The End - Fulham (A) 07/05/16

[thebish]

Pay me what that pricks on a week and I'd contribute more, I'd cut every blade of grass with a pair of nail scissors.

hmmm... that'd keep you busy - it's almost worth a whip round!

[Dave Sutton's barnet]

I don't hate Pratley. There aren’t many people I hate, and they tend to have done much worse things than Being Shit At Football.

As Prufrock pontificated as we perambulated past Putney Bridge, Pratley’s problem is that several successive managers appear to think he’s a No.10 when in fact he has an extremely limited skill-set. Someone playing that high up the pitch should either score or create goals, and he has been extraordinarily prolific at doing neither.

Having scored 29 times for Swansea he arrived with a goalscoring reputation which his performances haven’t backed up. According to transfermarkt, on Saturday he ticked past 11,000 minutes in a Bolton shirt and he’s scored 15 goals, which is one every 734 minutes, or just over 8 games. However, that includes 5 cup goals, 3 of which were against lower-league opposition. In 133 league games he’s scored 10 goals, which is 2 per season.

What about assists? Hmm. In 155 games in all competitions, he’s got 8, but 3 were in cups. Over 5 seasons Darren has racked up 5 assists - one every 26.6 games. One assist per season.

Fair enough, his averages might be lowered because has also been deployed further back, in the midfield engine room. But he hasn’t exactly excelled there either, has he? According to WhoScored, Darren averaged 29.5 passes per game, our 14th-highest (or, if you set the bar at appearing at least 23 times, 9th). For comparison, Davies averaged 40.7, Dervite 39.5, Moxey 37.6, Spearing 37, Holding 34.6, Derik 34.5, Vela 33.2, Wilson 33, Amos 31.7, Wheater 30.6. In terms of tackles, he’s level with Mark Davies and behind Spearing and Vela. He averaged 0.4 key passes (leading to a shot, i.e. a potential assist) 0.4 per game, which is 18th (9th among those appearing 23+ times); for comparison, Feeney was 2.2, Davies 1.2, Moxey 1.1, Clogh 0.9, Madine 0.8, Heskey 0.5, Spearing 0.5.

So he can’t score, he can’t assist, he can’t make key passes, he doesn’t make many passes at all, and he averages as many tackles as the guy (Davies) most people think is soft and lazy. So what exactly does Darren do? I guess he runs about a lot, which is nice for those who like people who run around a lot.

[Worthy4England]

Maybe we should transfer Darren commentary to the "Running/Athletics" thread?

I'm with you on this DSB - I don't hate Pratley (you gotta work at hate). If he were on £1k per week/£2k per week, then he'd be a fairly limited "squaddie" who we might need to roll out, from time to time because he was all we had and people would still say "oh fcuk it's Pratley". The problem is he's probably on the lower end of "I'm a Premiership player salary" allegedly. I couldn't envisage any Premiership clubs showing much of an interest.

I don't think Mavies is soft and lazy. I think he's injured a lot and doesn't live up to anything like his hype.

[Dave Sutton's barnet]

I don't hate Pratley (you gotta work at hate). If he were on £1k per week/£2k per week, then he'd be a fairly limited "squaddie" who we might need to roll out, from time to time because he was all we had and people would still say "oh fcuk it's Pratley". The problem is he's probably on the lower end of "I'm a Premiership player salary" allegedly. I couldn't envisage any Premiership clubs showing much of an interest.

I was going to say much the same thing but didn't get round to it (annoyingly, work got in the way). If an Academy lad played like Darren, I'd applaud his effort and physical presence (while possibly still worrying about apparent lack of technical ability: at Fulham DP did another 10-yard trap where the ball bounces off his shin towards touch).

But he's not an Academy lad. The captaincy thing doesn't bother me too much because I think its importance is overrated in this country, and his selection made a certain sense by the usual rules (age, effort levels, longevity at club). However, we are in a time of fiscal assessment and although we can't be sure, the signs point to Darren being on one of our biggest contracts.

He signed for us in summer 2011, when we'd just reached the FA Cup semi-final and come within a fortnight of finishing in the top 8, which was definitely our aim for the following season. The contract we offered him was big enough to trump other clubs ("A number of clubs were interested in him" - Coyle) and big for him to leave the club he'd just helped into the Premier League as former captain (he scored the winner, from the halfway line, in the play-off semi). I don't think it's ridiculous to imagine that Stan Coyle and Ollie Gartside gave him £20kpw.

