On a more positive note

The end of Lincoln City's revival is now under threat...The Cowley brothers have emerged as the number one target for West Bromwich Albion...

Between them and Hughton by the looks of it, that would be a shame if they left Lincoln wouldn't it?

The Cowley's are rumoured to have concerns about next year's budget.

Gareth Ainsworth already lined up.

I don`t mean to be cynical when I say but I believe the Cowleys have taken the Imps as far as they can ? Lincoln may get a Season or two in the Championship at some point but it`s doubtful and most definately unsustainable. The modern wages of these players mean you need gates in excess of 15k to compete and though at present their gates are superb they are a long way off having the capacity even if they had the fanbase to reach that.

They'll be linked with Middlesbrough next. Pulis gone.

Juve job has just become available now as well! Talk about the Cowley's having plenty of options available to them!  

Quoted from 1mickylyons

I don`t mean to be cynical when I say but I believe the Cowleys have taken the Imps as far as they can ? Lincoln may get a Season or two in the Championship at some point but it`s doubtful and most definately unsustainable. The modern wages of these players mean you need gates in excess of 15k to compete and though at present their gates are superb they are a long way off having the capacity even if they had the fanbase to reach that.

If they were to do a Bournemouth they may need a Russian backer like they have. You can only grow a club so far before it needs much more money than it will ever make. But having said that, Bournemouth are not massive spenders and like Norwich they are investing heavily in their academy. I have no idea if Lincoln are doing that.

Quoted from psgmariner

The Cowley's are rumoured to have concerns about next year's budget.

Gareth Ainsworth already lined up.

That's a definite, in an interview he eluded to the budget being lower than they expected and that they had to "cut their cloth accordingly" as the chairman put it..

Quoted from Malta_Mariner_90

Juve job has just become available now as well! Talk about the Cowley's having plenty of options available to them!  

Anything with black and white stripes is too big for them ask Fenty

Quoted from TheRonRaffertyFanClub

If they were to do a Bournemouth they may need a Russian backer like they have. You can only grow a club so far before it needs much more money than it will ever make. But having said that, Bournemouth are not massive spenders and like Norwich they are investing heavily in their academy. I have no idea if Lincoln are doing that.

Lincoln appear to be doing a hell of a lot right off the field and only 3-4 years ago that wasn`t the case . I will be amazed if they are not looking to kick on with their academy don`t forget they just got a training ground sorted off the back of the FA Cup run.

Quoted from 1mickylyons

Anything with black and white stripes is too big for them ask Fenty

To be fair Cowley is still to convince he is all that. He would be as popular as Hurst was regards the brand of football he would have brought if we had ever been in for him.

Yes he has done well at Lincoln no doubt about that and he did well at little clubs in Essex before but he did this playing one brand of football. A brand of football which in my opinion would simply not work in the Championship.

Hurst tried to keep to his principles of boring the life out of the opposition with Ipswich. It was a disaster.

If WBA appoint Cowley I personally think they are taking an unnecessary chance considering they would have a budget big enough to attract, proven managers.  

Quoted from TheRonRaffertyFanClub

If they were to do a Bournemouth they may need a Russian backer like they have. You can only grow a club so far before it needs much more money than it will ever make. But having said that, Bournemouth are not massive spenders and like Norwich they are investing heavily in their academy. I have no idea if Lincoln are doing that.

£15 million on someone as crap as Jordon Ibe suggests they're not limited in what they spend particularly!

To be fair to Cowley and Lincoln, they are a physical team but were still a good footballing side. I'm sure given time they'd do well at West Brom.

Lincoln get it right off the field allowing the Crowley’s with a bit more to spend. That’s what you get when you have forward thinkers who are actually astute running the club day to day. As far as the Crowley’s go.. good luck to them. They deserve it.

Quoted from SomeSanity

Lincoln get it right off the field allowing the Crowley’s with a bit more to spend. That’s what you get when you have forward thinkers who are actually astute running the club day to day. As far as the Crowley’s go.. good luck to them. They deserve it.

Agreed, I'm just fed up with the Lincoln fans crowing about them on here.

Am I the only one feeling a trifle sad when "a more positive note" is the potential bad news for another club?

Quoted from buckstown

Am I the only one feeling a trifle sad when "a more positive note" is the potential bad news for another club?

No you're not mate..

The misfortune of others has been my only solace this season.

Scunny getting relegated, Liverpool not winning the title and Leeds falling apart again have been the highlights of a terribly depressing season.

WBA are like most in the top 2 divisions they have a high turn over of managers and getting into the play off's is viewed as a failure.
So that has to be factored into the equation bit of a risky job switch.

Quoted from Mariner93er

To be fair to Cowley and Lincoln, they are a physical team but were still a good footballing side. I'm sure given time they'd do well at West Brom.

That rarely happens anywhere in football though - especially the higher up the pyramid you go.

Quoted from Mariner93er

To be fair to Cowley and Lincoln, they are a physical team but were still a good footballing side. I'm sure given time they'd do well at West Brom.

