At what stage does Bloom question the recruitment set up?

[DavidinSouthampton]

Considering Sami couldn't convince his best mate from Germany or his best mate from Liverpool to join him as Assistant Manager, it is probably a good thing that he hasn't been given responsibility for recruiting any players.

Presuming the Liverpool connection is Sammy Lee, he DID join us, although fairly briefly. Then we released him to go to Southampton.

And Southampton are doing OK at the moment, to say the least......

 

[Easy 10]

Baldock gets SUCH an easy ride on here.
Saturday, off the top of my head, from the first half alone (minutes are very much guesswork):

02: E.Bennett slips Calderon down the right channel. Calderon whips a superb low cross, right across the six yard line, begging to be finished off. Baldock, in the centre, makes no real effort to get in front of the single defender.

20: Lualua picks the ball up on halfway and drives at the defence, before rolling the ball to Baldock, left of the penalty spot. Baldock could shoot first time, but takes a touch and gets closed out by the two defenders.

25: E.Bennett slips the ball to Baldock, just inside the box, left of centre. Baldock mis-hits a side-foot shot first time, tamely at the keeper.

42: Calderon plays Baldock into the box, right of the goal. Could have taken a quick shot, but choses to take a touch, and the defender forces it out for a corner (which praise the Lord, we score from).

43: (immediately after the goal) J.Bennett picks up the ball just in our half, and drives to the edge of the box, then lays it right to the unmarked Baldock. Baldock declines to shoot first time. Gets closed down, and has to turn away from the goal to keep the move alive.

That's five opportunities in 45 minutes of football - from which he got one shot away. Note I say 'opportunities', rather than 'chances'. Oppourtunities are what you need to work with at this level. If you can only score from tap ins and clear one-on-ones your level is League One, where the defenders are shit.

Not much came off for him on Saturday, but I still think its primarily down to the service. I was watching him closely when we were in possession coming forward, and his movement was giving us every chance of finding him with the right ball. He was constantly finding the space between the centrebacks, playing off their shoulder, looking over HIS shoulder, making diagonal runs and giving those little short bursts of acceleration which you need to time perfectly to stay onside in anticipation of a pass to run onto. But the ball from our midfielders ust never came, so he'd check his run and try again. And again. And again.

He gets plenty of balls lofted over the top to chase after, CMS-style. But our midfield is so witless is just seems incapable of threading an accurate pass through to him, even when he's making so much movement he's almost literally crying out for it. OK he's not been lethal in the box either, but the biggest factor for me is that we don't play to his strengths. But then thats nothing new here.

 

[JBizzle]

The summer was a strange time. It went from not being sure that we'd even have enough players to put out a squad, to lauding the miracle work of Burke and Co in landing so many players in a few days. Now the dust has well and truly settled a clearer picture is emerging.

Whilst Orlandi, Lopez et al were not the most robust, they along with Ulloa, Barnes and a host of others, were technically very good (yes, even Barnes) and were very intelligent footballers (exclude Barnes from that statement). They could open up a game, read the game well, kept the ball well and created opportunities with patient, passing football. Wasn't always the most dynamic, exhilirating football but it worked. The outgoing have been replaced by a less technically gifted bunch, generally younger with less nous and as the evidence suggests not up to leading a play off charge - which would have been the clubs ambition this year. Throw in a rookie manager with little knowledge of the league, who clearly wanted and didn't get experienced support in his team, and you end up where we are.

The other problem for me is a team populated with loanees - hard to build a team ethic and style and inevitably hits the all important team spirit. It smacks a bit of Micky Adams Mk 2 - admittedly not as bad - but a transient team / squad who don't know what they are doing. Eighteen months of ar*ing around with recruitment is now biting us on the behind.

Agree with almost everything in here except the bit about Barnes' on field intelligence. As the only player that was regularly on Vicente's wavelength, that shows he's pretty intelligent in footballing terms. I completely and wholeheartedly agree on the loanee part. It smacks of budget squad-building and is so reminiescent of the Adams Mk 2 era that it genuinely worries me.

