I was on the fence until Ward ...

[Westdene Seagull]

... 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.

 

[dazzer6666]

Or a club with relatively limitless funds offers him (via his agent) a much higher salary........

 

[Mancgull]

Or a club with relatively limitless funds offers him (via his agent) a much higher salary........

But we could have signed him up in June. If then we were outmanoeuvred we would have had a couple of months to sort a replacement. Now we have two weeks.

 

[Sergio Garcia]

View attachment 57358

 

[Sergio Garcia]

View attachment 57358

Sorry, wrong thread....the moments gone

 

[Bladders]

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

 

[Westdene Seagull]

But we could have signed him up in June. If then we were outmanoeuvred we would have had a couple of months to sort a replacement. Now we have two weeks.

EXACTLY but apparently we won't discuss deals until the end of June.

 

[One Teddy Maybank]

But we could have signed him up in June. If then we were outmanoeuvred we would have had a couple of months to sort a replacement. Now we have two weeks.

This what bugs me. We knew after Derby we needed a LB, surely the club should have struck then and got the player in. All this lastminute.com nonsense is not working...... It also stitches the manager up in terms of preparation.

If this is our strategy, then as much as I am thankful to Tony Bloom, somebody needs to stand up to him and tell him it is not the way forward. Even if we get 4 gems in this week, I will feel the same way. Pre-season is about preparation, you cannot do it successfully with half a team.

 

[Luke93]

Every transfer window has its ups and downs, we've just been unfortunate to have more of the 'downs' at once. I'm waiting for September the first to pass judgment on our squad and season's prospects. It's unfair to judge now, as it's just a snapshot in time. There is, of course, plenty of time to sign players before the deadline (2012 we signed lots if players late on). I still believe we're only 5-6 quality players away from a competitive squad.

 

[Nobby's Betamax Video]

Likewise. Love BHA but getting worried now.

massive appreciation for the stadium, academy & play offs. But big crowds, high prices getting higher & quality being sold without adequate replacement so far smacks of another agenda. The fans who saved the club, paid top dollar for Withdean, campaigned for the stadium and now commit to season tickets should be paid the courtesy of an explanation.

 

[Simster]

But we could have signed him up in June. If then we were outmanoeuvred we would have had a couple of months to sort a replacement. Now we have two weeks.

Exactly this. There are no two ways about it, we decided to penny pinch and we've lost a quality player.

In hindsight this really was a fcking stupid thing to do with a senior player. He won't be adequately replaced and that's a fact.

 

[Lawson]

Ward is 28 (about to turn 29) and if he is willing to pull a stunt like he did today then sod him. i had personally hoped we would go for someone younger, as Ward, Dunk, Hughes and Bruno will all have to be replaced if we were to get promoted, you cannot go up with this old defence.

 

[Miami Seagull]

Yet another f up by the recruitment team. Are they still doing an excellent job Tony?

 

[Paskman]

Ward is 28 (about to turn 29) and if he is willing to pull a stunt like he did today then sod him. i had personally hoped we would go for someone younger, as Ward, Dunk, Hughes and Bruno will all have to be replaced if we were to get promoted, you cannot go up with this old defence.

Dunk - old?

 

[Simster]

Or a club with relatively limitless funds offers him (via his agent) a much higher salary........

Wake up. Burnley have gazumped us because they couldn't find anyone better all summer for the wages they are prepared to pay. With three days to go before the Premier league season starts, they've seen a decent performer is available and have probably offered a much better deal than he was expecting to receive - no messing, just get him in.

And now we are in the sh!t.

 

[Luke93]

This what bugs me. We knew after Derby we needed a LB, surely the club should have struck then and got the player in. All this lastminute.com nonsense is not working...... It also stitches the manager up in terms of preparation.

If this is our strategy, then as much as I am thankful to Tony Bloom, somebody needs to stand up to him and tell him it is not the way forward. Even if we get 4 gems in this week, I will feel the same way. Pre-season is about preparation, you cannot do it successfully with half a team.

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.

 

[Lawson]

Dunk - old?

Dunk isn't a starter for us, i sincerely hope we make him a fixture each week to try and overcome his stagnation that was a result of Poyet's ineptitude when it came to youth players.

 

[Prettyboyshaw]

Should have signed him up at the end of the season, he loved it down here, his wife was gutted to go back and wanted to stay. Instead we tried to get hi as cheap as possible and have ****ed up another deal. Well done you ****ing morons.

 

[jimhigham]

I agree. This is the incident that really does make me concerned.

Now Tony has made his millions by being a shrewd operator and I am 100% certain that he thinks he knows what he is doing and is doing so for the best of the club BUT...

...it doesn't seem to be terribly sensible to be so reliant on doing all of our business in the last two weeks. Clubs are going to know that we are becoming increasingly desperate and that is only going to drive up the price being demanded of us, particularly when it is well known that we theoretically have money in the pot. There is a real risk that we are going to be priced out of the market and Tony, being no fool, won't pay up.

Fingers crossed that Tony has some aces up his sleeve.

 

[Paskman]

Dunk isn't a starter for us, i sincerely hope we make him a fixture each week to try and overcome his stagnation that was a result of Poyet's ineptitude when it came to youth players.

I wonder if he is any good at left back?