[Albion] "Albion rebuilding may spill over into season"

[Gazwag]

We do still seem to find it cripplingly difficult to persuade players to come to the Albion don't we.
Sparkly new stadium, swanky new training ground, yet apparently its still a huge problem to land anyone of proven quality. Still, at least they're trying really hard again.

Its when they spend five minutes reading NSC and then look at the facebook/twitter feeds and realise what a bunch of moaners 75% of our fans are and that puts them off

 

[Bozza]

I guess my main point of concern is that, today, it is exactly four weeks since we acquired our sole attacking player thus far - Tomer Hemed.

The other players we have brought in seem decent and are welcome but defence has not been our major failing. Despite perms-loan left-backs and the Dad's Army brigade of Calde, Bruno and Greer, our defence has been remarkably resilient for some time now. Yes, it needed refreshing and it was becoming a case of sooner rather than later,

 

[MattBackHome]

Anyone who doesn't want the rebuilding to spill over into the season needs their head read. It would be utterly foolish of the club not to make the most of the entire window; obviously you want to front load as much as possible but there are always deals to be done.

For my money, our business so far seems a) an improvement on last season in terms of quality and b) definitively Hughtonesque (which may not be such a good thing). As [MENTION=6886]Bozza[/MENTION] says we've been surprised each time so far, and they have come out of the blue, so there's little one can read into the club statements about how hard they're trying.

And comparisons of this aspect of the club's business to the 'matchday experience' stuff is becoming tiresome, as if hiring a new gully and having nice pies is somehow detracting from player recruitment. It's not. Get over yourselves.

 

[supaseagull]

We've signed replacement full backs, another keeper and a forward.

We have March, Crofts and Baldock coming back into the side.

Stephens has come back from his injury and had a run in the side at the end of last season.

It looks like there might be a couple of the dev squad moving up.

And we are still in the market for a couple of players.

Hyppia isn't in charge.

More importantly..................We have Kayal!!!

Generally I think the squad looks in much better shape than it did this time last season. We aren't (currently) chock full of injuries, so it doesn't bother me that the squad isn't complete. We need depth, but that tends to be an issue as the season progresses not necessarily in the first few months.

So does it worry you that we only have two recognised centrebacks one of which is too old and slow and the other is being tapped up by other clubs? Couple that with a mistake prone, keeper then we are, in my view, a tinsy winsy bit ****ed.

 

[Withdean11]

In terms of creativity, we are currently weaker now than we was last season as we have lost Tex.

We need two new wingers and the the Tex replacement. As well as 2 strikers and a CB.

 

[Hillian1]

But you'd think we ought to be vaguely competitive. Your example of a difference of $10k a week more is disingenuous. I'd be worried if ALL our major targets were being offered that much more to play for broadly similar sized clubs. Sure, some might do that for some players, but as [MENTION=70]Easy 10[/MENTION] says, we seem to find it "cripplingly difficult" to persuade any of our targets to come here.

And I take issue with your conclusion that "it's all about the wage deals". It isn't, as Wayne Bridge proved. And assuming wages are important, there are professional northerners (and southerners) all over the place. Adam Le Fondre, for example, wants to move up north. If we offered him 10k a week and Bolton offered him 8.5k a week, he'd probably still go there. Money isn't absolutely everything.

This is the statement I find most worrying.

 

[Honky Tonx]

Same old story. Bloom is not willing to pay transfer targets the wages they can earn else where. As mentioned by others, get ready for another struggle.

 

[Gazwag]

We've signed replacement full backs, another keeper and a forward.

We have March, Crofts and Baldock coming back into the side.

Stephens has come back from his injury and had a run in the side at the end of last season.

It looks like there might be a couple of the dev squad moving up.

And we are still in the market for a couple of players.

Hyppia isn't in charge.

More importantly..................We have Kayal!!!

Generally I think the squad looks in much better shape than it did this time last season. We aren't (currently) chock full of injuries, so it doesn't bother me that the squad isn't complete. We need depth, but that tends to be an issue as the season progresses not necessarily in the first few months.

IMO

First game last season v possible starting line up v Forest

Stockdale...........Stockdale =

Bruno..................Rosenior ++
Greer..................Greer =
Hughes...............Dunk++
Calderon.............Bong+

Crofts..................March+
Forster -Caskey..Kayal+++
Ince.................... Stephens or Ince=
Lua Lua..............Lua Lua =

O'Grady..............Baldock++
Fenelon..............Hemed+++

 

[LamieRobertson]

I guess my main point of concern is that, today, it is exactly four weeks since we acquired our sole attacking player thus far - Tomer Hemed.

The other players we have brought in seem decent and are welcome but defence has not been our major failing. Despite perms-loan left-backs and the Dad's Army brigade of Calde, Bruno and Greer, our defence has been remarkably resilient for some time now. Yes, it needed refreshing and it was becoming a case of sooner rather than later,

It could be said that our style of play has made that defence 'resilient' ..we don't exactly push numbers forward ...well not until the last fifteen minutes when generally its been too late..then of course last season there was the tendency (from memory) to concede straight after scoring. I welcome the defensive signings we have made, but they were always going to be the easy ones...goal scoring midfielders..pacey goal scoring wingers..not to mention strikers who find the back of the net regularly are wanted by everyone and theres less of them. Its all a bit predictable.

