[Albion] Usual story……

[b.w.2.]

Support [emoji818]
Stadium [emoji818]
Training centre [emoji818]
Recruitment [emoji818]
Owner [emoji818]
Board [emoji818]
Backroom staff [emoji818]
Manager [emoji818]
GK [emoji818]
Defence [emoji818]
Midfield [emoji818]
Forwards.....................

In a nutshell. Spot on. And how frustrating is that?


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[b.w.2.]

I think you're right. Frustrating but if we should slip back into the Championship I think we will have about 8k empty seats.

And the massive loss of Prem income…


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[Danny Wilson Said]

I think you're right. Frustrating but if we should slip back into the Championship I think we will have about 8k empty seats.

Have you looked around the Amex at recent home games? Or maybe you mean we will admit to having 8k empty seats ....

 

[Surf's Up]

He isn't willing to splash the cash on a striker, or indeed the playing squad at all. We all love Tony Bloom and I don't think any of us criticise him for this, but it is the truth.

We have the money. We could have spent £50m or more on a striker if we wanted... but TB would prefer us to be sustainable and profitable and not pay over the odds which is understandable, and I largely agree but...

...playing this season without a striker is one hell of a missed opportunity.

I agree with this. We've had our fingers burned with the likes of Locadia and Bloom will not pay silly money for a striker which kind of leaves us between a rock and a hard place. I guess we need to modify the expectations we had prompted by our early season form as we slide inexorably back down the table.

 

[jcdenton08]

Did we actually make any chances for a striker to put away?

This is a comment which comes up often, and whilst I understand why people say it, it is actually very narrow-sighted when it comes to how football is played at the highest level.

Depending on a team's system and the individual attributes (not just ability) of a striker, teams play entirely different based on who is "up front".

For example, in the style we play presently, we haven't been creating chances. If we had, for example, a physical presence playing as a striker, we would be more likely to pass into his feet, so he can shield the ball, win fouls and allow supporting players around him to get into potential goal-scoring positions. Examples of these could be Harry Kane, Robert Levandovsky, Zlatan Ibrahimovic or, erm, Glenn Murray.

Alternatively, if we had a striker who was excellent at playing on the shoulder of the last defender, we may attempt more direct passes in behind the opposition's defence for him to chase, thereby also creating more goal-scoring opportunities. Examples of these include Sergio Aguero, Jamie Vardy or, erm, Sam Baldock.

Either of these options would fundamentally change the established way the manager sets up his side to play, which we all know is a possession-based game, reliant on individual technically proficient players and good defensive organisation.

As we have seen over the decades, the addition of a world class striker can turn a side struggling to create chances into one who adapts their entire footballing style (or "identity") to accommodate their exceptional individual talent. The danger there, of course, is that they become a "one man team" and, if that player misses matches or has a run of poor form, the whole team suffers as a result. Teams can also get wise to this and effectively manage the player out of the game. Examples of these types of players include Jack Grealish (Aston Villa), Robin Van Persie (Arsenal), or, erm, Bobby Zamora.

So, in conclusion, if you were to put a world class striker in our team, their overall play would aid the team in such a way that we would create more chances anyway, and then he would also have the individual talent to score them.

However, this won't happen for two reasons. One, we can't afford a world class striker. Two, our manager is very reluctant to pick any player - especially striker - who doesn't fit in with the system he wants to play.

 

[dangull]

At least the Potter in demand after a sacking happens at a big club, will be not be the headlines of the media at this time.

 

[Jeremiah]

Have you looked around the Amex at recent home games? Or maybe you mean we will admit to having 8k empty seats ....

At the moment empty seats are , on the whole, PAID empty seats. In the Championship they will be UNPAID empties.
.

 

[Paulie Gualtieri]

We rarely cross the ball in the air, simply as we haven’t got 1) anyone in the box 2) anyone with presence in the air.

I’ve said it elsewhere, attempt to sign Origi. He offers something we don’t currently have, will be sub 10 million and wages will not break the bank.

We need a target man in the box and an outlet to hold things up. Trossard / Mac should be playing off him and doing the jobs expected off them.

Until January, who knows, Tolaj or dare I say Maupay?

 

[Baldseagull]

Yes, we sold White for £50m and our wages are amongst the lowest in The Premier League.

Normally, losses must be below £105M over 3 seasons, the seasons are the last 2 and the current season projected, I can't be arsed to check it out again, but losses over the last 2 seasons were something over £85M.
Ben White fee is not all in the bank as far as I know, I think only £30M came in immediately, Cucurella, Mwepu, Mitoma, Sima will have taken the best part of £50M to acquire, the White money is all spent, but a few other fees coming in.

My reckoning is that we were expecting an offer too good to refuse for Bissouma, so brought in Mwepu, if we had expected to keep Biss, we might have gone heavier on a striker and not brought in Mwepu, or stuck at a low offer to try and get him. I am pretty sure the club had agreed a deal for Nunez in principal, but could not make it fit within the budget. You seem sure that Bloom could have just stuck his hand in his pocket and increased the budget, but I am not, I believe the PL rules are placing a constraint on what we can spend.

 

[Ding Dong !]

What's the point in having Locadia on the bench......if he isn't good enough, ( which is the general opinion of everyone ) then what's the point

 

[b.w.2.]

Normally, losses must be below £105M over 3 seasons, the seasons are the last 2 and the current season projected, I can't be arsed to check it out again, but losses over the last 2 seasons were something over £85M.
Ben White fee is not all in the bank as far as I know, I think only £30M came in immediately, Cucurella, Mwepu, Mitoma, Sima will have taken the best part of £50M to acquire, the White money is all spent, but a few other fees coming in.

