As a regular reader on these fine boards over the years (finally registered this month so I could join in the HOT DEBATE) it would seem that up until recently (13/05/13 to be exact) Leonardo Ulloa, Liam Bridcutt and Will Buckley were seen by many on here as some of the finest players in the entire football world and your promotion to the Premiership and ensuing dominance of European football was due to begin after years of patiently waiting until you were "PLR". Ulloa was seen as a £10 million + man, Bridcutt the best midfielder outside of the Premiership (Jedinak not fit to lace his boots one Albion collegue of mine would often say) and Buckley better than Wilf Zaha.
However now that these players appear either to be urgently wanting away from your sinking ship (Bridcutt) or your club is at the mercy of bigger clubs with much bigger cash flows coming in for them this January (Sunderland, Palace) you all seem to have changed your tune and they are all in fact nothing special and won't be missed if they go.
It's a strange one. How can such worldbeaters go downhill so fast?
You don't see many people smoking pipes these days do you?