[Albion] How HAPPY are you with this transfer window?

[Blue3]

I wonder if the apologists actually go we know some on here have never been to single game let alone fork out top six prices for bottom six football.

The new model is clearly make as much money as possible from youngsters that’s great and all for everyone making a few quid from it. Not so good for us lot who have to sit through dire games like last Saturday. A few seasons back we went to games with the buzz of what’s Knockhaert going to pull out the bag today, sadly we no longer have a crowd pleaser a match winner that’s worth the admission price alone.

That’s exactly right it’s the way to build a self sustaining future for our club we do not have the funds of the likes of the top clubs who can just buy themselves success, Saturdays game Everton are a very good team full of top international players we gave them a good game and were unlucky to go in 0-1 at HT it wasn’t dire by any means

 

[Nameless]

4 - Happy with the two new signings but still gaping holes in our squad, especially in the forward positions.

We've sorted our keeper and left back positions out but I'd have liked to have seen a striker and a winger come in for the first team right back competition also, I think we've loaned out much of our depth which basically tells me we're throwing away the cup competitions and overall despite keeping Bissouma I'm disappointed. I feel as if we've stood still whilst other teams have been pro-active and shown much more intention than us.

I think we're good enough to stay up comfortably but I feel top 10 is unrealistic unless we can keep a fully fit squad which let's be honest is unlikely.

 

[chaileyjem]

re: Bissouma - according to Sky yesterday. They had a reporter in Lancing for most of the afternoon. We didn't receive any bids for Bissouma during the window - thus he stays.
re: Locadia - according to Naylor yesterday "The Athletic understands the Dutch forward is attracting interest in Turkey, where the window doesn’t close until September 8.
Head coach Graham Potter is happy to add Locadia to his forward options if a move is not in the offing."

 

[Nixonator]

Umm no, those who are happy with the window are those who appear to be happy most of the time, while those who moan about the window are the same people who moan regardless of what happens - the kind of people who, if the club had signed a striker for the first team yesterday, would have said "just one? We're doomed. Barber out."



No one sensible, no. Just lots of people.

Another grossly inaccurate sweeping statement. You seem to produce them in abundance.

I’ll call it how I see it, the same as I have done for 30 plus years being an Albion fan.

 

[Justice]

That’s exactly right it’s the way to build a self sustaining future for our club we do not have the funds of the likes of the top clubs who can just buy themselves success, Saturdays game Everton are a very good team full of top international players we gave them a good game and were unlucky to go in 0-1 at HT it wasn’t dire by any means

I agree invest in youngsters but find a balance to risk PL survival by not investing in a player to help the team score goals doesn't add up somewhere.

IMO we made it far to easy for Everton no pace to break away and cause them problems. They are ok probably finish top ten not top six.

 

[nwgull]

Umm no, those who are happy with the window are those who appear to be happy most of the time, while those who moan about the window are the same people who moan regardless of what happens - the kind of people who, if the club had signed a striker for the first team yesterday, would have said "just one? We're doomed. Barber out."

Probably the same people that moan about season ticket costs and general commercial activities of the club.

 

[BBassic]

We'll see how this stacks up over the season but with Cucu adding some pace and the, hopefully, soon return of Lamptey we'll be getting ourselves up the pitch a bit quicker.

If we can get the ball up the field before defences have time to set and organise we'll have more chance of putting the ball in the net.

IMO.

 

[Springal]

Is anyone sensible really saying that he’ll never make it ? The most common noise is that people feel he should go on loan to the Chamionship to get more minutes, goals and experience.

The problem is the club want to keep him close, not farm him off where he may not even get a run of games there and given his off the field ‘challenges’ do they want him further away. Apparently even Tony Bloom has been involved in what the plan for Aaron is

 

[GOM]

Not sure what point you are trying to make the players you quote were all not seen as good enough by the club so have been moved on that is not in dispute by anyone.

What is in dispute is we have not replaced any of those players with players that are good enough and are now going into a PL season with Maupay, an injury prone Wellbeck and Connelly.

And who are these fans wanting £40m and 120k a week as I have not seen any?

The frustration for most is again the Albion have been linked with and clearly pursuing some interesting first team attacking players that they seem to rate but again we have not got them over the line so look short in an area we needed to strengthen.

I don’t imagine the club are all that happy about that either as they were out there trying to address it this summer and have come up short.

Who did the linking ? Answer, journalists, clickbaiters etc.. Did anyone at the club come out and say who we were interested in ? We were linked with dozens of players, the same players that half a dozen or more other bottom half Prem teams were linked with.

