Brighton sign Harper

[Easy 10]

I agree with a lot of what you have said. But whether the lad turns out to be any good is purely down to the player himself. He cant control football headlines, but what he can control is his commitment to improving. If rumours of Liverpool/Man Utd interest are true, then the fact that he has come here suggests that he wants to break into a teams 1st team, rather than the easy option of signing for those two giants and being a squad player.

Real Madrid must have seen something in him. Its down to the Albion to unlock that/benefit from it. I think this is a very good signing.

So do I. I'm just wary of the hype and expectation that's already being heaped on what is, at the end of the day, a youth teamer who, regardless of the club he was representing, has thus far spent his fledgling career exclusively at the arse-end of the Spanish league. He's proved nowt, and will find the Championship a MASSIVE step-up from what he's been used to so far.

I fully appreciate the hype around him is not his fault at all. The club is crowing about signing a "Real Madrid striker", when he's nothing of the sort. But I suppose its all about big splashing headlines to give people hard-ons. Job done.

 

[Meade's Ball]

I think it a cracking signing, and I don't say so from a well-engineered scientific viewpoint. I see a signing of any kind, that he is on teamtalk's top 50, that he was on a 5-year contract with Real Madrid, them just stealing him from Sevilla, and that he is described as a luxury player. Football is all about hype and emotion for me, and I am happy to stay on that cycle, even when dashed by it on the rocks repeatedly. The what could be's far outshine the what really is's.

 

[Mellotron]

The club is crowing about signing a "Real Madrid striker", when he's nothing of the sort.

What club did we sign him from? And what position does he play?

 

[Munkfish]

No, i agree with this. Sid Lowe via the Guardian has also said he will be training with the first team.
I just find it unlikely teams would promise young players first team football.

I think there is a balance, but somewhere in contract negotiations, we would have told him he will be part of the first team and given oppotunities, I'm sure we would have thrown Dunk, JFC, Solly, Ince, Walton and Tilley down his throat about the oppotunities our youth team players have recieved in recent years and our dedication to continue this. Im sure there are promises, just no guarentees.

 

[Phat Baz 68]

This is the dogs bollocks of signings !
Best we've made for 2 years.
Well Albion getting this young man.
Watch his videos yahoooooooo !!!!!

 

[Ernest]

That lat will get times more Scotland caps than Jordan Rhodes will amass in his career and will be worth a lot more than Rhodes in the future - Why pay £14 million when you can get better for Nothing. This is absolutely brilliant business in the transfer market

Singing an injured player that if he was that good he would still be at Real Madrid or at far better teams than us is not absolutely brilliant business

 

[casbom]

"Real Madrid’s Scotland Under-19 international attacker Jack Harper has signed for Brighton and Hove Albion on a permanent, two-year deal for an undisclosed fee.

Harper currently has a minor knee ligament injury but is expected to be fit in around six weeks, when he will join the first-team squad. Brighton manager Chris Hughton had watched Harper play for Real Madrid’s Juvenil A youth team and convinced him to join the club, although there were also other offers, including from the Premier League."

From the Guardian - so we paid a fee for him?

 

[5ways]

Singing an injured player that if he was that good he would still be at Real Madrid or at far better teams than us is not absolutely brilliant business

If this isn't brilliant business what is?

 

[Easy 10]

What club did we sign him from? And what position does he play?

And how many times has he actually played for Real Madrid ?

Its like referring to one of our Academy players as an "Albion striker" - they're not. They're trainees, they're propects with aspirations of playing for the Albion. They may or may not make it in the professional game - there is a major difference. They've not made it yet, and neither has Harper.

 

[SULLY COULDNT SHOOT]

Where we are right now I would rather we are buying prospects whose values are likely to increase than splash loads of money on a one-off grab for promotion like Poyet tried. We've suffered every year since as we had to pay the piper.

We do need a centre half and a winger who will make an impact in the first team but if our scouting team find young players that more than make up the numbers and are reasonably cheap I will be satisfied that we are building for a better, safe future.

