Bloom: "I don't like doing business in January"

[Simster]

We simply don't need wholesale changes - we just need to make one or two changes to our defence. And even with the shambles at the back, we're literally just two wins away from being a mid table team.

 

[k2bluesky]

Trouble is for Bloom and this buy, buy, buy call again, after the clear out and spending in the summer, it just looks ridiculous, how do we know Poyet will get it right, the players brought in are clearly either not up to the mark or not putting in enough effort, less than 6 months after they came here - that is one serious f*** up and a total waste of money.

 

[Behind Enemy Lines]

I am sure him saying he doesn't like to buy in January is partly down to the fact he want's some money to spend on himself. He has already invested millions in the stadium and around 1 million in the transfer window.

We need a center back, it pains me to say it but another f***ing winger to complement Bennett and then we should be OK.

Oh and Andy Monkhouse is not the answer, he is diabolical! How about we continue are interest in Racon and Teale, now they would be welcome additions.

why on earth would Racon leave a club who are 2nd and come and join us? Get real.

 

[Brovion]

forgive me for stating the blaringly obvious, but haven't we just lost against two of the best teams in League 1? It's likely we'll also lose against Charlton and yet again, people's expectations after a very good win against Southampton and an expected win at home against Wycombe, are as usual stupidly high.

I seem to recall various posters after the SOuthampton game were predicting the play offs? that's just stupid!

Also to start singling out players who are adequate League 1 players is wrong. The fact is that players like Cox are going to look poor against teams like Norwich and Leeds is because they're up against players of a Championship standard. I'd guarantee you that the likes of Cox, Elphick & Dickinson will be amazing on Saturday because they're playing lower league opposition.

All I'm saying here is just have a reality check. Losing 4-1 up at Norwich isn't the end of the world and 3-0 at home against a team who would do well in the Championship is no disgrace...

True, there's no disgrace in losing to the two best teams in the division. But we've had two heavy and pretty comprehensive defeats where we haven't even been in with a sniff of nicking a point let alone a win. There's losing and there's losing; yesterday Orient lost to Leeds as well - with a goal in the last minute. A sickener but at least they competed which is FAR more than we did. And traditionally Brighton have done well against top teams and come unstuck against no-hopers ...

Gwylan also makes a good point by saying that this is still the core of the team that came within a whisker of getting relegated last year. The new players might be better but they're not THAT much better than what we had last year; therefore, the unrealistic expectations of some of the more over-excitable supporters notwithstanding, we are about where we 'should' be. However I AM worried about the gulf in class between us and the top sides, it seems to be worse than last season.

 

[Dick Knights Mumm]

It is the defence. As I am sure Gus is aware. In the middle and going forward we can compete. But the top teams will punish a weak defence.

 

[Dick Knights Mumm]

We simply don't need wholesale changes - we just need to make one or two changes to our defence. And even with the shambles at the back, we're literally just two wins away from being a mid table team.

Quite right Mr Simster.

 

[The Wizard]

forgive me for stating the blaringly obvious, but haven't we just lost against two of the best teams in league 1? It's likely we'll also lose against charlton and yet again, people's expectations after a very good win against southampton and an expected win at home against wycombe, are as usual stupidly high.

I seem to recall various posters after the southampton game were predicting the play offs? That's just stupid!

Also to start singling out players who are adequate league 1 players is wrong. The fact is that players like cox are going to look poor against teams like norwich and leeds is because they're up against players of a championship standard. I'd guarantee you that the likes of cox, elphick & dickinson will be amazing on saturday because they're playing lower league opposition.

All i'm saying here is just have a reality check. Losing 4-1 up at norwich isn't the end of the world and 3-0 at home against a team who would do well in the championship is no disgrace...

100% spot on.

 

[supaseagull]

Gwylan also makes a good point by saying that this is still the core of the team that came within a whisker of getting relegated last year. The new players might be better but they're not THAT much better than what we had last year; therefore, the unrealistic expectations of some of the more over-excitable supporters notwithstanding, we are about where we 'should' be. However I AM worried about the gulf in class between us and the top sides, it seems to be worse than last season.

I agree with what you said here except for the gulf in class between us & the top sides...I think that's clear, not just for us but also for 20 other teams in this league...

Leeds, Huddersfield, Norwich & Charlton all have players playing week in, week out for them that are capable of playing in the Championship. However, that doesn't mean that they will win every game.

Southampton are as good on paper as Norwich but we beat them and it just goes to show that whilst there is a gulf, it's not unattainable for the likes of ourselves.

To put a little more perspective on the situation think of this...if anyone said this time last month that we'd get three points from the Southampton, Leeds & Norwich games then who would be disappointed? OK so we've lost 2 & won 1 but who would have been disappointed if we'dve drawn these three games 0-0?

