New Striker - Tony Bloom

[nwgull]

As above. Two things to remember when voicing frustration at the lack of a loan signing: 1. TB has spent rather a lot already. 2. TB is a Brighton supporter with the club's best interests at heart. If we are not flinging money about it is because, in his calculated opinion, this is not in our best interest.

FWIW, should we be able to field our best XI even as late as January, we have seen how it is more than possible to make the top 6 with a strong finish to the season. There is way too much negativity and I am afraid it does rather smack of the gloryseeker. Leave that to the top 4 club out of town "fans" thanks.

Nice to see a bit of positivity and realism. Further injures aside, we should be able to field our best 11 by early December. That gives more than enough time to put a run together and get into the top 6.

 

[father_and_son]

Watford and, possibly Forest, will make FFP operate much like Tax does. Everyone knows the rules and most play along, avoiding a little here and there but nothing too serious. Then someone discovers a loophole, exploits it for a while until the FL close the loophole. Then another loophole is found and abused for a while.

The benefits of finding the loopholes more than cover the costs of the accountants and lawyers you pay to find them. So it will be a constant battle between the clubs and the FL with one side finding new and inventive ways of breaking the rule [that they all agreed to!] and the other trying to close of each loophole but being at least a season late each time.

Personally I hope that the FL and PL do a deal whereby anyone breaking the rules to gain promotion leave the FL but are refused entry into the PL and end up without a professional league to play in for a season and are only allowed back into the FL at the bottom (as the Scottish League did with Rangers). Suddenly then, every club would have an army of Barber's ensuring they didn't go a penny over their FFP budget!

 

[Mellotron]

I do find it slightly odd though that TB has spent a HUUUGE amount on the stadium and making sure everything top-to-bottom about the club is Prem standard, but not quite being willing to convert the ONLY thing about the club that is not now Prem standard - the squad.

 

[Deleted member 22389]

Watford and, possibly Forest, will make FFP operate much like Tax does. Everyone knows the rules and most play along, avoiding a little here and there but nothing too serious. Then someone discovers a loophole, exploits it for a while until the FL close the loophole. Then another loophole is found and abused for a while.

The benefits of finding the loopholes more than cover the costs of the accountants and lawyers you pay to find them. So it will be a constant battle between the clubs and the FL with one side finding new and inventive ways of breaking the rule [that they all agreed to!] and the other trying to close of each loophole but being at least a season late each time.

Personally I hope that the FL and PL do a deal whereby anyone breaking the rules to gain promotion leave the FL but are refused entry into the PL and end up without a professional league to play in for a season and are only allowed back into the FL at the bottom (as the Scottish League did with Rangers). Suddenly then, every club would have an army of Barber's ensuring they didn't go a penny over their FFP budget!

Actually stopping the club from entering the Premier League for breaking FFP rules is an excellent deterrent.

 

[El Presidente]

I do find it slightly odd though that TB has spent a HUUUGE amount on the stadium and making sure everything top-to-bottom about the club is Prem standard, but not quite being willing to convert the ONLY thing about the club that is not now Prem standard - the squad.

Koosh, Ward, Upson, Crofts and Andrews all have PL experience. Ulloa and Bridcutt were subject to bids from a PL club during the summer. We have spent a further £5 million on CMS, KLL, Hoskins and Buckley.

 

[Mellotron]

Koosh, Ward, Upson, Crofts and Andrews all have PL experience. Ulloa and Bridcutt were subject to bids from a PL club during the summer. We have spent a further £5 million on CMS, KLL, Hoskins and Buckley.

Probably about 40% of the players in the Championship "have PL experience". That's really not much of a point. Our squad does not even closely correllate to our stadium, ST prices, etc.

 

[Joey Jo Jo Jr. Shabadoo]

Koosh, Ward, Upson, Crofts and Andrews all have PL experience. Ulloa and Bridcutt were subject to bids from a PL club during the summer. We have spent a further £5 million on CMS, KLL, Hoskins and Buckley.

Lets not forget that Bruno, Spanish Dave and Ulloa all have top flight experience in Spain. Orlandi has a few Premier League appearances under his belt too.

 

[Betfair Bozo]

I do find it slightly odd though that TB has spent a HUUUGE amount on the stadium and making sure everything top-to-bottom about the club is Prem standard, but not quite being willing to convert the ONLY thing about the club that is not now Prem standard - the squad.

We don't need a Premier League squad, we are not in the Premier League. The one we had last season came within two games of being good enough as it is. We have spent plenty on the playing side anyway, it's pointless comparing budgets with non FFP compliant clubs, those with parachute payments and basket cases. Anyone who truly believes that with all our squad fit we do not have enough to challenge for promotion is a poor judge or a relentless pessimist.

 

[Surf's Up]

Actually stopping the club from entering the Premier League for breaking FFP rules is an excellent deterrent.

Trouble is that clubs like Forest and Watford aren't actually breaking the rules, they're finding ways around them. FFP is doomed to fail, a combination of too many ways around the rules and parachute payments creates a badly ploughed playing field not a level playing field.

