[Albion] Club need to be honest about expectations

[JonCrumplinFootballGenius]

I have always admired Tony Blooms ambition for Brighton and his commitment to make the club the best it can be, but I am starting to question whether he has got the right structure in and around the club to take it on to the next level. I think Paul Barber is doing a decent job, he is trying to make the club FFP compliant so that Albion can lead the call for spending restraint -and put the club on a sound footing ready for the Premier League. But it is a difficult balance - the team is in danger of going backwards this season if the club doesn't bring in some proven quality - I like the philosiphy around developing youngsters, and the investment in Lancing will reap long term rewards, but you can't expect it to pay instant dividends.

So therin lies the dilemma for Bloom and Barber - if the club starts to drift in the Championship then the attendances and Season Tickets are going to decline, they are going to struggle to increase it anymore as it is already one of the most expensive outside of the Premier League. You expect that the club is currently maxing out its revenue streams through match day and commercial revenue for its current status - and yet the last set of financial results still posted a big loss.

In some ways the past 2-3 seasons since the club moved to the Amex Bloom has taken a gamble and its likely players like Vincente, Bridge, Koosh etc were never a sustainable option should we not reach the PL in the short term - but its on the back of those players that the team made it to two consecutive play offs and that has obviously inflated the Season Ticket holders.

I think Hyppia is the right man to take the club forward but I think both Bloom and Barber need to be realistic about ambition with supporters - it seems to me like the short term PL plan might now be a longer term aim - the club has to find a way of sustainably competing within its means - and without a global reach and PL TV revenues or parachute payments its going to take time to grow a team. But having a philosophy in place at all levels of the club is a good starting point, you want your under 18's playing the same style and system as your first team so that players can make the step up fully understanding what is expected of them.

I still think if the club spend the Ulloa cash wisely they can push for the play offs this season - but its wages that are going to be the big obstacle. All of the noises coming out of the club are about reducing wage costs - its all very well having £8m to spend but if Ulloa was on £20k a week thats not going to go far...

I don't mind buying into a long term plan or philosiphy - but the first thing you need to do that is to have everybody on the same page. Under both Poyet and Garcia I don't think that was the case - and the noises from Hyppia are starting to sound all too familiar. For me, I think Bloom & Barber needs to have a look at the structure and sanity check it is aligned to where the club is going - and make sure both board, manager, players and fans are clear about what the plan is.

 

[Barrel of Fun]

****ing Samsung decided to destroy my first two monologues.

Take Three!

It is ironic that we are lead by a gambler.

Tony Bloom might be wealthy beyond our wildest dreams, but would you be willing to write off £30m+ a season to chase a chance of promotion? That is the level of losses for teams with one eye on the top flight.

I don't for one second think that the club/Bloom believes that football will change over night and the best run clubs will prosper.

Asking for instant dividends is asking the club to pay money they don't have.

What is important is to keep the fans amused, whilst the long term project comes to fruition. Play some exciting football for a while and people will continue to fill the pockets of footballers, agents and interest bills.

 

[Greg Bobkin]

I have always admired Tony Blooms ambition for Brighton and his commitment to make the club the best it can be, but I am starting to question whether he has got the right structure in and around the club to take it on to the next level. I think Paul Barber is doing a decent job, he is trying to make the club FFP compliant so that Albion can lead the call for spending restraint -and put the club on a sound footing ready for the Premier League. But it is a difficult balance - the team is in danger of going backwards this season if the club doesn't bring in some proven quality - I like the philosiphy around developing youngsters, and the investment in Lancing will reap long term rewards, but you can't expect it to pay instant dividends.

So therin lies the dilemma for Bloom and Barber - if the club starts to drift in the Championship then the attendances and Season Tickets are going to decline, they are going to struggle to increase it anymore as it is already one of the most expensive outside of the Premier League. You expect that the club is currently maxing out its revenue streams through match day and commercial revenue for its current status - and yet the last set of financial results still posted a big loss.

In some ways the past 2-3 seasons since the club moved to the Amex Bloom has taken a gamble and its likely players like Vincente, Bridge, Koosh etc were never a sustainable option should we not reach the PL in the short term - but its on the back of those players that the team made it to two consecutive play offs and that has obviously inflated the Season Ticket holders.

