Ready for a reprise of #BrightonNil?
Sami said same thing, not fooling for it twice
Stop talking, start closing the gaps in our squad.
Splendid irony.
You do realise he was being INTERVIEWED right?
It's not like we were about to close a deal and Chris stood up from the player negotiation and said "sorry chaps. I just need to go and tell everyone we will be ready for the season"
I have a lot more faith in Hughton, whom I consider a safe pair of hands, than I did with Sami. With Sami, I remember very little transfer activity followed by the ominous "I only wants to sign players who will improve his squad." Now, other than the loan signing of Tex, and the additions of Stockdale and Baldock (both decent) the majority were bench warmers. Danny Holla, Paddy McCourt, Adrian Colunga, Chris O'Grady, Nzuzi Toko. Did they improve the squad or swallow up valuable wages? How many top Championship players could we have had with the combined wages of Holla/McCourt/Colunga? Of course you never know, we could have signed a massive flop and hindsight is a wonderful thing. However, I think it's true to say that towards the end there was just a definite sense of desperation transfer wise. I honestly don't think we could identify the right players and if we could I don't think we were able to find the fee they'd command. The fee will be an issue for the foreseeable for clubs like us, but I'm confident Hughton knows what a good Championship player looks like.
I'm much more comfortable with Hughton's methods. I'm a little sad to be seeing the end of a tippy-tappy 433 but if Hughton thinks his strengths as a manager lies with a 442 then that's his decision to make. He knows what players work in that system and he's working hard to fill the gaps. We're in for a transitional period - Poyet's team have either moved on or got old - Sami's team? Well the less said about them the better. I don't think this will be a season for "We're f***ing brilliant" or "Hughton out!" chants. It'll see us guide to a steady midtable position and build. That kind of talk doesn't sell season tickets of course but I'd be surprised if that wasn't Blooms expectation for the coming campaign. Give Hughton a couple of seasons to get the squad he wants together. He's got teams out of this league before and I think he'll see us promoted - just not this season.
"The time for talking is done! IT'S TIME FOR ACTION!"
"Er, you're in a press conference"
"The time for talking is not quite done yet!"