The Cherries on top: Episode 35 – All or nothing
After another good season, I am upbeat. The board inform me that the extension to the clubs training facilities are complete. To be honest, I would have rather increased the stadium capacity again but never mind. The upgrade sees us go from awful facilities to Top facilities plus, youth academy.
One thing is for certain. I am going to need more quality to compete in the Premier League. I need more depth. I need another summer rebuild.
Luckily for me the TV money comes in!
Last season I tried to save as much as possible in the off chance I would need it. Now I do. I have £18 million available for transfers and I intend to use it all, it’s all or nothing now!
I’ve already booked in over £4 million in transfers before the window opens. Ashley Lythe and Cherno Samba deals already agreed by tribunal, Niclas Jenson in for £650k and the £3.3 million for Luca Toni. However it’s time to continue the rebuild to compete in the Premier League.
I think that we need three decent keepers to compete. Hugo Pinheiro comes in for £16k and will be a fine addition. I’d be happy to start him next season but I feel like if another goal keeping target becomes available I will move for them. It would then be a case of who to sell, Voulgaris or Warner, the latter is thinking of moving clubs and has some interest so we will see.
European Championships 2004
England failed to make it out of the group stages for the second consecutive tournament. They managed a win against Scotland but lost to both France and Denmark. After being ruthless with Sven, Hodgson manages to keep his job presumably until at least the World Cup in two years time.
Having already beaten the Ukraine in the group stages, Italy beat them again in the final. The Azzurri end the tournament with a 100% record and even more impressively, no goals conceded!
Back to summer signings now as Luca Toni completes his move. The following day we have a new left-back as we sign Luca’s fellow countrymen Max Tonetto for just over £3.5 million.
As we move into July, Newcastle, who don’t seem to have stopped spending since last season sign Jesper Grønkjær from Chelsea for £7 million and then another £11 million on Jaap Stam!
I on the other hand welcome in CM01/02 royalty as Cherno Samba’s move is completed. I feel that it puts us in a great position striker wise with Skalidis, Hadzi and Luca Toni already on the books. Fortune-West and Michael Dunwell have given us their best for us to get here but they won’t be getting a lot of game time unless something serious happens.
With the forwards now sorted the plan is to get in a centre back so that Duff can play in his best position at right back. I go in for Joleon Lescott. He wants to move to a bigger club, trouble is I face competition from Liverpool.
He obviously goes to Liverpool so I turn my attention back to Lewis Buxton. Portsmouth want £10 million so that’s not going to happen and the search continues.
Walsall bid £500k for Tony Warner, he has been a solid buy and the deal would mean a £350k return on our investment for just 18 appearances. I don’t stand in his way because another goalkeeping target might be available.
David Dei is “thinking of moving clubs” which is good news for me and I submit a bid of £2.5 million with an extra million if he makes 10 international appearances (my standard addition to bids to be honest). As I wait there is some other good news.
Having spent the best part of three seasons trying to get rid of him, Marcus decides to retire from football. He wont be stinking up the reverses and I won’t be looking out for his regen.
The offer for Dei is accepted and terms are agreed quickly as he signs and Warner departs. One of the recommended keepers on Champ Man starts to give me some confidence between the sticks in the top division.
Another Swede on the radar is Stefan Ishizaki. He has been languishing in the reserves at AIK and he wants first team football. A bid of £1.7 million is placed and swiftly accepted to bolster our midfield.
After getting in some players, I decide to organise a few friendlies to bring in a little (and it will probably be little) money. First up is Rostock and some of the new signings are on the scoresheet in an easy run out.
After we have upgraded our facilities, we have some promotions from the academy. Two in two days. Both come with a glowing references from Alan Irvine as good prospects for the future.
As the recruitment is going fairly well, Folkestone have approached me. They want to take Galakteros on a season long loan. I would have preferred a higher division, but guaranteed game time for the young lad cannot be sniffed at.
Another friendly with Racing Genk has Ishizaki on the scoresheet again as there was a fairly entertaining game for the 3,172 to watch.
As we get towards the end of July, I am fairly happy with the additions. A few fresh faces in midfield along with two top notch strikers.
As I check the shortlist, I look up and see the money available, its £6 million. I might not spend it until I see that Stefan Selakovic is available and whilst I ponder, someone makes it a bid of £6 million, I match it and could end up in financial ruin given the small stadium but it’s over 18 month, that is future me’s problem as he comes in. I am definitely, definitely finished now!
I organise one last friendly, this time with Blackburn to have a little test at Premier League opposition, Selakovic score 15 minutes into his first appearance as we coast to a 5–0 win.
Hopefully we’ve got enough to compete on a weekly basis. Defensively we perhaps still need a top centre back. I might have overdone it spending money we probably don’t have but if we could get a European place it just might have been worth it.
Transfers in: £18 million
Jonas Lunden – Elfsborg – Free (Bosman)
Hugo Pinheiro – Naval – £16k
Luca Toni – Brescia – £3.3m
Max Tornetto – Leece – £3.6m
Cherno Samba – Millwall – £875k
Ashley Lythe – Leicester – £170k
Stefan Selakovic – Heerenveen – £6m
David Dei – Perugia – £2.2m
Stefan Ishizaki — AIK — £1.7m
Transfers out:
Tony Warner — Walsall — 500k
Marcus Browning – Retired
Season 4 coming next week
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