We do know that that contract ran out last summer, by which time he was beloved of a manager who wanted all-action hard-running midfielders. He dragged his feet over re-signing – Ipswich and QPR were linked, while players like Bogdan and Mills opted to leave – but he did so and was made captain. Considering it's a matter of record in The Telegraph that we agreed that summer to pay a goalkeeper £16kpw, and knowing that Lennon had Pratley in mind for skipper, it wouldn't surprise me if the terms we offered continued his Premier League remuneration. In other words, I reckon he's quite possibly on a million a year, basic. And according to the BN, under Football League rules (let alone our ability to pay) we have to cut our wage bill to £6m. Is he worth a sixth of that?

[thebish]

And according to the BN, under Football League rules (let alone our ability to pay) we have to cut our wage bill to £6m. Is he worth a sixth of that?

strewth - that kinda puts it into perspective!

[Worthy4England]

Aye - the Sun (lord above) posted £14k pw when the takeover was in flight - that does also have Amos on £16k pw

http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/sp ... e-One.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[Prufrock]

I still hate him.

There are very few of our players I've hated, and those very recently. I got to Knight, N'Gog and Pratley, became worried I'd gone mixed-racist, before Timothy Ream popped up and saved me.

Useless, weak losers. Previously even my least favourite players' departures were "meh" moments. I was/ will be delighted to get rid of that quartet.

[Dave Sutton's barnet]

Aye - the Sun (lord above) posted £14k pw when the takeover was in flight - that does also have Amos on £16k pw

http://www.thesun.co.uk/etc" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Oh aye, forgot about that. In case you can't click da link:



These figures may or may not be right, but let’s kick them around a little. First, a conversion guide, using maths. £8kpw is £416,000 per year,10kpw = £520kpa, 11kpw = £572kpa, 14kpw = £728kpa, 16kpw = £832kpa, 18kpw = £936kpa. (The simple rough figure is £20kpw is £1mpa.)

Ending this summer, we have Wheater on 17, Feeney 17, Danns 10, Heskey 7, Dobbie 4 = £55kpw = £2.86m pa. That’s obviously a decent wedge to save but it’s still not enough because of the contracts we’re obliged to pay next year.

They are Davies at 18, Spearing 18, Trotter 11, Derik 10, Dervite 9, Moxey 8.5 & Madine 8 = £82.5kpw = £4.29m pa. Add the two-year commitment to Pratley at 14 (£728,000 pa, making £5.018m next season with Davies/Spearing et al) and the three years owing to Amos at 16 (£936,000 pa) and you have £5.954m just to the nine players mentioned in this paragraph, meaning we would have £46,000 left for the entire season to pay everyone else at the club, from Zach Clough on down. Oh, and any win bonuses or goal bonuses.

In other words, despite the positives coming out of the club, we have to get rid of some of the longer-term commitments – and any notion of renewing lapsing contracts (Wheater has been mentioned after recent displays; others have made cases for Danns, Heskey and Dobbie) would have to be balanced against getting rid of longer contracts… but to whom?

To me, hard as it is, we have to be actively seeking buyers/borrowers for Amos, Pratley, Spearing and Davies. (Frankly I’d listen to offers for Trotter, Dervite, Moxey and Madine too; of the names listed above, there’s only Derik I’d be sad to see leave.) Each of those top four “earners” will be taking between 1/8th and 1/6th of the budget, and frankly none of them have been worth it. Again, it’s fag-packet maths but £6m divided by a 24-player squad is £4,800 a week, so anyone on more has to be bloody good.

And even that is above the divisional norm: according to the Daily Mail this February, the average League One basic weekly wage is £1,337 compared to £6,235 in the Championship (£32,692 in the Prem, £775 in League Two). Is Darren worth 10 times the average League One wage?

[TANGODANCER]

Just for interest sake D.S.B, just how much does the tax man take of those weekly figures?

[Dave Sutton's barnet]

Just for interest sake D.S.B, just how much does the tax man take of those weekly figures?

As far as I can see, for the fiscal year 2016/17 those paid over £150,000 per year (£3kpw) get taxed at 45% on that top bit, 40% on the bit between £32,000 and £150,000 and 20% on the bit up to £32,000. So Darren's gross annual income of £728k will yield £313,700 for George Osborne to do with as he sees fit.

Tax calculator

[Worthy4England]

So George has given Dazza a rise of £555 per week for playing like a tw@t. Great News!

[TonyDomingos]

I suspect Dazzer's financial affairs are unlike most people's. As with his football, his contribution to the Exchequer will be significantly less than it ought to be.

[Abdoulaye's Twin]

Regarding this wage cap. I thought (I may have dreamed it) that not all of our player contracts would count towards the 6m cap due to when they were signed. I think Amos was one of them.

