Are we happy about the club giving the rest of the league a potential 5 game head start?

[The Large One]

The original question is irrelevant unless he can prove that all other clubs have finished their squad acquisition and are happy with what they've got. It's pretty myopic to presume that Brighton is the only club in this position.

Therefore - from me - it's not deserving of an answer.

 

[itszamora]

The original question is irrelevant unless he can prove that all other clubs have finished their squad acquisition and are happy with what they've got. It's pretty myopic to presume that Brighton is the only club in this position.

Therefore - from me - it's not deserving of an answer.

Surely all the more reason to get the deals we want done done and take advantage of weakness in other squads?

 

[B.W.]

Even with 3-4 signings, we're not a top 2 side; lets be realistic. For this reason, it doesn't matter too much that we play the first 5 games with a weaker squad if it results in us getting the right players in for the majority (and the sharp end) of the season.

So ****ing complacent... our league is very, very tight; EVERY point is vital, even the ones earned at the start of the season. Believe it or not, a point earnt in August is exactly equivalent to a point earnt in April or May!

 

[leigull]

Has every other club completed all their transfer business then and we're the only lazy club who have had their feet up all summer doing nothing and still got players to bring in?

 

[B.W.]

The original question is irrelevant unless he can prove that all other clubs have finished their squad acquisition and are happy with what they've got. It's pretty myopic to presume that Brighton is the only club in this position.

Therefore - from me - it's not deserving of an answer.

It DOES deserve an answer. The clubs we have successfully competed with at the top of the table for two seasons, you know, the ones we hope to compete with this season, are more prepared than us.

 

[halbpro]

We're only giving other clubs a head start if we assume they're all done and dusted, which is simply not true. All clubs are signing up to the deadline, and while SH may have said we're not ready (I'm trusting The_Viper there, I haven't had a chance to read the fans forum transcript) there are surely other managers in the Championship who feel their squad isn't where they want it to be at the start of the season.

 

[B.W.]

Has every other club completed all their transfer business then and we're the only lazy club who have had their feet up all summer doing nothing and still got players to bring in?

Don't be ridiculous. However, our primary competitors are a lot more prepared than us. Unless you think our competition is Blackpool?

 

[B.W.]

We're only giving other clubs a head start if we assume they're all done and dusted, which is simply not true. All clubs are signing up to the deadline, and while SH may have said we're not ready (I'm trusting The_Viper there, I haven't had a chance to read the fans forum transcript) there are surely other managers in the Championship who feel their squad isn't where they want it to be at the start of the season.

Just to confirm Sami did say that at the FF. And he's right too.

 

[The Large One]

It DOES deserve an answer. The clubs we have successfully competed with at the top of the table for two seasons, you know, the ones we hope to compete with this season, are more prepared than us.

No it doesn't.

Do you know the mind of every manager in this division and how they feel about their squad acquisition? Do you know that they've finished their squad acquistion? If so, let's hear it.

Are we happy about the club giving the rest of the league a potential 5 game head start?

The OP's question was a loaded question based on his supposition that we're the only club that hasn't finished building its squad for the season. Am I concerned that we haven't finished building our squad? A little. Are we the only club in this position? Nope.

 

[halbpro]

Don't be ridiculous. However, our primary competitors are a lot more prepared than us. Unless you think our competition is Blackpool?

Surely the relevant question is whether or not we're more prepared than the teams we're facing in August, rather than our state versus those who we think we'll be competing with in the overall table?

 

[drew]

The situation we find ourselves in, along with many other clubs, is created by the fact that the window doesn't close for 4 weeks after the season has started. If it closed on The Fridsy before the season started, as Poyet always argued, everyone would be in a better
position.

Taking that to the extreme, you should not have a January window as that is during the season as well. Wonder where Sunderland would have finished without their mid season signings!

I'm so pleased I'd decided not to bother with August games

Surprised you bothered to post that. Can't wait for post No. 30!!!

 

[B.W.]

No it doesn't.

Do you know the mind of every manager in this division and how they feel about their squad acquisition? Do you know that they've finished their squad acquistion? If so, let's hear it.

Are we happy about the club giving the rest of the league a potential 5 game head start?

The OP's question was a loaded question based on his supposition that we're the only club that hasn't finished building its squad for the season. Am I concerned that we haven't finished building our squad? A little. Are we the only club in this position? Nope.

Fair enough. It seems I'm more worried than you that our club is lagging behind our 'aiming for top 6' competitors, due to our comparative lack of investment in the 1st team squad.

 

[B.W.]

