[Albion] January window

[Sid and the Sharknados]

Football is all about the 'what might happen if / has happened because'' its not a science its a lottery ....

I think it's reasonable to say that if, as a top division side, you end up depending on a CB on loan from another club in the same league, your squad management could have gone better.
But it's inevitable that things go wrong occasionally. Football's also a game of mistakes, as we've been frequently reminded.

 

[Zeberdi]

Not dismissing him at all - I would rather keep him and play him... I know its still early for Undav but he really has not looked to on the pace. I arrived late on Sunday so never saw the subs ... I would have played him as the sub for Wellbeck....

Ferguson he seems to have dropped out of our first team squad so you might be right

I was just responding to your above statement in response to the suggestion that Fergie should be considered as a loan option - I simply said he was doing well in the U21s and that I wouldn’t dismiss him as loan material (and that he was on the bench Sunday) , I wasn’t accusing you of anything!

 

[macbeth]

Undoubtedly there were discussions around the Strategic operation of the club, and you're right that RDZ will have ambitions outside of the Albion. Nevertheless, DeZerbi is now in the building. Like Potter, his reputation can grow in Sussex. But he appears (on the outside) to run hotter than any manger since Poyet. Even with limited, but improving, English he's talking this club up. He'll know that Brighton will accept correct approaches for any of their talent, but he'll also understand that deals will only proceed if valuations are met and, crucially, it's right for the club. The 'right for the club' bit is where intuitively it feels like RDZ will be more strident. And a more strident voice at the heart of the decision making, gives the club another parameter when balancing what's right when accepting or rejecting approaches

well yes, obviously none of us know what went on behind the scenes but I also bet good money that RDZ would have less problems disagreeing with the board than potter might have, purely based on their apparent temperaments. and yes I also agree that Tony's view on what's right for the club may be partially dictated on maintaining a happy relationship with the head coach. though what I will say is that I think RDZ is smart enough to voice his opinion without letting it comprise the working relationship between him and the board, a la poyet, as while there is obviously still going to be a 'budget', I can't see bloom and barber making RDZ rely on pocket change alone

 

[um bongo molongo]

no chance but it would be nice, wouldn't it...

You’re right there’s no chance…but…
£40-50m in for Trossard and then spent on this guy wouldn’t be the worst thing. And it’s always been said money is available for the ‘right player’…

It’s not going to happen though!

 

[Swansman]

Maybe in the Summer. Unless we can find a decent replacement in January - which is not totally impossible.


It is definitely our model though - get Sanchez for nothing when young, loan him him out, get 2-3 years 1st team service and then sell for mega cash amounts.

The key is getting top money and not selling too many at once - the Mac Allister contract has somewhat helped in this respect, but I still expect Trossard, Caicedo and Sanchez may be our next big departures.

Not to forget Mitoma. Think he could be the new Cucurella in that sense.

 

[Machiavelli]

I’m convinced that Newcastle will be coming in very hard (with the Maddison money) for Tross in January. That’s £50m+.

If TB accepts, we’d need a pretty special player to replace him and his goals.

There are multiple assumptions in here:
1, Newcastle were in for Maddison
2, they no longer are
3, they'll use that money to spend on Trossard
FWIW, my hunch is that 1 is true, and 2 isn't and therefore 3 doesn't come into it.

The broader point I'd make, however, is that, when it comes to our transfer business, the wiser option is not to make assumptions; the club just do what they think is right according to an entirely different set of criteria than the lesser mortals on NSC.

 

[Wardy's twin]

I think it's reasonable to say that if, as a top division side, you end up depending on a CB on loan from another club in the same league, your squad management could have gone better.
But it's inevitable that things go wrong occasionally. Football's also a game of mistakes, as we've been frequently reminded.

Agree regards squad management and that it not desirable to be dependent on a loanee but I don't think they should be written off as an option either. dare I say it Palace probably did not go down last season because of Gallagher , it gave them time and another year in PL to get a replacement. Big hole when he left I agree but same type of issue with Cucurella.

 

[Wardy's twin]

I was just responding to your above statement in response to the suggestion that Fergie should be considered as a loan option - I simply said he was doing well in the U21s and that I wouldn’t dismiss him as loan material (and that he was on the bench Sunday) , I wasn’t accusing you of anything!

... never like the word accussing... I was just clarifying what i said (i think).

 

[GT49er]

Well, mainly to get these guys to play some football since they aren't really playing any.

Game time isn't the point - development is. A loan out for Van Hecke or Gilmour to the Championship would only make sense if we were putting them in the shop window for a cheap sale to that league like Clarke and Molumby - but hopefully we're not. Sarmiento has obviously had minutes in the first team, with every expectation he will get some more (or will attract offers from abroad if he has a good WC).
Ferguson, as I said, OK, but not essential.

