Have this feeling that all will not be well in summer.........

[Mo Gosfield]

That was often said about Sir Alex would he have done the same with Rochdale and their resources?

No...is the answer...you can't make a silk purse out of a sow's ear.
What you can do though, is lay the foundations. Improve the club from within and maximise results within limitations. Brian Clough started at Hartlepool, not to climb through four divisions and win the European Cup but to learn himself, how to manage at the lower levels. How to scrimp and save and budget. To master the basic skills of management for future jobs. He barely improved ' Pool's ' position while he was there but it started him on a massive learning curve.
Fergie did the same in Scotland ( was it East Fife and St.Mirren? ) before he landed the Aberdeen job. Martin O'Neill started at Wycombe in non-league before climbing up the ladder. Both had some success at that level and it was the experience that was most valuable to them.

 

[Bwian]

Minus £10 million. Its stupid for anybody to believe he wants us anywhere other than the Premier League. If he says he aims for top 6 every season then I'm sure that is what he aims for, including next season.

If TB isn't aiming for PL football asap most of us would be shocked. He clearly wants success for The Albion-why else spend over 200M on the club? What TB needs to do now is to make sure that the football side of the club is given priority and is run by football people. Real priority instead of all of the phony sloganeering, 1 Club, 1 Ambition; PL Ready bullshit.

 

[chaileyjem]

If TB isn't aiming for PL football asap most of us would be shocked. He clearly wants success for The Albion-why else spend over 200M on the club? What TB needs to do now is to make sure that the football side of the club is given priority and is run by football people. Real priority instead of all of the phony sloganeering, 1 Club, 1 Ambition; PL Ready bullshit.

Agreed re: TB. But curious about Football People ? Who are these non football people that are running the football side ?
Paul Winstanley who looks after recruitment, Hughton, Jones and Calderwood ?, Barber, you might not like him but he's worked in football for over a decade or does that not count ? . Who else ?

 

[The Merry Prankster]

Agreed re: TB. But curious about Football People ? Who are these non football people that are running the football side ?
Paul Winstanley who looks after recruitment, Hughton, Jones and Calderwood ?, Barber, you might not like him but he's worked in football for over a decade or does that not count ? . Who else ?

The members of the board?

 

[Bwian]

Agreed re: TB. But curious about Football People ? Who are these non football people that are running the football side ?
Paul Winstanley who looks after recruitment, Hughton, Jones and Calderwood ?, Barber, you might not like him but he's worked in football for over a decade or does that not count ? . Who else ?

Barber is Captain Corporate.and knows money. Based on this season's shambles it would suggest that the footballing people currently at the club have failed spectacularly.

 

[chaileyjem]

The members of the board?

Running the football side ?? Do they ?

 

[Bold Seagull]

Barber is Captain Corporate.and knows money. Based on this season's shambles it would suggest that the footballing people currently at the club have failed spectacularly.

I thought we sacked the football people that established this season's squad and had us second from bottom at the turn of the year?

 

[Bwian]

Running the football side ?? Do they ?

They employ the people to run the football side of things. Who else has been responsible for our abysmal season? Players were bought in to 'Judge us at the end of the transfer window'. Hyypia didn't bring anybody in apart from Tex did he? A calamitous January window followed. Who in your mind is to blame? Apart from Burke whose main role would appear to have been setting up the academy.

 

[Behind Enemy Lines]

i agree i can see more loan signings

Yes there will be loan signings but surely the point is if they improve the squad then that's a good thing. Tex?? Wayne Bridge? Patrick Bamford hasn't done too badly this season for Boro has he? It would of course be good to have the vast majority of new signings on a permanent basis but if we can get 2 or 3 really good players in on season long loans, then all good. It just depends on who they are.

 

[GreersElbow]

Just to point out I am not a miserable old barstard just realistic having seen it many times. I think we will get 3 or 4 free transfers a couple of loans and that elusive striker if the scouts can find one in Europe.

Wait, realistic thinking? Buy regularly update us on the latest transfer rumours has to say?

