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[Albion] Our squad depth is utterly incredible right now











Bozza

You can change this
Helpful Moderator
Jul 4, 2003
57,294
Back in Sussex
But true.

"Fulham have signed Brighton winger Anthony Knockaert on a season-long loan, with a view to a permanent deal."

"The clubs have agreed an undisclosed fee for Knockaert, with a permanent move to Scott Parker's side expected to go through next summer."

...and he's only been on the bench for their last two league games, although he did make it on both times.
 


GT49er

Well-known member
NSC Patron
Feb 1, 2009
49,186
Gloucester
Incorrect. The club and Potter ****ed up royally. They let Knocky, Andone and Locadia go out on loan with literally no thought or contingency in place, and soon after the totally unnecessary sacking of Chris Hughton. I know, because I read it on here.

To be fair, you probably agreed with at least some of that at the time.
 




Stat Brother

Well-known member
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Jul 11, 2003
73,888
West west west Sussex
To be fair, you probably agreed with at least some of that at the time.

"There's no way we can score enough goals with just Championship, Off-side & The Kid"...







... How many you say?
 




blue-shifted

Banned
Feb 20, 2004
7,645
a galaxy far far away
But true.

"Fulham have signed Brighton winger Anthony Knockaert on a season-long loan, with a view to a permanent deal."

"The clubs have agreed an undisclosed fee for Knockaert, with a permanent move to Scott Parker's side expected to go through next summer."

Expected to sign yes, but I’d put it down as a probability rather than a certainty.

There are all sorts of permutations. If he picks up a serious injury or fails to impress, Fulham may well decide not to proceed. Then we have to integrate him back or find another buyer who will give us the £10m we want and probably at least match his current wage.

It could go the other way, he impresses and other teams may come in for him, creating a bidding war.

Fulham being promoted or us being relegated could also change the dynamic.

The fact that Knocky is still attending Albion away games says to me, that if there are Albion fans who long to see him back in the stripes next season, it’s not 100% impossible.
 




blue-shifted

Banned
Feb 20, 2004
7,645
a galaxy far far away
To be fair, you probably agreed with at least some of that at the time.

Well yes, hindsight is wonderful and there's plenty of people trying to look smart on the back of it. When the transfer window was closed Connolly and Alzate were unproven but promising players. Their progress has been as astonishing (probably to them as well) as it was welcome. Those two integrating successfully in the side was far from certain, as it is with all young players starting in the Premier League
 


Bozza

You can change this
Helpful Moderator
Jul 4, 2003
57,294
Back in Sussex
Expected to sign yes, but I’d put it down as a probability rather than a certainty.

There are all sorts of permutations. If he picks up a serious injury or fails to impress, Fulham may well decide not to proceed. Then we have to integrate him back or find another buyer who will give us the £10m we want and probably at least match his current wage.

It could go the other way, he impresses and other teams may come in for him, creating a bidding war.

Fulham being promoted or us being relegated could also change the dynamic.

The fact that Knocky is still attending Albion away games says to me, that if there are Albion fans who long to see him back in the stripes next season, it’s not 100% impossible.

I would imagine it's "none of the above", but I'm only guessing.

I don't see the club would say what they'd said if there were not some specific terms already agreed with Fulham that, if met, means they have to sign him at the conclusion of the loan period.

Even if there weren't, all the Abion fans in the world may long to see him back in the stripes, but it's not them that makes the decision.
 


Kalimantan Gull

Well-known member
Aug 13, 2003
13,439
Central Borneo / the Lizard
Agreed and I covered that, giving credit to Ashworth, Barber and TB for their forward thinking.

Everytime someone wonders how long we might hang on to Graham Potter, or Trossard or Dunk or Connolly, if things keep going well, I start to get resigned to the fact that this is how football works, but then I come back to these three men, and realise that they will be the reason we might be able to do things differently
 




A1X

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Sep 1, 2017
20,551
Deepest, darkest Sussex
IMHO the true marker for squad depth is whether you can field an entire alternative XI and it would still be of a decent quality. Using the XI from the weekend I reckon so, as follows;

Ryan
Montoya / Dunk / Webster / Burn
Gross / Stephens / Propper / Alzate
Connolly / Maupay

Button
Schelotto / Duffy / Balogun / Bong
March / Mooy / Bissouma / Jahanbakhsh
Murray / Trossard

I'd argue we're maybe a first-team striker light (Locadia might come back, I can't see a way back for Andone though) from being fully stocked.
 


dazzer6666

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Mar 27, 2013
55,564
Burgess Hill
To be fair, you probably agreed with at least some of that at the time.

A bit on the fence privately at times (Locadia I thought was worth persevering with but seems he wanted away) but trusted those doing it to be making the right decisions and waited to see how things panned out.........didn’t resort to the knee-jerk reactions I saw from many.
 


Gritt23

New member
Jul 7, 2003
14,902
Meopham, Kent.
We have great depth in places, but are painfully thin at centre forward and full-back. That need addressing, or we are taking a big risk.
 




Gritt23

New member
Jul 7, 2003
14,902
Meopham, Kent.
IMHO the true marker for squad depth is whether you can field an entire alternative XI and it would still be of a decent quality. Using the XI from the weekend I reckon so, as follows;

Ryan
Montoya / Dunk / Webster / Burn
Gross / Stephens / Propper / Alzate
Connolly / Maupay

Button
Schelotto / Duffy / Balogun / Bong
March / Mooy / Bissouma / Jahanbakhsh
Murray / Trossard

I'd argue we're maybe a first-team striker light (Locadia might come back, I can't see a way back for Andone though) from being fully stocked.

When we are sticking a 6ft 7ins centre back at left back, we clearly have a lack of true left backs. Absolutely love Dan Burn, and he's doing an admirable job there, but he's covering a problem area.
 










blue-shifted

Banned
Feb 20, 2004
7,645
a galaxy far far away
I’m worried we’ll never see White play for us. Very keen to get him back from Leeds and involved in the first team.

Don't sweat it. 90% chance he will play for us. 10% chance we'll accept a preposterously high offer for him, which won't be from Leeds.
 




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