Sport RSS Feed


Watford have not received any bids for England Under-21 striker Marvin Sordell

4:30pm Thursday 26th January 2012 in Sport

Picture: Action Images Picture: Action Images

Watford have missed out on several transfer targets this month due to the club’s financial restraints, Sean Dyche has admitted.

The Hornets are constantly looking at players and trying to arrange deals but Dyche accepts the club often do not have the financial muscle to force through moves as they please.

"We have missed out on a number of targets because we just don't have the finances to make it happen immediately," Dyche said earlier this week.

"We are close-ish on a couple of yes situations. There are things that we have to be forward-thinking on and put things in place but we are always waiting on the other parties to say yes rather than us just having the money to force the yes decision, which is why it is difficult.

"That is my life now; constant phone calls, constant background checks, constant alignment and it is not just me – Ross (Wilson), Woany (Ian Woan), Tony (Loughlan), Chambo (Alec Chamberlain) - it is something that has been a real tough task since I have taken over because we have brought in a reasonable amount [of money] but they [the owner and board] have had to back the club up for the future.

"In the grand scheme of things, we have spent quite small compared to the rest of the division.”

However, Dyche insists the Hornets’ finances are healthy enough to rebuff bids if they deem them to be unacceptable and whilst no offers have been made for Marvin Sordell in January, the Watford manager claims the figures mentioned for the striker are way short of the club’s valuation.

"No we haven't had an offer for Marvin,” Dyche confirmed. “There has been loads of speculation but nothing serious.

"The loose talk we have had is so far from the valuation of someone like Marvin Sordell.

“You think of Connor Wickham going for that sort of money and Matt Mills, a centre half, going for £5.5m, they are the sort of players who are moving in our division so we have to pitch accordingly."

Comments(22)

bigthunder says...
5:09pm Thu 26 Jan 12

over 6 million in from player sales yet still cannot support the manager, just what have we spent, so much for all those that think we are moving forward with this new owner Bassini just what has he invested in our club ?

Dyche above has a veiled dig at him and the board in this statement above as is starting to realise now he cannnot get the players he needs to keep this club up and no doubt it is his neck on the line if we do not

Report this post »    Register/Log In »

Goldenboy1960 says...
5:24pm Thu 26 Jan 12

I would suggest that income on the gates we have had this season does not support outgoings. When they say they don't have to sell I don't understand it. They could sell to re invest, but then given current signings from the current management team you would have to question their decision making? So maybe that is a good move!

Some of this financial information does not make sense, and am beginning to wonder if there is a secret form of Financial input, even if it is just to keep the club afloat?

It is very strange because clearly the owner does not have any money. Does anybody else question the finacial information coming from the club?

Report this post »    Register/Log In »

Mickey Quinn, not so thin says...
5:44pm Thu 26 Jan 12

Seems perfectly clear to me ? They received piles of cash last summer, spent some and used the rest to shore up the clubs finances. Therefore we are no longer in the dire "sell at any price" scenario of a year ago. At the same time we are not prepared to throw silly money around to outbid richer clubs and make a deal or two happen if it will land us back in a risky financial position. If we sell one of our prized assets at a sensible market price we may then be in a position to reinvest a portion of that as we did in the summer, assuming there's enough time left before 31/1.

Report this post »    Register/Log In »

Back from Hammerau says...
5:45pm Thu 26 Jan 12

"clearly the owner does not have any money"
If he did not have any money, Lord Ashcroft wouldn't have agreed to sell the club to him and Graham Taylor wouldn't have signed his name to a legal document that said he did at the time of the takeover.

There's nothing new in this "news" story. I'm sure that in virtually every transfer window the WO has run a story about the club being unsuccessful when trying to buy a player because the amount we'd offered wasn't as much as the selling club wanted.