 

[chaileyjem]

They employ the people to run the football side of things. Who else has been responsible for our abysmal season? Players were bought in to 'Judge us at the end of the transfer window'. Hyypia didn't bring anybody in apart from Tex did he? A calamitous January window followed. Who in your mind is to blame? Apart from Burke whose main role would appear to have been setting up the academy.

I'm still confused. You said the "football side of the club should be a priority" and that it should be run by "football people'.
i'm just curious as to who on the "football side of the club" (coaching, recruitment, academy, players i assume you mean) either now or then weren't "football people" ?

 

[Bwian]

I thought we sacked the football people that established this season's squad and had us second from bottom at the turn of the year?

That went well didn't it? Second from bottom to fourth from bottom by the skin of our teeth. 0 goals in the last 5 home games isn't it? Over 10 hours without a goal. If the recruitment of Best, Ledesma and Carayol are anything to go by we are in for a long 15/16 season.

I admire your optimism and loyalty but feck me, the football side of this club is dreadful at the moment.

 

[chaileyjem]

That went well didn't it? Second from bottom to fourth from bottom by the skin of our teeth. 0 goals in the last 5 home games isn't it? Over 10 hours without a goal. If the recruitment of Best, Ledesma and Carayol are anything to go by we are in for a long 15/16 season.

I admire your optimism and loyalty but feck me, the football side of this club is dreadful at the moment.

Gotcha. You mean Tony Bloom needs to surround himself with (good at) football people.
Ok. I get it. Agreed.

 

[Bold Seagull]

That went well didn't it? Second from bottom to fourth from bottom by the skin of our teeth. 0 goals in the last 5 home games isn't it? Over 10 hours without a goal. If the recruitment of Best, Ledesma and Carayol are anything to go by we are in for a long 15/16 season.

I admire your optimism and loyalty but feck me, the football side of this club is dreadful at the moment.

You got that I am optimistic and loyal from that single sentence?

I will say that the January loan market, unless you're getting hooked up with a PL loan deal is a desperate place - and we were desperate.

Room for optimism; Hughton's one contract signing Kayal looks like an absolute bargain.

 

[Bwian]

I'm still confused. You said the "football side of the club should be a priority" and that it should be run by "football people'.
i'm just curious as to who on the "football side of the club" (coaching, recruitment, academy, players i assume you mean) either now or then weren't "football people" ?

If you're confused by any of that then you are Paul Barber and I claim my five pounds. By 'football people' it usually means people who know the game and know what they're doing. Our shambles of a season suggests the club falls short in those areas.

 

[chaileyjem]

Our shambles of a season suggests the club falls short in those areas.

Yes. It does.
Football people means to you ... "GOOD AT Football People". I now realise. Curiosity sated.

 

[KZNSeagull]

I have no doubt that TB will put his hand in his pocket yet again this summer. To accuse TB or pocketing money or scrimping is farcical. We have a competitive budget - we have to use it better.

He put his faith and a lot of money last summer in people who let him down. We now have a newish manager and recruitment setup and he would not have put those in place if he was not prepared to back them as far as he can, but it remains to be seen whether this lot will repay his faith or not. Kayal is a good start though.

 

[Knotty]

Surely that defeats the object of a fans chat line.

Quite the opposite!

Far too often we are reading and discussing things that are pure speculation, guesswork or invention, and are based on zero knowledge of the facts. Then these things become the 'truth', the discussions are prolonged on this assumption of the truth, and much criticism follows.

What a complete waste of time! None of us has the slightest clue what the club's recruitment plans and budget are for the summer; what is the point in making predictions?

 

[n1 gull]

Quite the opposite!

Far too often we are reading and discussing things that are pure speculation, guesswork or invention, and are based on zero knowledge of the facts. Then these things become the 'truth', the discussions are prolonged on this assumption of the truth, and much criticism follows.

What a complete waste of time! None of us has the slightest clue what the club's recruitment plans and budget are for the summer; what is the point in making predictions?

Making predictions is fun and this is a football message board. What would you like to discuss?

 

[dazzer6666]

Making predictions is fun and this is a football message board. What would you like to discuss?

Kind of agree, but virtually every post re predictions is negative and critical........almost as though people want to have a pop at the club come what may. Have a pop on what has actually happened, not on what may or may not happen FFS.