[Albion] "This is somewhat of a transition season..."

[chaileyjem]

If you are paying more next season then yes they’ve gone up

So you expect top 6 every year and ST prices to be frozen . Fair enough,

 

[Paulie Gualtieri]

Man in setting expectations prior to facing a good side after 7-0 drubbing shocker

 

[Machiavelli]

I have a couple of things running through my head after reading the op quote and some of the replies.

Firstly, like others have said, every season is transitional for us. It seems to me that this season should be one of the least transitional seeing as it's the first time in a few years when we haven't sold any key players.

Last season would have been transitional. We sold our midfield and it's that squad that we are, in PB's words, replenishing. The year before we sold Bissouma, Cucurella and Trossard. We had a new manager who came in mid season and we finished 6th. That season was transitional.

So, to me, claiming this is a transitional season is a bit of a nothing statement. Unless we go another summer without selling anyone...

Second, for those people using this to attack those who are not impressed yet with FH. I'd suggest that for the vast majority of people it's not the league position that is the problem, it's performances and a whole host of things around that. There have been enough threads and posts on the subject explaining that that you should be able to understand that viewpoint. But no, 'entitled', 'entitlement' gets chucked out time after time.

I'll bite because you've shown that you're not entitled, but I just think you're wrong on this -- see the bolded bits above.
Pascal Gross not a key player for you? For me, he's been our most important player since we've been in the PL.
He started most games in CM last season, as did Billy Gilmour who isn't with us any more.

In previous seasons, we did have players breaking through that already had game time at PL level who were young and were obviously going to get better, eg Ali Mac, Caicedo.
Sure, Carlos fits that bill, but our signings this season have either been:
-- loaned out (c25%)
-- with no PL experience
-- those with experience have been injured for the most part (Ferdi, Wieffer and, to a lesser extent, MO'R)

 

[Hometownglory]

or just couldn't justify being at the Amex at 8pm on Feb 14th.
(not sure anyone apart from the very hardcore - i'd include NSC posters in that - have even noticed he said it)

Jeez, do this many people buy into Valentines Day? Poor bastards.

 

[Talby]

i can only take him how i found him and i thought when he helped my Dad out when he was struggling with mobility issues once - he met him at a Fan Forum - and then followed up with emails (to me) and help via the ticketing team (Jenny Gower's team) was really impressive. Not every CEO needs to do that. And you wouldn't expect fans to agree with everything they do but he doesn't (even with his high salary) have to stand in a pub on a Monday night and talk to supporters groups. Nearly every other CEO in the PL doesn't bother with that sort of stuff. Not sure what you'd prefer in his place ? or Bloom's place ?

PS: The ticketing policies that most people care about - interest free/ no admin fee season tickets, a free travel zone, concessions (admittedly that's been slightly tightened up in line with pension age changes), inflation or less increases - have been unchanged in 13 years under Barber.

Actually everyone gets a bonus at the Albion - all 200+ staff - from the most junior to the senior if they reach their targets . Another thing i like about the club.

Happy for you that your experience has been healthy.

For all the positives I do not hold a similarly high opinion in terms of engagement with regards to fans views and them being taken into account when changes to process are made. I guess there are always two sides and there are those who have fallen foul of the rather autocratic business nature the club has adopted.

I didn’t put TB into the equation.

 

[Talby]

With the utmost respect, that is because it has completely passed you by what is he trying to do.

I await a synopsis of his vision in your next message.

Most kind.

 

[pigmanovich]

This team is good enough to do better and should be doing better we’ve thrown away needless points due to being mismanaged. If we were sitting top six a transitional season would not be mentioned.

If we are underperforming - and I agree we have a good team capable of winning a trophy or qualifying for Europe - it has more to do with injuries and youth than mismanagement.

If you want to hold the manager accountable, you can’t blame him for the points dropped without giving him credit for the come from behind wins - the same guy was in charge for those.

 

[Albion in the north]

Isnt every season a transitional season, the way our model works?
Buy underrated player. Make him a great player. Sell him for vast profit. Promote the next player into his position. Player struggles for a season. Player comes good and before we get the benefit of having a fully firing team playing to our potential, sell player for vast profit. And repeat.

 

[singing4seagulls]

Isnt every season a transitional season, the way our model works?
Buy underrated player. Make him a great player. Sell him for vast profit. Promote the next player into his position. Player struggles for a season. Player comes good and before we get the benefit of having a fully firing team playing to our potential, sell player for vast profit. And repeat.

