So Stephen Ward was ours for the asking all summer...........

[Bwian]

For me, Bennett is as good as Ward anyway so I couldnt particularly care that much. However, if we want to keep Bennett, I hope we move quickly so it doesnt happen again

OK. Who's writing your material?

Joking aside, this club appears incapable of moving quickly and decisively in recent times.

 

[seagullsovergrimsby]

Maybe, probably, woulda, coulda, shoulda.

No one knows what would have happened if we'd reached agreement with Wolves earlier, but my belief is it would have laid down a marker for other clubs to beat, exactly as happened eventually. And if one of those clubs can offer Premier League riches and Match of the Day instead of the Football League Show, there tends to be an obvious outcome.

And, as above, is the left-back position really been that much of a contributory factor to our plight, particularly since Hyypia started to use defenders to defend?

Wasn't Ward in dispute with Wolves over a bonus payment he thought he was entitled to from the time Wolves were in the Premier League ? Maybe the stumbling block was instead of a nominal fee the Albion was prepared to pay (£100k ? - which would offset the fee Wolves paid to Bohemians several years earlier) the asking price was ramped up to cover the bonus payment.

 

[hans kraay fan club]

Completely agree regarding Calde (and Gardner to an extent) and would perhaps play Bruno in midfield. Tbh, I'd rather have 11 players starting who are fully committed even if that looks weaker on paper.

Completely.

..................Stockdale.................
Calderon....Dunk..Greer....Bennett
E.Bennett..Bruno..Ince/Holla...Lualua
............March..........................
....................Bent....................

#TeamActuallyGiveaShit

 

[Bwian]

Even under Sami's style I still don't see SW getting caught out like Bennett.

Under Sami's team selection I doubt he'd be in the team.

 

[Thunder Bolt]

The Ward saga was a shambles. Ward signed for Burnley on 15th August, which was after the new season had started, we had already played a league game and a league cup game without an experienced left back and I think Calde played LB in the first league game. Maybe the recruitment team felt we could muddle through with a mixture of Calde and Chicksen, who knows what strange thoughts go through Burke's head.

He had an excellent season for us, so much so, that we barely noticed the loss of Wayne Bridge. Had we tied up a deal in June, it is a possibility that he wouldn't have been on Burnley's radar, presumably they had other targets in mind that didn't come off, hence the late signing of Ward. We were in pole position to sign him and we well and truly screwed up.

You have got no idea when Burnley approached Ward's agent (neither have I). How do you know that he wasn't waiting to see what Brighton offered before putting their offer in?
To say that we should have tied up a deal in June, is speculation at best.

 

[ditchy]

You have got no idea when Burnley approached Ward's agent (neither have I). How do you know that he wasn't waiting to see what Brighton offered before putting their offer in?
To say that we should have tied up a deal in June, is speculation at best.

Why is that speculation ? he wanted to come we penny pinched it dragged on and we lost out when in all honesty it should have been done and dealt with early in pre season. he woukld then have benefitted from a full pre season at BHA which would have helped as well

 

[Notters]

Just goes to show the problems are not just with the manager.

I'm not convinced it does. We don't really know how good our current crop of players could play, but they should certainly be performing better than they are.

 

[Mellotron]

Completely.

..................Stockdale.................
Calderon....Dunk..Greer....Bennett
E.Bennett..Bruno..Ince/Holla...Lualua
............March..........................
....................Bent....................

#TeamActuallyGiveaShit

And that still looks like a side that should be able to hold it's own in this division, at the very least.

 

[Thunder Bolt]

Why is that speculation ? he wanted to come we penny pinched it dragged on and we lost out when in all honesty it should have been done and dealt with early in pre season. he woukld then have benefitted from a full pre season at BHA which would have helped as well

He chose a Premier League club who offered him a lot more money. Why is that so hard to understand. He had chosen Brighton, and was on his way to have a medical and sign. He changed his mind.
There is absolutely nothing to say when Burnley were going to step in. It could have happened in June just as easily as August. Burnley haven't spent much in the way of fees, in fact, Barnes was the only player they bought last season in their promotion chase. It's entirely feasible that they waited until they knew what we were offering, so they could get him for a little as possible but still outbidding us.

 

[seagullsovergrimsby]

You have got no idea when Burnley approached Ward's agent (neither have I). How do you know that he wasn't waiting to see what Brighton offered before putting their offer in?
To say that we should have tied up a deal in June, is speculation at best.

It seems that Burnley became interested when the story broke on Sky Sports News that he was IMMINENTLY signing for us. His agent would have known what our best and final offer on the table was when contacted by them.

 

[Betfair Bozo]

Completely.

..................Stockdale.................
Calderon....Dunk..Greer....Bennett
E.Bennett..Bruno..Ince/Holla...Lualua
............March..........................
....................Bent....................

#TeamActuallyGiveaShit

You won't but I'd also have CMS in (or replacing either Kaz or Solly in your team from the bench.)

 

[Nathan]

I'm not convinced it does. We don't really know how good our current crop of players could play, but they should certainly be performing better than they are.

But if we can't get the players we want, that is not the managers fault. We should have tired up the deal for Ward before Burnley had a chance to offer more. We tried to save ourselves a couple of quid and it has back fired because we didn't get who we wanted.

 

[stripeyshark]

Surely all we had to do was pay the fee and give him the number 8 shirt. Would've made most of the money back on shirt printing...