Report this post »    Register/Log In »

cliff46 says...
6:28pm Thu 26 Jan 12

Understandably Dyche will want us to know he understands the need for decent signings because he knows he will come in for the usual criticism, which of course he will anyway whatever he does.
We know even with tight financial control the club still runs an annual deficit of £3-4M and so the incoming £6m referred to in an earlier posting doesn't last very long nor does it allow
us to offer silly contracts to potential new signings.
Unfortunately shopping in the bargain basement also offers the opportunity to waste money but on balance I think it better to shop in this sector hoping to uncover the occasional gem like young Hogg and risking being lumbered with the occasional Ewelemu.
If the Russo's had bought the club instead of Baz the buying policy will have been the same as now.
We have to provide opportunities for our most promising youngsters in the second half of the season but it is worrying that clubs like Exeter, Yeovil and Brentford don't appear to want them.
In a year or two if some of these lads havent made it into the first team we
will have to look seriously at the cost of
our acadamy.

Report this post »    Register/Log In »

rousman 2 says...
6:52pm Thu 26 Jan 12

The difference that Kightly made says it all, one or two decent loan players from the Premier league is the only way forward for clubs like Watford. We are not the only club in the Championship that run at a loss.

Report this post »    Register/Log In »

WFC4ever says...
7:07pm Thu 26 Jan 12

I doubt the signings we made in the summer which have failed were that cheap TBH considering our budget.

Report this post »    Register/Log In »

Feff says...
7:54pm Thu 26 Jan 12

Bassini does not want to spend any money, assuming indeed that he has any. He wants a pub, not a football club. When we get relegated, which is a real likelihood, Dyche will be blamed. Yes, he has made some bad purchases, like Iwelumo, Garner and Mirfin in particular, but he cannot continue with the squad we have. Rodgers and Mackay left. If I were Dyche I would go too. Problem is, no one wants him.

Report this post »    Register/Log In »

SAHornet says...
8:23pm Thu 26 Jan 12

Basrupt = inexperienced owner, uber-poor business man.

Dyche = inexperienced manager, uber-poor spotter of talent.

Result = disaster for WFC

Resolution = new manager for starters. Only time can get rid of a crappy owner

Report this post »    Register/Log In »

There was only one Scully says...
8:36pm Thu 26 Jan 12

Feff wrote:
Bassini does not want to spend any money, assuming indeed that he has any. He wants a pub, not a football club. When we get relegated, which is a real likelihood, Dyche will be blamed. Yes, he has made some bad purchases, like Iwelumo, Garner and Mirfin in particular, but he cannot continue with the squad we have. Rodgers and Mackay left. If I were Dyche I would go too. Problem is, no one wants him.
I wonder what you would of said had, we a Chairman like the charming Mandaric and a Manager like the likely lad Arry?
Money from elicit means, tax dodge, bungs etc.
Smell the coffee cos we will remain a selling club first and picking up the occasional good buy/loan second.
The days of us being any different than what we are at the moment is, a distant dream. SD is learning his trade as, MM & BR did here and he is being given the backing to keep us in the Champs Div.
I agree that, we have signed a few dubious types who, need to start performing but we still have a while to go b4 the end of the season. Keep believing cos, you never know with the orns!

Report this post »    Register/Log In »

bigthunder says...
8:48pm Thu 26 Jan 12

so the latest rumour doing the rounds on all the other message boards is Bassini is in the process of finalising a purchase of a new 2.5 million pound house !

Bentleys , new houses and he is even buying himself a pub , done well since picking up our club for next to nothing or am i too cynical ? !!!

Report this post »    Register/Log In »

QUINNPT says...
8:49pm Thu 26 Jan 12

People seem to forget the club does not get all the money in at the same time on transfers which I know is the same for any outgoings.
In addition the club were in debt of c£4m, that needs to be cleared and funded. In additon Baz has already given £1m in Dec to keep the club afloat until the next amount of money comes in from transfer sales.
Just wish people get real.

