Nicolas

[Les Biehn]

It is a sign of TRUE LOVE when almost any subject can bring us together. Whether it be lovely ladies and their rude bits, or Alexis Nicolas and his contract, we remain so devoted. Les, you are one in a million

Shizle my Nizle and Badg me up a massive one. I actually found myself getting quite angry when I read the report in the argus this morning. It is such a step backwards, the squad is in transition, why not retain the quality younger players. And by that I mean ones like Nicolas who have experience and will be coming into their prime over the next couple of seasons.

 

[BensGrandad]

The club can't afford to offer contracts based on performances the season before last... misplaced loyalty will cost us dear...

I have been saying that for ages that DK gives contracts on past performances not on what a player has to offer for the coming season but in this particular case I believe that Chippy is comfortable and adequate in Div 1 where the problem comes is when we go up a division and he is then out of his depth as he and others have shown.

Unless this is 1 season too many for the older players we should survive in this division and hopefully with a little luck, which we must be due, could do well.

Let us start worrying about this season now and the next season in 9 months time.

 

[Marshy]

The problem with the squad as it stands is where are the goals going to come from.

Exactly, the last 2 occasions we got out of League 1 were on the back of two 30 goal plus strikers in Zamora and Knight.

We havent got a striker at present that will get us a 12- 15 goals in league 1 let alone 30.

 

[sir danny cullip]

One massive f*** up by MM. His treatment of Nicolas is the one thing that really makes me question him. If he is unable to utalise a player like that then he has serious problems. Instead of looking forward to seeing Nicolas next season I have now got to put up with Chippy or Oatway playing shit and still getting in week in week out. Bollocks.

 

[B.W.]

I have been saying that for ages that DK gives contracts on past performances not on what a player has to offer for the coming season but in this particular case I believe that Chippy is comfortable and adequate in Div 1 where the problem comes is when we go up a division and he is then out of his depth as he and others have shown.

Unless this is 1 season too many for the older players we should survive in this division and hopefully with a little luck, which we must be due, could do well.

Let us start worrying about this season now and the next season in 9 months time.

All I can say to that is... mid-table will mean less bums on seats... the money spent on Chippy could have been better spent elsewhere, IMHO...

 

[Barrel of Fun]

The problem with the squad as it stands is where are the goals going to come from.

I would expect CKR to fill his boots and we obviously need a new striker or two. Can the unthinkable happen and Maheta comes storming back into the team grabbing the League One golden boot?? I think we will have a very solid outfit and I assume a striking partner for CKR is high on the agenda.

I picked the infernal optimist route to cheer myself up.

On the Chippy front, he did look in good nick until his injury and was rushed back to early with hardly any time to recover. He was always playing catch up from that moment on, with the games coming thick and fast.

 

[Barrel of Fun]

Exactly, the last 2 occasions we got out of League 1 were on the back of two 30 goal plus strikers in Zamora and Knight.

We havent got a striker at present that will get us a 12- 15 goals in league 1 let alone 30.

We didn't know Knight would score in League One, turned out he did. CKR scored more in one season than Knight did in the Championship and that must surely bode well for League One.

 

[Uncle Buck]

I would expect CKR to fill his boots and we obviously need a new striker or two. Can the unthinkable happen and Maheta comes storming back into the team grabbing the League One golden boot?? I think we will have a very solid outfit and I assume a striking partner for CKR is high on the agenda.

I picked the infernal optimist route to cheer myself up.

On the Chippy front, he did look in good nick until his injury and was rushed back to early with hardly any time to recover. He was always playing catch up from that moment on, with the games coming thick and fast.

I am sure Kazim-Richards will look a better prospect at this level, but he seems to be a support striker rather than a 30 goal forward. I would say double figures would represent a good season for him, so you still need somebody scoring 30 goals alone and none of what we currently have looks able to do that.

 

[Uncle Buck]

We didn't know Knight would score in League One, turned out he did. CKR scored more in one season than Knight did in the Championship and that must surely bode well for League One.

Knight had scored 20 odd goals for Huddersfield in that league a couple of seasons before, so it was always likely he would get a few.

 

[London Irish]

Argus

I may have missed it but I thought he chose to leave, I didn't realise he wasn't offered a new contract. Must admit to being suprised.

