Steve Gibson: Put up or shut up

[Gadgey 4]

He lit the blue touchpaper and retired.

[FilBoro 3]

Who is this Steve Gibson guy anyway? :cheese:

[the_littlest_hobo 3]

 

Haha apologies, I have been away working. Just arrived home an hour ago, quick shower, breakfast and then minibus to Sunderland at 10.30. Seems to have sparked a good debate so I will have a look over the next day or two.

 

UTB

[the_littlest_hobo 3]

:D :D :D  I enjoyed reading that. Good points made from most. A bit of dummy spitting by a few who can't seem to grasp the notion that others have different opinions to them. I will happiuly clarify my main points.

 

Steve Gibson has not bankrolled this club as much as people claim. A lot of the money he pumps into the club is written off by Bulkhaul. Accountants are very creative you know! Granted he will have still invested a substantial amount of money when we were floundering in the Championship due to the poor decisions HE made. However, the figure won't be anywhere near the amounts being quoted by those who see him as untouchable. That said, I will not and have not criticised him for his financial support to the club over the years. He has, for the most part, retained a steady ship and kept the club on a sound financial footing.

 

The issues that I have with him are simple. Over the past two years or so he has spoken to the media when it is time to sell season tickets. Pre-Premier League season he proclaimed that we would have a real go and that we were not just going to be there to make up the numbers. We spent relatively nothing in the summer and did not spend much in January either. That the signings were woeful, ill-thought out and not suitable for the immediate situation is another argument entirely. The fact is that we did not have a go at staying in the league, we did not show ambition and we were just there to make up the numbers.

 

Fast forward almost 12 months and Steve Gibson is once again in front of the press in super positive mode proclaiming that we want to smash the league. Excitement once again gripped Teesside, players left for big money, £170 million worth of PL revenue was banked and we brought in a number of players that were solid rather than spectacular. The most exciting arrival was Assombolonga who was proven in the Championship but had never done anything at a higher level. When the seasons transfer opportunities finally ended in January we had a net spend of just £4.5 million. When you look at how poor the signings were and how wasteful the recruitment team were bringing in so many similar players in areas that we did not need strengthening then it really does come as no surprise that we have had a poor season.

 

The second issue I have with him concerns ticket prices, particularly in the PL. The cost of a season ticket was increased by around £100 despite there being four fewer games to attend. This came on the back of years upon years of financial struggles on Teesside. Struggles that were highlighted by Steve Gibson himself. He regularly identified the financial problems being felt on Teesside and said that he both empathises and sympathises with the sacrifices made by Boro fans in order to follow the club they love. At £570 ( I presume that was for the most expensive ticket) we had the 6th highest ticket prices in the league despite coming from the poorest area. When TV revenue is so ridiculously high and the % of revenues gained via ticket sales are so low, is there any need for the fans to pay as much as we do? Gibson admitted he was aware of the struggles felt by supporters but then increased prices.

 

This season in the Championship, average season ticket prices are the 6th highest in the league but I can at least understand it a little more. TV revenues are not as high, we are one of the bigger teams and we thought that we would be spending big money in order to give us a great chance of going back up. It has not happened that way and to be honest there are no guarantees in football. You buy a ticket and take your chances. However, this is the second season in a row where we have been one of the top 6 most expensive clubs to follow in the league, the second season that we have, in relative terms, hardly spent anything. 

 

The only thing that I would concede to and would admit that I was wrong to suggest it is wanting him to sell up. I am big enough to hold my hands up and admit that I could have worded that better. Instead of the title of this thread being "put up or sell up", I think a more fitting title would be "put up or shut up". If he does not have the ambition or the intention of making this club successful then fair enough. Do not talk nonsense to sell tickets and don't make claims that you have no intention of backing up. Additionally, you might want to practice what you preach and look at ways of reducing ticket prices. With them having such little impact on total revenue and the net investment in playing staff being so average there really is no need to keep charging the supporters such a high price when you already know how hard times are in the area.

