[Albion] There is ZERO chance of SIGNING anyone today.

[Blue Valkyrie]

Tomorrow must be the day. At least for sorting out some keeper issues is my guess.

 

[portslade seagull]

Another day passes. Looks like it will go to the wire if AN is to be believed

 

[casbom]

St Etienne is Diony' most likely destination, possibly this week.
http://www.birminghammail.co.uk/spo.../birmingham-city-boss-harry-redknapp-13270520

I think that's old news now, St Etienne it appears can't afford the asking fee which is €10m - this from some French website:

Does the ASSE have the means of its ambitions at the mercato? As our website has revealed, the Stephanois leaders make Loïs Diony, author of 11 goals and seven assists last season in Ligue 1, their priority offensive . But the Dijon striker is expensive and also arouses the interest of English clubs.

"Diony will not go below € 10 million"

On Tuesday, the site of So Foot quotes Olivier Delcourt, president of the DFCO, according to which Diony "will not go to less than 10 million euros" . A sum too high for the finances of St. Etienne. If this were not enough, Brighton and Birmingham would be willing to offer the 24-year-old a " substantial " increase in his current salary.

In short, ASSE is going to have to play malice and bet on other arguments to pull its stake on this file.

http://www.butfootballclub.fr/ligue...rts-battus-sur-deux-tableaux-pour-lois-diony/

 

[Nixonator]

You said nobody would have predicted top 2 at end of August. I found you two. And that it would have been different if Baldock was injured. He was. And it wasn't.
Not if it was risky having 3 strikers or if Holloway couldn't predict every position. It was and he couldn't.

No I didn't. I said I questioned (and would still question) anybody who predicted us to finish top 2 despite them being right. In other words, I can say I was wrong but I can't say that beginning the season with 3 strikers was enough and tantamount to a risk free promotion push. Also, you mention Baldock.. we struggled without him as stats have indicated (as well as my own eyes).

I was simply stating that those predicting we wouldn't be quite good enough and/or without a squad deep enough to challenge the top 2 promotion places held a legitimate opinion. Certainly a more grounded one than predicting what actually happened.

 

[severnside gull]

I think that's old news now, St Etienne it appears can't afford the asking fee which is €10m - this from some French website:

Does the ASSE have the means of its ambitions at the mercato? As our website has revealed, the Stephanois leaders make Loïs Diony, author of 11 goals and seven assists last season in Ligue 1, their priority offensive . But the Dijon striker is expensive and also arouses the interest of English clubs.

"Diony will not go below € 10 million"

On Tuesday, the site of So Foot quotes Olivier Delcourt, president of the DFCO, according to which Diony "will not go to less than 10 million euros" . A sum too high for the finances of St. Etienne. If this were not enough, Brighton and Birmingham would be willing to offer the 24-year-old a " substantial " increase in his current salary.

In short, ASSE is going to have to play malice and bet on other arguments to pull its stake on this file.

http://www.butfootballclub.fr/ligue...rts-battus-sur-deux-tableaux-pour-lois-diony/

Well found

 

[bhanutz]

Snodgrass to the Massive is latest rumour! They must be smashing FFP

 

[chaileyjem]

isaid I questioned (and would still question) anybody who predicted us to finish top 2 despite them being right...Also, you mention Baldock.. we struggled without him as stats have indicated.
.

How about this Baldock stat ? Injured post Leeds. He Didn't play for next 5 games. We won the lot and were promoted. Obviously we struggled in doing so.

 

[Blue Valkyrie]

Today is the day for a singing, isn't it ?

 

[whitelion]

Today is the day for a singing, isn't it ?

Hopefully the fat bird as we speak is warming up the vocal chords.

 

[Bra]

Today is the day for a singing, isn't it ?

Hope you are right. Not confident myself however.

 

[Betfair Bozo]

I think we would be.

If we can only win at 2 of the top 13 sides in the Championship, not manage to get 3 points at Ipswich, and lose 3-0 to a side who avoided relegation on goal difference, we sure as hell won't pick up any points at sides like Stoke, Leicester, West Brom etc.

Team spirit will only get you so far - to stay in the Premiership we're going to have to get in more quality.

You are entitled to your opinion. It is impossible to argue your point though really isn't it as we simply can't know for sure so we wouldn't, by definition, be certain to go down. I can only really point to the examples of clubs in a similar position to us who have stayed in the Premier League with their Championship squad pretty much intact. By the way, it isn't all about our much heralded team spirit, we have round pegs in round holes and a consistent system of play. That too will get you a long way. I will reiterate, we could do with getting a few more in but I suspect that if we went with the bulk of last season's best XI we would do better than you think, especially early in the season when others are adjusting to new players, new management etc.

 

[B.W.]

AN has written about the Albion for 30 long years. THIRTY BLOODY YEARS.
Can't we agree to give him some credit from time to time.

