Dick Knight doesn't want us to go up

[Jim D]

If we don't go up this season (and assuming Plymouth, Bris C and QPR do), then next season I think we'll be right there. Of those coming down I can't see either MK or Bradford doing well and, of those coming up, only Hull look like a team that could challenge at the top.

On that basis, and with a young team getting more and more experienced, we should be a great bet for a top 3 finish.

 

[Lammy]

Yes we can afford to go up and no I don't think West Ham will go up.

Zamora needs time to gel. He's been given a real shit eal since making the step up. Frozen out and shafted at Spurs he's now got to start again at West Ham. The ability is more than there, he's just got to get his confidence back. If he fancies a loan spell with us next season in order todo this then...

 

[Albion Dan]

Anyone who thinks our squad is anywhere near good enough to stay up in its current state is having a giraffe.

Watson
Jones
Butters
Blackwell
Mayo
Oatway
Mcphee
Hart (on most of the seasons form, looking a bit better now)
Lee

None good enough for Div 1!!

Not to mention the other kids who are only div 2 proven.

The hopeful thing is that Mcghee has shown that he can bring the right people in so if we can get rid of the shit we may have a fighting chance IF we go up.

Oh, and we are still totally potless Chappers, its just Mcghee has spent the little money well. Rehman, Yeates and Flitney were all youth and cheap as chips. Oh and Rehman and Flitney were both shit.


This is not a rant saying Dick doesnt want to go up, he proved he does by going for Mcghee, who wouldnt have come here if we had no chance of promotion.

 

[Hungry Joe.]

Having watched them a couple of times recently - a big fat NO.

I put this on a previous thread, so apologies for the repetition - but I think it shows the sort of person our manager is. I was having a drink with Mark McGhee and Bob Booker on the day of the away Wycombe match, and I put it to Mark that the pressure on him to take us up was not so great as everyone else has their eye on Falmer. Whooooops. He shot me one of those steely looks and said: 'f*** that. I can't wait to get out of this f***ing division. It is absolutely pox.' Well, my sentiments exactly.

I feel we are getting a little over-excited about the possibility of promotion, so I think a certain level of reflection as to where we are at present wouldn't go amiss. True, I believe that a play-off place is now ours to lose, but that still does not follow that we are going up. I personally think that second place is beyond us. I think Bristol City and/or QPR will not make that sort of f*** up - but here's hoping. And Mark McGhee's tenure so far as manager should not be regarded as a failure should we be in Division 2 next season.

However, if we are in Division 2 next season, I think another promotion, possibly even another Championship, is there for the taking.

Crikey, did Mark really say that? Colourful and inspiring, he grows on me by the minute. Interesting that last season Paul Merson said much the same thing about Div 1 after playing us at Withdean. I agree that the notion that Dick Knight didn't want us to go up is ridiculous also. I also thought the claim about him not doing enough to keep Coppell was crap too. If Steve was in any doubt as to how much he was wanted here he only had to read the Argus every day. Sorry, I'm going off the point. Why is Zamora getting stick at West Ham?

 

[king Wombat]

agree with you mate. the young players ie harding, el abd, virgo, robinson need more time to get to grips with playing in the first team.

we need a younger centre half to replace butters, 2 new wingers, sorry harty but you-ve not been good enough in the last 2 years, and jones is too unreliable, and a better defensive midfielder - oatway looked well out of his depth last season.

Why would MM give roger and blackwell new contracts??

 

[Lammy]

Anyone who thinks our squad is anywhere near good enough to stay up in its current state is having a giraffe.

Watson
Jones
Butters
Blackwell
Mayo
Oatway
Mcphee
Hart (on most of the seasons form, looking a bit better now)
Lee

None good enough for Div 1!!

Not to mention the other kids who are only div 2 proven.

The hopeful thing is that Mcghee has shown that he can bring the right people in so if we can get rid of the shit we may have a fighting chance IF we go up.

Oh, and we are still totally potless Chappers, its just Mcghee has spent the little money well. Rehman, Yeates and Flitney were all youth and cheap as chips. Oh and Rehman and Flitney were both shit.


This is not a rant saying Dick doesnt want to go up, he proved he does by going for Mcghee, who wouldnt have come here if we had no chance of promotion.

You're forgetting of course;

Knight
Lumo
Culip
Kuipers
Roberts
Harding
Virgo
Butters
Carpenter
Piercy
Robinson

 

[Yorkie]

Wigan Crewe didn't spend a fortune or replace loads of players and are holding their own quite nicely.

Rotherham have coped for 4 years on a shoestring.

 

[CHAPPERS]

Anyone who thinks our squad is anywhere near good enough to stay up in its current state is having a giraffe.