Surely the relevant question is whether or not we're more prepared than the teams we're facing in August, rather than our state versus those who we think we'll be competing with in the overall table?

Fair point. Let's miss out on relatively easy points at the start of the season, and let our 'top 6' competitors get a head start...

 

[Dan Aitch]

In other news, the season starts on Saturday and we're still only one place out of the play-offs. Mind you, bearing in mind the size of their squad, Blackpool being in third is an amazing achievement. I can't imagine why we'd be worried, as long as we follow their model to the top.

Alternatively I could take this ludicrous thread seriously.

But I shan't.

 

[TWOCHOICEStom]

I think we're probably weaker than most teams we'd like to be competing with as of right now and I think the question being asked is a valid one. People are getting too carried away though. We still have a half decent squad, we just don't have a top end one. That doesn't mean we're dead certs to lose the first few games until we make any more signings, not by any means. This is football after all!

I'll concede though, the longer we go without our target signings in the team, the more we risk losing points in the opening few games - I think that's fair to say. But if we try to do all of our business before the start of the season we risk having to pay way over the odds, which, as you should all know by now will not happen.

Selling Ulloa, although great for the club, has probably made some of our negotiations more difficult as the agents know we've now got a bit of cash in the bank. They'll try to hold out for more, we'll stand firm and it'll go down to the wire. That's how this business now works. We've got one hell of a negotiator at the helm and I trust his judgement.

It's a balance, Sammy has to do his best to lead the team, whilst Bloom/Burke and co have to do their best to get the players we want for the prices we can afford.

To answer the OPs original question. I'm not really that happy about it no. But I don't blame the club. I blame the stupid system where the window is left open into the season. I can't see that it benefits anyone at all. But it does make it all a bit more exciting eh!...

 

[Acker79]

There's then a two week break, giving any last day of the window signings two weeks training with his new team mates before being called to action, which is nice, I suppose.

This is our August fixture list. I don't know that we can look at any of those fixtures as definite wins or losses, even if we had our best squad.

Sheffield Wednesday
(Cheltenham)
Birmingham
Leeds
Bolton
Charlton

We don't have a great recent record v Wednesday, even with the strength of squad we've had the past two seasons (4 points from 12). The league cup is largely irrelevant. Leeds could be in a mess given their owner/manager situation. Freedman has a habit of starting slowly. Birmingham and Charlton struggled last season, Charlton appear to be more of a threat, I'm not sure what sort of improvement birmingham have made.

It isn't the worst fixture list for us while we're still building. If we lose, the points go to teams that most people would say aren't going to be challenging for top 6 at the end of the season, meanwhile teams that are going to be challenging are facing each other and dropping points, too.

Again, I point out we took 15 points from our first 39 last season and still made it to the top six. That included dropping points to rivals Reading, QPR, Derby, Ipswich, and Forest.

Think about that, we had a poor run all the way until November, and still made the top six, so even if it takes a few weeks for late signings to bed in, it's still not the end of our chances of a top 6 challenge.

 

[¡Cereal Killer!]

I think we will get 7 points from first 5 games which isn't to bad.
I am slightly worried we haven't made key signings where needed but I think we will still be alright on the night. Players who's positions who are under threat will be trying their hardest to prove to Sami they are good enough to start games and if players do come in, they will only have to work harder to keep their place and provide adequate competition for places.

 

[The_Viper]

Just for the record, mainly for those who can't read or so desperately want to be funny they ignore the topic title, it's called POTENTIALLY giving the teams we want to compete with a 5 game head start. I for one haven't heard any other club say they are outright not ready for August 9th, if I were Wednesday I'd probably be rubbing my hands together, here is a team aiming low, let's set them off that way.

 

[thisistips]

I think we will get 7 points from first 5 games which isn't to bad.
I am slightly worried we haven't made key signings where needed but I think we will still be alright on the night. Players who's positions who are under threat will be trying their hardest to prove to Sami they are good enough to start games and if players do come in, they will only have to work harder to keep their place and provide adequate competition for places.

We'll you got that right. And it's not too bad is it, two points from the playoffs? I was wondering what the head start we have given actually is, and I think it's one point, which would have been a draw against Birmingham, had we had a couple of more players in sooner. Eight points would have been par for me, given we have a new manager, new system, new players. So, I'm feeling happy and wondering what the point of the extreme angst of some on here three weeks ago.

 

[One Teddy Maybank]

Delighted with the signings, but I just think if we had been able to get them in sooner, we almost certainly would have got something from both the first 2 games.