. Not broken down hacks like Wilshere.

13 Brentford Rd 9:02 Wed Nov 27
Re: How much do you think a mid table prem club has to spend to have a chance of finishing in the top 4?

As Leicester have shown. You don't need to throw stupid money at it if you have owners with real ambition who know what they are doing.

gph 9:20 Tue Nov 26
Re: How much do you think a mid table prem club has to spend to have a chance of finishing in the top 4?

£33 trillion under people who think crystal panthers a good buy.

Or £100-200 million under first class stewardship.

Pagey 9:15 Tue Nov 26
Re: How much do you think a mid table prem club has to spend to have a chance of finishing in the top 4?

At the moment Leicester are doing everything that we aspire to do, but can’t. Young, talented players with a will to succeed and a hunger to learn and improve. A great work ethic and pace and skill in abundance.

The only concern they have right now is how to replace Vardy in a couple of years time as he’s so important to what they do. Vardy, who cost them £1m!

Lato 8:25 Tue Nov 26
Re: How much do you think a mid table prem club has to spend to have a chance of finishing in the top 4?

IMO this Leicester side looks a better one than the one that won the Premier League in 2016. I am not sure how much they have spent since then, but I would guess it is less than us. In Brendan Rogers they have one of the best young Managers in Europe....look out Liverpool!

Sir Alf 7:50 Tue Nov 26
Re: How much do you think a mid table prem club has to spend to have a chance of finishing in the top 4?

Someone needs to drag out those net spend tables. Leicester are a good example as are Tottenham.

Net spend is key and smart spending too. Spending 100 million on players for 4 or 5 years is needed though and spent well but also selling players, possibly ones that are deemed good but you have another in the same position or youngster coming through. Buying players that are younger in the first place makes this more of a possibility.

Selling players over 28/29 or over and aligning contracts to end around that 28 year old mark all helps with getting the best money for a player that is likely to decline in the course of the next 3 or so years.

I think that is the Spurs approach in terms of contracts?

Anyway, it will take an initial investment of capital or a few years to get the squad younger and able to start trading. But you still got to get your scouting right, get the type of player you need hence identify what the squad and team weaknesses are and upgrade the players for those positions,

In 60 years I have suffered as a fan, West Ham have never done anything of this nature, nothing longer term in nature. Everything "knee jerk" , one year thinking. We get a half decent season , just the one and whoever is in charge sees it as the sign to throttle back on spending or spend on budget priced players and freebies ( yes Sullivan thats you).

Takashi Miike 7:36 Tue Nov 26
Re: How much do you think a mid table prem club has to spend to have a chance of finishing in the top 4?

.......everton are a good example of this

Takashi Miike 7:36 Tue Nov 26
Re: How much do you think a mid table prem club has to spend to have a chance of finishing in the top 4?

the transfer budget is irrelevant if you have a clown as the manager, getting that right is more important

Sniper 7:34 Tue Nov 26
Re: How much do you think a mid table prem club has to spend to have a chance of finishing in the top 4?

Spurs are both an example of how to do it and then how not to

They successfully managed to get into the top four, largely off the back of the money they invested when they sold Kane and the likes of Eriksen and son coming good at the same time as kane, but then just kept the same squad for 3 years and messed it up

As fergie said you have to reinvent the squad every three seasons with new faces, if you stand still everyone goes past you

New Jersey 7:27 Tue Nov 26
Re: How much do you think a mid table prem club has to spend to have a chance of finishing in the top 4?

Leicester, Yids and Burnley are all extremely well run clubs, who in relative terms haven't spent a fortune. They have Boards who have a vision of where they want to be and how to achieve this, whilst we have a bunch of asset strippers in charge of us who rent a running track. Burnley's current success was due to their Board and the policies they pursued, which started long before Dyche was appointed, although he has probably accelerated their success.

Texas Iron 7:13 Tue Nov 26
Re: How much do you think a mid table prem club has to spend to have a chance of finishing in the top 4?

200million...
4-6 players...
Need depth in squad...plus a few top quality key players...(Striker...MF)...
But no guarantees...
Depends on the skill of the person buying the players

stewie griffin 7:10 Tue Nov 26
Re: How much do you think a mid table prem club has to spend to have a chance of finishing in the top 4?

As well as Leicester, The cunts in north London did it on a negative spend

As others have said, its possible to achieve if you have a well run club with people who know what they're doing. So we have no chance, money or no money

the coming of gary 7:09 Tue Nov 26
Re: How much do you think a mid table prem club has to spend to have a chance of finishing in the top 4?

Bournemouth are mid table without spending much. And their ground holds less than Newport or Carlisle
.

Mike Oxsaw 7:08 Tue Nov 26
Re: How much do you think a mid table prem club has to spend to have a chance of finishing in the top 4?

The NHS is a good example here; however much money is thrown at it, it still always falls short of expectations.

Adequate - not excessive - funding plus professional (PROFESSIONAL) management at all managerial/director levels will offer the platform for success.

FruityBoots. 7:07 Tue Nov 26
Re: How much do you think a mid table prem club has to spend to have a chance of finishing in the top 4?

Unfortunately the recent generations of FIFA20 gamers, YouTubers, followers on social media click bait pages, Talksport and a SkySports News lead everyone into the mentality that throwing hundreds of millions into transfers will equal success, investment is needed of course but shouldn’t need to always be in huge transfers.

Sniper 7:02 Tue Nov 26
Re: How much do you think a mid table prem club has to spend to have a chance of finishing in the top 4?

The transfer market and player valuations make so little sense these days that it’s not about how much you spend but who you buy and how you keep the squad moving forward.

Leicester sold maguire and a reserve centre back who barely got a look in last season is now his even more impressive replacement. Their defence looks far better than the one maguire moves to for £80m

The important Thing is identifying what your squad needs and finding the right players to fill the spaces. That’s what we quite literally haven’t done at all for as long as I can remember, or at least as long as gold and Sullivan have been here

Rossal 6:57 Tue Nov 26
Re: How much do you think a mid table prem club has to spend to have a chance of finishing in the top 4?

Its not about how much you spend its about who you spend it on and the managers and coaches getting the best out of a squad

We've spent shit loads and our best player is a kid from the academy. 2nd and 3rd probably Fab and Antonio who cost not alot

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