I think Hyppia is the right man to take the club forward but I think both Bloom and Barber need to be realistic about ambition with supporters - it seems to me like the short term PL plan might now be a longer term aim - the club has to find a way of sustainably competing within its means - and without a global reach and PL TV revenues or parachute payments its going to take time to grow a team. But having a philosophy in place at all levels of the club is a good starting point, you want your under 18's playing the same style and system as your first team so that players can make the step up fully understanding what is expected of them.

I still think if the club spend the Ulloa cash wisely they can push for the play offs this season - but its wages that are going to be the big obstacle. All of the noises coming out of the club are about reducing wage costs - its all very well having £8m to spend but if Ulloa was on £20k a week thats not going to go far...

I don't mind buying into a long term plan or philosiphy - but the first thing you need to do that is to have everybody on the same page. Under both Poyet and Garcia I don't think that was the case - and the noises from Hyppia are starting to sound all too familiar. For me, I think Bloom & Barber needs to have a look at the structure and sanity check it is aligned to where the club is going - and make sure both board, manager, players and fans are clear about what the plan is.

Not seen this old chestnut for a while

I'm pretty sure two seasons ago, TB said the aim was the playoffs - which was achieved - and the same the season after that.

Let's just wait and see what happens, shall we?

 

[albie_noobs]

Interesting that we haven't heard any such statements of intent this season as yet!

 

[Chicken Runner61]

I think a few supporters have to be realistic about how much money TB is prepared to throw at the club and how much money a stadium like the Amex costs to run

 

[Grombleton]

I'd say it works both ways. The club can have expectations but need to have the resources to meet these expectations. The supporters also need to realise that there may be a myriad of reasons why we haven't signed more people; are the people mentioned here and in the press actual targets? What are the reasons that deals aren't done yet? I think supporters have a 'football manager' mentality still - we identify a player, but it doesn't mean he will sign straight away. I'd happily bet that 95% of supporters haven't the first idea on how to run a club, or negotiate a transfer etc, but its all very easy to say what you want from behind a keyboard.

I can't think of many times that the club has been this transparent with the fans (semi-regular videos with TB, PB replying to pointless email after pointless email) but there are some things that we aren't entitled to - such as the inner workings and details surrounding transfers. Having an ST or being a fan for X years doesn't give us any more entitlement. Plunging money into the club might do, but that's exactly the same as any business; football is no different.

The club need to have some semblance of privacy; the more information they put into the public domain the more chance it will be used against them in transfer dealings - its one of the reasons we never publicise our transfer budget and most transfers are 'undisclosed' We just need to have some faith in that they are doing the best for the club. It's fine to have concerns and to air them, as long as they're thought out and not overly reactionary - which is the issue most people have with the negative supporters; their negativity isn't founded in fact or truth, just assumption. Whether that would change with more info from the club, who knows. I doubt that the board would look kindly on a team running the club that weren't doing their job properly...and we have no idea if they are or aren't so most assumptions (both positive and negative) are just that; assumptions.

I'm just planning to enjoy seeing the club evolve with TB at the helm and seeing Sami instil his style of play and bring in some new players as well as seeing the academy begin to work. If it takes us 1 year to reach the Prem or 10, really doesn't bother me. It won't temper my support for the club regardless.

 

[Mellotron]

I think one issue the club have to recognise and bear in mind is that they have told us so many times how this club is PREMIER LEAGUE READY. If you keep saying that , and reminding the fans how amazing our award winning stadium and training complexes are, that is going to raise fan expectation.

 

[Giraffe]

Clubs expectations last two seasons were to be competitive in the league. We managed that. I am sure we will manage that again this season.

 

[nwgull]

I think one issue the club have to recognise and bear in mind is that they have told us so many times how this club is PREMIER LEAGUE READY. If you keep saying that , and reminding the fans how amazing our award winning stadium and training complexes are, that is going to raise fan expectation.

This Premier League Ready thing is just an in-house motto for club staff coined by Barber to ensure that the club infrastructure and way it is run is top notch. From memory it was talked about in one argus article last season; it's hardly been rammed down the throats of fans.

As for the OP: TL;DR. However, memory serves me that Tony Bloom stated that his expectations prior to the last 2 seasons were to reach the top 6.

 

[saafend_seagull]

He already said whoever new manager was we aim for top 6.

 

[humpy]

I suppose we could just go out and get any tom dick or Harry to appease those grumbling about lack of signings or we could wait till prem teams name their squads and see what quality we can get in ! Patience really is difficult isn't it but I for one think we will get decent players in but due to ludicrous transfer window closing a couple weeks after our season starts it might just need fans to be patient and as for missing pre season with us and gelling with team I'm sure whoever comes in will have done a pre season with their own club and playing football is hardly rocket science so confident they can slip straight into team.