 

[Papa Lazarou]

IMO

First game last season v possible starting line up v Forest

Stockdale...........Stockdale =

Bruno..................Rosenior ++
Greer..................Greer =
Hughes...............Dunk++
Calderon.............Bong+

Crofts..................March+
Forster -Caskey..Kayal+++
Ince.................... Stephens or Ince=
Lua Lua..............Lua Lua =

O'Grady..............Baldock++
Fenelon..............Hemed+++

Blimey - great post. Shows:

1. how weak we started last season
2. How we've improved in almost every position

 

[Man of Harveys]

The club is slowly edging towards talking premier league

You're going to have to run that by me again.

 

[Peteinblack]

It's last seasons poor recruitment which is really biting now. Having to release so many poor quality players was
always going to be a big ask to replace in time for the start of this season coming.

I also think that our woeful season last year has made us less attractive to potential players: I can't imagine many players are going to be persuaded to sign for us on the basis of a fab training ground in Lancing.

We struggled last season, and cannot afford the wages that other clubs are prepared (or able) to pay, so I'm not surprised that we seem to be finding it hard to attract decent players - although this does not reduce my disappointment and frustration.

A month ago, I was getting quite excited about the new season having signed a few players, but now I'm a bit 'meh'.

 

[Bozza]

Gus Poyet seems to be out of a job still - can't we bring him back for a month to hypnotise new players into signing. He seemed to be good at that.

 

[Withdean11]

In terms of creativity, we are currently weaker now than we was last season as we have lost Tex.

We need two new wingers and the the Tex replacement. As well as 2 strikers and a CB.

 

[Easy 10]

Anyone who doesn't want the rebuilding to spill over into the season needs their head read. It would be utterly foolish of the club not to make the most of the entire window; obviously you want to front load as much as possible but there are always deals to be done.

For my money, our business so far seems a) an improvement on last season in terms of quality and b) definitively Hughtonesque (which may not be such a good thing). As [MENTION=6886]Bozza[/MENTION] says we've been surprised each time so far, and they have come out of the blue, so there's little one can read into the club statements about how hard they're trying.

And comparisons of this aspect of the club's business to the 'matchday experience' stuff is becoming tiresome, as if hiring a new gully and having nice pies is somehow detracting from player recruitment. It's not. Get over yourselves.

The clubs that will do well are the ones who have identified and then landed their major targets early in the window, and can then hit the ground running as a result. I'm not saying we shouldn't utilise the whole window - that's inevitable for just about every club, deals are always going to be done right up to the last minute. But I'm fearful that what we are going to see, again, is some peripheral signings for the squad, with some major holes still not being plugged till a month into the new season - and by then, having seen most of our main targets go elsewhere, we're falling back on our 3rd or 4th choice targets or (god help us) multiple loans.

Seen it all before. And its not happened yet, but that's the way things seem to be shaping up at the moment, with all the old reminders coming out now about how terribly hard it is to sign someone, etc. It could all change quickly of course, and I absolutely hope to christ I'm eating these words soon having been pleasantly surprised by some proven quality being brought in at CB, up front and out wide. But given the last couple of years worth of transfer windows, I'm finding myself in a "chinny reckon" frame of mind at the moment. Hope I'm wrong.

 

[TomandJerry]

In basic terms:

The WHEELS are LOOSE

 

[Man of Harveys]

Gus Poyet seems to be out of a job still - can't we bring him back for a month to hypnotise new players into signing. He seemed to be good at that.

Just imagine: the ANTICHRIST, called upon to galvanise us. Then imagine if it worked...

There aren't enough unicycles nor enough bottles of Gaviscon in the WORLD for all the backpeddling and humble pie consumption that would ensue.

 

[TomandJerry]

I heard Big Sam is looking for a job

 

[Biscuit]

Irrespective as to where comments like this come from.
Today's it's you, usually it the club "we've spent the most money in Albion history...", they are so unbelievably false, they are ridiculous.

Comments grouping the Albion as a whole need some sort of Before Amex and After Amex suffix.

Nobody compares a 40 year old Eastern European Skoda with a brand new Octavia.
It's exactly the same with the Albion.


Before Amex the minimum return was league football.
After Amex the minimum return is Championship football.

Just by saying 'everything was shite', doesn't instantly make everything better now.

The club is slowly edging towards talking premier league but acting like a fly by night operation out of some decrepit athletics 'stadium'.

I think you missed my meaning somewhat. It was merely a reply to the use of DS players in the first team - it rarely works out well. The career trajectories of Wilkinson and Marney were examples of this. I'm pro the club spending on proven quality and blooding the occasional youngster. It wasn't a 'Look how far we've come' type comment at all,

 

[Peteinblack]

We do still seem to find it cripplingly difficult to persuade players to come to the Albion don't we.
Sparkly new stadium, swanky new training ground, yet apparently its still a huge problem to land anyone of proven quality. Still, at least they're trying really hard again.

Sadly, I doubt if 99% of players give a toss about sparkly new stadiums and swanky new training grounds in a dump like Lancing (I was brought up there, so I can say that!); it's the amount they'll be paid that motivates most of them, and we (it would seem) cannot or will not pay what our competitors offer in wages.