Gartside has frustrated manager and supporter alike with his tight spending policy which some are for, yet some are against his methods and it looks as if Allardyce will once again be expected to juggle with a small budget in the hope of Premiership survival, incidentally this is the clubs third term in the Premiership and Allardyce has had to find out of contract players and loan players to boost his squad, yet Gartside has said he will be more than happy to finish fourth bottom each season.
"Our ambition, or our target, is to stay in the Premier League and be fourth bottom every year. That would be a fantastic achievement, We are ambitious to think we could get higher up the table because outside the top five, and I include Liverpool and Newcastle, we are on an equal footing with the likes of Charlton, Tottenham and Aston Villa.
"We are competing for the same players, we have the same budget in terms of wages and a similar sort of transfer pot. Obviously, we're not going to win the Premier League, but it's not impossible for us to finish sixth.
"But the belief is if we can be fourth bottom then that's success for the season, and anything beyond that is a bonus."
If we've got some money (in January) then we can use it, but Sam (Allardyce) knows what he is working with and he has to balance that with what he wants to do in the summer next year and with his ambition for this season, We can't afford to spend any money we haven't got. We're not going to go down that route. It's still tight financially, and not just here. You've got to try and spend only what you've got because banks won't extend your credit. It's much like in daily life, and that's how we have to operate in football."
To be honest im frankly bored of Phil Gartsides excuses, I dont feel he improves the club one bit and i am very disappointed at how the same statement comes out as soon as its time to invest in the squad or the facilities. He needs to invest if not then get someone at the club who has the financial clout to at least compete in the Premiership, im not talking Roman Abramovich here but someone like Richard Murray at Charlton, or Milan Mandaric at Portsmouth who aren't willing to spend silly amounts but yet bring in players to improve their sides chances.