I think that Charlton will be the hardest test we'll have this season and yet with a fully fit team, we are still capable of beating them which would be a bonus.

Let's judge the team not on these games, but on matches against teams like Colchester, Exeter & Swindon

 

[The Large One]

'Not liking' doing business in January is not the point.

It's whether you have to.

 

[Keeping The Dream Alive.]

How much money have Colchester spent? How much money have Bristol Rovers spent? How much money have Swindon spent? How much money have Wallsall spent?

Four teams all around the play-offs who haven’t spent big. You don't need a team full of Championship quality players to do well in this league. A team of players who play to instructions, and literally, as a team, can do well in this division. The above sides are testament to this. If you have 4 or 5 quality players at this level in a side brimming with confidence and team chemistry then you will do well. At the moment we have Murray, Bennett and Forster who are undoubtedly talented footballers, beneath them we have Dicker, Crofts and Cox who are technically good footballers - and definitely good enough to be in a top 10 side - Cox and Dicker already have been part of one. Evidently, we have 3 real quality players, and at a push 4 or 5. Gte them playing well together and we'll be OK.

There's no denying the back four is a problem, and without doubt we need to strengthen there. Two new defenders should be a priority in January, but other than that I don't think we need wholesale changes. We have a group of players that can compete as a top-half side. Compare our players individually to the likes of Bristol Rovers and Wallsall and you can see this: is Matt Richards really a better centre midfielder than Dicker or Crofts? No.

It's about getting the team playing to a system and making the best of the few brilliant players we have. Give Poyet the time to do this and we'll end up around 12th place by the end of the season. We don't need herds of new signings to achieve this; two or three in January will be enough if they give us the extra quality we need in the right areas.

 

[withdeanwombat]

We are in the third division.We signed a lot of lower league players to replace other lower league players.The new signings don't look too clever.We are in the third division,and must hope to stay there for next year.I think we will.But it aint pretty.

 

[SittingbourneSeagull]

I don't agree with panic buying in the January transfer window, I think you better off trying to loan a decent player for the rest of the season. We need an experienced centre half, a decent left winger, and a goalkeeper that 1) can actually make a save, 2) is not always injured.

 

[Husty]

We need two defenders and a midfielder just to SURVIVE this season I think. Let's make no mistake, we're in a relegation battle again. What almost cost us last season was the way everyone (fans, management, players) DENIED that fact until about April. Thanks to Russell we were saved, but that was an achievement unlikely to be repeated. We need to take some serious action in January to try and prevent us being in the bottom six all season, and even then there are no guarantees.

I know a lot of people think we've got mid-table written all over us but I look at our squad and worry because we have the biggest problem it is possible to have - we leak goals. That's because of a woeful back four and incompetant central midfield. We're also totally reliant on two players offensively. If either of those are out we're screwed.

So as I said, three quality additions are needed in January to keep us up and about seven are needed by next August.

Oh dont be silly, have you had a look at this run of games, it is southampton, leeds, norwich charlton incase you havnt, this run would be tough if we were top of the league when we have just changed manager and he is clearly trying to make wholesale changes to the way we play, its next to impossible, what will determine whether or not we are in a relelgatio battle will be how we perform after this run of games in december, its another fairly easy run of games an i expect nothing less than 10 points

 

[seagull_special]

If Poyet has money to spend I would certainly look at putting all of it on one or two players because I believe the problem is not the players but lack of leadership and direction on the pitch, I would go for an experienced central defender (Darren Purse or Darren Moore maybe) and a player to boss midfield, Therry Racon or Bradley Johnson come to mind. Wholesale changes will not help the club. It has been an abysmal season but I believe we will progress and prosper in the next few months

 

[murraymints4brighton]

why on earth would Racon leave a club who are 2nd and come and join us? Get real.

I have never heard people contradict themselves so much than on this board! One minute people are being totally unrealistic and saying let's sign championship starters and the next they are slagging someone off for suggesting we sign a player who is not a regular for a good league club.

We have enough money to sign the guy and were close too doing so in January so why not have some ambition and make a bid?

 

[Withdean Wanderer]

I have never heard people contradict themselves so much than on this board! One minute people are being totally unrealistic and saying let's sign championship starters and the next they are slagging someone off for suggesting we sign a player who is not a regular for a good league club.

We have enough money to sign the guy and were close too doing so in January so why not have some ambition and make a bid?

We have a month to do business.
No point wasting a month over a player who isn't going to leave a team that's going to be in the Championship next season in a better ground than Falmer.

 

[mona]

Perhaps the point that Tony Bloom was making is that January is not a good time to do business as players aren't out of contract and clubs usually want higher transfer fees to sell players. Russell Slade didn't do a great job last summer but at least some of his signings are going to improve as players. The replacement of John Sullivan with an inferior keeper on much higher wages was madness however.

Poyet should be able to do better with loan signings than Slade or Adams.