Hughton: "I have no doubts we'll be ready come that first game of the season."

[Zebedee]

Erm, you could argue the front two maybe better but that's it. Hopefully we will have a few more by next Friday evening.

I wouldn't hold your breath...

 

[Easy 10]

can I have some of what you are on please.

I remember a recent play off where a team in blue and white stripes arrived in it with all the momentum only to get dumped out by a completely out of form rival.

Play offs = lottery

Play offs = irrelevant

As it stands, I'd be genuinely amazed if this squad made the top half, let alone the top 6. This is a bottom 6 squad right now.
That could all change over the next month or so of course...but given our track record in the transfer market over the last couple of years, I'd be lying if I said I had any confidence in significant reinforcements arriving.

 

[Guinness Boy]

Does anyone disagree with the suggestion that, as things stand, the current squad and probable starting 11 is far stronger than the team that kicked off against Sheff Weds last August?

Looks much of a muchness to be honest

Brighton & Hove Albion
13 Stockdale
03 Greer
02 Bruno Booked
14 Calderon (Mackail-Smith - 76' )
04 Hughes
24 Ince
18 Forster-Caskey Booked (Agustien - 61' )
08 Crofts Dismissed
23 Fenelon (Buckley - 61' )
11 O'Grady
25 Lua Lua Booked

Substitutes
05 Dunk
10 Agustien
12 Mackail-Smith
15 Chicksen
28 Toko
30 Buckley
31 Walton

Sorry but we are WAY stronger. Strike force of O'grady Fenelon and Lua Lua? The creaking Hughes at CB? CLADE at left back?

Compare to (say)

Stockdale / Maennpa

Rosenior Dunk Greer Bong
Calderon Kayal Ince KLL
Baldock
Hemed

It's not world beating and there are a couple of obvious weaknesses but it's FAR better than the Wednesday line up

 

[El Presidente]

#SendForGlenn

 

[Tom Hark Preston Park]

#BendItLikeBarnes

#UpandOverLikeUlloa

 

[StonehamPark]

#HopeForHarley

 

[Blue Valkyrie]

#BringBackBenno

 

[El Presidente]

#SmoothAsGravyChrisO'Grady

 

[StonehamPark]

#FightForKnight

 

[nwgull]

#OnMeHemedSon

 

[Biscuit]

#CallInConway

 

[Biscuit]

#HopeforHoskins

 

[StonehamPark]

#VotesForVokes

 

[Biscuit]

#DontGetSweeterThanLeroyLita

 

[Tom Hark Preston Park]

#HughTonClan

 

[Uncle Spielberg]

Play offs = irrelevant

As it stands, I'd be genuinely amazed if this squad made the top half, let alone the top 6. This is a bottom 6 squad right now.
That could all change over the next month or so of course...but given our track record in the transfer market over the last couple of years, I'd be lying if I said I had any confidence in significant reinforcements arriving.

This. Our squad as it stands is one of the worst in the league, the only team worse on paper is maybe Rotherham. The team will struggle to muster 8 goals in 10 games. The strike force is non existent. The midfield is ok as is the defence but the goalkeeping area is also very weak. We have signed 5 players with the only tested one being Rosenior, the other 4 are punts, much like last season. With Hughton's basic plan to defend and try and sneak 1 goal if possible in a game, it could be a very rude awakening to some, let's see where we are in October and then judge. Anyone that thinks this squad is within light years of being top 6 is deluded I am afraid

 

[Ernest]

#BESTforbusiness

 

[El Presidente]

#HeAin'tHeavyHe'sBillyPaynter

 

[StonehamPark]

#TemptBackTaricco

 

[Guinness Boy]

Looks much of a muchness to be honest

Brighton & Hove Albion
13 Stockdale
03 Greer
02 Bruno Booked
14 Calderon (Mackail-Smith - 76' )
04 Hughes
24 Ince
18 Forster-Caskey Booked (Agustien - 61' )
08 Crofts Dismissed
23 Fenelon (Buckley - 61' )
11 O'Grady
25 Lua Lua Booked

Substitutes
05 Dunk
10 Agustien
12 Mackail-Smith
15 Chicksen
28 Toko
30 Buckley
31 Walton

In fact I remember being very harsh about the squad strength on my blog report and on here. I just re-read it and apparently my NSC post that evening got over 40 thumbs up. It read:

"When you start with Shamir Fenelon and O’Grady in the Championship where once it was Barnes and Ulloa you are going backwards. When you have to play your reserve right back as a left wing back you are going backwards. When you play another ex-devteam squad player as one of two holding midfielders when his major weakness is tackling you are going backwards. When you no longer have Mathew Upson reading the game and controlling the spine you are going backwards. When your answer to this is to put on an overweight, out of favour player with the pace of a snail on mogadon and who cannot accurately pass a bottle of port you are going backwards."

We are nowhere near that desperate a situation at the moment. IMHO like