Why? For his longevity? He has called transfers incorrectly / seems to know very little, and biting the hand that feeds you just demonstrates once again that he is a clown...

 

[chaileyjem]

Why? For his longevity? He has called transfers incorrectly / seems to know very little, and biting the hand that feeds you just demonstrates once again that he is a clown...

No because all of us deserve respect regardless of their opinion. Calling someone you don't know "a clown" is unnecessary. He's also worth listening to re: transfers because he , barring a couple of NSC contributors is one of the few journalists with an established relationship with PB, CH , etc. When he reports that the club aren't interested, he's asked someone who knows.

Of course he's called it wrong a couple of times Transfers are moving feasts. And even then he's reported it as it was at the time (e.g.: Zamora, CMS).
But mostly because he's seen and worked on virtually every Albion game in the last 30 games , home, away, Gillingham, Withdean, friendlies, the lot. And supports Stoke City. He's suffered enough.

 

[B.W.]

It is and I don't know what yours is.

Is Baldock a good player in your opinion or did he have one lucky season (good player in my opinion)?

Do you need four firing strikers when your winger can score from anywhere, in your opinion? (In mine a goal is a goal no matter who scores it and our game is built around not conceding & hitting tired teams at pace)



Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Right, a better post from you at last GB...

I have gone on record repeatedly saying that Sam B deserves much credit for his vast improvement last season... IMHO, he was no better than an average Championship player in previous seasons... I still think we need to replace him in the starting line-up in the Prem, but I would love him to prove me wrong again.. so, ins ummary, a useful squad player for next season IMHO...

Obviously a goal is a goal. Again, you could argue that Knocky exceeded expectations WRT his goal-scoring magnificence last season. I hope he does it again this season, but I wouldn't rely on it. We need a minimum of 1 new striker well-before our 1st Prem match IMHO (Sam B replacement in the starting 11, as above).

 

[Finchley Seagull]

Right, a better post from you at last GB...

I have gone on record repeatedly saying that Sam B deserves much credit for his vast improvement last season... IMHO, he was no better than an average Championship player in previous seasons... I still think we need to replace him in the starting line-up in the Prem, but I would love him to prove me wrong again.. so, ins ummary, a useful squad player for next season IMHO...

Obviously a goal is a goal. Again, you could argue that Knocky exceeded expectations WRT his goal-scoring magnificence last season. I hope he does it again this season, but I wouldn't rely on it. We need a minimum of 1 new striker well-before our 1st Prem match IMHO (Sam B replacement in the starting 11, as above).

While I am not arguing that we need a new striker, I think that Pascal Groß could be our Sam B replacement. I think what the club will be looking for is a new main striker for Groß to play off.

 

[B.W.]

If on deadline day last year anyone thought we were automatic contenders I would have to question them even if they ended up being correct.

Personally I thought playoffs at best, starting a season with 3 strikers, one injury prone, one 33 was in my opinion a big gamble that paid off. If Murray or Baldock had been out for a couple of months or more around October things might have been different.

That said I see no reason to panic yet, though I would hope for a couple in over the next fortnight.

This. With. Bells. On. Listen-up TB...

 

[B.W.]

Actually Andy Naylor and er, Ian Holloway both had us down as top 2 last season after we'd lost at Newcastle.

Baldock missed a fair few games last season including the whole April / May run in. We got by.

Yes, bet 'getting by' just 'won't cut it' in the Prem...

 

[B.W.]

But it didn't need to be good enough for the PL. It needed to be good enough for the Championship. In that run of games when Baldock was injured last season, we went on one hell of a winning/unbeaten run.

I agree, but was (correctly) focusing on the need to strengthen up front this summer...

 

[B.W.]

No I didn't. I said I questioned (and would still question) anybody who predicted us to finish top 2 despite them being right. In other words, I can say I was wrong but I can't say that beginning the season with 3 strikers was enough and tantamount to a risk free promotion push. Also, you mention Baldock.. we struggled without him as stats have indicated (as well as my own eyes).

I was simply stating that those predicting we wouldn't be quite good enough and/or without a squad deep enough to challenge the top 2 promotion places held a legitimate opinion. Certainly a more grounded one than predicting what actually happened.

Well said again...

 

[heathgate]

Naylor is only lacking in one thing really, his willingness to offer the club criticism, or indeed hard questions, when they are required. At the moment we are not a club that can afford to sit tight and pick up players late in August. We don't have the depth at the moment, we will be playing catchup from September.

So Naylor should be penning articles that ask exactly what the strategy is, what are the clubs realistic recruitment aspirations.... are we struggling to attract interest?... or are the club really being picky about who we want and who we target?

We do need 2 strikers, we do need another pacey and experienced wide man..... Skalak and Murphy just wont take players on...... we do need 2 fullbacks, one at least with high level experience.