 

[Seasider78]

Who did the linking ? Answer, journalists, clickbaiters etc.. Did anyone at the club come out and say who we were interested in ? We were linked with dozens of players, the same players that half a dozen or more other bottom half Prem teams were linked with.

Seriously??!! The club are not going to come out and say who they lost out on are they but the Nunez approaches have been well reported by reputable press (including our locals) and overseas so trying to claim the club were not in for him over two summer windows is fantasy

 

[peterward]

Who did the linking ? Answer, journalists, clickbaiters etc.. Did anyone at the club come out and say who we were interested in ? We were linked with dozens of players, the same players that half a dozen or more other bottom half Prem teams were linked with.

With named individual targets like Edouard and Nketiah etc..... That may well have been made up/clickbait etc, but the club targeting a first team striker wasn't.

6 or weeks ago, Argus ran an article in which they said Striker was the club's priority in the window and from Naylor/Owens confirmations with the club, there was clearly interest at some level in Nunez for the second summer in a row.

We all know it tough, it's expensive and these are difficult times etc, but which ever way you try and frame it, the club have failed again in this crucial area, plain and simple.

Expect the usual platitudes and window dressing of "happy with our options" [of attackers] but we have tried at least to some degree and not succeeded in strengthening at all. With Zeqiri and fit again Andone gone our options are less.

The time for action is now past, we failed. Roll on the recycled soundbites.

 

[severnside gull]

There’s a balance as a fan between being hyper-critical and being a club apologist.
We all now need to hold our breath and see what plays out.
In an ultimately underperforming last season we appear to have at least taken note in two respects - we’ve strengthened at LWB and we’ve trimmed the squad so that pretty much everyone is in with a realistic chance of inclusion in the match day squad. Whether that translates to sharper performances or not, the one area where we continue to have limited options is central striker. Can we be quicker in the build-up to create the space/chances for midfielders to contribute? Can we be more effective from dead ball situations? Whatever our views on the club’s transfer business those seem to be the main areas our hopes will be hanging on. That and no injuries!

 

[TWOCHOICEStom]

Unless this season pans out very differently to last it's either flawed logic, or they failed. One or the other.

 

[SeagullinExile]

Isn't having a paper thin, good to average strike force part of the picture too?

As when you step back it's when you realise we haven't identified or developed a striker of any great quality for a while now.

We've done very well with defenders and midfielders but there's something lacking in our identification process with forwards.

Not really. We just need more goals from midfield, other teams perform perfectly well without an army of out and out strikers. Part of the modern game.

We've invested well this window. I'm very pleased.

 

[BBassic]

There’s a balance as a fan between being hyper-critical and being a club apologist.

Balance?! In a debate on a football forum?!

It'll never work.

 

[severnside gull]

Balance?! In a debate on a football forum?!

It'll never work.

Indeed. Silly me

 

[Betfair Bozo]

How happy is GP with it would be the key question for me.

 

[Braggfan]

Seriously??!! The club are not going to come out and say who they lost out on are they but the Nunez approaches have been well reported by reputable press (including our locals) and overseas so trying to claim the club were not in for him over two summer windows is fantasy

I think with Nunez, we got messed around twice and he has an agent who was touting him around after less than a year with Benfica. Personally I'm not at all disappointed that he didnt sign, i think we he could have a royal pain in the ass if he'd signed. I'd rather than the club were careful with their targets and get the "right" players even if that means we miss out sometimes. As suspected I woke this morning and the world hadn't ended.

 

[Lethargic]

Disappointed, our biggest weakness in the strikers department has not been addressed. I understand the model we have in place but I also find the amount of outgoing loans is a little concerning if we get hit with injuries (Covid is still having an impact on playing staff) we could be up the creek and find all our paddles have been loans out.

 

[Seasider78]

I think with Nunez, we got messed around twice and he has an agent who was touting him around after less than a year with Benfica. Personally I'm not at all disappointed that he didnt sign, i think we he could have a royal pain in the ass if he'd signed. I'd rather than the club were careful with their targets and get the "right" players even if that means we miss out sometimes. As suspected I woke this morning and the world hadn't ended.

Can’t speak for the players character as I do not know him (although the Albion do take these things into account and when scouting) but this one was reported as our offers being less than Benficas valuation. That is fine if that is the case and we miss out. We are all guessing here but my own personal view is we get amazing value when shopping for CBs and midfielders but buying strikers is a very different market and much harder to get value and even the expensive ones are punts. We are always linked with solid prospects but never get them over the line which could be a symptom of what we are prepared to pay for someone in that area of the pitch.

The good news is our financial sustainability will be in a healthier position following this summer but by view is our striking options make a top ten finish a pipe dream and mid table obscurity with this squad would be a great achievement by GP.