A massive summer clear out and I hope Tony Bloom delivers on his promise......

[chaileyjem]

A slight correction is needed I think. The total wage bill for the entire business (incl NIC and pension costs) was £20.3M in 2013/14, down from £21.1M the previous season. Player trading (ie reflecting the sale of Bridcutt and Barnes) resulted in a net surplus in the accounts of £1.7M, compared to a deficit of £1.1M in 2012/13; the £2.8M difference going towards reducing the overall group loss for the year as will (some of) the income from the sale of Ulloa and Buckley this season.

Ha ! Yes agreed.

Overall the overall company wage bill has decreased slightly partly due to the cost cutting overseen by Barber.

My overall point that i rather bore NSC with, sorry, is that the football budget for the club has increased substantially in recent years (up 60% since 2012), is continuing to increase and is higher than nearly all non parachute payment clubs in the Champ money tables.
This rather good blogpost from Swiss Ramble goes into more detail about the Albion budgets for those who want lots and lots of sauce.
"football costs (excluding player amortisation and depreciation) increased by nearly £1 million from £19.9 million to £20.7 million." (between 12/13 and 13/14). Bloom has confirmed it went up again in 14/15 in several interviews.
http://swissramble.blogspot.co.uk/2015/01/brighton-and-hove-albion-love-at-pier.html

 

[Horses Arse]

Barber is not the football guy, he's the money and business guy. The football people FAILED in their task to identify decent footballers to bring into this club. It's not money that has been the real issue (other teams have picked up good players for little, and our best players tend to have been relatively cheap also), it's been the identification of talent that has been the problem. I believe we have resolved the manager issue for now. This summer is the real test for all concerned. Hughton and the recruitment team need to identify their main targets, and do that early. Bloom then has to be prepared to back their judgement if he wants us to challenge for a top six spot.

As simster said, getting these players settled in early is key. It will help with building the TEAM and giving us an early bit of momentum. If what I understand about the FFP situation is correct, the Ulloa and Buckley cash will on it's own sort out the current debt, which in turn frees up that money for us to strengthen the squad in the summer.

Our wage bill is testament to the fact that Bloom is prepared to stump up the cash when needed, we just have to hope it is spent more wisely this summer than it was last.

Can't disagree with any of that. Unfortunately I cant see the business being done early or sufficient funds being provided to mount a challenge given the dead wood on high wages already here. Here's hoping I'm wrong.

 

[dejavuatbtn]

Less to do with budgets and more to do with a more direct style of football. I'm sick to death with the possession game we seem to be preoccupied with and would rather a better balance with more balls going in a forward direction. In fact I would pay players bonuses on the basis of them making forward passes.

 

[BensGrandad]

The biggest problem as I see it is that we were one of the main supporters of FFP and all the succesful teams in the Championship have ignored it and submitted debatable accounts to justify the spending, we have stuck by the rules and as a consequence suffered.

 

[Justice]

The biggest problem as I see it is that we were one of the main supporters of FFP and all the succesful teams in the Championship have ignored it and submitted debatable accounts to justify the spending, we have stuck by the rules and as a consequence suffered.

Wolves have done ok sticking to the rules. No excuse really Hypia was out of his depth think it would of been different if CH was in charge last summer.

 

[oldboyroy]

I still get this feeling that Chris Hughton knows that he has inherited a very poor squad and its only the fact that there are some poor teams in this division that makes it most likely that we stay up but I am sure he will want plenty of backing in transfers and if its not provided he may well think about walking like the others have.

 

[jamie the seagull]

For a start buy a striker to compliment Baldock and we might get something back for the money spunked on him

Hughton has not played Baldock up front at any point or any of our existing strikers with him so no chance of him buying one to do either....

 

[JCL666]

Regardless of contract position and our ability to sell (e.g Bruno), of the current 1st team squad I'd keep

Stockdale
Walton
Dunk
Ince
Stephens
Kayal
JFC
KLL
March
Crofts (I guess)

Pretty much. Although I'd be quite happy if we could get Halford and Bennet back on permanent deals. Our defence hasn't been horrendous this season, especially if you consider the number of goals conceded. For once it would be nice to have some sort of consistency at left back. The last permanent signing who played regularly was Painter.......

Definitely need a new young(er) right back.

A couple of decent creative midfielders/wingers.

Plus a couple of strikers.

The jury's out for me on Baldock, but I think he may still come good. However generally we have been shit at signing strikers since the move to the championship.

