[Albion] Are we being too precious?

[nickbrighton]

OK, so we are all mightily pissed off with how Chelsea seem to be intent on dismantling our club, and undoing all the good work of the past 10 years or so. From our point of view it is a co-ordinated systematic attempt to destroy the club by simply buying whole swathes of players, management, coaches, and now recruitment in an attempt to make theirs better

I can not think of any other club raiding another on this scale, its not just a manager and his staff, or a couple of players, it goes much much deeper than that.

However, with the exception of Brighton fans its hardly mentioned anywhere. I can only imagine if a top six club was treated by another club in the same way there would be pages and pages of media about it

So, are we seeing more in this than there really is, and its just business. Should we be happy that we are undoubtedly getting well paid for it, and that really, blue and white specs off, there really is nothing to see or should we, and the wider footballing world be actually concerned that a bigger, wealthier club is intent on the virtual take over and asset stripping of a smaller upcoming potential rival in order to further their own agenda?
It seems to me to effectivly be a hostile takeover, how long before the cheque book is out for Barber, Gully, and the ball boys and girls

However good the succesion planning is, there are limits as to how many players, coaches, backroom staff, managers, technical staff can be replaced in such a short space of time without there being a massive impact on the club, and with the rumoured intrest in Sanchez, Trossard and Caceiado in January I am starting to fear for our position in the league

 

[Icy Gull]

We are in danger of becoming Southampton of the 21st century

 

[AmexRuislip]

All I can say is trust in Tony Bloom.

 

[nickbrighton]

We are in danger of becoming Southampton of the 21st century

I dont think we are, its way more than a club simply buying players- did Saints lose the coaching staff, managers, technical staff to Liverpool in the same way?

 

[Icy Gull]

I dont think we are, its way more than a club simply buying players- did Saints lose the coaching staff, managers, technical staff to Liverpool in the same way?

They lost Poch to Spurs

 

[PeterOut]

In today's Guardian - "Chelsea have appointed Paul Winstanley as their “director of global talent and transfers”, which means that they’ve now procured Brighton’s manager, assistant manager, current player of the season, first-team coach, goalkeeping coach, head of recruitment, etc and so on."

https://www.theguardian.com/football/2022/nov/15/the-fiver-gianni-infantino-human-rights-world-cup

 

[nickbrighton]

All I can say is trust in Tony Bloom.

I trust Bloom, but he can not force people to stay, and surely part of the attraction to come to Brighton is the infrastrucure that is now being transfered to Chelsea, Unfortunatly even Tony can not compete financially with the Chelsea owners

 

[Icy Gull]

I wonder if Tony would have accepted an offer from Boehly at the price he paid for Chelsea if he’d tried to buy the Albion. It would have been tempting I’m sure

 

[AmexRuislip]

I trust Bloom, but he can not force people to stay, and surely part of the attraction to come to Brighton is the infrastrucure that is now being transfered to Chelsea, Unfortunatly even Tony can not compete financially with the Chelsea owners

Yeh I get that TB cant stop people leaving.
But he's going to squeeze the hell out of the opposition, which makes me smile.

 

[Paulie Gualtieri]

I don’t think we are being too precious, money aside I agree we can’t stop people leaving based on their contracts but Chelsea have been classless here.

The optics would have been slightly better if the coaching and scouting set up had left at the same time but three raids (Cucurella, potter + coaches, then Winstanley) isn’t a well received look.

No originality of thought whatsoever ever.

I would like to think in maintaining some kind of good relationship with us for the future they, with their finances would think that’s enough now and look elsewhere for additions but suspect the “premier league allstars” goon will be back in January.

 

[dazzer6666]

It's looking pathetic on the part of Boehly who clearly has no independent thought processes. For balance, could argue it's allowed us to upgrade our manager (getting someone with CL experience and genuine rather than 'learned' EI, and who brought his team with him), take one of their star youngsters on loan, upgrade our LB and rinse them for almost double what Pep thought he was worth (pocketing almost £50m in the process) and banked over £80m from them overall (so far).

Pretty confident that if they do come in for anyone else, they're going to pay a whopping premium (again), and that we'll have a plan in place for succession.

 

[timbha]

I trust Bloom, but he can not force people to stay, and surely part of the attraction to come to Brighton is the infrastrucure that is now being transfered to Chelsea, Unfortunatly even Tony can not compete financially with the Chelsea owners

The counter argument is that ambitious people will be happy to come to Brighton because they know TB won’t stand in their way (for the right dosh).

 

[Greg Bobkin]

Honestly? I'm well past caring. It's not like the club will collapse and die.

Before this weekend, loads of posters were on about how we were on our way to Europe, RDZ was an upgrade on Graham 'the man to blame for everything' Potter and this Winstanley fella was deemed 'not all that'.

Make your fecking minds up lads and lasses

 

[Machiavelli]

They lost Poch to Spurs

To Spurs, not to Liverpool. I think we've got more players from Chelsea, than we have from them.

 

[Machiavelli]

It's looking pathetic on the part of Boehly who clearly has no independent thought processes. For balance, could argue it's allowed us to upgrade our manager (getting someone with CL experience and genuine rather than 'learned' EI, and who brought his team with him), take one of their star youngsters on loan, upgrade our LB and rinse them for almost double what Pep thought he was worth (pocketing almost £50m in the process) and banked over £80m from them overall (so far).

Pretty confident that if they do come in for anyone else, they're going to pay a whopping premium (again), and that we'll have a plan in place for succession.

Yes, this.
Our model is to be a stepping-stone rather than a destination, and the strategy is: to ensure that gradually there are better parts contributing to that model via incremental improvements in incomings; to identify ways of finding players to achieve that; to improve the players via the best coaching, physical and tactical development, medical staff, psychological support, and so on; to have the best facilities to achieve that, and behind-the-scenes personnel too.
I'm a little surprised that so many are so shocked by what's happened of late. It's a sign of our strength, rather than a cause of an impending weakness or collapse. I'm also confident that Tony isn't surprised, and has it all under control.
So, in answer to the OP, yes, preciousness abounds.

 

[Frankworthington]

Until we sign a £40 million plus striker capable of scoring 25+ goals a season we are totally f--ked,let alone being too precious!!

Should we try to sign Chris Wood?

Lol

 

[Icy Gull]

Until we sign a £40 million plus striker capable of scoring 25+ goals a season we are totally f--ked,let alone being too precious!!

Should we try to sign Chris Wood?

Lol

I know you jest but in my all time list of Albion players I didn’t take to Chris Wood is right up there.

 

[maresfield seagull]

Until we sign a £40 million plus striker capable of scoring 25+ goals a season we are totally f--ked,let alone being too precious!!

Should we try to sign Chris Wood?

Lol

BW2 returns

 

[Cheshire Cat]

Yes, yes we are.

 

[BadFish]

We have the right to be pissed off but at the same time it is the water we are swimming in. A fact of life that bigger clubs will take the good stuff we produce. The only difference is that it has all happened In a short period of time and the good stuff has gone to the same club.

We have no choice but to suck it up and get on with it.