FM: Wage Budget

[GoldenEagle]

Ok, I talked about this a bit in another thread, but I have a bit of dilemma on my hand. I am the Vauxhall Motors, and I won promotion from the Conference north in my first season. In the second season I finished 11th in the conference. I really got lucky to finish that high. I knew the level of players I had could never win the conference. After the season several contracts ran out and decided to clean house and go out and get better players.

During this time we did well financially. I have made a profit of over $400,000 since I arrived. I have a good group of young players in place and need to mix them with some other talents to form a team capable of winning the conference and doing well in League 2.

At the center piece of the team is the keeper I want. Luke Steele came in for a loan and played great for us. We negotiated with Man Utd for a $20,000 transfer fee after the season. We agree to terms with him for $2,400 p/w.

You would think with all the success the board would open the pocket book a bit. We had a wage budget of $3,600 p/w the first year. The board raised it to $5,000 p/w the next year. This year they actually lowered it to $4,800 p/w.

I delayed the Steele transfer for a week. If I accept it, he will eat up exactly half my wage budget. I still have gaping holes on my team I need to fill. I would like to be two deep at each position as well as through in some younger development players. However, that seems to be impossible right now.

Any thoughts?

[SirFozzie]

request a larger wage budget? (under the confidence tab for the manager)

[Desnudo]

Are you already over the wage budget?

[RPI-Fan]

If you're confident you can win with, say a, $6k wage total, go for it. The board will let you, but it means you get a MUCH shorter leash if you aren't successful.

In this case, if you think Steele will win you promotion, I'd say go ahead with it. If it'd still be an iffy proposition, then you probably should look elsewhere.

All in all, quite realistic, I think.

[Router Help]

Did you make this $400,000 from selling players or from ticket sales? Perhaps your stadium isn't big enough to justify a large budget increase. (although a decrease makes no sense)

Being two deep at every position is a little much though for a conference team, especially if you bring in someone like Steele.

[GoldenEagle]

I am about $1,000 under the wage budget but only have 18 players under contract. I requested a larger budget but it was shot down as the board felt I have a sufficient amounts of funds to attract quality players or something like that. I agree about it being realistic I just wish the board would let me have some of that $400,000 I have made.

If they raised it to $10,000 p/w - they would still be in the black.

[RPI-Fan]

Originally Posted by GoldenEagle

If they raised it to $10,000 p/w - they would still be in the black.

But from their point of view, they'd only be making 50% of the possible profit.

But anyways, if you have 18 guys who you're comfortable with, definitely do the deal with Steele. In the Conference you can't rely on depth like you can in the Football League. Most Conference teams (in real life and in FM) seem to have 2 or 3 players they build around, and then a bunch of fill-in scrubs. They don't really have a whole two-deep roster of Football League-calibre guys, but no stars.

[GoldenEagle]

Originally Posted by Router Help

Did you make this $400,000 from selling players or from ticket sales? Perhaps your stadium isn't big enough to justify a large budget increase. (although a decrease makes no sense)

Being two deep at every position is a little much though for a conference team, especially if you bring in someone like Steele.

The $400k came from prize money and ticket sales. About $65k of it came from transfers. We averaged like 2,000 fans a game last season.

[bhlloy]

Why can't you loan Steele for another season? United won't require you to pay anything towards him and as long as you don't have any football league competition he should be happy to come.

As TNS in the Welsh Premier (a bit of a cheat as they are a good team to start) I have built an unbelievable team using the 5 loans a year and quality free transfers. I've managed to get players like John Spicer, Zak Whitbread (2 years running), Adam Birchall (12 goals in 10 games this year) and Stephen Brennan for the entire year for free. Add this in to a couple of solid players from the start and some astute free/cheap players and you can build a very good lower leagues team.

For anyone who is interested in some good lower league players here is my team:

Shaun Allaway (free transfer at start of game)
Chris Deegan (free transfer - probably not in normal db's)
Stephen Brennan (Newcastle - loan)
Jimmy Aggrey (original TNS)/ Steven Livsey (Bolton - loan)
Zak Whitbread (Liverpool - loan)
Scott Ruscoe (TNS - original)
Trevor Robinson (Millwall - 3k)
Grant Smith (Swindon - 4k)
Omar Daley (Portmore Utd - free)
Adam Birchall (Arsenal - loan)
Dominic Pearmain (Leicester - 2k)

That team is unbeaten 12 games into my second season and came within a hair's breadth of qualifying for the 3rd qual. round of the Champions League. Pearmain is a must look - 40 goals last year, 7 this year and he's almost always on the transfer list at the start.

[Desnudo]

Originally Posted by GoldenEagle

I am about $1,000 under the wage budget but only have 18 players under contract. I requested a larger budget but it was shot down as the board felt I have a sufficient amounts of funds to attract quality players or something like that. I agree about it being realistic I just wish the board would let me have some of that $400,000 I have made.

