Short, medium and long term?

[symyjym]

Current issues:

Our biggest problem yesterday was not having the players available to field a balanced side.

My biggest concerns are Buckley and Kaz’s constant injuries and I am not convinced that we can rely on them. When they play they can make things happen but it does feel like we are having to carry them through the season. I think Oscar said that Buckley may be available for Port Vale and I hope Kaz is not out for too long, however if they cannot stay fit and their body’s keep letting them down, it is sad to say that they are a liability in the long term.

Crofts is a real shame and his was an unfortunate injury, but the players with hamstring issues are getting tedious now. Will Kaz and Buckley ever be injury free?

Orlandi seemed to be over his knee injury yesterday but how long for because he had this knee issue before we signed him?

Lopez also worries me, apart from no pace, his delivery from set pieces is too inconsistent and I noticed Oscar’s frustration when Lopez messed up another set piece yesterday. (He didn't have an awful game but just wasn't great)

Conway did well for us and I hope he returns, but it is a real shame that we have to bring in loan players to cover our injured contracted ones.

We have obviously got to cash in on Bridcutt but should we broker a deal with Sunderland for Buckley too?

Even with the cash we get from sales we may be better off sticking to the loan market for now, bringing in Dev players and saving the cash to concentrate on the summer transfer window.

This year was never going to be easy but we have done well with the cards we have been dealt.

 

[crasher]

Current issues:

Our biggest problem yesterday was not having the players available to field a balanced side.

My biggest concerns are Buckley and Kaz’s constant injuries and I am not convinced that we can rely on them. When they play they can make things happen but it does feel like we are having to carry them through the season. I think Oscar said that Buckley may be available for Port Vale and I hope Kaz is not out for too long, however if they cannot stay fit and their body’s keep letting them down, it is sad to say that they are a liability in the long term.

Crofts is a real shame and his was an unfortunate injury, but the players with hamstring issues are getting tedious now. Will Kaz and Buckley ever be injury free?

Orlandi seemed to be over his knee injury yesterday but how long for because he had this knee issue before we signed him?

Lopez also worries me, apart from no pace, his delivery from set pieces is too inconsistent and I noticed Oscar’s frustration when Lopez messed up another set piece yesterday. (He didn't have an awful game but just wasn't great)

Conway did well for us and I hope he returns, but it is a real shame that we have to bring in loan players to cover our injured contracted ones.

We have obviously got to cash in on Bridcutt but should we broker a deal with Sunderland for Buckley too?

Even with the cash we get from sales we may be better off sticking to the loan market for now, bringing in Dev players and saving the cash to concentrate on the summer transfer window.

This year was never going to be easy but we have done well with the cards we have been dealt.

Especially agree with your last sentence. To be honest if feels like our season still hasn't got going, like we've been in second gear all the time, and yet we're still just one win outside the play-offs. I think we'll hit a real run of form soon that will lift us up there.

 

[The_Viper]

Short term problems:

Unbalanced squad, disharmony with Bridcutt etc, squad undergoing a post Gus overhaul still.

Medium term: Not making the playoffs/going up this year may impact on our ST sales next year making us just another Wolves with a big ground and fair weather fans.

Long term: Other clubs not abiding by FFP, if the FA don't follow through on their sanctions the whole mechanism of the league will be trashed, it could cost BHA in the short term resulting in long term hurt as we won't keep up with others.

IMO.

 

[Neecha]

Current issues:

Our biggest problem yesterday was not having the players available to field a balanced side.

My biggest concerns are Buckley and Kaz’s constant injuries and I am not convinced that we can rely on them. When they play they can make things happen but it does feel like we are having to carry them through the season. I think Oscar said that Buckley may be available for Port Vale and I hope Kaz is not out for too long, however if they cannot stay fit and their body’s keep letting them down, it is sad to say that they are a liability in the long term.

Crofts is a real shame and his was an unfortunate injury, but the players with hamstring issues are getting tedious now. Will Kaz and Buckley ever be injury free?

Orlandi seemed to be over his knee injury yesterday but how long for because he had this knee issue before we signed him?