If I haven't just dreamed that up, it might give us a little more room to wiggle. We still need to get rid of Mavies and Dazzla though...

[Worthy4England]

Regarding this wage cap. I thought (I may have dreamed it) that not all of our player contracts would count towards the 6m cap due to when they were signed. I think Amos was one of them.

If I haven't just dreamed that up, it might give us a little more room to wiggle. We still need to get rid of Mavies and Dazzla though...

Arrangements are in place whereby clubs are allowed to exclude the wage costs of all players that the club signed pre September of the relegation season, if they were signed on contracts in excess of 3 seasons

[Abdoulaye's Twin]

Regarding this wage cap. I thought (I may have dreamed it) that not all of our player contracts would count towards the 6m cap due to when they were signed. I think Amos was one of them.

If I haven't just dreamed that up, it might give us a little more room to wiggle. We still need to get rid of Mavies and Dazzla though...

Arrangements are in place whereby clubs are allowed to exclude the wage costs of all players that the club signed pre September of the relegation season, if they were signed on contracts in excess of 3 seasons

That's the badger. I'm not quite senile yet

[Worthy4England]

Regarding this wage cap. I thought (I may have dreamed it) that not all of our player contracts would count towards the 6m cap due to when they were signed. I think Amos was one of them.

If I haven't just dreamed that up, it might give us a little more room to wiggle. We still need to get rid of Mavies and Dazzla though...

Arrangements are in place whereby clubs are allowed to exclude the wage costs of all players that the club signed pre September of the relegation season, if they were signed on contracts in excess of 3 seasons

That's the badger. I'm not quite senile yet

Aye, it's a great clause that....don't want to fall foul of the cap? Think you might get relegated? Just sign players on a really long Contract before any given September that you really can't afford and can't get out of, that'll solve it! It all sounds a bit too close to home to be honest...

[Abdoulaye's Twin]

Regarding this wage cap. I thought (I may have dreamed it) that not all of our player contracts would count towards the 6m cap due to when they were signed. I think Amos was one of them.

If I haven't just dreamed that up, it might give us a little more room to wiggle. We still need to get rid of Mavies and Dazzla though...

Arrangements are in place whereby clubs are allowed to exclude the wage costs of all players that the club signed pre September of the relegation season, if they were signed on contracts in excess of 3 seasons

That's the badger. I'm not quite senile yet

Aye, it's a great clause that....don't want to fall foul of the cap? Think you might get relegated? Just sign players on a really long Contract before any given September that you really can't afford and can't get out of, that'll solve it! It all sounds a bit too close to home to be honest...

I did think that, but figured someone must have a good reason for it. Presumably whoever was over spending at the time.

[Worthy4England]

That would be the same people that couldn't see in August that we would run completely out of money by the end of October, having already signed up for a Wonga loan. I doubt they had anything much other than a lottery ticket in their pockets.

[Dave Sutton's barnet]

Regarding this wage cap. I thought (I may have dreamed it) that not all of our player contracts would count towards the 6m cap due to when they were signed. I think Amos was one of them.

Arrangements are in place whereby clubs are allowed to exclude the wage costs of all players that the club signed pre September of the relegation season, if they were signed on contracts in excess of 3 seasons

Ah yes, interesting. So I believe that would exclude all four of the big DAPS (Davies, Amos, Pratley, Spearing), plus Trotter, Dervite and Moxey, as they were all given contracts of at least three years and they were all signed before September 2015. Yes? In which case, we're legally fine and all we have to do is find several million pounds for the next season's wages...

(We'd still be accountable for the two-year contracts given last summer to Derik and The Machine – now there's a shit tribute band.)

[BWFC_Insane]

Regarding this wage cap. I thought (I may have dreamed it) that not all of our player contracts would count towards the 6m cap due to when they were signed. I think Amos was one of them.

Arrangements are in place whereby clubs are allowed to exclude the wage costs of all players that the club signed pre September of the relegation season, if they were signed on contracts in excess of 3 seasons

Ah yes, interesting. So I believe that would exclude all four of the big DAPS (Davies, Amos, Pratley, Spearing), plus Trotter, Dervite and Moxey, as they were all given contracts of at least three years and they were all signed before September 2015. Yes? In which case, we're legally fine and all we have to do is find several million pounds for the next season's wages...

(We'd still be accountable for the two-year contracts given last summer to Derik and The Machine – now there's a shit tribute band.)

Only a one year grace period though.

Also if we are within the legal target but way above it with exceptions will the FL use that as a reason to keep the embargo in place or partially in place? I expect so....