My personal Opinion is this board is going for Domestic dominance over Europe
They know over £100m in the bank (after CL) this year they will never catch us..That's A FACT...To get to Europe next year Qauilifiers.. What your thoughts?.HH.
I think the board run club as business. And take calculated risks with signings. Bringing very expensive players to Scotland is very risky strategy
1 potential for injury
2 potential of overburdening operations with wages beyond market in Scotland
3 risk that if you take gamble on overburdening operations with wages that you diminish the value of player to club and cant easily get price for player you might if he was in a different market.
4 Scottish opposition are not a great place to play with high wage players even if you can sustain higher wages in short term.
Board work for plc shareholders not fans
Their job is to maximise value for shareholders
That means if you are in a market with serious limitations you invest other peoples money against the risks of your market or you become risk seeking and gamble with other peoples money.
Most plc investors are not investing for gambles with excessive risks.
The inflation created by big markets and their monopoly on tv money affects ALL clubs.
The board are hired to invest money for shareholders but the talent that was once very easy to buy in smaller markets is drying up or getting inflated beyond value and when you pay an overinflated price for asset that requires wages then you usually need to offer a wage in line with the purchase price of asset (usually players in football).
So if you overpay - adding to inflation problem for all prices expecting inflation to be higher next year so you can recoup at profit (ponzi type market) you also usually need to pay that player an overburdening wage too- adding to the inflation problem for all wages at your club.
If you are not among the monopoly clubs for TV deals those risks of inflationary pressures must be carried by the shareholders not the FANS.
Therefore PLC risk taking must not risk shareholders money without their permission. And since plc keep voting in our board they are content with the risk model and assessment the board use.
Maximising value requires board to put out a team that maximises shareholder value.
No point blaming board imo. They work for PLC. And they do the job they are hired to do. Produce market leading product in their market and with profit motive to provide charity in line with club ethos.
A caveat of even more risks.
Risks of general war or even market detriment wars adds to risks of spunking shareholder money on new signings that really arent worth price in our market.
No point opening a real Rolex shop in minor market if you need to sell them at minor market prices despite knowing next dude can sell same watch at arbitrage prices in his home market.
And pointing to their market and demanding their market prices in your minor market probably puts off buyers in big markets as the risks or selling him later at profit or even getting him satisfactory game time diminishes especially when they can get genuine rolex elsewhere at Rolex prices.
The markets are broken badly currently
When markets are broken arbitrage is possible for dominant market leaders and those getting arbitrary subsidies or billionaires cash splashers.
All ok if that cash subsidy is still coming in tomorrow.
But when ponzi sceme collapses (and they always do historically) the clubs who cant get onto a chair will be out when music stops.
PLC shouldnt be involved in games imo. Their risk requirements cannot satsfy fans of games risk requirements.
But without PLC club will have even more risks to navigate and less cash sources when needed.
If market resets due to war or worse. Then spending excessive money on players who arent going to make blind bit of difference at European level is madness. Domestic market dominance is fine for me under current football market conditions.
