Article: Being Positive

[poidy]

I've been quite vocal lately in my disappointment in this recent clear out of our we best players.

There are one of only three factors at play here in no particular order:

A) Bloom asset stripping prior to selling up

VERDICT: Highly Unlikely. Nothing to be gained from selling now, given he's invested circa 150 million

B) This isn't just about adhering to FFP. There are financial problems at the club that go far deeper than FFP, hence selling off our best assets

VERDICT: Unlikely. Only 6 months ago Barber stated we were on course for FFP compliance. I can't see this would have changed so dramatically

C) Bloom is biding his time.
Barnes- 1 million
Bridcutt- 5 million
Ulloa- 8 million
El Abd - 500K (I think)
Buckley- 2.5 million

Playing a waiting game, see how FFP pans out, will non compliance be punished etc. Then at the right time open the 17 million war chest for another push to the promised land

VERDICT: Possible

 

[Pavilionaire]

Having recently read the 'Madman' Dick Knight autobiography I'm mindful that according to Dick Knight he had no intention of losing control of the club and it was only the global financial crisis that prevented him from having access to sufficient funds to build the stadium himself.

He portrays Bloom as something of an opportunist, forcing him out promptly as chairman against his wishes, knocking back the offer of vice-chairman, then repaying Knight less of his capital than he'd requested.

To some extent it is mission accomplished for Bloom. Knight saved the club, Bloom built the ground and the academy and through player sales has now stabilised the club's finances for the season ahead and probably beyond. If he walked away now he'd be a hero, his stock is at an all-time high.

It remains to be seen whether he's up for the next stage. He's raised expectation at the club yet knows in order to compete for promotion he'll have to continue to pump in several millions each season to cover permitted FFP losses. Does he want to do that? I wouldn't be surprised if he put out sounders to test the market, to find out whether there was a buyer for the club, to keep his options open.

 

[Guy Fawkes]

I think what may be unsettling some is the different way we appear to operate our transfer process [buying at least].

Some suspect this was a contributing factor to the departure of our last two managers whose performance would be difficult to describe as poor [both made the top 6].

Do we know of any other clubs who operate with the Burke / Barber type arrangement that also appear to not closely engage with the Manager when it comes to player recruitment? Surely we are not unique in this setup?

It's interesting you that you ask "Do we know of any other clubs appear to not closely engage with the Manager when it comes to player recruitment?" - How do you know the problem isn't the opposite, and that the manager is more involved that at other clubs? Sami Hyppia seems to suggest that he is more involved here than in Germany (wasn't involved at all?) and maybe Garcia found this difficult as it wasn't something he had experienced before or was used to?

Also "Our transfer process [buying at least] some suspect this was a contributing factor to the departure of our last two managers" - Gus was sacked rather than quit (something that seems to have been forgotten) and also the problem may have been that they were both surprised by how much a player costs in the UK at our level (Garcia especially) and how much competition there is for these players (a lot less in Israel i'd imagine) - it may be that they thought that their budget sounded like they could buy a lot more than the reality of it. - Gus got an extra £6m in an attempt to gain promotion in the 2012/13 season (as seen from the accounts) so it wasn't a case of the board not backing him, Garcia got a similar amount too (if the comments about a slightly increased budget were correct)

£500k a year for a second tier player sounds a lot, but what does that actually buy you? - Gus had c£18m as a budget, but this included wages, transfer fees, NI contributions and other associated costs, but what does that really get? - a team of household names or a team of cheap foreign imports (like Orlandi, Ulloa and Lopez) and players brought from the lower leagues?

We have signed players like O'Grady who has a proven record of scoring in the Championship, yet some deem this as not good enough - Palace did alright with a player who hadn't even played at Championship level and only at League 1 or below in Glenn Murray and there are plenty of other examples so lets give the bloke a chance first before moaning and writing him off.

 

[Codner's Wallop]

I've been quite vocal lately in my disappointment in this recent clear out of our we best players.

There are one of only three factors at play here in no particular order:

A) Bloom asset stripping prior to selling up

VERDICT: Highly Unlikely. Nothing to be gained from selling now, given he's invested circa 150 million

B) This isn't just about adhering to FFP. There are financial problems at the club that go far deeper than FFP, hence selling off our best assets

VERDICT: Unlikely. Only 6 months ago Barber stated we were on course for FFP compliance. I can't see this would have changed so dramatically

C) Bloom is biding his time.
Barnes- 1 million
Bridcutt- 5 million
Ulloa- 8 million
El Abd - 500K (I think)
Buckley- 2.5 million

Playing a waiting game, see how FFP pans out, will non compliance be punished etc. Then at the right time open the 17 million war chest for another push to the promised land

VERDICT: Possible

Spot on. How many times have clubs, seemingly nowhere at Christmas, spend wisely in January and shoot up the table? Conversely, how many clubs confetti-buying in August start looking like floating vessels of cash, sinking under the weight of expectation and the salaries of their so-called 'superstars'. If TB bides his time, that war chest could win us the biggest prize of all....

 

[AZ Gull]

Some of your figures are almost certainly overstated here. Based upon what was reported in various media outlets:-

C) Bloom is biding his time.
Barnes- 1 million - at the moment this figure stands around 600k, but potentially could rise to a maximum of 750k
Bridcutt- 5 million - around 3.5million right now
Ulloa- 8 million
El Abd - 500K (I think) - this is probably at least 10 times too high, it was reported as a "five-figure fee"
Buckley- 2.5 million

Playing a waiting game, see how FFP pans out, will non compliance be punished etc. Then at the right time open the 17 million war chest for another push to the promised land

VERDICT: Possible

 

[Dick Head]

Couldn't agree more, especially when you say that neither Ulloa nor Buckley helped us reach the PL.

 

[Mayonaise]

Bloom is a shrewd operator and a true Albion fan! He will never sell this club but neither is he prepared to be gung ho with the purse strings as has been argued articulately already.

For me he has 'invested' heavily in an academy and will play the patient game until this bears fruit (like the Saints academy production line). Whilst the diehards will stand by his side and be patient, many new fans are unhappy and want us to buy success. Therein lies his difficult balancing act. He must keep us competitive even on a sensible budget but without losing too many newly won fans, particularly the younger generation.

For me the guy put his money down when the banks were closed. I think we owe him our allegiance and patience even in difficult times (and by Christ we've been through a lot worse than losing than a few good players as a group of fans).

Many on here have expressed concern and disappointment and that's fine. It all gets a bit distasteful though when we start turning on each other like dogs. We are all true fans of the Seagulls. Lets stick together and get behind our great chairman.

Up the Albion

 

[Brighton1]

I admire your positivity. I'm also a devoted fan home and away so I've been to Gillingham etc and feel I have a right to an opinion. The last 3 seasons our start has been a shambles with either no manager or no signings and the best players moved on. Paying 600 a season for the West stand is not worth it to me now, the football since poyet is very dull and hence the atmosphere at the Amex has gone. There are problems behind the scenes having spoken to a couple of staff. I can't believe it hasn't been sorted. I want our club to be great more than anyone but I can't bear to watch the crap heartless performances anymore