 

[GT49er]

Yeah. If Brighton are comfortable with selling their starting goalkeeper mid-season and Man Utd, Chelsea or some other team feel that De Gea/Kepa/whoever is too bad to be in goal for another 6 months and are 100% convinced Sanchez is better, then it could happen.

Both of these things strike me as very unlikely however.

£60 or £70M Brighton probably would be very comfortable with it.

 

[giveusfalmerplease]

I’m convinced that Newcastle will be coming in very hard (with the Maddison money) for Tross in January. That’s £50m+.

If TB accepts, we’d need a pretty special player to replace him and his goals.

Maybe we can get Burn back in part exchange?

 

[Swansman]

Game time isn't the point - development is. A loan out for Van Hecke or Gilmour to the Championship would only make sense if we were putting them in the shop window for a cheap sale to that league like Clarke and Molumby - but hopefully we're not. Sarmiento has obviously had minutes in the first team, with every expectation he will get some more (or will attract offers from abroad if he has a good WC).
Ferguson, as I said, OK, but not essential.

Ör if the club/players feel that "playing some football could be good for these guys".

 

[GT49er]

Ör if the club/players feel that "playing some football could be good for these guys".

Nope. They'll be looking for game time at home - and justifiably so.

 

[Mancgull]

I see the midfielder Davide Frattesi is being linked. Maybe the Mwepu replacement? Also would acknowledge the fact that we are likely to lose Moises in the next 12 months.
He’d be a seriously good addition. Full Italian international. Well known to Roberto. Roma also interested.
Would cost circa £20m so not cheap, but a possibility?

 

[macbeth]

It wouldn’t surprise me if David Datro Fofana was on our short list. He’s been impressing at Molde this season; quick and knows where the back of the net is, but at 19 he’s still one that needs time to develop. Perfect for a loan to USG.

well done to you

 

[Pavilionaire]

Datro Fofana looks an interesting striker. If we are grooming Ferguson to be Welbeck's replacement then Fofana could be Undav's replacement if the Albion decide to get rid.

With players like Mitoma, Enciso, Sarmiento, Adingra, Buonanotte and Moran set to provide the Albion with width and dribbling ability it seems strange to be going for a striker who himself likes to drop deep and dribble with the ball. You would think we would be looking for a target man to hold the ball up and bring these players into play.

 

[jcdenton08]

This would be a loan back deal, I suspect.

 

[andy1980]

We can only loan out 8 players abroad and we have used up that quota. I can see us selling Zequri and Karbownik and recalling Alzate.if we find buyers but until something like that happens no youngster (or Undav) is being loaned out abroad.

 

[Hugo Rune]

Datro Fofana looks an interesting striker. If we are grooming Ferguson to be Welbeck's replacement then Fofana could be Undav's replacement if the Albion decide to get rid.

With players like Mitoma, Enciso, Sarmiento, Adingra, Buonanotte and Moran set to provide the Albion with width and dribbling ability it seems strange to be going for a striker who himself likes to drop deep and dribble with the ball. You would think we would be looking for a target man to hold the ball up and bring these players into play.

I think signing a ‘target man’ profile player has long gone from the club’s radar. Both Potter and De Zerbi expect a lot more from their number 9 than just standing up front and scoring from time to time. Trossard is a great example of what they are looking for.

So Fofana fits the profile for me. However, I would hope that his finishing is the most important metric the scouts are looking at above his all round play.

Also, I know that Man City have started playing with a target man who rarely gets more than a dozen touches of the ball. They are a progressive team who have won multiple trophies without a target man under Pep, but their current one is the best No.9 of all time and is ‘not of this world’.

 

[Pavilionaire]

I think signing a ‘target man’ profile player has long gone from the club’s radar. Both Potter and De Zerbi expect a lot more from their number 9 than just standing up front and scoring from time to time. Trossard is a great example of what they are looking for.

So Fofana fits the profile for me. However, I would hope that his finishing is the most important metric the scouts are looking at above his all round play.

Also, I know that Man City have started playing with a target man who rarely gets more than a dozen touches of the ball. They are a progressive team who have won multiple trophies without a target man under Pep, but their current one is the best No.9 of all time and is ‘not of this world’.

It doesn't make sense to me. We had a succession of mobile strikers - Maupay, Andone, Connolly, Undav - and none of them have looked particularly well-suited or comfortable in the systems we've played, whilst Welbeck DOES look suited, yet the 'target man' continues to be looked down upon.

The Premier League is quick and it's physical, and strikers that can defend corners are also useful to have. I will be interested to see Brereton-Diaz in the Prem to see whether he can perform well at that level.