[Albion] Paul barber obe and Tony Bloom

[Sid and the Sharknados]

I thought Dewsbury-Hall decided he didn’t want to move?

I heard he refused to move after finding out he couldn't bring his own thermos into the stadium.

 

[Talby]

My Dad only stopped coming to the Albion a few months ago. He's 87.
He liked to bring a flask and definitely likes a cup of tea. He however understands the reasons why (security) , was rather more grateful that his ST was heavily discounted as a state pensioner and although he's not quite sure what a CEO actually does has met Barber (at the fans forum) twice and was extremely impressed he took the time to listen to him about some issue or other and also write him a letter once offering to fix something to overcome his mobility issues at the Amex.

Two sides to everything I suppose.

 

[Herr Tubthumper]

While we didn't spend in January (despite trying to spend £40m on Dewsbury-Hall), I don't think we had a terrible window last summer. Yes we lost MacAllister and Caicedo, but we bought in:

• Pedro - 20 goals this season
• Verbruggen - now Dutch number 1. RDZ rotated him with Steele. I won't miss this rotation of GKs nonsense.
• Igor - solid this season, and played both centre back & left back
• Baleba - not trusted by RDZ, but when he played recently he seemed to win MotM 50% of the time! Now back on the bench. Big player next season IMO.
• Fati - failure, wanted to by RDZ
• Dahoud - failure, wanted by RDZ (personally I thought he was ok, but never got a look-in after his red card).

There seems to be this narrative that we didn't have a good window last summer. I don't buy it.

Also, in January we bought in Barco and Ibrahim Osman who both look to have real talent.

I wonder if Dahoud might get a second chance now RDZ is leaving. The whole saga is bizarre: a RDZ signing, some game time, then ostracized and then loaned out at the first opportunity. I agree he was okay and showed some good moments. He wasn’t given much of a chance though thereafter. I’d love to know what happened between him and RDZ; for now I’ll add him to the long list of beefs Roberto had with his players.

 

[Talby]

I fully support the owner and CEO (white, if you like), please explain the black that brings you to be grey.

Fully, as in every decision they make?

 

[Springal]

Some quotes from Bloom & Barber seem like they were taken by surprise RDZ was so good and instead of embracing got a little twitchy about trying to keep up with his ambitions.

The ambition thing is hilarious - especially if you don’t have the minerals to back it up. During his spell we suffered a number of heavy defeats both last season and this season. I’ve also said for a while I don’t think he’s getting the most out of this squad available to him.

Even with the available squad now surely they are better than 1 win in 10, or better than relegation fodder ?

 

[Justice]

We needed to strengthen In January- we didn’t - wouldn’t have cost billions

Exactly, fans automatically think we need to spend £200m instead of £40m on two players who can barely get a first team game why not spend on one who’s quality and can really improve the squad. It’s extremes on here no ones mentioned how RDZ has improved players like fans favourite Solly March all the players seem gutted today he’s leaving. Interesting summer ahead.

 

[Flounce]

Some quotes from Bloom & Barber seem like they were taken by surprise RDZ was so good and instead of embracing got a little twitchy about trying to keep up with his ambitions.

His ambition meant breaking the model which was presumably explained to him before he signed, I imagine the only thing that made them twitchy were his strops to the media.

Latins are so bloody high maintenance, I think we might be about to take another break from them.

 

[tigertim68]

While we didn't spend in January (despite trying to spend £40m on Dewsbury-Hall), I don't think we had a terrible window last summer. Yes we lost MacAllister and Caicedo, but we bought in:

• Pedro - 20 goals this season
• Verbruggen - now Dutch number 1. RDZ rotated him with Steele. I won't miss this rotation of GKs nonsense.
• Igor - solid this season, and played both centre back & left back
• Baleba - not trusted by RDZ, but when he played recently he seemed to win MotM 50% of the time! Now back on the bench. Big player next season IMO.
• Fati - failure, wanted to by RDZ
• Dahoud - failure, wanted by RDZ (personally I thought he was ok, but never got a look-in after his red card).

There seems to be this narrative that we didn't have a good window last summer. I don't buy it.

Also, in January we bought in Barco and Ibrahim Osman who both look to have real talent.

We needed 2 strong midfielders and a right back , failed to sign anyone in these positions
Baleba had not played 25 first team matches before he signed for us

 

[Flounce]

As TB would be the one funding the ‘ambition’ I’m not surprised. It’s all well and good managers demanding to be backed but it’s not their money. If it goes pear shaped, the worst that happens is that he gets sacked. It’s TB who carries the can financially, not RdZ.
anyone who supports a manager over TB is an idiot.

There are quite a few who seem to be going down that road though

 

[Harry Wilson's tackle]

Fully, as in every decision they make?

Bloom has been in charge long enough for me to think of him as part of the family. I never said he might make mistakes, but I am not going to critise the sort of mistakes he might make. What would be the point, unless I want him to change, or to sell? I don't want him to change or to sell.

Is allegedly not spending the necessary money to sign players who allegedly the manager wanted a mistake? If it is (and did it even happened), it is not a mistake I care to highlight.

The sort of ownership mistake I might criticize would be the lazy sackings and tomfoolery you see at West Ham and ManUre, and arguably the supporter cost-soaking you get at Arsenal and Chelsea (and probably Spuds). And even then, I may struggle to sustain grumbles if we won things.

