Adding quality for next season - your thoughts

[Bring back Bryan wade!!]

Firstly;

Stephens and Stockdale to sign new contracts

Secondly;

Would be happy with any of the following additions;

Tomori
Pocognoli
Cairney
Abraham
Long
Jota
Vibe
Howson
Oliver Burke
Izzy Brown

 

[pishhead]

The same Bruno who has played the majority of his career in La liga and was voted the best right back by his peers won't be good enough....
Age may not be on his side but I'd suggest that he is better in our system now than when he first arrived.
He has looked after his body and whilst he will get tested far more defensively I would be absolutely fine with him being our starting RB.
You can count his bad games this season on one hand and still have spare digits.

 

[Iggle Piggle]

I'd be amazed if he wasn't.

I might have talked myself out of this. In a 25 man squad that's probably 5 strikers.

Murray is a given as is Baldock. We will need a Chuba replacement and I also think we need another Murray / Hemed type. Murray has been excellent this year but isn't getting any younger and Hemed is behind in the pecking order. I reckon we will get another one in which would make Hemed the 5th striker. (I was originally thinking 4 strikers which was where I was thinking he didn't make it). Either way, I don't expect he has a major part to play next year although more than happy to be proved wrong. He's helped get us here and deserves a chance but we've seen a ruthless side at sesons end before. Greer etc last year. I don't think he's nailed on as one of the 25.

 

[Green Cross Code Man]

I might have talked myself out of this. In a 25 man squad that's probably 5 strikers.

Murray is a given as is Baldock. We will need a Chuba replacement and I also think we need another Murray / Hemed type. Murray has been excellent this year but isn't getting any younger and Hemed is behind in the pecking order. I reckon we will get another one in which would make Hemed the 5th striker. (I was originally thinking 4 strikers which was where I was thinking he didn't make it). Either way, I don't expect he has a major part to play next year although more than happy to be proved wrong. He's helped get us here and deserves a chance but we've seen a ruthless side at sesons end before. Greer etc last year. I don't think he's nailed on as one of the 25.

I would largely concur. I think the players that got us here, for the most part, deserve a chance and personally, I would not be surprised if Hemed rose to the challenge. The team spirit we have fostered will become a major force if we are to manage to stay up, it's what Boro (lol there's justice) lacked and teams like Bournemouth and Burnley retained.

 

[The Grockle]

It's easy to spend someone elses money but i'd spend big to build a quality side, if we are relegated quality acquisitions should be easy to sell on when we have to cut our cloth.

Seems crazy to build everything up for top flight football then not go for it IMO.

 

[goldstone]

This must be at least the fifth thread on this same subject. Why don't we all start our own?

I would like to see Gareth Barry come back to Brighton (a very useful addition to the squad), Ulloa (Premier experience), Abraham on loan, Tomori (loan or buy), Pocognoli signed, plus a CB with Premier experience, a RB, another striker, and another winger.

 

[martin tyler]

we are not going to go mental signing players.
As long as Stephens, Bong, Sidwell and Stockdale stay I expect that it will be something like
3/4 permanent and 2 loans.
If the loans were Abrahams and Tomori I would be delighted. I would add another 1st choice CM anyway to compete with DS and BK. Add a LB to compete with Bong maybe SB can do that on a free and add a winger to compete with SM and AK on a regular basis and an out and out number 10

 

[goldstone]

This must be at least the fifth thread on this same subject. Why don't we all start our own?

I would like to see Gareth Barry come back to Brighton (a very useful addition to the squad), Ulloa (Premier experience), Abraham on loan, Tomori (loan or buy), Pocognoli signed, plus a CB with Premier experience, a RB, another striker, and another winger.

And definitely another Number 10 to compete with Baldock.

 

[clippedgull]

It's easy to spend someone elses money but i'd spend big to build a quality side, if we are relegated quality acquisitions should be easy to sell on when we have to cut our cloth.

Seems crazy to build everything up for top flight football then not go for it IMO.

Yes I totally agree. We need to strengthen in the most important position that we are probably weakest and that is our forward line. With the best will in the world Baldock (injury prone), Murray (age) and Hemed are not PL quality forwards. It will be interesting to see what investment strategy Bloom takes to help us at least not get immediately dumped back into the Championship.