 

To summarise, we are in a fortunate position to have a chairman like Gibson. Fortunate in the same sense as many other clubs in the league are. Less fortunate than supporters from clubs like Wolves and Villa and more fortunate than clubs like Sunderland.

 

Steve Gibson is not a villain but equally he is not untouchable. Some of you would do well to recognise that.

 

Thanks for listening!

 

:P

[SmogDane 3,138]

The grass will never be greener if you keep ***ting in your own garden, OP

 

SG might not allways have the rigt clue off what to do, but his ambition and money you can't deny!

[the_littlest_hobo 3]

I disagree. The issues I have with him relate to the previous two seasons. I stand by everything I posted just now. Feel free to pick out points you disagree with and give me some reasons behind why you disagree. I am certainly open to the idea of changing my mind.

[BillyWoofs_shinpad 1,587]

The biggest mistake that Gibson made this season, was to allow a manager to move on too many players and bring in so many new faces, I feared at the time that it would weaken us, regardless of my feelings on the managerial appointment. If we could have kept, Fischer, De Roon, Stuani, Bernardo and possibly Ramirez, we would have looked a far better team.

 

My worry is that Gibbo will allow Pulis to do exactly the same next transfer window, in fact in some ways the club are a victim of Gibbo’s willingness to shell out for new players.

[Borodane 3,853]

The biggest mistake that Gibson made this season, was to allow a manager to move on too many players and bring in so many new faces, I feared at the time that it would weaken us, regardless of my feelings on the managerial appointment. If we could have kept, Fischer, De Roon, Stuani, Bernardo and possibly Ramirez, we would have looked a far better team.

 

My worry is that Gibbo will allow Pulis to do exactly the same next transfer window, in fact in some ways the club are a victim of Gibbo’s willingness to shell out for new players.

 

Bernardo, Ramirez and De Roon leaving was fine. We made a big profit on Bernardo, Ramirez was a given and De Roon wasn't worth the money and in likelyhood would have lost value in the Championship. In hindsight we probably should have just kept Fischer instead of shelling out on Braithwaite. Stauani we should have kept instead of buying Fletcher.

[wilsoncgp 6,791]

I don't think there's a contest between Fischer and Braithwaite, absolutely the right decision to sell Fischer and indeed to bring in Braithwaite for the manager we had, I think Braithwaite was the link that brought everything else together in an attacking sense in Monk's original plans, it's a huge shame he abandoned them and tried to play him as an orthodox #10.

 

I think we saw very little of what made Fischer good at our club. I wanted it to work for him because he's a young lad who used to have a lot of potential. It seems that has been drained out of him.

[Will 2,628]

The fact that Fischer only spent 6 months at Mainz before moving on to a smaller team and league says that we made the right decision in my opinion

[Erimus 63 302]

I don't think there's a contest between Fischer and Braithwaite, absolutely the right decision to sell Fischer and indeed to bring in Braithwaite for the manager we had, I think Braithwaite was the link that brought everything else together in an attacking sense in Monk's original plans, it's a huge shame he abandoned them and tried to play him as an orthodox #10.

 

I think we saw very little of what made Fischer good at our club. I wanted it to work for him because he's a young lad who used to have a lot of potential. It seems that has been drained out of him.

 

You're incorrect to imply that we drained whatever talent that he had left. Fischer had a very serious injury, snapping his hamstring, which was then glued and stitched, consequently he was never the same played again. We risked money on the chance that he'd regain his potential. He didn't.

[wilsoncgp 6,791]

I never at all implied that we drained it out of him.

[Erimus 63 302]

I never at all implied that we drained it out of him.

 

How can you deny what you said? I've highlighted it.

[Will 2,628]

I never at all implied that we drained it out of him.

 

How can you deny what you said? I've highlighted it.

 

It clearly doesn't say or imply that it was drained out of him due to us...

[Erimus 63 302]

I never at all implied that we drained it out of him.

 

How can you deny what you said? I've highlighted it.

 

It clearly doesn't say or imply that it was drained out of him due to us...

 

Whatever! 

 

It's a very vague comment to make.