[Albion] Paul barber obe and Tony Bloom

[PILTDOWN MAN]

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.

You can’t compare us and Utd. The owner has invested his own money into his business. No different to a person buying a shop using their own money. Utd used banks.

 

[Mancgull]

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.

As an optimist I’m also seeing potential benefits to a new coaches view of;
Sticking with our best goalkeeper for league games.
Having the flexibility to use wingbacks. I can see this favouring Barco and Hinshelwood next season.
Using Baleba as a defensive midfielder.

As much as I like RDZ he was stubborn in his approach, and someone wanting to be more flexible will have some potential benefits.

 

[pocketseagull]

I absolutely trust the club is in safe hands and that means a great deal given our history but I'm also wary of taking the position that they can do no wrong. I think, in part, RDZ's exit is because we gambled on our injury crisis being over by the time the window closed and that turned out to be the wrong call.

 

[The Wookiee]

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 aren’t a million miles away from being able to compete consistently, we finished 6th last year and got the last 16 in Europe this year and we were still up there with the big boys, however from that position of strength we didn’t add to the squad in the areas we needed to which ultimately weakened us.

 

[Talby]

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.

Completely agree.

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.

completely agree. I think it’s a terrible take on this - offensive really.

 

[Sid and the Sharknados]

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.

There's oil in Sussex isn't there?

We just need Tony to clear those hippy protesters off the land, get drilling and watch the money ROLL in.

 

[Reddleman]

Let me flip it around.

The manager is going.

It is borderline antisemitism to blame it on Bloom

What actual f@@@? This should be a ban. Moderators, are we going to tolerate things like this?

Edit: I have reported you for this post. I am properly pissed off and deeply offended that debate about the success or otherwise of our transfer business and any criticism of it can be perceived as antisemitism. Disgusting take.

 

[Talby]

What actual f@@@? This should be a ban. Moderators, are we going to tolerate things like this?

Edit: I have reported you for this post. I am properly pissed off and deeply offended that debate about the success or otherwise of our transfer business and any criticism of it can be perceived as antisemitism. Disgusting take.

Me too. Suggesting that any criticism is a hate crime is rank.

 

[Flounce]

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

Ask Starmer? He has the answers I’m sure

 

[Talby]

Let me flip it around.

The manager is going.

It is borderline antisemitism to blame it on Bloom

You sir, are a twat of the highest order.

 

[dazzer6666]

You can’t compare us and Utd. The owner has invested his own money into his business. No different to a person buying a shop using their own money. Utd used banks.

The Glazers used banks, and have taken hundreds of millions out of the club in interest/divs

 

[Poyningsgull]

Some very interesting comments on this and other threads. This will be the second or third most successful season in our history. And yet some people are grumpy about the fact we may not splash the cash and reach for the stars. Grumpy that the club does not have more ambition.

Here is the thing. I watched Saints get to the EPL playoff final the other day. The feel was very much how I would imagine such a thing would feel to us were we in their situation. We imagine attendances would fall if we were relegated, and although thrilled at the chance to be promoted back up, one would not expect the city to be buzzing.

Contrast that to the Leeds. In their playoff semi the whole four sides were singing and waving scarves for 90 minutes. I remember them like that when we were beating them in the championship.

My point? The Northern football culture among the bigger sides, even those who are not that flush with money, and like Leeds and Newcastle who have been relegated, is different from ours.

Look at us. Our third best season ever and people are bitching about the owner and CEO for not nailing the capricious manager to a new contract. The anticipation of the absolute horror of mid table EPL finishes and selling our best players. Almost an incipient self-loathing.

FFS. Let's enjoy it. Let's embrace the wonderful football. Let's cut the owner and CEO some slack (we don't have to love them but at least respect them and stop the bitching).

We are never going to be passionate 90 minute singers. That's not Sussex style. Maybe we will never win anything. But the snootiness is getting on my tits. Not everyone of course. My little network is sensible. And maybe I'm over-reacting to the cockwomblery. Anyway...

Onwards and upwards.

That's football supporters for you.
If we were champions next season and then won the Champions league, there would be an outcry of how shite we were when we finished 5th the following year.
Great stuff.

 

[WATFORD zero]

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

Ask Starmer? He has the answers I’m sure

You seem to be getting confused. He would be the answer if the question was 'How do you get rid of the worst Government I've ever seen in my lifetime ?'
I think you'll find TB and PB are better qualified as to how to make a football club successful

 

[armchairclubber]

I absolutely trust the club is in safe hands and that means a great deal given our history but I'm also wary of taking the position that they can do no wrong. I think, in part, RDZ's exit is because we gambled on our injury crisis being over by the time the window closed and that turned out to be the wrong call.

Tend to agree with you here.

I'd add that Barber himself expressed these newfound difficulties of sustaining a squad with extra responsibilities of Europe and that everyone at all levels was learning lessons and gaining experience regarding this. The point being I don't think they (TB & PB) welcomed De Zerbi in publicly telling / pressurising them.

 

[trueblue]

We’ve got one of the best, if not the best, owner in English football and a CEO that’s at the very highest level of ability. It amazes me some fans question this when you see the utter shitshow that’s virtually the norm elsewhere in football.

 

[Weststander]

You seem to be getting confused. He would be the answer if the question was 'How do you get rid of the worst Government I've ever seen in my lifetime ?'
I think you'll find TB and PB are better qualified as to how to make a football club successful

Worse than the Ramsey MacDonald coalition?

 

[Harry Wilson's tackle]

What actual f@@@? This should be a ban. Moderators, are we going to tolerate things like this?

Edit: I have reported you for this post. I am properly pissed off and deeply offended that debate about the success or otherwise of our transfer business and any criticism of it can be perceived as antisemitism. Disgusting take.

Pop a long to this thread and you may be able to work out why I wrote what I did.

And spare me the outrage.

 

[Littlemo]

Pop a long to this thread and you may be able to work out why I wrote what I did.

And spare me the outrage.

View attachment 182617

I know exactly what you are referring to there but not why you are aiming it at Talby, just because he doesn’t agree with what Tony has done does not make it anti-Semitic.

I reported you as well, I normally like your posts but this is well over the line and you should be f***ing ashamed.

 

[Commander]

Barber absolutely f***ing not. His achievements have been because of Bloom, don't lump them in together

Has anyone ever considered that it might be the other way around?

 

[Harry Wilson's tackle]

I know exactly what you are referring to there but not why you are aiming it at Talby, just because he doesn’t agree with what Tony has done does not make it anti-Semitic.

I reported you as well, I normally like your posts but this is well over the line and you should be f***ing ashamed.

Well I'm not. Not for my reaction to that thread. As for 'what Tony has done'........what has he done exactly? Sacked the manager in the nicest possible way.

Ian Wright totally gets it, as his comments on MOTD attest.

It seemed like there was a lot of piggy backing onto what had the smell of a trope, yesterday. The digging into the owner has no rational explanation. Well, I say no rational explanation. But perhaps it was all coincidence.

And if I wrongly dragged @Talby in, I apologize for that.