My reckoning is that we were expecting an offer too good to refuse for Bissouma, so brought in Mwepu, if we had expected to keep Biss, we might have gone heavier on a striker and not brought in Mwepu, or stuck at a low offer to try and get him. I am pretty sure the club had agreed a deal for Nunez in principal, but could not make it fit within the budget. You seem sure that Bloom could have just stuck his hand in his pocket and increased the budget, but I am not, I believe the PL rules are placing a constraint on what we can spend.

Villa spending: Explain.


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[Wardy's twin]

What's the point in having Locadia on the bench......if he isn't good enough, ( which is the general opinion of everyone ) then what's the point

he's in the shop widow. his value is higher being on the bench rather than nowhere. We might get a million for him which is a million more than not being there. Personally think that is nonsense approach and would rather have eitehr Fergusson or Tolaj there .

 

[BN41Albion]

I don't often agree with you but, you are, as are most of us, Absolutely bang on the money on this one.

We cannot, are not and will not progress until we get a good one.

If and when we ever do land one, nailed on he'll be injured and out for 15months within a month of being with us

 

[Terry Butcher Tribute Act]

Usual story. Potter.

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[Springal]

No excuses, we need a new striker.


Welbeck not playing and Maupay not at the races........ That's the problem.


Be nice if the midfielders and defenders chipped in a few as well, but it ain't heppening.

Maupay was at the races - 4 goals in first 9 Games. Then dropped will do strikers confidence any good

 

[Baldseagull]

How do Palace, West Ham and Leeds get to spend so much more than us even without selling a player for £50m?

Well, West Ham have about twice the number of season ticket holders that we do, and still have 8000 seats for general sale. I believe Leeds as a newly promoted club last season, have a bit more leeway within the normal rules, and I reckon their wage bill is half of ours. Palace have a high wage bill, and spent more than us on transfers this season, but next to nothing for the last couple of seasons, I suspect we have spent more than them in the last 2 seasons.
We would need [MENTION=31]El Presidente[/MENTION] to tell us what the relative incomes and expenditures are

 

[nwgull]

Normally, losses must be below £105M over 3 seasons, the seasons are the last 2 and the current season projected, I can't be arsed to check it out again, but losses over the last 2 seasons were something over £85M.
Ben White fee is not all in the bank as far as I know, I think only £30M came in immediately, Cucurella, Mwepu, Mitoma, Sima will have taken the best part of £50M to acquire, the White money is all spent, but a few other fees coming in.

My reckoning is that we were expecting an offer too good to refuse for Bissouma, so brought in Mwepu, if we had expected to keep Biss, we might have gone heavier on a striker and not brought in Mwepu, or stuck at a low offer to try and get him. I am pretty sure the club had agreed a deal for Nunez in principal, but could not make it fit within the budget. You seem sure that Bloom could have just stuck his hand in his pocket and increased the budget, but I am not, I believe the PL rules are placing a constraint on what we can spend.

Our losses will include a lot of costs that don’t count towards P&S: Infrastructure depreciation, academy costs, women’s team losses, AITC etc. Clubs are also allowed to discount the losses caused by Covid, which for the Albion would be about 25m, I think.

As for the Ben White 50m, that will all be accounted for in this season’s accounts. It doesn’t matter when the actual cash arrives in the bank as far as the books are concerned.

Seeing as we’ve also sold or not renewed contracts of Ali J, Propper, Ryan and Izquierdo, the player amortisation costs probably won’t have gone up much, even with this seasons new signings. I’d say we have a fair amount of wriggle room as far as P&S is concerned. This doesnt mean free money however, and I don’t enjoy seeing people comment on social media or here as if Tony Bloom is obligated to continually put his hand deep in his own pockets.

For what it’s worth I support the strategy of buying players that aren’t oven-ready and loaning them out in the hope that some will kick on. The USG acquisition is another potential source and proving ground for PL quality talent. I don’t think it’s any coincidence that their transfers over the last couple of year have (apparently) been data-driven rather than splashing out.

 

[Baldseagull]

Villa spending: Explain.


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Explain what?

 

[nwgull]

Well, West Ham have about twice the number of season ticket holders that we do, and still have 8000 seats for general sale. I believe Leeds as a newly promoted club last season, have a bit more leeway within the normal rules, and I reckon their wage bill is half of ours. Palace have a high wage bill, and spent more than us on transfers this season, but next to nothing for the last couple of seasons, I suspect we have spent more than them in the last 2 seasons.
We would need [MENTION=31]El Presidente[/MENTION] to tell us what the relative incomes and expenditures are

Palace’s income is very similar to ours, but their strategy seems to be more about the here and now with lots of money being spent on first-team transfers and wages rather than future investments that will need to be loaned for a season or two before being ready, or not in some cases.

They also don’t have a lot of the non-P&S costs that we do. For example, I can’t imagine that there is any depreciation on Selhurst, and the women’s team is so underfunded that Zaha was personally covering their costs a couple of seasons ago (fair play to him).

 

[nwgull]

What's the point in having Locadia on the bench......if he isn't good enough, ( which is the general opinion of everyone ) then what's the point

It’s a special request by the recruitment team to serve as a reminder of what happens when you panic buy a striker. If the reported fee of 15m is correct, he’s costing the club aorund 5.5m a year in player amortisation and wages. At least we get that off the books next season!