Page 1 of 1

Cardiff City ready for 'sustainable' Premier League future

PostPosted: Fri Jun 15, 2018 6:08 am
by Forever Blue
Cardiff City ready for 'sustainable' Premier League future - Ken Choo


BBC

Friday 15th June 2018

Cardiff City chief executive Ken Choo says the club and owner Vincent Tan have learned lessons from their last Premier League campaign.

Cardiff's time in the top flight in 2013-14 was marred by criticism of overspending and tension between fans and Tan.

Choo says a now-united Cardiff are more prepared for a sustainable future.

"We cannot in the first year spend a crazy amount of money and the whole thing blow up," Choo said.

"We want this club on a sustainable footing for the fans for many years.

"We don't want to go up and down. We want the fans to continue to enjoy this for some time."

The Bluebirds this week started their top-flight transfer activity with the arrivals of winger Josh Murphy from Norwich and Preston left-back Greg Cunningham.







'He knows what he is doing'

Their last Premier League stint three years ago saw an outlay of £30m only to be relegated after one season and have to deal with the financial fall-out.

There was also a disagreement between supporters and Tan over the change of club colours to red.

Tan since reversed his decision - admitting at the end of last season the move had been a mistake - and has seen the club bounce back under the stewardship of manager Neil Warnock, with whom he enjoys a close relationship.

"If you look at the last three years after we converted back to blue the drive is from him (Tan)," Choo told BBC Sport Wales.

"He has learned a lot in the eight or nine years he has been at the club and isn't making those 'foolish' mistakes like someone who is new in football, he knows what he is doing.

"He's spent a lot of time with Neil trying to understand the thinking of the manager. He's not just turning up for a couple of hours to see a game. He spends time away from his business, having breakfast lunch and dinner with the manager to align their thinking. (Their relationship) is the most important part of the club."





No 'prima donnas'

Cardiff won promotion back to the top flight after finishing second in the Championship, doing so after the manager's success in both the transfer market and getting the best out of his squad through team spirit.

Choo says the Bluebirds are confident they can continue in that vein and have devised a bonus system to help them compete but avoid the financial pitfalls.

"The Premier League's pace is very different so we have to reconfigure our squad for the challenges," Choo said.

"But we want players to fit the team not prima donnas. We want players who look hungry and willing to gel with the squad. Not to bring someone from Spain or Italy, just because they have a name.

"So we're not making some of the mistakes we made before. A lot of clubs make that mistake."






Spending wisely

Choo confirmed the club won promotion without breaching EFL rules for profit and sustainability, but said they would remain careful in the Premier League.

"I was in a meeting with the shareholders and chief executives of the other 19 Premier League clubs. Some of the chairmen came on helicopters while I took the train! So it's getting very real, but it's fun. It's good to be with the elite clubs," he said.

"We still have profit and loss, we know our surpluses for the year. In the Premier League you know you've got money coming in but you've got to use it wisely. We don't do things lavishly."

That includes further additions to Warnock's squad, with as many as five new faces still planned after the arrivals of Cunningham and Murphy while the club are waiting on decisions from midfielder Aron Gunnarsson and last season's top scorer Junior Hoilett on contract offers.

Choo said the club remained keen on retaining both, but that the club that "nobody would put a gun to our head."

Re: Cardiff City ready for 'sustainable' Premier League futu

PostPosted: Fri Jun 15, 2018 6:17 am
by Charlie Harper
Absolutely what we all want to hear., a united club all moving together.

Well done to the whole of the football club, especially Vincent Tan, Ken Choo and Memhet Dalman

Re: Cardiff City ready for 'sustainable' Premier League futu

PostPosted: Fri Jun 15, 2018 6:30 am
by fred keenor
NW mentions principles and now KC mentions putting a gun to their head.
Seems like JH has demanded changes to a contract already agreed?
Shame but move on , good luck JH and AG in your next ventures.

Re: Cardiff City ready for 'sustainable' Premier League futu

PostPosted: Fri Jun 15, 2018 8:01 am
by salopiancity
Total common sense no matter how we fare in the next season. :clap:

Re: Cardiff City ready for 'sustainable' Premier League futu

PostPosted: Fri Jun 15, 2018 8:40 am
by Steve Zodiak
Sounds like the right way to run a business to me. Everybody hopes we can stay in the PL a bit longer than last time, but they have to take into account that a quick return to the Championship is a possibility, and ensure that if this happens the club is still in a strong position. Be stupid to put all your eggs in one basket and still fail, the result could be years of struggling in the lower divisions. Like any business, long term planning is important, have to look beyond just the next twelve months. No club is too big to fail or hit hard times, Leeds & Villa being good recent examples.

Re: Cardiff City ready for 'sustainable' Premier League futu

PostPosted: Fri Jun 15, 2018 8:46 am
by Bay Blue
We need to follow in the footsteps of Bournemouth

Re: Cardiff City ready for 'sustainable' Premier League futu

PostPosted: Fri Jun 15, 2018 10:51 am
by Flyingpostman
Really encouraging words . Stability is key for us over the next two years .

:bluescarf: :bluescarf: :bluescarf: :bluescarf:

Re: Cardiff City ready for 'sustainable' Premier League futu

PostPosted: Fri Jun 15, 2018 7:11 pm
by TopCat CCFC
Need To Learn - Spot On .

Re: Cardiff City ready for 'sustainable' Premier League futu

PostPosted: Sat Jun 16, 2018 10:36 am
by Tony Blue Williams
Steve Zodiak wrote:Sounds like the right way to run a business to me. Everybody hopes we can stay in the PL a bit longer than last time, but they have to take into account that a quick return to the Championship is a possibility, and ensure that if this happens the club is still in a strong position. Be stupid to put all your eggs in one basket and still fail, the result could be years of struggling in the lower divisions. Like any business, long term planning is important, have to look beyond just the next twelve months. No club is too big to fail or hit hard times, Leeds & Villa being good recent examples.


Probably the best post you have ever made. It is certainly the best post on this MB for quite sometime. :thumbup:

Re: Cardiff City ready for 'sustainable' Premier League futu

PostPosted: Sat Jun 16, 2018 10:38 am
by Tony Blue Williams
Bay Blue wrote:We need to follow in the footsteps of Bournemouth


Actually they are my tip to go down ;) :oops: although I understand your sentiment.

Re: Cardiff City ready for 'sustainable' Premier League futu

PostPosted: Sat Jun 16, 2018 11:58 am
by Sven
Tony Blue Williams wrote:
Steve Zodiak wrote:Sounds like the right way to run a business to me. Everybody hopes we can stay in the PL a bit longer than last time, but they have to take into account that a quick return to the Championship is a possibility, and ensure that if this happens the club is still in a strong position. Be stupid to put all your eggs in one basket and still fail, the result could be years of struggling in the lower divisions. Like any business, long term planning is important, have to look beyond just the next twelve months. No club is too big to fail or hit hard times, Leeds & Villa being good recent examples.


Probably the best post you have ever made. It is certainly the best post on this MB for quite sometime. :thumbup:


Agreed! :thumbright:

Seems the club now has an identity and ethos of its own and the people in place to take it forward! :ayatollah:

As for Hoilett, my understanding was that he had agreed a deal and would sign it. However, there now appears to be some doubt on that after he has apparently moved the goal posts a little...

Greed or ambition? :? I guess we'll soon know, as the choice between Premier League Cardiff City (the ambitious choice) and Championship Stoke (the apparent money choice) will say a lot about the player as a man and a character

Personally, I hope he signs and stays. He was instrumental in our success last season. I rate him and believe he would prosper at the top table 8-)