United boss Paul Simpson has mentioned the budget a few times over the last couple of days, highlighting the fact that the Blues have just about reached the limit of the Salary Cost Management Protocol (SCMP) spending allowed, which is calculated bi-annually in accordance with projected income for each club in the EFL.
With three weeks to go in the transfer market that makes any further movement more difficult, but not impossible, with work very much still ongoing on identifying and monitoring possible targets.
“It’s the way of the world, everybody looks and wishes they could have what others have got, but that’s life,” he said. “I look at other teams in this league and think, wow, they’ve got a big budget, simply because it looks like they seem to be spending a lot of money, but that’s fine.
“I’ve been in dressing rooms in the past where I’ve thought others are earning more than me, but that’s how it is. You have to be satisfied with what you’ve got.
“I deal with whatever is thrown at me, because I know that our board of directors are finding every possible pound they can to try and help us. They know we’ve got a decent wave of enthusiasm going on at the moment, in fact it’s probably even better than decent.
“The supporters have created a great feeling for us around the club, and the sponsors and local businesses are the same. The directors know that if we can make it even better then all of that will improve again.
“The attendance we had in our first game against Crawley was brilliant. Now we want to see if we can keep building it and making it better. If we can keep producing on the pitch and putting performances in, then fans will come to watch it.
“If we get more and more players who are going to improve our squad, that makes it easier to get the results we want on the pitch. It’s not easy, but definitely easier if that’s the case.
“I can’t criticise the directors for what they’re trying to do here. Hopefully they’ll keep working that way as well.”
“We do have the salary cap but if we can go and show that we have more income coming in that’s higher than projected, based on last season’s figures, they’ll [the EFL] allow you to increase it,” he added. “That’s what I’m hoping for, and that’s why I keep banging the drum about people coming down and supporting us, on and off the pitch.
“A successful football club breeds a really good atmosphere everywhere. I’ve experienced that here in 2005 and 2006, so let’s get it in 2022 and 2023 as well.
“I do have to say that at this moment there isn’t anybody who’s imminent. That could change very quickly. I’ve got to sit down with the directors and with Nigel and find out exactly where we are, what can be done.
“The fact we’ve got 6,200 at home in our first league game, the fact that everybody is absolutely inundating the club shop, making Stef’s job difficult but brilliant in that they’re all coming in, buying merchandise and shirts, if we can get a good crowd this weekend it’s easier for me to go to the chief exec and board and say, please can we have some more to go and strengthen the squad.
“The more people we get through the turnstiles supporting us, the more sponsorship we get, the stronger it makes my hand.”
“I’m not saying for one minute I’m dissatisfied with what I’ve got, I’m delighted with the players we’ve got in,” he confirmed. “It’s just a testing time at the minute, we’ve got to call on other players.
“We have alternatives to the injured players but I would probably class them as round pegs in square holes. I want round in round if we possibly can. That’s what I’m trying to get with the group I’m trying to assemble.”
And on the fact that there is still a three week transfer window within which to work, he told us: “I think the first thing is that I need to know where we are in terms of the finances.
“That will happen over the next couple of days I would imagine. I’ve not had missed calls of irate directors telling me the chequebook’s been ripped up, so I’m going to have that conversation with them.
“I’ve said all along, the budget is what it is. They’ve gone out and found a little bit more to do the Paul Huntington one. Whether there’s room for any more, we’ll have to wait and see.
“We’ve brought ten in through the summer and that’s a big turnaround in terms of numbers, and that causes a big wave going on in the club. We’ve got to settle with what we’ve got for now.
“We are still short, because of the long-term injuries, and if there were funds available to bring more in, I’d do that.
“We’ve got to be patient and wait for the likes of Bren, Tobi, Joel, Taylor – we’re hoping he’s going to be back in training next week, and that’s a bonus – and there are others for cover. We’ve got Fin Back who I’m delighted with, we’ve got Jack Ellis who can go in there, Ryan Carr showed in pre-season he’s capable of being able to step up.
“I wouldn’t think he’s ready for a long run of games but he’s shown he’s ok. That left side is an area where we are a little bit short. If funds and the right player is out there, that’s an area we might look to strengthen.
“If I’m going to be honest I think the players we’ve got all have a chance of playing in our first team. What I’d class as the senior group.
“Nobody has phoned me to ask about any of them, which I’m quite glad about. I want to keep all of my players here.
“If the phone does ring and we think it’s right for us and the individual we’ll consider it. If it’s not right, I don’t believe we should weaken our own hand by strengthening somebody else’s.”
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