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Is this who you were talking about earlier in the thread??
Me? I'd be dead chuffed if it is.
no sir
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New player imminent (Kemy Agustein - Swansea) according to The Argus
- Thread starter clippedgull
- Start date
no sir
Meade's Ball
Well-known member
I think we'll get 4 or 5 players in. A few with the experience necessary to not need enormous training, ready for the job at hand, and a couple of rising stars from bigger clubs on loan who'll bring the unexpected to proceedings. The Mourinho friendship could be to our advantage, and their litany of intercontinental youngsters with undoubted potential could be of great use. Each year we're looking to improve, so whilst it's impossible to get someone of the level of Bridge, we will surely be looking for a squad on the whole finer than last year's. This means some quality, bargains in their right undoubtedly in comparison to the bigger spenders, to add to the spine of an established core. To the battlers we have who oughtn't fluster, some invaluable natural touch is a must, for me, to upgrade our skill level that bit and have that bit extra to break teams who come to defend.
Ninja Elephant
Doctor Elephant
- Feb 16, 2009
- 18,855
Why would you assume that? Why would we need that many players coming in?
People are living in a dream world thinking we NEED 5. We don't, we finished 4th last season, our squad isn't needing a mass overhaul. We have only lost the loanees, it's a different story if we'd sold a couple and had gaps to fill, but we don't. There's a gaping hole at left back, and probably central midfield too. That's it for me and I'd be happy.
Are the "5 signings" merchants utterly opposed to bringing youth players through?
No.
But they are probably sceptical about including players like Adgestein, Barker, and Dickenson in our 'final squad' given they have done nothing of note as yet. Barker and Dickenson have been on loan in the lower leagues, Barker couldn't even make it in a dreadful league two side, and has yet to feature for the first team. Barker looked out of his depth in all of the games I saw him in last season, and didn't look like scoring in any. They aren't enough for a top 3/4 side in this division.
TSB
Captain Hindsight
?! Barker played in the last ten minutes of a few games when we were chasing. Infact, he won us a penalty in that time. The hell do you expect?
Dickenson did really well on loan to a club a division below and has looked sharp in our friendlies.
If Oscar didn't rate those two in particular then they'd have been with the DS. Just MAYBE our coach knows a little more about potential than you do.
yxee
Well-known member
Barker has probably played 20 minutes of football at the end of the games, and more than that he was played on the wing when he's a striker. I don't care how he played (I thought he made a couple of decent runs), that is not enough to make any kind of judgement.
hard to tell.
Still think Adgestein has something about him. Every DS highlights I watch he has some great skills.
High hopes for March as well.
JFC was not great at Oxford though which suprised me but you see it all the time when top players go on loan purely to gain experience. Not worth reading into how they did to much.
Not saying I know more than he does, simply that saying signing more players is "a waste" is silly given how unproven some of our squad is, considering what we want to achieve this season. Please do read posts more carefully before quoting.
Barker went on loan to Barnet, and was sent back early.
Dickenson went on loan to Chesterfield, and knowing a STH, I was told he did effectively nothing bar scoring a half decent goal early on. They're hardly players you'd be comfortable relying on for a top end Championship squad, and if we get an injury to Barnes or Ulloa, we will be relying on them.
I think the whole reason why Oscar took these players to Spain like Barker, Adgestein, March and Dickenson was to really assess them. It seems to me that these are the pick of the DS squad. After every game the first team play, the video of that game is played back with the coach/coaches and players present, good and bad points are looked at and scrutinised. The DS players can only be judged on performances against weaker opposition. So now Oscar has had a look at these DS players amongst and playing with the first team squad.
My guess is that he feels these DS lads are not quite ready, and that is why after the get together in Spain he has pointed out he needs 4/5 players.
I would hazard a guess that only one of the DS squad is ready, that i think would be Solly March.
My guess is that he feels these DS lads are not quite ready, and that is why after the get together in Spain he has pointed out he needs 4/5 players.
I would hazard a guess that only one of the DS squad is ready, that i think would be Solly March.
Ninja Elephant
Doctor Elephant
- Feb 16, 2009
- 18,855
You have to include them as we're paying for them and we are hell bent on living within our means.
If we could go out tomorrow and sign Bridge, Noone, Agustien, Trotter and Simon Cox then nobody would complain. But where's the money coming from? Why did the club pull the special bus services? Why did they cut back the number of staff at the Amex on a matchday? Why have ticket prices gone up?