If they raised it to $10,000 p/w - they would still be in the black.

Boards have different personalities and ambitions. Maybe you got one that is more interested in the dollar than winning. Also, if they think you are going to get relegated then they will restrict wages. If you continue to make a profit, the budget will rise eventually.

At what point in the season are you? I find that the board often gives me an increase in both wage budget and transfer budget later in the summer window.

[GoldenEagle]

After thinking about it in Managerial Accounting I decided to get a squad of about 22 or 23 players and try to win the league. I may try to get Steele on loan but I would really like to acquire his services on a full time basis and the price is right. If I could get him for 20k that would be a steal.

I guess its all how you look at it. The board could sit on the profits or they could invest it back in the club and have a chance at some more profits. I think I am better all the way across the board so we should have a pretty good year.

I usually like to scout my players before buying them or loaning them. It gives me more of a feel of realism. My scouts usually bring back crappy lower league players but I have found a couple of studs.

[Marc Vaughan]

Originally Posted by GoldenEagle

At the center piece of the team is the keeper I want. Luke Steele came in for a loan and played great for us. We negotiated with Man Utd for a $20,000 transfer fee after the season. We agree to terms with him for $2,400 p/w.

Take him ..... he's did great for me at Stevenage (and stayed with the club until he was 35 ).

[Marc Vaughan]

Originally Posted by GoldenEagle

I am about $1,000 under the wage budget but only have 18 players under contract. I requested a larger budget but it was shot down as the board felt I have a sufficient amounts of funds to attract quality players or something like that. I agree about it being realistic I just wish the board would let me have some of that $400,000 I have made.

If they raised it to $10,000 p/w - they would still be in the black.

Part of the problem is that (as irl) if you do extremely well on a tight budget then some bosses won't turn around and say well done - we'll reinvest more money, but will instead indicate that you should be able to continue doing well on a restricted budget ....

Over time they will loosen it, especially if you make a consistent profit over a few years (this has a large bearing on things) and/or get promoted ... hang in there.

[LoneStarGirl]

[quote=GoldenEagle]After thinking about it in Managerial Accounting ...

I am glad your parents are sending you to school for something. Learn a lot today in Managerial Accounting there sweetheart?

[SirFozzie]

[quote=LoneStarGirl]

Originally Posted by GoldenEagle

After thinking about it in Managerial Accounting ...

I am glad your parents are sending you to school for something. Learn a lot today in Managerial Accounting there sweetheart?

Uh, LSG, you do know that if we get diabetes from the sugar sweet messages you two are swapping, you'll have to pay for the insulin shots?

[SirFozzie]

Originally Posted by Marc Vaughan

Take him ..... he's did great for me at Stevenage (and stayed with the club until he was 35 ).

Who knew Marc Vaughan was a LLMama?

(Grin, duck and run)

[LoneStarGirl]

GE will tell you that i'm not exactly sugary or sweet :-P

[GoldenEagle]

Originally Posted by SirFozzie

Uh, LSG, you do know that if we get diabetes from the sugar sweet messages you two are swapping, you'll have to pay for the insulin shots?

Do not worry Foz, I have put her in her place. She will never get out of line again.

[lighthousekeeper]

Originally Posted by GoldenEagle

I am the Vauxhall Motors, and I won promotion from the Conference north in my first season. ...

Any thoughts?

Did you report this to s.i. as a bug?

[GoldenEagle]

Originally Posted by lighthousekeeper

Did you report this to s.i. as a bug?

Heh - I was amazed. We played really well. I found a young winger named Matty Warner who is the shit. We added Gary Twigg and Colin Marshall and finished like 5th, but one point out of winning the title. We played Hornschruch in the promotion final and only won because they missed four out of five PK's in a shootout. I do not use any super tactics, so I think it was a pretty big accomplishment.

[GoldenEagle]

My board just expanded my wage budget to $7,200 p/w right before the start of the season. I guess it is a step in the right direction. Unfortunately, two or three players are demanding contracts that will pa them much higher and I really can not sign anyone as they want huge contracts that would not be justified.

[Francis_Cole]

Who knew Marc Vaughan was a LLMama

Isn't Brighton a LL club?

*hides*

[SirFozzie]

Originally Posted by Francis_Cole

Who knew Marc Vaughan was a LLMama

Isn't Brighton a LL club?

*hides*

Oof.

Blows the whistle..

"Now come on, lad, that's a cheap shot, and in the middle of the night so he couldn't see it till morning.."

(shows Francis a Yellow Card, and writes his name into the book..)

Do it again and you're off...

[Marc Vaughan]

Originally Posted by Francis_Cole

Who knew Marc Vaughan was a LLMama

Isn't Brighton a LL club?

*hides*

No more so than Leeds these days uncle Fran

(and against the odds it looks like we might (crosses all appendages) stay up this season )