It's going to be very interesting to see what happens in January and I'd be very surprised to see O'Grady go on loan if we don't have a replacement already lined up.

 

[AZ Gull]

Toko - dev squad addition

I'm also struggling to believe that Toko was a development squad addition, for the following reasons:-

* When he signed, the article on the official website included this :-

Albion chairman Tony Bloom commented, "We concluded a deal to sign Toko before their season and ours had ended. Now that Toko has completed the season with Grasshopper Zurich we are delighted to welcome him to Brighton & Hove Albion."

I'm really struggling to believe that the club would include such a comment from Tony Bloom for a development squad player.

* The official site also ran this story about Toko wanting to create a great relationship with the Albion fans (can't imagine they would do that for a DS player).

* He signed a three-year deal - most DS players get 1 or 2 years at most (Chicksen is the only other DS player I can think of who was given such a long deal)

* He was 23 when he signed - we have only ever signed two other players older than 20 for our DS; 21-year-old Chicksen and 22-year-old Maksimenko

* He turned down a lucrative move to Spartak Moscow to sign for Albion - Albion new boy turned down Russian deal

And some bloke wrote this just prior to the announcement of his signing:-

I reckon the new man, whoever he may be, will want Toko Nzuzi.

Gut feel.

 

[hans kraay fan club]

He was constantly finding the space between the centrebacks, playing off their shoulder, looking over HIS shoulder, making diagonal runs and giving those little short bursts of acceleration which you need to time perfectly to stay onside in anticipation of a pass to run onto. But the ball from our midfielders ust never came, so he'd check his run and try again. And again. And again.

Sorry but FOUR of the five examples I gave above, were EXACTLY the kind of ball you say he was crying out for, and he did nothing with any of them.

He needs to massively up his game.

 

[Skylar]

It will cost WHO millions?

Maybe you couldn't care but if we get relegated then it'll cost millions more than what we're losing now.

 

[Bozza]

I'm also struggling to believe that Toko was a development squad addition, for the following reasons:-

* When he signed, the article on the official website included this :-

I'm really struggling to believe that the club would include such a comment from Tony Bloom for a development squad player.

* The official site also ran this story about Toko wanting to create a great relationship with the Albion fans (can't imagine they would do that for a DS player).

* He signed a three-year deal - most DS players get 1 or 2 years at most (Chicksen is the only other DS player I can think of who was given such a long deal)

* He was 23 when he signed - we have only ever signed two other players older than 20 for our DS; 21-year-old Chicksen and 22-year-old Maksimenko

* He turned down a lucrative move to Spartak Moscow to sign for Albion - Albion new boy turned down Russian deal

And some bloke wrote this just prior to the announcement of his signing:-

Excellent analysis as ever. I'm sure it was mentioned to me about Dev Squad, maybe it was really 'squad player' or maybe I'm imagining the whole thing. My main point was that the "1 starter from 8 signings" stat doesn't quite tell the full tale. On Toko though, I guess the key fact is probably that his signing happened well before Hyypia's arrival. People may speculate whether the other seven are or aren't Hyypia's chosen men, but Toko certainly isn't.

 

[AZ Gull]

Excellent analysis as ever. I'm sure it was mentioned to me about Dev Squad, maybe it was really 'squad player' or maybe I'm imagining the whole thing. My main point was that the "1 starter from 8 signings" stat doesn't quite tell the full tale. On Toko though, I guess the key fact is probably that his signing happened well before Hyypia's arrival. People may speculate whether the other seven are or aren't Hyypia's chosen men, but Toko certainly isn't.

Yep, and I am in full agreement with you there.

I had high hopes for Toko (like many others) and it is very disappointing how little time he has had on the pitch so far. I would love to know what the reasons are. I still hold out hope that he isn't going to turn into Kemy Mk II.