We all know what the shortfall is, and that we're rightly trying to bridge the gap and run at a sustainable loss. To then go out and sign copious amounts of players would be nothing short of ridiculous. Like pinching every penny and then buying an extravagent car, it doesn't work. It doesn't. Either we are being financially conscious and not looking to have a fleet of Ryan Harley's draining the wage budget and contributing nothing, or we don't care and we'll sign 5 new players and put ANOTHER block in front of JFC, March, Dickensen, Maksimenko, Ince, Richards, Barker and Agdestein. All of whom, by the way, are also being paid every week.
FFP isn't just for when it suits and the days of massive squads and to hell with it are gone. Either we move on Harley and Hoskins, or they hang like a medallion around our necks and swallowing up the funds we could ve using on a Trotter or a Cox. Players who would be in the side and challenging for places every game. If they don't move on, then we'll have to make do.
I stand by my original statement, left back and central midfielder are required to plug the gaps and that is it for me.
If we could go out tomorrow and sign Bridge, Noone, Agustien, Trotter and Simon Cox then nobody would complain. But where's the money coming from? Why did the club pull the special bus services? Why did they cut back the number of staff at the Amex on a matchday? Why have ticket prices gone up?
We all know what the shortfall is, and that we're rightly trying to bridge the gap and run at a sustainable loss. To then go out and sign copious amounts of players would be nothing short of ridiculous. Like pinching every penny and then buying an extravagent car, it doesn't work. It doesn't. Either we are being financially conscious and not looking to have a fleet of Ryan Harley's draining the wage budget and contributing nothing, or we don't care and we'll sign 5 new players and put ANOTHER block in front of JFC, March, Dickensen, Maksimenko, Ince, Richards, Barker and Agdestein. All of whom, by the way, are also being paid every week.
FFP isn't just for when it suits and the days of massive squads and to hell with it are gone. Either we move on Harley and Hoskins, or they hang like a medallion around our necks and swallowing up the funds we could ve using on a Trotter or a Cox. Players who would be in the side and challenging for places every game. If they don't move on, then we'll have to make do.
I stand by my original statement, left back and central midfielder are required to plug the gaps and that is it for me.
TSB
Captain Hindsight
Agreed.
'Fleet of Ryan Harley's'
If the youngsters get game time against Crawley, Villareal and Norwich then we'll know what he's made of them.
Barbers interview goes against this though as he stated that playing budget would not be cut
TSB
Captain Hindsight
Not cut, but spent more wisely perhaps? Rather than a last-ditch panic like Dobbie.
Ninja Elephant
Doctor Elephant
- Feb 16, 2009
- 18,855
Agreed.
'Fleet of Ryan Harley's'
If the youngsters get game time against Crawley, Villareal and Norwich then we'll know what he's made of them.
The thought keeps me up at night. We could end up with a QPR type squad, so many players you forget who is who. They are a MESS. Who wants that? Tight and neat little squad is the way forward. We used 43 players in 2008/2009. I remember threads shortly afterward challenging people to name them all. It was a real struggle even for a total anorak like me. Damn you, Al Bangura!
Not be cut, sure. So we kept Greer and El-Abd, re-signed Upson. Retained Hoskins. Chicksen's wage is covered by the percentage of Bridge's wages we picked up, with a bit left spare presumably. So we essentially have the wages of Dave, Vicente, Sparrow and Dicker to play with. Dave and Vicente may have been on top dollar, but Dicker and Sparrow wouldn't have been. If we sign Agustien, I would suggest we have a small bit left over from Dave and Vicente plus the Sparrow and Dicker wages to cover the left back.
Damn, I forgot Dobbie! Who was on a WEDGE. Maybe there is room for 3 then, financially.
jamie the seagull
Well-known member
- Jul 27, 2011
- 2,803
Joel Lynch.
B.W.
New member
- Jul 5, 2003
- 13,666
I don't think anyone on this thread is way off the mark. We've already signed Chicksen, so that's one of the 4/5 Oscar is talking about. Min 3 more for me - LB (effectively Bridge replacement), CM (Hammond replacement, probably Agustein), and an experienced attacking midfielder (someone like David). THe 5th would be another forward if it happens, but this would be a lower priority IMHO.
The Brighton Buzz
Falmer here we come
- Jan 31, 2008
- 1,277
On the basis of who comes thru from DS, who do you think of the first team players from last year will play themselves OUT of OG's plans in pre season. Normally there are some players that do not fit in with the new manager. Unless he can be more consistent I think Buckley may be at risk, together with Lua Lua and possibly Crofts. I think everyone has started with a clean sheet with OG and the DS will be given more opportunities by him, either on the bench or starting, but I don't think it is a given that last years senior players will all feature when the season starts proper.