 

[Spadge]

I suppose we could just go out and get any tom dick or Harry to appease those grumbling about lack of signings or we could wait till prem teams name their squads and see what quality we can get in ! Patience really is difficult isn't it but I for one think we will get decent players in but due to ludicrous transfer window closing a couple weeks after our season starts it might just need fans to be patient and as for missing pre season with us and gelling with team I'm sure whoever comes in will have done a pre season with their own club and playing football is hardly rocket science so confident they can slip straight into team.

And that would be fine except the premier league 25 man squads are confirmed after the transfer window! That will only help out in regards to loaning players in, NOT permanent signings.

 

[father_and_son]

[MENTION=27356]JonCrumplinFootballGenius[/MENTION]: So what you are saying is Tony should go on YouTube and make a public statement...

"Hi everyone. Welcome. The SamTram has only just got under way and I don't want to keep stumping up endless amounts of my own cash supporting the club, therefore the Board and I have agreed that mid table mediocrity is the target this year and will remain the target until we start to get some decent players coming through from the academy. We'd like the players, manager, fans and our opponents to be aware of the board's strategy. Thank you."

 

[Rookie]

Pretty sure someone will post the link but Bloom has already said the aim is to get in the play offs at least and he was confident we would have a competitive squad.

 

[martin tyler]

I think the club have been realistic. Last 2 years we were told we have a budget which os expected to het a playoff place. That was achieved. This year we are told we will have a competitive squad. I believe we will have. TB as far as i can see has always been honest with fans and managers about what he expects and i see it no different this tome around

 

[BobbySmith]

I suppose we could just go out and get any tom dick or Harry to appease those grumbling about lack of signings or we could wait till prem teams name their squads and see what quality we can get in ! Patience really is difficult isn't it but I for one think we will get decent players in but due to ludicrous transfer window closing a couple weeks after our season starts it might just need fans to be patient and as for missing pre season with us and gelling with team I'm sure whoever comes in will have done a pre season with their own club and playing football is hardly rocket science so confident they can slip straight into team.

Spot on, a fan who talks sense. Think the problem is that some fans on here have higher expectations without looking at the facts, and I am sure that after 3/4 very good years, they want more, fair enough, but said so many times before, FFP, please understand, it is quite simple, our expenditure and expectations should go hand in hand, trouble is that some people on here do not understand that simple fact. It is very apparent that most people are happy with the progress are the old gits like me and the ones who want the Premier dream are the young ones and dare I say the JCL's who have that view, but personally I am not bothered about the holy grail (prem), as I am more than happy watching football is a beautiful stadium and can you tell me of a club that has progressed more in the last 5 years than us ?. Just accept what we have, a wonderful club, with a great chairman and with not a bad team, which will get some more players in to be in a position where we can progress as a club to satisfy the majority of fans who want the ultimate goal.

 

[KZNSeagull]

I am not aware that the club have been dishonest about their expectations. Please enlighten me if they have.

The problem here is that many people seem to have expectations that are at odds with a club that are refusing to go down the shit or bust route to reach the Premier League.

 

[BobbySmith]

I am not aware that the club have been dishonest about their expectations. Please enlighten me if they have.

The problem here is that many people seem to have expectations that are at odds with a club that are refusing to go down the shit or bust route to reach the Premier League.

Another fan with sense, well done matey

 

[Stuart Munday]

****ing Samsung decided to destroy my first two monologues.

Take Three!

It is ironic that we are lead by a gambler.

Tony Bloom might be wealthy beyond our wildest dreams, but would you be willing to write off £30m+ a season to chase a chance of promotion? That is the level of losses for teams with one eye on the top flight.

I don't for one second think that the club/Bloom believes that football will change over night and the best run clubs will prosper.

Asking for instant dividends is asking the club to pay money they don't have.

What is important is to keep the fans amused, whilst the long term project comes to fruition. Play some exciting football for a while and people will continue to fill the pockets of footballers, agents and interest bills.

Totally agree with this, personally I'm not that bothered about the Premier League I enjoy the Championship, all I ask for is some entertaining football, I would quite happily take 15th spot right now if we could have some exciting games rather than passing sideways for 80 minutes especially at home.

 

[leigull]

Interesting that we haven't heard any such statements of intent this season as yet!

Usually gets said at the Fans Forum which must be pretty soon