[Albion] BBC Statistician - Brighton Squad needs "major surgery"

[Weststander]

Reckon we'll know by the end of September after the first tranche of winnable games. Leave it much later than that and we'll blow the chance of applying any fixes in January.

I hope we have first team recruits by the end of this window. Slow players won’t suddenly gain great pace due to new coaching methods.

 

[Tom Hark Preston Park]

I hope we have first team recruits by the end of this window. Slow players won’t suddenly gain great pace due to new coaching methods.

And Stephens has been pathetically patted on the head for so long for passing the ball sideways or preferably backwards that it'll be a major re-education to get him to pass the ball forwards. Fair play to GP if he can actually make that happen. Forgive me if I don't hold my breathe tho.

 

[Weststander]

And Stephens has been pathetically patted on the head for so long for passing the ball sideways or preferably backwards that it'll be a major re-education to get him to pass the ball forwards. Fair play to GP if he can actually make that happen. Forgive me if I don't hold my breathe tho.

TB, in my opinion, isn’t going to bank say half of this season’s £135m club income, so that we go down with a war-chest. He’s too clever to waive goodbye to the cash cow of PL broadcasting income.

On that basis I expect we’ll see three or four quality recruits this summer. It’s natural for supporters in mid June to feel like no one of note is signing. The transfer market has barely got going.

 

[Tom Hark Preston Park]

TB, in my opinion, isn’t going to bank say half of this season’s £135m club income, so that we go down with a war-chest. He’s too clever to waive goodbye to the cash cow of PL broadcasting income.

On that basis I expect we’ll see three or four quality recruits this summer. It’s natural for supporters in mid June to feel like no one of note is signing. The transfer market has barely got going.

TB may well be a god-like financial genius, but footballing-wise he's only as good as his recruitment department. And their recent record is decidedly patchy.

 

[AZ Gull]

TB, in my opinion, isn’t going to bank say half of this season’s £135m club income, so that we go down with a war-chest. He’s too clever to waive goodbye to the cash cow of PL broadcasting income.

On that basis I expect we’ll see three or four quality recruits this summer. It’s natural for supporters in mid June to feel like no one of note is signing. The transfer market has barely got going.

Even if we don't spend a penny in the transfer window this summer, TB would have far less than "half of this season’s £135m club income" left over. Our total staff costs alone in 2017-18 were 78 million, and they would have been decidedly higher last season.

On top of that the accounts take the hit of the amortised player registrations from spending in previous windows.

Already for 2019-20 there isn't a great deal of that "£135m club income" that isn't already spent.

 

[rogersix]

TB may well be a god-like financial genius, but footballing-wise he's only as good as his recruitment department. And their recent record is decidedly patchy.

what about the analytical business "star lizard"?

 

[rogersix]

Even if we don't spend a penny in the transfer window this summer, TB would have far less than "half of this season’s £135m club income" left over. Our total staff costs alone in 2017-18 were 78 million, and they would have been decidedly higher last season.

On top of that the accounts take the hit of the amortised player registrations from spending in previous windows.

Already for 2019-20 there isn't a great deal of that "£135m club income" that isn't already spent.

that is a scary eye-opener

 

[Weststander]

TB may well be a god-like financial genius, but footballing-wise he's only as good as his recruitment department. And their recent record is decidedly patchy.

In the Championship - exceptional recruitment by PW.

In the PL - £115m spent in fees alone, not a lot to show for it (an ok first season, awful second season).

 

[B.W.]

TB may well be a god-like financial genius, but footballing-wise he's only as good as his recruitment department. And their recent record is decidedly patchy.

Is it!!?? Firstly, no recruitment team's efforts are faultless... secondly, Chris definitely played players out of position and not to these player's strengths... so, let's give these players a chance to shine under GP before just assuming it is all down to poor recruitment, shall we?

 

[Weststander]

Even if we don't spend a penny in the transfer window this summer, TB would have far less than "half of this season’s £135m club income" left over. Our total staff costs alone in 2017-18 were 78 million, and they would have been decidedly higher last season.

On top of that the accounts take the hit of the amortised player registrations from spending in previous windows.

Already for 2019-20 there isn't a great deal of that "£135m club income" that isn't already spent.

The Albion’s last published accounts for 2017/18 showed a profit before player trading of £35m.

In cash flow terms, the club went from £16m overdrawn to £9m in the bank - a positive movement of £25m.

Remember that when the club signs a player over say a 3 year contract, only 1/3 of the transfer and agent’s fee is charged as an amortisation expense to the P&L each year. So £60m of new signings, give a £20m dent on profits annually, plus the effect of any increase in wages for the new players over the ones they’re replacing.

There is no cash strapped Domesday situation just now, the club can afford to make significant signings this summer.
[MENTION=31]El Presidente[/MENTION] - what’s your assessment, please?

 

[Tom Hark Preston Park]

Is it!!?? Firstly, no recruitment team's efforts are faultless... secondly, Chris definitely played players out of position and not to these player's strengths... so, let's give these players a chance to shine under GP before just assuming it is all down to poor recruitment, shall we?

Now that this group of players are apparently 'unshackled' we should know enough about them by the end of September and the first tranche of winnable games. They're fast running out of excuses.