Lopez also worries me, apart from no pace, his delivery from set pieces is too inconsistent and I noticed Oscar’s frustration when Lopez messed up another set piece yesterday. (He didn't have an awful game but just wasn't great)

Conway did well for us and I hope he returns, but it is a real shame that we have to bring in loan players to cover our injured contracted ones.

We have obviously got to cash in on Bridcutt but should we broker a deal with Sunderland for Buckley too?

Even with the cash we get from sales we may be better off sticking to the loan market for now, bringing in Dev players and saving the cash to concentrate on the summer transfer window.

This year was never going to be easy but we have done well with the cards we have been dealt.

Been dealt a very difficult hand this season so we have done well considering. Agreed Kaz & Buckers are sick notes but hasn't every team in the championship got injury prone players this said in comparison our squad is stronger than most. Moving forward we will buy another centre forward in Jan, Bridcutt will go at the right price and I have no doubt we will see Conway + another midfielder in before the window closes. Grabban situ was clear, he wouldn't play second fiddle to Ulloa and wasn't being guaranteed game time I know fact it was never about the money. He was playing at Bournemouth week in week out and he is their main striker so makes sense for him to stay he has never settled anywhere bar Afcb.
Long term, we need to get our business done early this summer so we arn't mucking around in preparations for the next campaign albeit it in the championship or the premier league I doubt the latter.

 

[bn1&bn3 Albion]

Way too much sense being spoken in one thread!

 

[symyjym]

Short term problems:

Unbalanced squad, disharmony with Bridcutt etc, squad undergoing a post Gus overhaul still.

Medium term: Not making the playoffs/going up this year may impact on our ST sales next year making us just another Wolves with a big ground and fair weather fans.

Long term: Other clubs not abiding by FFP, if the FA don't follow through on their sanctions the whole mechanism of the league will be trashed, it could cost BHA in the short term resulting in long term hurt as we won't keep up with others.

IMO.

The thing is with FFP, if everyone flouts it, it won't be enforceable, and we cannot compete with the clubs who are overspending as they would still outbid us anyway.

All it takes is one club (us) to stick to FFP and set the bar for a complete scale of penalties. For us to join in with overspending will not help in setting a standard for the FFP.

Come next January when transfer embargos are dished out we will probably have a queue of players wanting to come here.

 

[symyjym]

Been dealt a very difficult hand this season so we have done well considering. Agreed Kaz & Buckers are sick notes but hasn't every team in the championship got injury prone players this said in comparison our squad is stronger than most. Moving forward we will buy another centre forward in Jan, Bridcutt will go at the right price and I have no doubt we will see Conway + another midfielder in before the window closes. Grabban situ was clear, he wouldn't play second fiddle to Ulloa and wasn't being guaranteed game time I know fact it was never about the money. He was playing at Bournemouth week in week out and he is their main striker so makes sense for him to stay he has never settled anywhere bar Afcb.
Long term, we need to get our business done early this summer so we arn't mucking around in preparations for the next campaign albeit it in the championship or the premier league I doubt the latter.

That was my thoughts on Grabban, didn't know for sure, but players want guarantees of a starting place and this is part of the negotiation as well as cost and wages which for all intent and purposes was agreed in principle. This is why it is less complicated to bring players through like Ince, March, Chickson, JFC, Maksi and the new lad Monakana. I think Obika is a sensible loan too. Try before you buy.

 

[The_Viper]

The thing is with FFP, if everyone flouts it, it won't be enforceable, and we cannot compete with the clubs who are overspending as they would still outbid us anyway.

All it takes is one club (us) to stick to FFP and set the bar for a complete scale of penalties. For us to join in with overspending will not help in setting a standard for the FFP.

Come next January when transfer embargos are dished out we will probably have a queue of players wanting to come here.

IF the FA do enforce the embargoes then we will be golden in two seasons time, I can wait if I had faith in the FA, but I really, really don't. We've seen countless times they're cowards. I'm not saying spend now btw, I'm saying IF the FA don't follow through, we're two seasons behind everyone else.

