bluestevon
Player Valuation: £80m
Absolutely - anyone about HEO level in Government will have written a Business Case, for a small product worth several thousand pounds right up to £millions as they go up the ladder. I'm sure yours were for several millions at the highest point, backed by that crucial safety net of taxpayer money and government imperative.
But will they have written a £half-billion+ Business Case where the overheads on the project alone could be anything from £50m - £100m? Where if the overspend goes wrong, it's potentially the end of a century-and-more aged Club and all the associated local job losses? Probably not. Which is why if the Club, with all its resources and expertise, are saying 60,000 isn't viable, they are just in a far better position to judge it than someone who is looking in throwing wild ideas from a podcast.
I always liked Paul, still do despite frequently disagreeing with him.
But ultimately his best 2 strengths are also his 2 biggest weaknesses.
1. he understands business - vastly more than a large majority on here do, myself included, so in that comes people respecting the voice of experience so to speak, but and it's not meant as a dig at him, the level he deals on in comparison to say Moshiri or the costs and planning of a new stadium or developing a global brand from Everton etc, is like a Physics teacher from Uni/school trying to second guess or debate points made by Stephen Hawkings for example. YES he would understand physics better than most of us, but the gulf between him and who he's trying to second guess or debate with is equally if not larger than that gulf.
2. He's an optimist, good in so far a sit isn't the 'everton that' brigade who are bloody depressing to listen too, bad in that by trusting and believing that it will all be good and the best of intentions are there with say Moshiri or Anderson etc, then when it's shown to not be as bright or fast or ground breaking as you earlier stated you where sure it was going to be, then you look naive, have to then start throwing out questions you want answered - but you have no credibility because you have earlier jumped both feet first into the 'nothing will be the same' camp
The second point and the naivety shown then further undermines the first point about you being level headed and experienced and an all round sensible fella.
Lets build a bigger stadium than anyone, because look at footy it's massive now etc, are match day attendances around the country going up?, will this prove to be a bubble?, whats the effect if the current divide between top 5-6 and the rest 30 points off them continues for 5-6 years, will people become disenfranchised knowing you are playing to stay in a division entirely from now on?
What happens if brexit goes worse than is being imagined (which is already pretty bad), what if another recession hits, or the Tories decide to f' over the north of England like they did back in the 80's (remember what crowds we where getting back then?), what if a super league does happen, we gonna be packing out 70k a match when none of the top 6 sides are playing in that league now?
We are building a stadium which won't be even complete for optimistically 5 years, and won't be paid off for how many? -25-40 god knows what the final period of time will end up at. So the plan for the stadium has to consider all factors, not just 'city have a new stadium and now they are winning things, or the rs are expanding anfield we need more seats that them - which IMO is as small time a mentality as you can get - up there with calling ourselves the senior club of the city which some have started doing (EBM, Blertroom, Esk and others)