The overall vision, the budget and the appointment of the CEO are down to the owner. The implementation of the vision is down to the CEO. The results are down to the manager.

So, first of all where did it all go wrong? Answer, it didn't/hasn't.

Second, is the owner beyond criticism? No. But he's no more beyond criticism than any other member of the family. For the most important ones, I'm not scratching around looking for reasons to criticise.

My missus for example. Beyond criticism? No. Do I criticize? Almost never and usually even then only when I'm being a tit.

But there again, she isn't Jewish....

 

[Talby]

Bloom has been in charge long enough for me to think of him as part of the family. I never said he might make mistakes, but I am not going to critise the sort of mistakes he might make. What would be the point, unless I want him to change, or to sell? I don't want him to change or to sell.

Is allegedly not spending the necessary money to sign players who allegedly the manager wanted a mistake? If it is (and did it even happened), it is not a mistake I care to highlight.

The sort of ownership mistake I might criticize would be the lazy sackings and tomfoolery you see at West Ham and ManUre, and arguably the supporter cost-soaking you get at Arsenal and Chelsea (and probably Spuds). And even then, I may struggle to sustain grumbles if we won things.

The overall vision, the budget and the appointment of the CEO are down to the owner. The implementation of the vision is down to the CEO. The results are down to the manager.

So, first of all where did it all go wrong? Answer, it didn't/hasn't.

Second, is the owner beyond criticism? No. But he's no more beyond criticism than any other member of the family. For the most important ones, I'm not scratching around looking for reasons to criticise.

My missus for example. Beyond criticism? No. Do I criticize? Almost never and usually even then only when I'm being a tit.

But there again, she isn't Jewish....

But there again, she isn't Jewish....

What on Earth is that about/supposed to mean?

 

[Harry Wilson's tackle]

But there again, she isn't Jewish....

What on Earth is that about/supposed to mean?

You know very well.

 

[Zeberdi]

Let me flip it around.

The manager is going.

It is borderline antisemitism to blame it on Bloom

But there again, she isn't Jewish....

Don’t be ridiculous.

It is cheapening both the discussion and the seriousness of genuine antisemitism to accuse those who are questioning TB of antisemitism because they think we should have invested more in the team (I don’t agree with that necessarily btw I think we have made significant investments ).

Why must everything be politicised or radicalised? ‘Antisemitism’ isn’t a cheap and convenient stick with which to beat everyone over the head with who disagrees with someone who happens to be Jewish…

edit: Compared to the X post that @El Presidente posted earlier that is. There is no one on NSC who has come close to making antisemitic comments about our Owner afaics.

 

[nwgull]

I wonder if Dahoud might get a second chance now RDZ is leaving. The whole saga is bizarre: a RDZ signing, some game time, then ostracized and then loaned out at the first opportunity. I agree he was okay and showed some good moments. He wasn’t given much of a chance though thereafter. I’d love to know what happened between him and RDZ; for now I’ll add him to the long list of beefs Roberto had with his players.

Dahoud must be delighted. I too thought he looked ok early season. Clearly had a falling out with RDZ as he didn’t even make the squad ahead of U21 players after that red card, did he?

 

[JetsetJimbo]

Bloom and Barber have enough credit in the bank when it comes to big calls like this for me to give them the benefit of the doubt. But I am having to give them the benefit of the doubt here. I really thought that we could have a good summer transfer window and push on next season with RDZ in place, I just hope this disruption ends up being worth it in the long run.

Edit: As for Dahoud, my overriding memory of him in a Brighton shirt is him giving the ball away cheaply very often. Perhaps a different manager would be able to get better performances out of him, but as it stands I don't see the prospect of him staying as much of a silver lining.

 

[Talby]

You know very well.

I’ve no idea what the hell you’re on about. Care to explain??

 

[Baldrick]

We needed to strengthen In January- we didn’t - wouldn’t have cost billions

If we had bought several more players as well as Barco, would that guarantee taking us to the next level?

Anyway the club is approx £400m in debt. Compare that to Man Utd who are £1bn in debt with an income of at least 5 times ours.

It seems easy for some fans to want to spend someone else’s money.

 

[WATFORD zero]

I’m beginning to think we have hit our level, a mid table premier league team that develops young players, sells them on at a huge profit and maybe in between we might win a cup or get into Europe -

And what do you think we need to do to consistently get a top five place over City, Arsenal, Liverpool, United, Chelsea, Spurs, Newcastle, Villa etc

 

[Baldrick]

And what do you think we need to do to consistently get a top five place over City, Arsenal, Liverpool, United, Chelsea, Spurs, Newcastle, Villa etc

We could do what Portsmouth tried to do! Ended up bankrupt didn’t they?

 

[timbha]

And what do you think we need to do to consistently get a top five place over City, Arsenal, Liverpool, United, Chelsea, Spurs, Newcastle, Villa etc

We might do a “Leicester” as a one off but there is little chance of us challenging the “top 6 or 7” on a regular basis unless we sell our soul as most of those clubs have.
The hope is enough for me, coupled with a sense that the longer we consolidate in EPL the more chance we have of winning a cup and playing in Europe.