I was on the fence until Ward ...

[Peterrhodes]

Am sick of excuses from the club. I regularly appoint staff to roles which their is few people qualified in the area. As a result I have to advertise for short periods, move quickly, consider a higher package and adapt my budgets and occasionally over staff to ensure I am fully covered. As a few have said they knew who they were releasing in may. They should have acted then regards ward as they have no back up in this area. They shouldn't have released as many players without back up players to cover in case of difficulty recruiting where they had no replacement already on the books and need to target players they can afford rather than players who the market has now shown were out of their financial grasp. This is simple mid management and I'm sick of being told that we don't understand how difficult it is. If I had missed this many targets, was this under prepared and so many of my clientele were unhappy if be looking for another job already.

 

[One Teddy Maybank]

In all fairness, this strategy has worked perfectly fine for two seasons. Two seasons which saw Brighton finish 4th and 6th, with only a mid-table budget. It's not how I'd run things though, but they're the ones being paid to do it.

So was Dobbie a good deadline day signing then? Dean Hammond? Was Lopez good second time around? Arguably if we had prepared properly the first two times we may have gone up automatically (though I accept, that is very hypothetical).

Then of course when we don't succeed we are left with world beaters like Obika and Rodriguez....... Like you, its not what I'd do either........

 

[Luke93]

No one here knows why we didn't go for Ward though. I highly doubt it was to save a bit if money. Maybe we didn't go for him initially because we didn't have a manager, and we waited to see what players the new manger wanted. Since Sami arrived, we might of had different priorities.

Personally though, I would have snapped Ward up ASAP. :/

 

[Lawson]

I wonder if he is any good at left back?

It would certainly be an interesting question although i am not sure he would possess the offensive qualities we favour in a left-back. i would rather see Chicksen in the line-up than Calderon however, we should endeavour to play players in their right position and he has been decent enough when i have seen him. Build up confidence and give him some experience, and we could see him develop to a solid championship left back. The lack of faith placed in some of our players troubles me and wonders why we signed them if we won't play them when their chance appears.

 

[Luke93]

So was Dobbie a good deadline day signing then? Dean Hammond? Was Lopez good second time around? Arguably if we had prepared properly the first two times we may have gone up automatically (though I accept, that is very hypothetical).

Then of course when we don't succeed we are left with world beaters like Obika and Rodriguez....... Like you, its not what I'd do either........

It's all hindsight though. At the time, those players could of been fantastic signings, they all had the potential to be. The only thing we can judge objectively is that season's outcome, and that outcome was successful.

 

[Wrong-Direction]

... but now I do have to seriously wonder what the hell the club are doing ? How on earth do you fail to sign a player that isn't wanted at their home club, has been playing for us for a while and has already agreed personal terms ?

I can only guess that we try too hard to drive down the price and deal to a point it drags the process out long enough for other clubs to sneak in.

Maybe he had a quick look on NSC...

 

[One Teddy Maybank]

It's all hindsight though. At the time, those players could of been fantastic signings, they all had the potential to be. The only thing we can judge objectively is that season's outcome, and that outcome was successful.

You see, that's where we differ because that first year particularly, although we made the play-off's, was that really a success considering how weak the division was? Dropped points early on at Hull and elsewhere that would have seen us up.

I would agree last season was, but that was mainly because we were a poor team and still managed to crawl over the finish line.

 

[Simster]

Quite frankly I don't want players at this club who think it is acceptable to agree terms and then go somewhere else. I don't care how good they are.

Why? That's the point of a contract. Loads of people do exactly this in their own industry, it's hardly unique to football.

 

[Luke93]

You see, that's where we differ because that first year particularly, although we made the play-off's, was that really a success considering how weak the division was? Dropped points early on at Hull and elsewhere that would have seen us up.

I would agree last season was, but that was mainly because we were a poor team and still managed to crawl over the finish line.

I think you're over-exaggerating a lot though. We were not a bad team at all. We may have been boring, but our shape and defensive qualities were superb. That was down to the players brought in too. There's still every chance that we'll replicate that, but it's looking less and less likely.

 

[Simster]

Well I hope I never come across slimeballs like that. If you agree to go somewhere you go there. Do people not have any morals at all!?

I think you're being naive. Plenty of companies won't hesitate to sack you and drop you in the shit if they need to lose numbers and you're cheap to bin. That's the world we live in, and that's why morals can do one when choosing an employer in this day and age.

 

[Thunder Bolt]

I wonder if he is any good at left back?

Hughes is.

 

[Bean]

Well I hope I never come across slimeballs like that. If you agree to go somewhere you go there. Do people not have any morals at all!?

There are no morals in football, only money.

 

[One Teddy Maybank]

I think you're over-exaggerating a lot though. We were not a bad team at all. We may have been boring, but our shape and defensive qualities were superb. That was down to the players brought in too. There's still every chance that we'll replicate that, but it's looking less and less likely.

Would love it if you are right. On paper we still have a fair side, but we are lacking 'that something special'.

In terms of last year, sorry but that was us going backwards for me, I offer you the Barnsley, Ipswich, Middlesboro and Blackpool home games, plus countless others I've forgotten.

 

[Luke93]

Would love it if you are right. On paper we still have a fair side, but we are lacking 'that something special'.

In terms of last year, sorry but that was us going backwards for me, I offer you the Barnsley, Ipswich, Middlesboro and Blackpool home games, plus countless others I've forgotten.

I agree it was regression, but we were not a bad side (but had subpar players). Bad teams don't finish a seasons (of 46 games!) in 6th!

 

[One Teddy Maybank]

I agree it was regression, but we were not a bad side (but had subpar players). Bad teams don't finish a seasons (of 46 games!) in 6th!

Apparently they do ........ Just embarrassing for the ones who finished below us!

I think the Derby game showed us for the level we were at.

 

[GreersElbow]

It's called the transfer market. It's how it works

Real insightful, very much like the rest of your posts. Now, what other clubs trying to leave it to last minute to trying and haggle a much, much lower deal rather than pay a small fee in a position we were pretty desperate to fill. From reports, the Wolves fee wasn't even big, but the club trying to grab a bargain shot themselves in the foot.

 

[marshy68]

Sorry no excuses the club have really ****ed up here. If this is Burke doing a great job I really hope he doesn't start doing a bad one. Think the club will lose a lot of moderate fans faith with this one.

 

[fat old seagull]

Well I'm hanging on in with TB, PB and DB until the curtain falls. TB made what I see as a promise that we would be happy by the END of the Transfer period.
That said, I am surprised and disappointed that they are leaving themselves so open to criticism with their procrastination. And if, as seems the way, Ward is off to Burnley after we have had him in our pocket for months, my faith in them is being sorely tested.
Without knowing exactly what went on with the Ward Saga it's difficult to point the finger. And though I often understand the Clubs reluctance to keep us up to date, this does leave them open to accusations of full scale dereliction of this seasons transfer dealings.
Anyway time will tell, and they've not got much of it left to pull something out of the bag.

 

[7:18]

I've got a funny feeling that Ward will end up with us after all...nothing to go by, just wouldn't be surprised after all of this if there was another twist!

 

[Jim Van Winkle]

Same old story rummaging around in the bargain basement bin come the end of the transfer window. We need 3 or 4 maybe 5 white rabbits pulled out of a magic hat if this season is to go anywhere.