 

[Easy 10]

Sorry but FOUR of the five examples I gave above, were EXACTLY the kind of ball you say he was crying out for, and he did nothing with any of them.

He needs to massively up his game.

I don't entirely disagree. He's not been great, and I'm not saying he couldn't have done better with some of the half-chances you describe. But thats pretty much all he's ever getting - half-chances.

Sadly these days, 2 million quid doesn't often get you a striker who can consistantly bury half-chances at this level.

 

[Surf's Up]

Yep, and I am in full agreement with you there.

I had high hopes for Toko (like many others) and it is very disappointing how little time he has had on the pitch so far. I would love to know what the reasons are. I still hold out hope that he isn't going to turn into Kemy Mk II.

I agree, I don't understand how a player with his background and experience in Switzerland can suddenly become such a dud.

 

[Guy Fawkes]

I agree. I don't see the blame lying at one particular door. It's just not been working right across the piece. From Tony Bloom and Paul Barber's appointment of Sami, through to how they are working with David Burke or not as the case may be. We've made odd decisions on the pitch and off it. It doesn't feel like Sami has made his mark on the club - short of sending us towards the relegation zone - and the signing feel like a mystery. The loanees we have. Why bring in a keeper of Al Habsi's quality and cost if we are then just going to keep him as a squad player in case we need him? He can't have been the cheapest option. All this just smacks of a management set up that isn't gelling.

Personally, I feel, and always felt, that after Oscar we needed a tried and tested manager and not another gamble. I'm sure that Messrs Bloom and Barber will be regretting their strategy of chancing their arm on a wild card. They hit a rich vein with the first one; did quite well with the second and I think they've come a cropper with this last choice.

Re: Sami.

Do we sign a manager who has been tried multiple times and failed each time

Or do we gamble and recruit a new-ish manager with something to prove and who is trying to make a name for themself in the football world? Mickey Adams mark I and Gus both had lofty aspirations and we saw them get the best out of their squad.

We are going down the route of the gamble because we could end up with a top manager that we would never otherwise be able to recruit once they make it.

 

[portlock seagull]

There is no way that the club would have considered Toko a development squad addition - he'd played U21 for Switzerland (with some very good players) and well over 100 times for Grasshoppers in the top flight.

Up to now his signing has been a complete flop whichever way you look at it.

Defending the club too much, perhaps?

Precisely - I he's deemed ripe for 'development' then so could half of NSC! Be much more honest and better to label him 'wrong purchase'

 

[One Teddy Maybank]

Agree with almost everything in here except the bit about Barnes' on field intelligence. As the only player that was regularly on Vicente's wavelength, that shows he's pretty intelligent in footballing terms. I completely and wholeheartedly agree on the loanee part. It smacks of budget squad-building and is so reminiescent of the Adams Mk 2 era that it genuinely worries me.

It's going to be very interesting to see what happens in January and I'd be very surprised to see O'Grady go on loan if we don't have a replacement already lined up.

Exactly how I feel.

 

[portlock seagull]

Baldock gets SUCH an easy ride on here.
Saturday, off the top of my head, from the first half alone (minutes are very much guesswork):

02: E.Bennett slips Calderon down the right channel. Calderon whips a superb low cross, right across the six yard line, begging to be finished off. Baldock, in the centre, makes no real effort to get in front of the single defender.

20: Lualua picks the ball up on halfway and drives at the defence, before rolling the ball to Baldock, left of the penalty spot. Baldock could shoot first time, but takes a touch and gets closed out by the two defenders.

25: E.Bennett slips the ball to Baldock, just inside the box, left of centre. Baldock mis-hits a side-foot shot first time, tamely at the keeper.

42: Calderon plays Baldock into the box, right of the goal. Could have taken a quick shot, but choses to take a touch, and the defender forces it out for a corner (which praise the Lord, we score from).

43: (immediately after the goal) J.Bennett picks up the ball just in our half, and drives to the edge of the box, then lays it right to the unmarked Baldock. Baldock declines to shoot first time. Gets closed down, and has to turn away from the goal to keep the move alive.