 

[B.W.]

Now that this group of players are apparently 'unshackled' we should know enough about them by the end of September and the first tranche of winnable games. They're fast running out of excuses.

Agreed. Just saying that recruitment may not be the only issue here...or no issue at all... we shall see...

 

[AZ Gull]

The Albion’s last published accounts for 2017/18 showed a profit before player trading of £35m.

Are you sure? Looks like £28m to me.

In cash flow terms, the club went from £16m overdrawn to £9m in the bank - a positive movement of £25m.

Only because Tony put a £32m loan into the club; without that there would have been a negative movement of £7m.

 

[Weststander]

Are you sure? Looks like £28m to me.




Only because Tony put a £32m loan into the club; without that there would have been a negative movement of £7m.

True. I forgot to look at the holding company accounts.

In those, the company generated its own positive cash flows of £44m (before TB’s loan), before expenditure on new players.



We need to remember that the club also expended £9.7m in capex as a one off in making our facilities PL and Sky/BT ready.

 

[El Presidente]

The Albion’s last published accounts for 2017/18 showed a profit before player trading of £35m.

In cash flow terms, the club went from £16m overdrawn to £9m in the bank - a positive movement of £25m.

Remember that when the club signs a player over say a 3 year contract, only 1/3 of the transfer and agent’s fee is charged as an amortisation expense to the P&L each year. So £60m of new signings, give a £20m dent on profits annually, plus the effect of any increase in wages for the new players over the ones they’re replacing.

There is no cash strapped Domesday situation just now, the club can afford to make significant signings this summer.

[MENTION=31]El Presidente[/MENTION] - what’s your assessment, please?

It’s a bit trickier than that IMO. Suspect profits fell significantly in 2018/19 because of higher wage costs for new recruits (Ali J, Montoya, Biss, Bernardo, Burn...and Dan Ashworth) plus Dunk & Duffy signing new contracts. £4m less in revenue as finished two places in PL. FA Cup run only marginally better than previous season.

Under EPL Short Term Cost Control rules (part of FFP) can only increase wage bill by £7m plus extra own generated income (matchday, commercial & player sale profits) so there is a ceiling.

 

[Weststander]

It’s a bit trickier than that IMO. Suspect profits fell significantly in 2018/19 because of higher wage costs for new recruits (Ali J, Montoya, Biss, Bernardo, Burn...and Dan Ashworth) plus Dunk & Duffy signing new contracts. £4m less in revenue as finished two places in PL. FA Cup run only marginally better than previous season.

Under EPL Short Term Cost Control rules (part of FFP) can only increase wage bill by £7m plus extra own generated income (matchday, commercial & player sale profits) so there is a ceiling.

Ta as always, whilst you’re on .... have the club got the income/money (not TB’s) to spend £10m’s in transfer fees this summer?

Or is it the case that we’ll only be shopping for the Matt Clarke’s of this world?

 

[El Presidente]

Ta as always, whilst you’re on .... have the club got the income/money (not TB’s) to spend £10m’s in transfer fees this summer?

Or is it the case that we’ll only be shopping for the Matt Clarke’s of this world?

Club has a reasonable budget this summer. Should be able match last summer’s spend.

 

[sussex_guy2k2]

We need the CM’ers with both pace and speed of thought, to unlock the latent top flight talent you and others see in our new signings. Without that vital creativity, they’re left out on a limb.

A Maddison, Felipe Anderson, Doucoure, Pereyra type of player.

Only one of them plays in CM for their club... but I appreciate the need for that kind of quality and it would be great if we could start to aim for such players.

 

[Weststander]

Only one of them plays in CM for their club... but I appreciate the need for that kind of quality and it would be great if we could start to aim for such players.

Central midfield including the no.10 position.

How many? (I'm genuinely not sure)

I'd add Ward-Prowse and Armstrong of Stains, O'Neil of Burnley. At the Amex I witnessed them outclass our alleged ACM's.

My overall point is that they have great creators with pace, who can do that for entire PL matches. Their strikers are lucky to have that behind them. The Albion have zero players of that type, proven at PL level.

 

[sussex_guy2k2]

Central midfield including the no.10 position.

How many? (I'm genuinely not sure)

I'd add Ward-Prowse and Armstrong of Stains, O'Neil of Burnley. At the Amex I witnessed them outclass our alleged ACM's.

My overall point is that they have great creators with pace, who can do that for entire PL matches. Their strikers are lucky to have that behind them. The Albion have zero players of that type, proven at PL level.

Arguably the European Champions don't have a specialist player that plays that role, or at least they didn't with Oxlade-Chamberlain injured for much of this season. That's because there are lots of different ways to win football matches - in fact the idea of a number 10 is tactically quite outdated at this stage. Of all of the players you've mentioned, only one is a proper central midfielder (Doucoure) and only one plays regularly as a number 10 (Maddison). O'Neil played out wide, JWP had his effective period this season from the right of midfield, Felipe Anderson is usually an inside forward from the left, and Pereyra is versatile but has played wide for Watford most of this season.

So whilst I totally agree we need more pace and creativity, it's still debatable how much of an impact any of those players would've had on a CH Brighton side considering the respective roles they would've likely played.