No.

Look at our progress up the table and leagues each season over the last 15 years.

We improve our position whilst selling.

Transitional means a step change so we can regularly compete in Europe. Hence biggest ever spend and largest ever squad.

To cement ourselves in the European places, we need to step things up. Lots of new faces and loans means a year of getting them all up to speed, so we can continue to push on.

 

[Justice]

So you expect top 6 every year and ST prices to be frozen . Fair enough,

It’s not going to make the slightest bit of difference to a European push.

 

[Greg Bobkin]

The emails - have you had one back? It’s Newspeak. That’s the level of engagement on offer for fans.

If you think he’s not a suit (on £2m+ pa) who doesn’t change ticketing policies, sack coaches, runs the club with little to no contradictions in opinion then I cannot help you.

He might deride Chelsea and their purchasing from us but who the hell do you think discusses this business/those moves. Who gets bonuses from our performance in that arena?? Come on.

Where and when has he done that, then?

 

[nickjhs]

Yes, completely (unless you're a bit thick, or a bit entitled ?)

Exactly. Even if we hadn't just brought in a bunch of young relatively inexperienced but obviously gifted players and a young manager, I still wouldn't understand the woe is us brigade. FFS we are mid-table of the frigging Premier League, playing and beating teams who have massive worldwide recognition and fanbases, put another way when I get into conversation about football people now know who Brighton are! But their nonsense is made even more gobsmackingly stupid by the fact that the club has clearly put a team together with future improvement in mind.

 

[Talby]

Where and when has he done that, then?

Apologies, I believe the noun used was ‘mock’

He also told fans to ‘stop whinging’.

 

[um bongo molongo]

It’s a transition season very much in keeping with how we play on the transition. Started off sprinting forwards with everything looking promising, then inexplicably stopped and started going backwards.

 

[Greg Bobkin]

Apologies, I believe the noun used was ‘mock’

He also told fans to ‘stop whinging’.

OK, when and where did he 'mock' Chelsea?

 

[Justice]

Exactly. Even if we hadn't just brought in a bunch of young relatively inexperienced but obviously gifted players and a young manager, I still wouldn't understand the woe is us brigade. FFS we are mid-table of the frigging Premier League, playing and beating teams who have massive worldwide recognition and fanbases, put another way when I get into conversation about football people now know who Brighton are! But their nonsense is made even more gobsmackingly stupid by the fact that the club has clearly put a team together with future improvement in mind.

You really think we are squad building for the future? Can almost guarantee Baleba will be gone in the summer, Georginio will also be a target along with a couple of others.
The club buys players for profit let’s not kid ourselves.
It’s almost impossible with the model to build any kind of consistency with a squad which would actually go on to win or achieve something special.

 

[singing4seagulls]

You really think we are squad building for the future? Can almost guarantee Baleba will be gone in the summer, Georginio will also be a target along with a couple of others.
The club buys players for profit let’s not kid ourselves.
It’s almost impossible with the model to build any kind of consistency with a squad which would actually go on to win or achieve something special.

Yet we've been improving our position in the table every year.

Remarkable.

 

[Harry Wilson's tackle]

I'll bite because you've shown that you're not entitled, but I just think you're wrong on this -- see the bolded bits above.
Pascal Gross not a key player for you? For me, he's been our most important player since we've been in the PL.
He started most games in CM last season, as did Billy Gilmour who isn't with us any more.

In previous seasons, we did have players breaking through that already had game time at PL level who were young and were obviously going to get better, eg Ali Mac, Caicedo.
Sure, Carlos fits that bill, but our signings this season have either been:
-- loaned out (c25%)
-- with no PL experience
-- those with experience have been injured for the most part (Ferdi, Wieffer and, to a lesser extent, MO'R)

And transition isn't just about departing players.... (you can guess the rest).

 

[Justice]

Yet we've been improving our position in the table every year.

Remarkable.

Well we haven’t if we had last season would have been a top 5 finish. Maybe this season we will improve on the last who knows.

 

[Harry Wilson's tackle]

You really think we are squad building for the future? Can almost guarantee Baleba will be gone in the summer, Georginio will also be a target along with a couple of others.
The club buys players for profit let’s not kid ourselves.
It’s almost impossible with the model to build any kind of consistency with a squad which would actually go on to win or achieve something special.

So what do you think we should do to win things?

Go the route of buying established players?

Like Man U do?

Hmmm.....