The 'toughness' of the Championship 2015-16 edition

[Mellotron]

As for spending . We still spent big last year lest we forget. So we went for it too. On what turned out to be duffers.

No we didn't. We didn't spend anywhere near as much as the top clubs. Pretty sure we weren't even top 6 in spending.

 

[chaileyjem]

Don't care about anybody else, our squad is looking seriously THREADBARE

Chris Hughton on Tuesday...
“We still need to supplement the squad.
“We need a nice competitive squad.
“We lost eight players at the end of last season and we have now brought four in.
“We still want and need to strengthen and we are working towards that.”
via http://www.theargus.co.uk/sport/albion/13418793.Albion_halfway_there_with_signings/

 

[chaileyjem]

No we didn't. We didn't spend anywhere near as much as the top clubs. Pretty sure we weren't even top 6 in spending.

We've been in to the top 8/9 of Champ spenders in 12/13, 13/14 and (all reports) suggest it was same for 14/15.
We spend £20m+ on our football squad/fees and despite substantial income/sponsorship and the like , that results in 10m+ losses that Bloom funds. Every year.
We're not a QPR and we don't have 10m+ of parachute payments to throw about but compared to most other clubs or most other fans in this league, then we are big spenders and "go for it" every season.
Bloom gets little credit for that from some fans. Especially last season of course when despite all that we really went for it. Relegation that is.
Shows how risky it is to look at Derby (who lost to non league Grimsby on Saturday btw causing their fans to have a mini meltdown) and Boro and make predictions that they will run away with the league. .

 

[Bra]

We've been in to the top 8/9 of Champ spenders in 12/13, 13/14 and (all reports) suggest it was same for 14/15.
We spend £20m+ on our football squad/fees and despite substantial income/sponsorship and the like , that results in 10m+ losses that Bloom funds. Every year.
We're not a QPR and we don't have 10m+ of parachute payments to throw about but compared to most other clubs or most other fans in this league, then we are big spenders and "go for it" every season.
Bloom gets little credit for that from some fans. Especially last season of course when despite all that we really went for it. Relegation that is.
Shows how risky it is to look at Derby (who lost to non league Grimsby on Saturday btw causing their fans to have a mini meltdown) and Boro and make predictions that they will run away with the league. .

But the truth is that in spite of your claim that we are one of the top spending clubs in the division year and year, which are no doubt true, our squad is vastly inferior to a great number and the gap continue to widen to teams like boro and derby who have no parachute payments and similar or lower crowd levels. And to say last year we spent heavily is misleading to a degree when compared with inbound transfer income. If I were Bloom I would be seriously unhappy that the levels spent have only currently got us a team which is not competitive in the league and wont be unless a number of decent forward signings are made and made soon.

 

[chaileyjem]

. If I were Bloom I would be seriously unhappy that the levels spent have only currently got us a team which is not competitive in the league and wont be unless a number of decent forward signings are made and made soon.

If i was Bloom i'd be seriously unhappy that despite spending his millions on all manner of expensive cars that sit in the car park at Lancing, the fans don't think its way enough or don't believe he has, and the players he ended up with were duffers despite scoring hatfuls before getting here and/or years playing in the Prem or La Liga or Eridvise . But yep. Gotcha. You think Tony Bloom should spend yet more of his money. Fair enough.

 

[Prince Monolulu]

We are not talking about someone's REAL cash though are we, I thought, like in FIFA 15 it was just numbers, an amount you were given to squander at will?

 

[Bra]

If i was Bloom i'd be seriously unhappy that despite spending his millions on all manner of expensive cars that sit in the car park at Lancing, the fans don't think its way enough or don't believe he has, and the players he ended up with were duffers despite scoring hatfuls before getting here and/or years playing in the Prem or La Liga or Eridvise . But yep. Gotcha. You think Tony Bloom should spend yet more of his money. Fair enough.

his money he can spend or not as he sees fit. But if his (not mine) stated ambition is the premier league then in spite of his spending to date we are a million miles from that aim and it will take more money to achieve it. I, probably, like a lot of people, find it difficult to believe that whilst spending on wages was higher last year the squad was, I'd say, inferior to the squad in poyets last year. Something was very wrong in recruitment (burke). But even you must admit that if bloom wants success which his commitment deserves then we wont achieve it with the squad at the moment however expensive it is to run

 

[Finchley Seagull]

But the truth is that in spite of your claim that we are one of the top spending clubs in the division year and year, which are no doubt true, our squad is vastly inferior to a great number and the gap continue to widen to teams like boro and derby who have no parachute payments and similar or lower crowd levels. And to say last year we spent heavily is misleading to a degree when compared with inbound transfer income. If I were Bloom I would be seriously unhappy that the levels spent have only currently got us a team which is not competitive in the league and wont be unless a number of decent forward signings are made and made soon.

