Has Bloom Biten Off More Than He Can Chew?

[Gritt23]

Erm. If the 'target' was 'top six' and we finished 4th and then 6th, did we not HIT those targets?

What a very strange post.

But the manager is sufficiently unhappy that he feels he needs to offer his resignation.

I do wonder whether the expectations of "anything less than top 6 is failure" is too great for the level of player investment that we've seen, when compared to those around us. Ok, they may have flaunted FFP and we haven't, but surely that should be reflected in our expectations of top 6.

For the squad we have, I think top 6 was a tremendous achievement, but for whatever reason Oscar feels like it's either not enough, or he doesn't believe he could repeat it, and not repeating it will be seen as failure.

Expectations being set vs funds being invested ; that is where I think there may be an issue here.

 

[matbha]

Unbelievable!

At times like this, NSC resembles an infants' school playground with numerous individuals blubbing, wailing and stamping their feet because they haven't been given what they want.

Their reactions show that they are clearly so immature that they have no realistic grasp of common sense, logic, reality or the knowledge of the relevant facts required to make a credible judgement.

After what this club has been through and what TB has done for it, threads like this make you laugh.

 

[upthealbion1970]

If you are saying that some managers can waste money on transfers, that's undoubtedly true. I would never underestimate the role of the manager who is able to make the most of his resources, which is why for me Oscar compares unfavourably this season with the likes of Dyche, Howe, McClaren, Rosler etc.

But not spending on new players could mean we miss out on the £120m a year revenues that would transform our finances. What I don't get is those who say this is a simple puzzle to solve by just doing modest business in the transfer windows and everything will - somehow - work out eventually.

£120m a YEAR? Are you palace

 

[Hotchilidog]

No shame at all, but like the palace 2nd leg last season, it was more the manner of the defeat, and the subsequent budget/manager output that gets everyone twitchy.

I thought we just looked totally knackered yesterday, and we didn't really compete so I can understand the frustration and disappointment at the manner of the defeat. I too feel twitchy about the manager situation and the club do need to say something soon, if not today then certainly this week as we cannot afford to lose another summer.

 

[Codner's Wallop]

Bridcutt wished to leave. Barnes wished to leave. El Abd had been a great servant for the club, but hardly the guy to propel us to Premier League glory!! There seems to be a bizarre obssession with the January transfer window and how its dealings have effectively turned the club into a jumbled mess of incompetence.

For the last time please: WE FINISHED SIXTH.

 

[c0lz]

Have I missed Oscar moaning about budgets? I haven't seen, heard or read that anywhere...

He did mention that we were a weaker team after the January transfer.

 

[Luke93]

No shame at all, but like the palace 2nd leg last season, it was more the manner of the defeat, and the subsequent budget/manager output that gets everyone twitchy.

Defeats happen in football, that's the nature if the game. Of course this defeat is disappointing, but why should people get 'twitchy'? Bloom is building a steady sustainable business, this should be evident with the cautious player investments.

We're building one of the best training complexes, we're already built a 100M stadium. Why blow our budget on big players? That's completely out of our means. Three years ago we were in L1. Finishing top six twice WITHOUT spending much on players is a fantastic achievement. Look at teams like Forest, they've spent masses amounts and achieved little. And our budget isn't exactly 'small', it's good enough for a team to finish 4th and 6th. Bloom hasn't bitten off more than he can chew, he's doing things the right way.

 

[London Irish]

For the last time please: WE FINISHED SIXTH.

With Gus's team

 

[somerset]

Bloom hasn't bitten off more than he can chew, he's doing things the right way.

He is yes, but people get twitchy because they see us falling at the last again, and rightly asking the questions about budgets and FFP,... how/why are the other teams managing to get it done?

 

[DavidinSouthampton]

Defeats happen in football, that's the nature if the game. Of course this defeat is disappointing, but why should people get 'twitchy'? Bloom is building a steady sustainable business, this should be evident with the cautious player investments.