 

[Driver8]

Trouble is that clubs like Forest and Watford aren't actually breaking the rules, they're finding ways around them. FFP is doomed to fail, a combination of too many ways around the rules and parachute payments creates a badly ploughed playing field not a level playing field.

Forest are using an inflated sponsorship by their owner which is specifically forbidden in the rules.

 

[El Presidente]

Probably about 40% of the players in the Championship "have PL experience". That's really not much of a point. Our squad does not even closely correllate to our stadium, ST prices, etc.

But it does correlate to the average wage bill in this division, despite being at a disadvantage in terms of parachute payments.

 

[Mutts Nuts]

Yes we do understand it. It's rammed down our throats by the club at every opportunity. Probably more than most clubs.

Tony now realises that not spending money on the team in the first two years at the Amex will cost him dearly in the long term,he will now have to bankroll the club permanently as with financial fair play in place BHA will never have the income to finance a team capable of promotion to the PL.We will not continue to get gates of over 25,000 as we have been ,slowly over the next 3 to 4 years the average gate will drop to around 18.000,i cannot believe we are still relying on a 4th division striker that cost 40,000 for our goals and a 4th division sweaty sock as our captain

 

[Albion Dan]

Tony now realises that not spending money on the team in the first two years at the Amex will cost him dearly in the long term

I must have completely imagined the complete overhaul of the playing squad and several million pounds worth of signings we made in the last two years....

 

[Seagull over Canaryland]

We spent £2m on Ulloa last January and there were suggestions we might have been looking to spend a similar amount on VvD a couple of months later. The Club have subsequently stated we have a similar transfer budget this season.

However I guess there are some unexpected factors that may have slightly complicated our spending plans:

1. Gus's departure and having to set aside a potential compensation package (hopefully that may no longer be the case now he has another job)
2. Failing to get promoted into the Prem and now falling foul of FFP in the Championship
3. The right calibre of player not being available within a price range we are willing to afford
4. Oscar's appointment on the eve of the new season and having to evaluate the squad and where he sees areas of weakness
5. We may have moved some players on to create room within the transfer budget but I wonder if a good chunk of this is now going on wages for Upson, Andrews, Ward, Conway and Kemy who were all on Prem or top Championship wage deals. Plus as some have suggested a contingency to offer Bridcutt and Ulloa better deals should other Clubs come sniffing around them (Gus included) in January
6. An injury crisis that got worse rather than better after the transfer window closed, so limiting us to loan options

Most of those factors have now been addressed or are under control and maybe we will still be in a position to bring in loanees and still spend in the transfer window.

 

[DavidinSouthampton]

We spent £2m on Ulloa last January and there were suggestions we might have been looking to spend a similar amount on VvD a couple of months later. The Club have subsequently stated we have a similar transfer budget this season.

However I guess there are some unexpected factors that may have slightly complicated our spending plans:

1. Gus's departure and having to set aside a potential compensation package (hopefully that may no longer be the case now he has another job)
2. Failing to get promoted into the Prem and now falling foul of FFP in the Championship
3. The right calibre of player not being available within a price range we are willing to afford
4. Oscar's appointment on the eve of the new season and having to evaluate the squad and where he sees areas of weakness
5. We may have moved some players on to create room within the transfer budget but I wonder if a good chunk of this is now going on wages for Upson, Andrews, Ward, Conway and Kemy who were all on Prem or top Championship wage deals. Plus as some have suggested a contingency to offer Bridcutt and Ulloa better deals should other Clubs come sniffing around them (Gus included) in January
6. An injury crisis that got worse rather than better after the transfer window closed, so limiting us to loan options

Most of those factors have now been addressed or are under control and maybe we will still be in a position to bring in loanees and still spend in the transfer window.

Thanks for some sensible input.

 

[kevtherev]

I do find it slightly odd though that TB has spent a HUUUGE amount on the stadium and making sure everything top-to-bottom about the club is Prem standard, but not quite being willing to convert the ONLY thing about the club that is not now Prem standard - the squad.

The squad was prem standard last season. 18 draws and missing out by four points, shows this and if we are all honest we all know we were a better side than Palace, just not on the mystery night. I don't think there is a lot wrong with the squad from keeper/ defence and through the midfield. We are a top quality striker away from a top six or maybe bottom six side. Very fine lines in this division.

 

[Papa Lazarou]

Rather than starting a new thread - I thought I'd resurrect this one.

If we're going to get a striker in, it's going to be in the next few days (giving time to train with the team before Saturday).

So, have any of our 'in the know' people heard anything? I've not.

 

[Albumen]

Obika is back training so I'm not looking further than him (or Vellios).

 

[Papa Lazarou]

Obika is back training so I'm not looking further than him (or Vellios).

Who's Vellios?

 

[Mellotron]

But it does correlate to the average wage bill in this division, despite being at a disadvantage in terms of parachute payments.

Yet our spending on facilities is MUCH higher than "the average in this division". That's my point. We're spending shitloads on everything EXCEPT the thing that will get us to the Prem.

Our stadium and facilities are apparently more on a par with a club like, say, Spurs. Seems like a waste of money to me, slightly.