I mean we have signed/loaned TONS of strikers.....

CMS
Hoskins
Paynter
Vokes
Ulloa
Dobbie
Dickenson
Lingard
Obika
Baldock
OGrady
Colunga
Rodriguez
Best

 

[Turkey]

I don't think we need a complete clear out. I think part of the reason we've done poorly this season is the amount of change last summer, new manager, new players and new tactics. There was no time to settle.

We obviously need to make some key signings, but a handful of excellent signings would be more beneficial than a complete overhaul I reckon.

 

[Papa Lazarou]

No. Just no. Direct-get-it-forward football is terrible. A calm possession based game is much better. You keep the ball, move it about, probe, come back if nothing is on, probe again etc. I am sick to death with the brainless get it forward football. We need brains.

We need pace - the patient possession style works best if you have pace in midfield and up-front, otherwise there's no easy way to catch teams before they can assume defensive positions. The successful teams in this division in recenty years have mixed quality passing with pace.

 

[Arthritic Toe]

I want Ashley Barnes back

 

[Rookie]

No. Just no. Direct-get-it-forward football is terrible. A calm possession based game is much better. You keep the ball, move it about, probe, come back if nothing is on, probe again etc. I am sick to death with the brainless get it forward football. We need brains.

Thank god it's not just me who is horrified at the thought of going back to the hoof days.

 

[One Teddy Maybank]

Your starter quality: Halford not ours but also only a back up imo. Teixeira, again not ours and in all honesty has had about 4 decent games. Lua Lua has done cock all this season a one trick pony.

Your back ups. Greer, Bruno, Calderon all passed it and not good enough. Holla very questionable, Crofts I doubt will ever play again, March hardly sets the World alight, Colunga just no, Chicksen a similar no.

Let go I agree with along with the ones I indicated

So 7 starters, 2 maybe 3 back up 19 to go.

This squad needs major surgery.

Agree completely.........


EDIT - Sorry I noticed Dunk was a starter, back up at best for me, and if a bid came in I'd let him go.

 

[GT49er]

"A massive summer clear out and I hope Tony Bloom delivers on his promise......"

Lot of speculation about what we need on here, but to go back to the OP, what exactly has TB promised for the summer?

 

[Brighton Mod]

"A massive summer clear out and I hope Tony Bloom delivers on his promise......"

Lot of speculation about what we need on here, but to go back to the OP, what exactly has TB promised for the summer?

Well, according to TB we had a squad capable of achieving a play off place this year and also we had 'One Ambition' whatever that mean't. Sad is it not.

 

[seagullsovergrimsby]

Wolves have done ok sticking to the rules. No excuse really Hypia was out of his depth think it would of been different if CH was in charge last summer.

The difference between us and Wolves - parachute payments , £8M this season and a final £8M next season (providing they're not promoted)

 

[DarrenFreemansPerm]

Thank god it's not just me who is horrified at the thought of going back to the hoof days.

Why is it that people always assume 'direct' football is all about hoofing? To me direct means not **** arsing around with the ball on the edge of our area allowing the opposition to regain shape. Bournemouth play quite direct IMO, when they get the ball they move it forward as quickly as they can putting the opposition under pressure and creating chances, not much hoofing going on there?

 

[GT49er]

Why is it that people always assume 'direct' football is all about hoofing? To me direct means not **** arsing around with the ball on the edge of our area allowing the opposition to regain shape. Bournemouth play quite direct IMO, when they get the ball they move it forward as quickly as they can putting the opposition under pressure and creating chances, not much hoofing going on there?

Absolutely! Looking at BBC match stats, we've dominated possession in many of our games this season - even under Sami - but still lost. All the possession in the world is worth f*** all if it's all within ten yards of your own eighteen yard line. Meanwhile, the other team set up their defence in perfect order, and wait for another futile attack.

 

[Ernest]

We're light years behind the likes of Watford, Bournemouth, Middlesboro etc and even Bristol City would be favourites to beat us, unless Bloom stumps up proper money for 4 or 5 top class signings then there will be more of the same next season

 

[DarrenFreemansPerm]

We're light years behind the likes of Watford, Bournemouth, Middlesboro etc and even Bristol City would be favourites to beat us, unless Bloom stumps up proper money for 4 or 5 top class signings then there will be more of the same next season

Bristol City will emulate Brentford and Wolves from this season, they'll be contenders from the off. No matter which 3 teams go up this season there will still be some ridiculously good sides in this division, unfortunately we're not even close to being one of them.