We're building one of the best training complexes, we're already built a 100M stadium. Why blow our budget on big players? That's completely out of our means. Three years ago we were in L1. Finishing top six twice WITHOUT spending much on players is a fantastic achievement. Look at teams like Forest, they've spent masses amounts and achieved little. And our budget isn't exactly 'small', it's good enough for a team to finish 4th and 6th. Bloom hasn't bitten off more than he can chew, he's doing things the right way.

That's all far too sensible. Given a disastrous(?) play-off semi-final defeat we are meant to implode - that's what is in the script.

But I agree with every word. You saved me composing it myself.

 

[danish seagull]

The top 6 target being the one we've just achieved two seasons on the bounce?

 

[Luke93]

He is yes, but people get twitchy because they see us falling at the last again, and rightly asking the questions about budgets and FFP,... how/why are the other teams managing to get it done?

Because other teams don't have a debt of a 100M stadium, and a 27M(I think) training ground. And many of our competitors in the league have parachute payments.

 

[Acker79]

Top six is NOT the target, the target last year was, and I assume still is, to go 'Straight Up'

http://www.theargus.co.uk/sport/10589607.Bloom_wants_Albion_to_be_challenging_again/

Bloom told fans at a forum at The Amex last night: "We aim to get to the Premiership. It's a very competitive division as we know and every season at the start of the season we've got to try and have the squad we think is capable of promotion. I certainly think this season we have that.




"You can get a few bad injuries, a few bad games, we can be just outside the play-offs, we could get a bit of luck and finish in the top two, but I think if we finish in the top six we've got to be happy and if we are in the play-offs again hopefully we'll get a bit of luck.



"But it's very difficult to say. Outside the play-offs we're not going to be happy but at the end of the day we try to be competitive so that we have a reasonable chance of promotion every season we are in the Championship."​

A full transcript of the forum can be found here: http://attheendofthedaydes.blogspot.co.uk/2013/08/fans-forum-transcript.html




With the relevant Q&A:

Q: Welcome Oscar, welcome back Nathan. My question is for Tony: the club has said that we wish to play at the highest possible level, which presumably means promotion to the Premier League. I was wondering, however, what your view or the board's view would be of the minimum acceptable finish for this coming season in the league?

TB: Thank you very much for that opening question. I've got to be a little bit careful - Oscar's just here on my left so I don't want to put him under too much pressure before the season even starts. It's always a difficult one. We aim to get to the Premiership, it's a very competitive division as we know and every season, at the start of the season, we have to try and have a squad we think is capable of promotion. I certainly think this season we have that. You can get a couple of injuries or a few bad games and be just outside the play-offs; we could get a bit of luck and finish in the top two. But I think if we finish in the top six we've got to be happy. If we're in the play-offs again hopefully we'll get a bit of luck. But it's very difficult to say, I mean outside the play-offs we're not going to be happy but at the end of the day we try and be competitive so that we have a reasonable chance of promotion every season within the Championship.​

 

[RexCathedra]

how/why are the other teams managing to get it done?

Luck, mostly. Seriously. One-third of a team's record is simply down to luck.

Taking last season’s [EPL] league table as an example, the average team could have ended up anywhere between 19th and 5th place just because of the random variance of their results.

 

[El Presidente]

Liverpool is twinned with its local university for an MBA programme.
.

You should see some of the half wits who teach on it though....

 

[RexCathedra]

You should see some of the half wits who teach on it though....

Well, a lifetime of repetitive headers leads to long term cognitive deficits.

Unless you mean the profs....

 

[El Presidente]

Well, a lifetime of repetitive headers leads to long term cognitive deficits.

Unless you mean the profs....

Could be!

 

[Codner's Wallop]

With Gus's team

Yes that's right, a team largely comprising contracted players brought in by Poyet. Did you expect Garcia to sack the lot and start with a blank team sheet?

 

[El Presidente]

With Gus's team

No Bridge, Hammond, Bridcutt, Barnes, El Abd.

CMS, Orlandi effectively out for the season due to injury, and Spanish Dave a bit rubbish. So not true.

 

[Chicken Runner61]

£120m a YEAR? Are you palace

I think he means you get £60M for going up and £60M for relegation = £120M

Here is the income yearly

http://www.tsmplug.com/football/premier-league-prize-money/