Wayne Bridge...

[Neecha]

...has signed for Reading.

Fair play to him was an absolute pleasure watching him play for us last season. We were never going to be able to afford the wages he will be getting at Reading just more surprised its them tbh!

 

[Mental Lental]

 

[British Bulldog]

All the while we have no manager we will be signing no players, it really is that simple, the longer this drags on the more unseccesful our season will be next year.

I don't see how we can sign players without a manager to identify the targets, Gus might have had a list of players he wanted but if he's going it counts for nothing now and until a new manager is installed there's nobody to draw up a new list of realistic targets. So like you say the longer this drags on the more it's going to impact on next season.

 

[Albumen]

It's worth reminding people that with Bridge and Upson we didn't actually go up last season, yet the scum did without them.

Same with the petulant manger we currently have.

TB

Er . . . what?

So Bridge, who was arguably our best player last season didn't play for Palace so we won't miss him?

 

[Albumen]

Reading should be the strongest team next year, the rest of the places are up for grabs.

 

[Mowgli37]

My immediate reaction Still, I wish him luck and thank him for what he has done for us. He deserves a very warm welcome when he returns

 

[Eddiespearritt]

Now Warnock is on Sky Sports talking about how disappointed Redknapp must be about failing to get Bridge. He didn't mention how disappointed we all are. Bridge was commendable for us last season - top performances - thoroughly reliable - a real cornerstone of the team. No doubt his wage expectation (which we would have had to cover in full rather the partial share with Man City) would have been way too high, but I'm sure he said wanted to stay and the Poyet mess probably killed the discussion in any case.

There are other full backs in football but at the moment it feels like our limbo status is really damaging us.

 

[Eastleigh Northstander]

My saints supporting mate said last season that he is glad Bridge was doing so well for us as an ex saint, he said he would have lots of respect for him if he meant what he had said about enjoying his football and being at Brighton and that is what is important to him now, and he hoped he stayed with us, today he said maybe he got it wrong and that maybe it's about the money again now that the man city payday has gone lol! How true that could be. Shame

 

[Mackenzie]

So the first job on our new manager's list:

Sign a left back.

 

[maidstoneseagull]

Trouble is if the last 3 weeks hadn't turned out the way it has I'm confident we would have got him. Poyet got him and Poyet would have played him. No guarantee that will happen with the club as it is today. I hope we get it sorted soon so we can move on.

 

[SULLY COULDNT SHOOT]

I agree that I doubt we could ahve afforded him but please someone..... name me a club in the last five years that have signed players when they dont have a confirmed manager in place..

It's a fact that deals are being made and nothing is happening on our front. Gus and the club must have had a list. I think it very likely that Gus will go now not least becasue I suspect his 'want to buy' list is being screwed up by the length of this 'investigation'.

 

[Icy Gull]

My saints supporting mate said last season that he is glad Bridge was doing so well for us as an ex saint, today he said maybe he got it wrong and that maybe it's about the money again now that the man city payday has gone lol! How true that could be. Shame

Not really, Reading,the way things stand at the moment, are a much better proposition than we are given their new backers and parachute payments plus their Premier League players. I'm pretty certain a lower Premier League team would have taken Bridge but probably not as 1st choice player. The way I see it is that he wants to be first choice even if it means staying in the Championship and he appears to have decided that he wants to play week in week out.

I have complete admiration for Bridge and the way he just got on with it last season. I was not aware of any billy big bollocks attitude either. He was fantastic and we'll miss him but we obviously aren't right for him the way things stand. Money might have had something to do with it but I doubt it was the over riding reason he's left.

I'll miss those rampaging runs down the wing

 

[RM-Taylor]

****. ****. ********. ****.

 

[ewe2]

Perhaps Bridge being lost to Reading was one of Poyets problems with the budget !!!

 

[Springal]

I agree that I doubt we could ahve afforded him but please someone..... name me a club in the last five years that have signed players when they dont have a confirmed manager in place..

Man City yesterday ?

 

[Easy 10]

I remember when we signed him I was chuffed, but my excitement was tempered by a concern as to his attitude and how much we'd actually get out of him, what with him not having played for so long and dropping down to the second division for the first time. All those fears were blown away by the sheer quality and consistancy of his performances though. His pace and energy, his positional sense, his poise, control, crossing, the timing of his overlaps, his strength on the ball and ability to power past players, and just the simple, assured, error-free reliability he brought to his position. An absolute class act who we are going to miss immensely. I doubt we'll see a better leftback at the club.

I'm gutted.

 

[keaton]

Gutted to not have him, but it always looked unlikely. One of the best players i've seen for the Albion.

Still think it's odd a top flight team didn't go in for him

 

[Bognor Bystander]

I remember when we signed him I was chuffed, but my excitement was tempered by a concern as to his attitude and how much we'd actually get out of him, what with him not having played for so long and dropping down to the second division for the first time. All those fears were blown away by the sheer quality and consistancy of his performances though. His pace and energy, his positional sense, his poise, control, crossing, the timing of his overlaps, his strength on the ball and ability to power past players, and just the simple, assured, error-free reliability he brought to his position. An absolute class act who we are going to miss immensely. I doubt we'll see a better leftback at the club.

I'm gutted.

Very much This.

 

[SULLY COULDNT SHOOT]

Man City yesterday ?

I thought its confirmed but he hasnt started... ergo everyone knpows whos going to be there.

 

[chucky1973]

I was on the razzle all day yesterday and saw no news, in a nutshell has WB signed for Reading or do I need to read 5 pages to find out?