I have never had any quarrel with the way Lincoln play. They do what is necessary to succeed in these nether regions of the EFL and the conference. You buy big and pacy players and a few good cloggers and work on your set plays. You throw players forward into the box and you get the ball in the box quickly.

This is something we have never done since Slade Mk One.

It is only history repeating itself. Graham Taylor did the same at Lincoln and then carried on the same at Watford. Wimbledon used the same ideas right through to a Wembley FA Cup. Even Eddie Howe was not above doing the same when he started at Bournemouth and had no money.

I would be very happy to see MJ sign more big strong bu99ers to overwhelm opponents and get us doing some sensible pressurising play with quick breaks and set play plans.

Worryingly, I feel Wolves have set the blueprint for that group of 'sleeping giant' clubs like WBA and they'll all splash wildly in the hope of repeating Wolves current success in gaining Premier status.(Wolves were losing more than £1m a week in their promotion season).

More financial scandals, revelations and mishaps on the way as the money-obsessed game invites richer and dodgier people into the game, but the Cowleys would at least seem a safer bet in terms of crazy-outlay on players and wages.

It will be a disaster for the Cowley brothers they must be mad to take that job.

Quoted from Yoda

It will be a disaster for the Cowley brothers they must be mad to take that job.

Trebling their wages or more would soften the blow though.

They will be gone by Christmas

They'll be back in the National league without the Cowleys

Quoted from hheh2

They'll be back in the National league without the Cowleys

Why will we?

Our structure now is there to ensure we keep progressing?

Our board will have planned for this eventuality and I am sure we will again get a decent a manger, if they go, because we can afford to appoint one - The compensation we will get will help fund the team, and I am sure we will sell a couple this summer to aid our budget. We get constant investment from our board to make us competitive so I am fairly happy with where we are - We will be a very attractive proposition for any prospective managers - Big crowds, finances and a club and City that is on the up - So back in the national league - Give your head a wobble, and be more concerned about you ending up there and then going pop.

We are on completely different pages now with club structure, finances and crowds. Like it or not that is the truth - We sell more season tickets than you ever did as a club even in your days of Buckly/McMenemy.

If they go, they go, but we will get huge compensation - have heard 2 million mentioned.

Quoted from nealeardleyscrossing

Why will we?

Our structure now is there to ensure we keep progressing?

Our board will have planned for this eventuality and I am sure we will again get a decent a manger, if they go, because we can afford to appoint one - The compensation we will get will help fund the team, and I am sure we will sell a couple this summer to aid our budget. We get constant investment from our board to make us competitive so I am fairly happy with where we are - We will be a very attractive proposition for any prospective managers - Big crowds, finances and a club and City that is on the up - So back in the national league - Give your head a wobble, and be more concerned about you ending up there and then going pop.

We are on completely different pages now with club structure, finances and crowds. Like it or not that is the truth - We sell more season tickets than you ever did as a club even in your days of Buckly/McMenemy.

If they go, they go, but we will get huge compensation - have heard 2 million mentioned.

Lincoln is a prime example of what can happen if a club invests in itself. Evolves both on and off the pitch and whether people like it or not, we are failing to do that.

Quoted from nealeardleyscrossing

Why will we?

Our structure now is there to ensure we keep progressing?

Our board will have planned for this eventuality and I am sure we will again get a decent a manger, if they go, because we can afford to appoint one - The compensation we will get will help fund the team, and I am sure we will sell a couple this summer to aid our budget. We get constant investment from our board to make us competitive so I am fairly happy with where we are - We will be a very attractive proposition for any prospective managers - Big crowds, finances and a club and City that is on the up - So back in the national league - Give your head a wobble, and be more concerned about you ending up there and then going pop.

We are on completely different pages now with club structure, finances and crowds. Like it or not that is the truth - We sell more season tickets than you ever did as a club even in your days of Buckly/McMenemy.

If they go, they go, but we will get huge compensation - have heard 2 million mentioned.

You're not far off with your condescending assessment to be fair, but as a club, like any other club, whatever is raised through the season mostly leaves the club's coffers into the pockets of the players. 2 mill (if that's ever realistic) for the Cowleys won't last long at League One level either. I've seen your club's accounts and the truth is you're not rolling in it, you're spending it on playing budget. You're one or two bad managerial appointments or one boardroom bust up away from being in crisis like any other club. You're light years away from we are unfortunalely, that's true, and I wish we were in your position, but you're also light years away from where you think you are too..

Quoted from nealeardleyscrossing

If they go, they go, but we will get huge compensation - have heard 2 million mentioned.

I've seen £500K mentioned

https://www.fourfourtwo.com/news/lincoln-boss-cowley-would-cost-west-brom-ps500000-hire

£500K is the number bandied around. Given how correct you were with your ‘insider info’ of Sunderland signing Harry Anderson and Embleton joining you, I’d be inclined to believe the compensation will be nowhere near £2million.