That's five opportunities in 45 minutes of football - from which he got one shot away. Note I say 'opportunities', rather than 'chances'. Oppourtunities are what you need to work with at this level. If you can only score from tap ins and clear one-on-ones your level is League One, where the defenders are shit.

Applaud all of this. No wonder fans have started calling him Baldrick, he's pure comedy at this level but sadly only Brisol City and other championship clubs are laughing.

May well turn out to be the worst striker signing since Farrington all circumstances and value considered. I sincerely hope not but has more in common with than not currently.

 

[Weststander]

Barnes may be ridiculed for his intelligence off the football pitch, but on it he was right up there. One of the very few Albion players that could link with Vicente when he was here.

Yep. An excellent team player and far more instinctive in being in the right place to finish (when allowed to be a striker, in not making room for inflexible others) than all the forwards currently at the club. Who cares if he didn't have the IQ of Clarke Carlisle away from the pitch .... many many footballers from Rooney to Terry don't come across as that bright away from the game, but certainly have football intelligence.

 

[Weststander]

Presuming the Liverpool connection is Sammy Lee, he DID join us, although fairly briefly. Then we released him to go to Southampton.

And Southampton are doing OK at the moment, to say the least......

Career choice for Sammy Lee, summer 2014:

a) Join a club with £25m annual income, in the Championship, which has always struggled to score but has decided to sell its top scorers and which got destroyed on SKY for all football-watchers to see by Derby in the playoffs; or

b) A PL club with income c. £90m, who can and do pay multi-£m transfer fees per player for new squad members, which has the greatest player academy in this country, and earn yourself a salary many times more than Brighton could afford to pay.

Ummmmm .... a difficult one.

 

[Weststander]

I thought we were after Baldock before Same even came here

Sssshhh. Don't let facts get in the way of, forlorn attempts by SH haters, to taint SH with Burke's player acquisitions.

 

[glasfryn]

Excellent analysis as ever. I'm sure it was mentioned to me about Dev Squad, maybe it was really 'squad player' or maybe I'm imagining the whole thing. My main point was that the "1 starter from 8 signings" stat doesn't quite tell the full tale. On Toko though, I guess the key fact is probably that his signing happened well before Hyypia's arrival. People may speculate whether the other seven are or aren't Hyypia's chosen men, but Toko certainly isn't.

and therein lies the crux of the problem, he (Sami) says he has not been used to having anything to do with the choosing of possible targets in the previous club and the senior management have taken him at his word, it really does look like fitting the players into holes that they are not the shape of, surely Sami can recognize a good player who will fit into the side when he see's one, rather than leave it to people who have never kicked a ball .............my God and some are talking about having Pulis here will he not have anything to do with choosing players ................I would live to be a fly on the wall during any conversations about players between him and our upper management.

 

[Weststander]

and therein lies the crux of the problem, he (Sami) says he has not been used to having anything to do with the choosing of possible targets in the previous club and the senior management have taken him at his word, it really does look like fitting the players into holes that they are not the shape of, surely Sami can recognize a good player who will fit into the side when he see's one, rather than leave it to people who have never kicked a ball .............my God and some are talking about having Pulis here will he not have anything to do with choosing players ................I would live to be a fly on the wall during any conversations about players between him and our upper management.

Pulis or any of that ilk wouldn't last 5 minutes here. To have an relative amateur Burke having such a key input into player recruitment.

 

[oldboyroy]

Out of all the signings made in the summer or since the only player that seems to be upto championship level is Paddy McCourt and he only gets cameo roles...its november now 3 months into the season and other than a handful of games where we have played well we are a poor team compared to the last 3 years..the players bought in are all inferior to the players sold and its all down to FFP and saving money/cutting losses but its all having a massive impact on money being spent through the turnstile and in the ground...I imagine Tony Bloom is constantly analysing the recruitment of players that simply dont cut it at this level...Barber should be worrying over his job as well as Burke