Apologies if fixtures, ringtones etc etc

I obviously don't want to go down the road of the ridiculous conspiracy theories indulged in by some in this thread, eg. Kinky, but I think it is possible that he wasn't offered a contract on the basis of negotiations. ie. his valuation of his abilities being nowhere near Dick Knight's and Mark McGhee's valuation. We do know that all retained players had to take a big pay cut and maybe Alexis's was sizable given his previous Chelsea-influenced Championship contract.

The only reason why I say this is that McGhee was quoted not so long ago as saying Nicolas was in his plans for next season.

It was a pleasure to hear him say that he bore no ill will against the club and could be back here in the future. A gent to the last - will always be thought of well by Brighton fans whether you were big fans of his ability or not, and I probably did fall more into the latter category.

 

[Uncle Buck]

Re: Re: Nicolas

I obviously don't want to go down the road of the ridiculous conspiracy theories indulged in by some in this thread, eg. Kinky, but I think it is possible that he wasn't offered a contract on the basis of negotiations. ie. his valuation of his abilities being nowhere near Dick Knight's and Mark McGhee's valuation. We do know that all retained players had to take a big pay cut and maybe Alexis's was sizable given his previous Chelsea-influenced Championship contract.

The only reason why I say this is that McGhee was quoted not so long ago as saying Nicolas was in his plans for next season.

It was a pleasure to hear him say that he bore no ill will against the club and could be back here in the future. A gent to the last - will always be thought of well by Brighton fans whether you were big fans of his ability or not, and I probably did fall more into the latter category.

Where has it been stated that they took a big pay cut?

Contracts generally have clauses in them that if relegated a percentage cut kicks in, last time we went down the figure banded about was 15% for those in contract.

 

[London Irish]

Knight had scored 20 odd goals for Huddersfield in that league a couple of seasons before, so it was always likely he would get a few.

It was 17 if you include the one he got in the cup, but your point stands.

Agreed that we need to address the striker situation in a big way but let's not forget that we started our last League 1 season with two loan strikers up front.

I'm relieved that, unlike most people who have posted in this thread, you don't think our midfield options are too terrible? At least it's a start!

 

[Schrödinger's Toad]

The whole contract thing was an absolute FARCE, from the time it took to sort things out, to the cowardly decisions the club took on who to keep. Carpenter over the last 12 months can, I am afraid, only be described as complete toss. Nicolas, whilst not being given a chance, had enough promise to deserve a go in league 1. McGhee, in characteristically pathetic style, opted to give the old man another year. What a BUFFOON

Spot on.

 

[Pavilionaire]

Nicolas is one of the most over-rated players ever to play for the Albion. Yeah, he ran around a lot but throughout his time with the club I don't remember him scoring a goal, playing a killer pass or showing any leadership qualities. And he couldn't head the ball for toffee.

Still, he's conducted himself well in that interview and he tried his best.. Good luck in Greece / with Orient.

 

[London Irish]

Re: Re: Re: Nicolas

Where has it been stated that they took a big pay cut?

Contracts generally have clauses in them that if relegated a percentage cut kicks in, last time we went down the figure banded about was 15% for those in contract.

That has been the gist of the Argus coverage of the contract situation. Although I haven't seen any percentage figures I will admit.

 

[The Large One]

Exactly, the last 2 occasions we got out of League 1 were on the back of two 30 goal plus strikers in Zamora and Knight.

We havent got a striker at present that will get us a 12- 15 goals in league 1 let alone 30.

How do you know? Are you certain CKR can't cut it in this division?

 

[Uncle Buck]

It was 17 if you include the one he got in the cup, but your point stands.

Agreed that we need to address the striker situation in a big way but let's not forget that we started our last League 1 season with two loan strikers up front.

I'm relieved that, unlike most people who have posted in this thread, you don't think our midfield options are too terrible? At least it's a start!

With the midfielders once we had signed the 2 youngsters at least one of Carpenter and Nicolas were going to lose out, although I did feel it could have been both. With Chippy if he can find some form he maybe of use, but at times last season he did seem to struggle.

I watch the striker situation with interest as it needs sorting and it is not just a target man that is needed.

 

[Marshy]

How do you know? Are you certain CKR can't cut it in this division?

Not at all, I like CKR as a player, i just think if he has a good season he will get 15 at this level.
We need soemone else who is going to get 2 or so.

 

[Uncle Buck]

How do you know? Are you certain CKR can't cut it in this division?

I think he can cut it at this level, but I do not think he can score 25 goals.