 

[gripper stebson]

That was my thoughts on Grabban, didn't know for sure, but players want guarantees of a starting place and this is part of the negotiation as well as cost and wages which for all intent and purposes was agreed in principle. This is why it is less complicated to bring players through like Ince, March, Chickson, JFC, Maksi and the new lad Monakana. I think Obika is a sensible loan too. Try before you buy.

Would be ironic if Bournemouth sign Mason relegating Grabban to the bench!

 

[symyjym]

IF the FA do enforce the embargoes then we will be golden in two seasons time, I can wait if I had faith in the FA, but I really, really don't. We've seen countless times they're cowards. I'm not saying spend now btw, I'm saying IF the FA don't follow through, we're two seasons behind everyone else.

I think that is the risk we have to take because we cannot outbid clubs for certain players anyway. As soon as we raise our offer it then gets raised again.

 

[Tom Hark Preston Park]

Personally I find it pretty damn galling to be thinking about the long term when an increasing number of bit-part Albion players like Craig ckufing Noone are having their fifteen minutes on the big stage. The Readings, the Stokes, the West Hams, the Cardiffs, the Palaces, the Southamptons. How many times have we played these teams in very recent times in the lower leagues? And beaten them? How many more times do we have to be bridesmaid? Poyet and his non-appearance players in that second leg semi-final has one HULLUVA LOT to answer for, for playing their part, along with Watford, in giving Palace a pisspoor bye into the Premier League. Our turn is long overdue and time to inject some proper funds into the playing side now for that final boost. Do we want the Premier League or do we not want it? FFP

 

[The Wookiee]

We don't lose many games though do we ?

 

[Tom Hark Preston Park]

We don't lose many games though do we ?

Only the ones against the bottom teams.

 

[maltaseagull]

Especially agree with your last sentence. To be honest if feels like our season still hasn't got going, like we've been in second gear all the time, and yet we're still just one win outside the play-offs. I think we'll hit a real run of form soon that will lift us up there.

If our awful run of injuries comes to an end and our luck changes,then yes. I also agree with the OP that our 2 wide players are really sick notes and it would be good to have a couple of players who can be relied upon to be available week in week out.

 

[seagullsovergrimsby]

Oscar will use this season to evaluate which players are good enough at this level.

 

[Tom Hark Preston Park]

Oscar will use this season to evaluate which players are good enough at this level.

Oh good. That's a season well spent then

 

[seagullsovergrimsby]

Oh good. That's a season well spent then

This is a transitional season , if we go up most of the squad will need to be replaced , if we don't go up Oscar will need to discard a few and bring in better replacements.

 

[Tom Hark Preston Park]

This is a transitional season , if we go up most of the squad will need to be replaced , if we don't go up Oscar will need to discard a few and bring in better replacements.

Doubt somehow we'll be going up with a squad that's weaker than it was a week ago, and far weaker than it was this time last year. Only so many times you can play the 'transitional season' card before you have to produce the goods.

 

[seagullsovergrimsby]

Doubt somehow we'll be going up with a squad that's weaker than it was a week ago, and far weaker than it was this time last year.

I'm optimistic that we'll see some movement transfer wise in and out before the deadline closes.

 

[Thunder Bolt]

Been dealt a very difficult hand this season so we have done well considering. Agreed Kaz & Buckers are sick notes but hasn't every team in the championship got injury prone players this said in comparison our squad is stronger than most. Moving forward we will buy another centre forward in Jan, Bridcutt will go at the right price and I have no doubt we will see Conway + another midfielder in before the window closes. Grabban situ was clear, he wouldn't play second fiddle to Ulloa and wasn't being guaranteed game time I know fact it was never about the money. He was playing at Bournemouth week in week out and he is their main striker so makes sense for him to stay he has never settled anywhere bar Afcb.
Long term, we need to get our business done early this summer so we arn't mucking around in preparations for the next campaign albeit it in the championship or the premier league I doubt the latter.

If the Grabban deal was never about the money, how come Bournemouth gave him another new contract when he only signed one in November? How many players sign two contracts in 3 months?