THE financial figures released at the weekend did not make good reading with the losses in the 12 months up to June 2001.

This is an accumulation of four or five years and whereas in the past the club have managed to sell players on, this didn't happen in this period.

Hopefully the release of these figures will now explain the avenue we have been heading down with the reduction of the squad and why we have been unable to bring in new players like other clubs.

We've known for some time about the losses, hence the reduction of the playing staff, but we have got to reduce costs like anyone else in this situation.

We sat down in the summer with these losses in mind and decided to cut the size of the squad.

This means the only room for manoeurve is for us is to bring in the younger players, who, without revealing too much, are on lesser wages.

In today's world where success is demanded instantly, it would be easy to turn to the board and say that we need two more players, but we just can't do that.

So it is our job as managers and coaches to turn our players into better players and develop them.

We all want to be as successful as quickly as we can, but we've got to be realistic.

The likes of Leigh Wood, Keiran Darlow, Scott Emmerson and Mark Salvati have all come through the youth system, and with Chris Smith and Neville Stamp, they are all gaining expereince very quickly.

But, it won't happen overnight, it is a process that takes time and we can't be expected to rely on the young players in every game.

You might get one managing to come through in a settled side which is doing well, but we haven't had that because of our injury situation, and we have been forced to play four or five at a time.

From the point of view from the club, this can only be good, though, as it is showing the youth system is working.

In the higher leagues, clubs are able to splash out and bring in players, but at the same time this means some of the younger players don't get their chance - just look at Mark Maley and Michael Proctor who we have brought in on loan because they can't get a game at Sunderland.

In fact Mark Maley, Michael Proctor, Neville Stamp, Chris Smith and Richard Cooper all made their debuts in the FA Cup.

Obviously, Tuesday's win over Colchester was fantastic and the further we can progress in the competition, the better for the club financially.

The increase in prize money this season is very welcome among the lower clubs, but the other benefits, such as television money, is purely down to the luck of the draw.

We couldn't have been have handed a much harder draw than Colchester away in the first round, and I can't think of a harder tie than Reading in the next round, so we are certainly doing it the hard way.

But we know all about them after last season, and if it takes two attempts to beat them again we will take that.

And if the fans get as much excitement as they did from Tuesday's night tie - a game which had everything that a cup tie should have - then we can get them right behind us.