 

[dwayne]

So do I. I'm just wary of the hype and expectation that's already being heaped on what is, at the end of the day, a youth teamer who, regardless of the club he was representing, has thus far spent his fledgling career exclusively at the arse-end of the Spanish league. He's proved nowt, and will find the Championship a MASSIVE step-up from what he's been used to so far.

I fully appreciate the hype around him is not his fault at all. The club is crowing about signing a "Real Madrid striker", when he's nothing of the sort. But I suppose its all about big splashing headlines to give people hard-ons. Job done.

Yes we get the point it doesn't need reiterating a hundred times. I'm sure there are muppets who think he's the great white hope but most sensible fans will be tempering their expectations.

And he hasn't been playing in the arse end of the Spanish leagues he's been playing at the top end of the world junior leagues. And is very highly rated.

I'm massively excited.

 

[5ways]

BBC (and ITV Sport and a wealth of other accounts have all done this in covering this. Its a story and thats their angle). Given that he is a striker and he's been at Real Madrid for 6 years then you'd hardly expect journalists to describe him otherwise let alone the club when announcing the transfer.

[tweet]624161749474918400[/tweet]

he's also retweeted that BBC story and the Albion one so clearly he embraces the RM forward tag and the pressure that goes with it, I think this sort of self-confidence is just what we need.

 

[lovelyboy]

Unbelievably exciting signing. Just wish he was on a longer contract, hopefully we have an option of a third year.

Can't wait to see him pull on the stripes

 

[brightn'ove]

And how many times has he actually played for Real Madrid ?

Its like referring to one of our Academy players as an "Albion striker" - they're not. They're trainees, they're propects with aspirations of playing for the Albion. They may or may not make it in the professional game - there is a major difference. They've not made it yet, and neither has Harper.

I suppose you were similarly outraged with the hype surrounding 'liverpool midfielder' Joao Texiera?

 

[NooBHA]

It is great that there is a balanced and many differing views on this signing because thats what makes a forum like this interesting and worth getting involved in; however I wonder if someone were to analyse the posts on this signing and on the signing of the Finnish striker. How many of the same people slated the Finnish lad because he came from a not so competitive league and then slated this signing because he failed to make it at Real Madrid. Just curious !

I am impressed with both for different reasons because in truth, even if they fail, they didn't cost us big transfer fees and if they succeed then we are in for a windfall if we sell them on at a profit.

 

[Paul Reids Sock]

I'm mainly excited about this signing because when I first saw the headlines I assumed we had signed Steve Harper and wondered what the point was

 

[T soprano]

THE BRIGHTON GALACTICOS
Bong
Hemed
Hambo
Harper
I won't be drinking any DOOM for a while

 

[Easy 10]

I suppose you were similarly outraged with the hype surrounding 'liverpool midfielder' Joao Texiera?

Teixeira was on the fringes of the Liverpool squad and had made his 1st team debut for them, he was a little more advanced in his career than Harper currently is with his when he joined us. I think there was less fanfare with Tex as he'd had a less than impressive loan spell at Brentford the season before, so expectations were more tempered by that.

 

[Jambo Seagull]

The hype surrounding this kid has been huge here in Scotland for a while. There was a national outcry when Sbragia called him a luxury player and didn't pick him for the Under-19s. I'm personally very excited by this signing but of course time will tell if it works out or not.

 

[Medwayseagull]

Teixeira was on the fringes of the Liverpool squad and had made his 1st team debut for them, he was a little more advanced in his career than Harper currently is with his when he joined us. I think there was less fanfare with Tex as he'd had a less than impressive loan spell at Brentford the season before, so expectations were more tempered by that.

He was also two years older so this guy has more time to develop. My only concern is that the contract is only for two years as with the Finnish striker. If the club have that much faith why not get them on longer contracts as it would also increase their value if they were to be sold on ?