Report this post »    Register/Log In »

Goldenboy1960 says...
8:56pm Thu 26 Jan 12

Does anybody want Iwelumo for £4m?

I would let Garner go for twopence hapenny. A Huddersfield fan laughed at me when we signed him!!

And yes he was at Huddersfield...

Report this post »    Register/Log In »

Feff says...
9:21pm Thu 26 Jan 12

I should like to ask There was only one Scully in what way Sean Dyche is being "the backing to keep to keep us in the Champs Div"? Chumps Div perhaps. Surely Champs is a misnomer but, in any case, please explain the backing to which you refer.

Report this post »    Register/Log In »

overthemooney says...
10:18pm Thu 26 Jan 12

I know we are shopping in the bargain basement but we appear to have signed too many players lacking in pace and movement. We look so predictable going forward and I fear that we wont score enough goals in the second half of the season to stay up. I know SD has been given the same pot of funds that my kids are given for pocket money but surely we could have paid kevin Phillips the wage that we are paying to big Chris & Joe Garner? I know Phillips is at the wrong end of his career but he must be better than a player who's legs have gone and a player who appears not to have any legs! Whatever funds the fat gooner made available have not been spent wisely. As for Lozza - he is as full of it as a Glastonbury portaloo on a Sunday evening. I am interested to see that others with yellow blood have been picking up on the stories regarding his major purchases since he took over WFC - since selling DG to be more precise! A guy who was driving a fairly shabby Range Rover and living at his brother Sammy's house sold a player to Swansea and purchased a Bentley and a new house just a few days later. Not bad work if you can get it. The guy is unable to tell the truth, won't face the fans and claims to be one of us? You will never be one of us so why don't you do the decent thing and sell to one of the numerous potential buyers you have supposedly declined and go back and take up your seat at the Emirates. You must have lined your dirty little pockets by now so time you go now fat boy. I was rather hoping you might attend the darts evening at the vic as I was considering dusting down the old tungsten and taking one for the team! Part of me hopes we lose against Spurs tomorrow as the thought you might end up with a nice chalet in The Alps from the profits makes me feel sick. The only shining light might be that you have another fall!

Report this post »    Register/Log In »

WFC4ever says...
10:23pm Thu 26 Jan 12

Sadly I didn't see all those true WFC fans rushing to buy the club they love off the hands of Ashcroft....

Report this post »    Register/Log In »

Andrew1963 says...
11:14pm Thu 26 Jan 12

I think we have to realise that it is not the fees but the wages that are killing football. Three new signings on new 3 year contracts at an average wage of £3,000 a week each is £9,000 x 156 or as near to £1,500,000 as to make no difference. With fees that is probably £2.5 million. After player cut, etc - Thats your Danny Graham money gone

Report this post »    Register/Log In »

buckler says...
11:14pm Thu 26 Jan 12

WFC4ever wrote:
Sadly I didn't see all those true WFC fans rushing to buy the club they love off the hands of Ashcroft....
Think your find nor did the gooner really! Doing well out of it now though! Surely people can see what's going on here? Like someone else said hope he don't have another fall skiing!

Report this post »    Register/Log In »