 

[Marshy]

Amusing how people think we need a right back when our current one has been in the team of the season the last 2 years.
And the back up to that player is a proven premier league right back. Both also have contracts.

Clearly the only position in the back line that needs sorting is a left back, where that's with 2 new players or extending the contracts of Bong and Poc I will leave to Mr Hughton but right back is a position we are not short in

 

[BensGrandad]

This must be at least the fifth thread on this same subject. Why don't we all start our own?

I would like to see Gareth Barry come back to Brighton (a very useful addition to the squad), Ulloa (Premier experience), Abraham on loan, Tomori (loan or buy), Pocognoli signed, plus a CB with Premier experience, a RB, another striker, and another winger.

Why would we want Gareth Barry when we can sign Steve Sidwell for another year who is 2 years younger, probably demand far less wages and is a similar type player with similar ability now.

 

[NooBHA]

Nowhere near good enough for the prem, nailed on fact.

I sort of agree and disagree on that one.

As a striker I like him a lot but not really good enough for the PL; however, as a forward he is the best forward at closing teams down. He spots the angles to cut off better when defenders are passing it around looking for openings. And given that we will be on the ''back foot'' a lot more next season then that could be a valuable quality to have in the squad..

Also I think he and Knocky have close friendship so will be good to keep his morale up because he might not get as much success against better defenders next year.

 

[Nixonator]

Second striker will be the most important acquisition (after securing Stephens and Stockdale).

Love Sam but it's no secret he spends a lot of the time injured.

Very difficult to suggest what type of player is required as it will depend on formation.

 

[HastingsSeagull]

GK - We are set (for an initial season) if Stockdale re-signs.

CB - We have 3 'fit' (including Duffy) players who are good enough and Goldson to hopefully return. All 4 are relatively young and I like that group.
FB - I think Poc would be excellent playing regularly. Bong re-signed at Prem back-up wages would be fine but similar out there if not. LR can cover everywhere and push Bruno too. With 4 aging players and injuries I would certainly sign one more though and probably a RB rather than LB since LR can play both sides. Need 3 depth at both and for sake of things call LR 3rd choice both sides. Thus it's new RB and choice of Bong/another. A key area for additions even if we have solid pros already, this is where the Brighton style of play signings should be made. So important in our system.

CM - 2 great and 2 good if re-sign current (I view Sidwell as having lost a step but useful bench and personality). A Cairney type would give us 5 players for 2 spots at home or maybe 3 away.
Wings - AK and March both able to play in 4-4-2 or 4-5-1 but I just feel Skalak whilst I like him as a bloke, isn't up to it and wouldn't fit a lower half team. Squad depth for a year or 6 months fine, but we need 1 more plus Murphy really only makes my 25 for his flexibility not ability. We need one amazeballs player who can lead AK and March with 2 of the 3 playing. March seems like a regular 70th minute introduction to me.

ST - IF we got a great player who can play wide, he could shift into the middle when needed in the Baldock role. 3 nice strikers but they need that one extra player and I think for a season we can get away with only the one addition for both spots. A second might be unrealistic



So 1 or 2 FBs depending on Bong so likely 1 (RB)
1 CM
1 amazeballs winger/baldock type

easy!
But any of Stocko, Poc, Stephens need replacing then obviously more required and Sidwell should stay for bench.

GK - 3
CB - 4
FB - 5 (1 New or 2 if no Bong)
CM - 5 (1 new)
Wings - 3.5 (no Skalak)
(1 new signing split in the numbers above and below)
Strikers - 3.5

1 spare spot if you think can get a central (in addition to the wide 'Baldock type'). Sadly feel this might belong to our Irish Enigma for 6 months.

 

[DJ NOBO]

I think that too, but we're not going to replace 12 players in one window. Unless say a Championship club comes in with a good offer for him, he's likely to stay. If Barnes, Vokes (once laughed at by us) and S.Cook can do a PL job, perhaps Hemed can as a back up.

I have a sneaky feeling baldock will do a Barnes and be effective in the prem.
Hemed less so