Watson
Jones
Butters
Blackwell
Mayo
Oatway
Mcphee
Hart (on most of the seasons form, looking a bit better now)
Lee



Oh, and we are still totally potless Chappers, its just Mcghee has spent the little money well. Rehman, Yeates and Flitney were all youth and cheap as chips. Oh and Rehman and Flitney were both shit.


This is not a rant saying Dick doesnt want to go up, he proved he does by going for Mcghee, who wouldnt have come here if we had no chance of promotion.

Last season squad was not as good as this one IMHO and if Zammo had been on full fitness all season and if Hinshelwood had not been given 12 gameas to prove himself I believe we would be a first division side this year.

McGhee could keep us up with this squad.

 

[Simster]

McGhee could keep us up with this squad.

I don't agree. He needs two proven fullbacks and at least one midfielder to replace Oatway - we got absolutely slaughtered in these positions last season.

And of Coppell's signings, Jolly is another year older, and the iceman and Sidwell have now moved on. In the end, all three of those players were far more important to the side than Zamora.

 

[king Wombat]

wigan & crewe built their squads in div2 ie had a settled team/squad, stood them in good stead in div 1.

its widely acknowledged that a good amount of the current albion squad are on their way out at the end of the season. We need to rebuild a team around the youth players and give them some experience in a winning side rather than a team that is going to be battling for survival

 

[Yorkie]

We lost Sidwell in January and still beat Forest, Wolves Watford Rotherham and Reading after that.

 

[Marc]

we need a decent strong backbone, 1 solid central defender (Cullip) and build the defence around him, 1 solid central midfielder (?) build the midfield around him, 1 solid forward (Lumo possibly or Benji back full time) and build a forward line around him.
Once you have that backbone in place then you fill in the gaps and have a strong and stable team of which to progress with, thats my thinking anyway.

 

[Yorkie]

None of our midfielders is First Division quality and Butters' lack of pace would be shown up in Div 1. We would need a new midfield to have any hope of staying up and some of the youngsters would have to learn pretty quickly, although I think at least 2 of them would.

What is First division quality? On Falmer Day I stood and watched Rotherham v Bradford and we could have beaten either of them even without Iwelumo.

 

[Albion Dan]

We lost Sidwell in January and still beat Forest, Wolves Watford Rotherham and Reading after that.

Yorkie yes but we replaced sidwell with Ingimarson who was class.


Ingermarson
Zamora
Brooker
Blackwell Fit
Rodger Fit
Sidwell
Barrett
Rougier

All of these would would have breezed into our first 11 this season. OK we have Knight for Zamora and now Iwelumo (who has still only played 2 games) but other than that I fail to see how anyone could think this seasons squad is better. The squad that has won only 4 away games in this dreadful division all season. In fact the thought is hilarious.

 

[Row Z Creased Shirt]

We were a result and half away from staying up last season, despite giving everyone a 12 game start. I think Bobby has been replaced well with Leon and Lumo. I also think our defence is shaping nicely. Which just leaves the midfield which is weaker than the Div 1 season. I see no reason wht that cannot be remedied in the summer, as this time we are likely to have a proper manager during the interval. I think we are in a good enough position to do a Rotherham, and keep ourselves up whilst Falmer is finally sorted out and then we can go on from there.

As long as we keep going as we are, we should make the playoffs and who knows what excitement that will bring. I think we have really turned the corner under McGhee who IMHO has done an excellent job so far.

As for Bobby getting stick at West Ham, everyone's getting stick at the moment after the shambles on sunday, i'll keep my thoughts on that to myself.

 

[Albion Dan]

What is First division quality? On Falmer Day I stood and watched Rotherham v Bradford and we could have beaten either of them even without Iwelumo.

Yorkie

I think that calling Bradford Division 1 quality would be trade descriptions, they are Div 2!

 

[CHAPPERS]

I don't agree. He needs two proven fullbacks and at least one midfielder to replace Oatway - we got absolutely slaughtered in these positions last season.

And of Coppell's signings, Jolly is another year older, and the iceman and Sidwell have now moved on. In the end, all three of those players were far more important to the side than Zamora.

Why proven? Why not fearless like Harding and Virgo? Maybe another couple of midfielders though.

Anyway, we;ve got LUMO so it doesn't matter.

 

[king Wombat]

well of course the big fella has now made us world beaters..

 

[Turkey]

I couldn't give a monkeys as to how well we'd do in Division 1. I just want to get there!

Also some players couldn't cut it in Div 1. Well some of those players now have a seasons Div 1 expirience and looked decent enough in the second part of the season. Players improve.

Kuipers/Roberts
Cullip
Knight
Rodger
Carpenter
Iwelumo

Could all deffinatly hack it IMO. A few new signings and we're laughing.

 

[Yorkie]

Ingimarsson played at the back so didn't replace Sidwell who was a midfielder.

I know Mayo has been replaced by Harding now but he was runner up for player of the year last season. No reason why he couldn't come back into form.