corbindallas says...
8:56am Fri 27 Jan 12

Get real guy's, owning a football club is a noose around one's neck, you look at any club and the fans are moaning because of lack of signings and the such even MU and Arsenal fans do the same. I think the number one priority which some will disagree with is to financially secure the clubs footings, I know others would say to keep the club in the Championship but lets face facts, without the club being financially secure there is no club so it does not matter what division your in then. Look at Portsmouth's dire situation, I bet they look at us with envy now, there is only so many times when you face closure that you have to sell your assests at basement prices before enough is enough. SD has said their are a couple of players he is waiting on a 'Yes' from, better than saying we have no money to buy players and we need to sell, where we have been at a few seasons now prior to LB takeover! Also as pointed out the crowd is dwindling and this is not because of the team, as demonstrated when we did not lose in 9 games but because everyone has had to pull on their purse strings and paying in excess of £30 for a match every other week is hard for a lot at the moment, LB has to factor this into the costs monthly of the club. Also player salaries and transfer fees is a choker now a days, players look at what such and such got and want the same regardless of how unrealstic it is, look at how many players are being released from contracts this season, this is double of last season and the reason is clubs cannot afford to keep hold of players, Tamas Priskin would have been a valuable bench warmer if Ipswich could afford to keep him and in the past they would have but paying someone £12000 a week to sit on the bench is old school in this Division.One thing that has not changed is Watfords salary capping and obviously as SD was saying he cannot chuck money to make a yes if it destroy's the clubs salary scheme, as even if there was money to do it for one what effect would that have on the rest of the team, so it is not just about transfer fees but what a player thinks he is worth and wants as a salary that is causing more problems. Newcastle were given till yesterday to come back, they didn't, but they will knock again to try and force a deal, hopefully we stay strong and to our word, and get the loanees in sooner than later to replace Kightly and a new striker!

Report this post »    Register/Log In »

garston tony says...
9:32am Fri 27 Jan 12

Its shocking that supposed football supporters, let alone Watford ones, think that owning a championship club is a way to make millions.

Even is Bas is buying a 2.5mill house it certainly wont have come from any income WFC have received, and if he IS buying such an expensive place then that shows that he DOES have funds to cover whatever he has committed to the club.

Seriously though, what do some of you lot not get that the club is losing money and will do even when all the debts are cleared and that player sales are necessary to keep it going and NOT to line the owners pockets?

Brendan Rogers was new to management, Mackay was new to management even Boothroyd was new to the role when he started at Watford. Yet look at how unhappy we were when BR and MM left, look how well they are doing now and look at the incredible time we had under Boothroyd. SD being unproven when given the job is no more of a gamble than the other 3 managers I mentioned.

Report this post »    Register/Log In »

tonupchris says...
9:41am Fri 27 Jan 12

It's incredible but still people seem to think that Bassini is taking money out of the club to buy houses and cars. He can't until the bonds have been paid off. It's that simple. We get £6m in from player sales. We lose £4m a year. £2m left. We sign 10 players ( some not that great I admit but that's not Bassini's fault) for not a lot in transfer fees but all of those guys have to be paid. As somebody else said £3000 a week is £156000 a year times 10 players leaves us with just over £400k.
What can you get for that? I'm amazed Baz is still here as no matter what he tries to do he's slaughtered for it. Can anybody say what exactly he has done wrong so far remembering as I said earlier it's not possible for him to take money out of the club. He said he is trying to pay the bonds back earlier but as it stands his hands are tied.

Report this post »    Register/Log In »

tonyevans22 says...
11:13pm Sat 28 Jan 12

bigthunder wrote:
over 6 million in from player sales yet still cannot support the manager, just what have we spent, so much for all those that think we are moving forward with this new owner Bassini just what has he invested in our club ?

Dyche above has a veiled dig at him and the board in this statement above as is starting to realise now he cannnot get the players he needs to keep this club up and no doubt it is his neck on the line if we do not
Are you not forgetting that the club owes money to Ashcroft,and of course Bas has money,GT and co would not let someone in that has nothing.What you will also find is that our attendances over the season are not high enough,so we lose in the region of 4/5mill each season.The players Dychey may want may want stupid wages,and if they are fringe prem players they are also on way above our wage budget that quite rightly we will not pay.We have been down that route.Without us selling as well we can not complete the ground,afford to relay a very expensive pitch and also clear losses over the season.Ashcroft and Co are owed in the region of 8mill..At least this club is being sensible with it's funds and the money is not going into the pocket of our chairman.Some people on here just do not think things through before engaging there fingers to the keyboard to spout such negativity.

Report this post »    Register/Log In »

More Sport stories

Local Businesses

Get Adobe Flash player

Most popular