I think people forget we had two superb seasons at this level (where we got to the play offs) and another first year up when we were in touch with the play offs until the last six games. It is easy to write the club off after one poor season but, at the moment, that's all it is. A second season down the bottom and we can start to worry that it's a permanent thing.

We're not going to spend £4/5 million on a player like Derby on Ince and Middlesbrough on Downing. That won't happen so there's no point moaning about it. I'm hopeful we'll be more competitive this season but we're not going to compete with them as they'll probably be looking at automatic promotion.

 

[chaileyjem]

we are a million miles from [premier league] and it will take more money to achieve it.

We really aren't [a million miles] from the Prem. I'm assuming thats hyperbole on your part. Although of course its the bleedin obvious that last season was a kick in the teeth. An Bloom is the last person who needs reminding of any of that. . As for spending more. Then its a good thing he has rather deep pockets. And keeps emptying them. It would be nice if that could be acknowledged from time to time.

 

[fat old seagull]

I might be wrong, but as my memory serves me, virtually all on field successes the club have had over the years have had a goal scoring target man....Ward, Nelson, Binney, Murray and others I'm sure. Since Leo was shipped out There has been no adequate replacement. And IMO until there is.....we'll struggle.

 

[Seasider78]

People say this every season. It's rarely true. They said it last year too and it turned out that the 2014/15 Championship was choc full of mediocre toss. So, yes, some teams look to have bought well but that's no guarantee of success. Lets wait and see before getting our knickers in a twist about how fearfully tough the league will be.

Spot on everyone was banging on about Fulham 'walking the division' this time last year and they were not far off being relegated. The championship is always tough no difference this year

 

[sir albion]

What happens with the favs and the playoff challengers is irrelevant to us....We need to get some points off our relegation rivals and we may survive who knows.Its goner be harder to survive next season and may well be a step to far this time me thinks.
Poor attacking players yet again will define our season

 

[Machiavelli]

Are Brentford spending "big" money? Genuine question, I've not paid too much attention.

The signings I've seen them make appear to have been more of the shrewd variety. Pricey, but not extravagantly so, and all likely to add value & quality to their squad.

They've spent £2m+ on a centre-back, £0.75m on McEachran, and bought a few others too. Warburton left because he disagreed with the Moneyball approach of the chairman. They certainly did well last season, but they've lost a widely admired manager, and Pritchard, who pulled a lot of strings for them last season, and weighed in with goals. I suspect they over-achieved last season, but only time will tell.

 

[Hillian1]

We WILL be relegated this season.

No ambition.

 

[sir albion]

I think bar kayal our midfield is poor with very little pace or creativity...We have no decent wingers who can last 90 mins and put in decent crosses.The strikers are 50/50 depending on the new chap performing and baldock being played in the correct position.

The obsession with defending is becoming a joke now and we can't even do that well....Very disappointing build up yet again and putting in silly offers that are unlikely to be accepted as per usual...seen this to many times before.

 

[Acker79]

If you have a division with a lot of tough teams, no one team will run away with it, as they will all take points off each other. The lesser teams take points off each other. Then you get freak results here and there. Which all makes for a somewhat unpredictable division. It also helps that it seems most years there's an expected top team that struggles, and an expected poor team that succeeds.

 

[8ace]

were loose

 

[Norman Baker suck my lozenge]

I'd bite someone's arm off for 4th bottom right now,all the time non football people are running the club we'll struggle.

 

[Kevlar]

I would be very surprised if last year's top 4 in the premiership are not
this year's top four.It is just not like that in the championship .The points get shared
around .A run of victorys and you are in the play off places generally.As a competition
it is much more fun that the premiership.Thankfully for us it has definitely not been
a case of teams which have spent the most have dominated in the last 4 years.

 

[The Rattler]

We WILL be relegated this season.

No ambition.

We WILL finish BOTTOM this season.