 

[Betfair Bozo]

And that still looks like a side that should be able to hold it's own in this division, at the very least.

This is the crux, Mello. Plenty have criticised the recruitment (quite rightly in some cases) but the fact remains that we have a more than reasonable squad if utilised properly and set up to deal with the opposition. Some of Sami's selections have been inexplicable and that is why we are where we are. No-one will convince me that our squad is weaker than (eg) Millwall's, Rotherham's or even Brentford's and they are fifth. A sad indictment.

 

[ditchy]

He chose a Premier League club who offered him a lot more money. Why is that so hard to understand. He had chosen Brighton, and was on his way to have a medical and sign. He changed his mind.
There is absolutely nothing to say when Burnley were going to step in. It could have happened in June just as easily as August. Burnley haven't spent much in the way of fees, in fact, Barnes was the only player they bought last season in their promotion chase. It's entirely feasible that they waited until they knew what we were offering, so they could get him for a little as possible but still outbidding us.

My point being that early on in the Pre season transfer window he was not a Target for Burnley who thought they would get bigger and better players . They too were under pressure to sign players and that fitted the bill. If we had gone about our business in a professional manner the situation would never have arisen. He should have been signed at the seasons end . He was obviously good enough to play all season for us so why not get him before others were alerted .

 

[Notters]

This is the crux, Mello. Plenty have criticised the recruitment (quite rightly in some cases) but the fact remains that we have a more than reasonable squad if utilised properly and set up to deal with the opposition. Some of Sami's selections have been inexplicable and that is why we are where we are. No-one will convince me that our squad is weaker than (eg) Millwall's, Rotherham's or even Brentford's and they are fifth. A sad indictment.

I completely disagree with this too. Yes, the tactics have been crap at times. But the teams/formations that have been played could have won if the players had had the motivation and desire to win. As it is, they don't look like they give a shit and they're not playing as a team.

 

[Monsieur Le Plonk]

I think the online article has just appeared so here it is in full for those who hadn't seen it yet


Albion have only themselves to blame for missing out on the permanent capture of Stephen Ward, according to the player's agent.

Scott Fisher claims the Seagulls left themselves "wide open" to Burnley hijacking the deal when Ward was on the brink of signing.

Albion go to Wolves on Saturday with Sami Hyypia facing a dilemma who to play in the left-back role occupied by Ward throughout last season on loan from Wanderers.

The Seagulls reached the play-offs with the Republic of Ireland international in the back four and Ward was Hyypia's first choice option for the position after the Finn succeeded Oscar Garcia in June.


Ward was on his way down to the South Coast to sign in mid-August, five days after the start of the season, when Burnley hijacked the move.

The Premier League newcomers offered Wolves a much bigger fee, Ward much higher wages and a longer contract.

Fisher, who negotiated throughout the summer with Albion's head of football David Burke, believes his player was unfairly criticised by fans for the U-turn.

Fisher told The Argus: "Brighton is a wonderful club, David Burke and the chairman (Tony Bloom) are wonderful guys, but I did everything in my power to make it happen before somebody else came in.


"There were things going around that we were dragging it out, which was very unfair.

"David left himself wide open, because we had been negotiating a deal from the end of the season and he (Ward) had been on loan for a season.

"David and I had worked constantly to try to get it over the line but it kept breaking down.

"There was other interest, which I kept informing the club about.

"They left it to the last minute and that left the chance to take a better deal.

"For me and Stephen, we made the right move. My conscience and the player's conscience are totally clear.

"The chairman wasn't happy, David Burke wasn't happy. We were in Brighton to do the medical and sign that night, then they allowed a call to come in. They left themselves wide open.

"It was a Premier club who play decent football, a fantastic opportunity. Brighton can only have themselves to blame.

"They are really nice people. This has probably tarnished our relationship but my loyalty lies with my client, to do the best I can for him.

"We really tried our best to make Stephen Ward a permanent Brighton player. Had they done their business earlier this wouldn't have happened."

A broken ankle has sidelined Ward from Burnley's fight for Premier League survival.

Hyypia, meanwhile, has to decide whether to stick with Adam Chicksen or recall Joe Bennett at left-back at Molineux as Albion try to haul themselves out of the Championship relegation zone.

Chicksen was called back a day early from a loan spell at Gillingham to play in last Friday's 1-0 home defeat by Millwall.

Bennett, borrowed from Aston Villa for the season once Ward's move fell through, was left out of the squad as Hyypia juggles with the six loan signings on the books.

Regulations only permit Hyypia to field five of them in the matchday squad.

Albion declined to comment on the claims made by Fisher.

 

[Betfair Bozo]

I completely disagree with this too. Yes, the tactics have been crap at times. But the teams/formations that have been played could have won if the players had had the motivation and desire to win. As it is, they don't look like they give a shit and they're not playing as a team.

One could argue that selecting players who don't give a shit is "inexplicable." I take your point however and it corresponds with my earlier post.

 

[Julio]

A healthy debate; but the actual article is pretty pi*s poor and typical of the Ar*egas. No club comment - which is standard - but also no proper journalistic insight, context or perspective. Strange to let an agent just sound off and make sweeping statements, without any challenge. No wonder the club get hacked off about them.

 

[portslade seagull]

Defensively he's not all that good. Tearing down the wing he looks decent but he's no-where near as defensively tight as Ward and tracking back he like the rest of the team sort of stroll back into position hoping and praying someone else will make that vital challenge.

I tend to agree with this, don't think he is up to much defensively