Wayne Bridge...

[Tory Boy]

Good luck to him.

He played well for us last year, and we helped him out.

What's stopping us doing another deal to get some more players like him on loan.

Top teams can only play 11 players, and can only have a squad of 25 (I think). This leaves loads of players going spare.

TB

 

[8ace]

Too good for Reading.

 

[Comedy Steve]

It is true. On telegraph website. Added to the Redknapp fall out with Fernandes article.

We simply couldn't compete with their parachute payments income, which gives them a club income 50% greater than ours despite their fickle fanbase. Hence the interest in joining Reading by ££££ Gus back in the winter.

Puts paid to diehard Albion fans who told me Bridge loved it down here, and money was no longer as issue to the wealthy man.

Shame. Best left back in our history in my opinion.

(Adkins 'Albion-watching' again. Just like when he tried to poach Calderon).

What makes you think we made an offer for him to join us permanently?

 

[brightonmark1234]

reading have got bigger budget then what we have

 

[imbrightontillidie]

Reckon Wayne could have played for a low premier league club still

 

[Canonman]

Nothing on the club website, big loss if he has. Maybe all the upset at the club and with no one at the helm to help sway him to stay. Wages in the end I suppose.

 

[Not Andy Naylor]

He probably preferred to sign for a club who know who their manager will be at the start of the season.

That said, you have to feel a little sorry for him having to listen to the David Brent of football management every day. I wonder if the players play Adkins Bingo during team meetings the way journos do at his press conferences?

 

[HastingsSeagull]

Sad day

 

[Wilka]

So reliable that he had Phil Neville managing us last week ...

I'm not sure he said Phil Neville was nailed on but no element of doubt in the statement about Bridge.

 

[Not Andy Naylor]

Nothing on the club website, big loss if he has.

He's not a Brighton player, so why should there be anything on the Albion website? Mind you, there's nothing on Reading's either ...

 

[Biscuit]

A club with a manager. Good decision.

 

[Mellor 3 Ward 4]

If its not on sky sports or the club website it hasn't happened yet

Why would it be on the club website, he's not our player?

 

[8ace]

He probably preferred to sign for a club who know who their manager will be at the start of the season.

That said, you have to feel a little sorry for him having to listen to the David Brent of football management every day. I wonder if the players play Adkins Bingo during team meetings the way journos do at his press conferences?

HOUSE!

 

[Tubby-McFat-Fuc]

This is pretty much how I feel too. I hate it when people love a player while he's with us and then, as soon as he leaves, claim he wasn't actually that good anyway. I'm not going to do that. Bridge was obviously very, very good for us last season. But he's going to be 33 this summer and he'll be demanding a big wage by NPC standards. It would have been good to get him, but ultimately he's an expensive 33-year-old left-back. It's not a position where you should pay big money as there are plenty of them around. If he was a 25-goal striker then I'd say pay him whatever he wants as he'll be the difference between success and failure, but there is no way we should ever be going above the budget for a left-back.

Have to agree with that!!

Be disappointed if true.

But in all honestly, he was on a reported 100k a week last season, and he was hardly going to drop to the 10k or so we were paying him.

Certainly wouldn't want to break the bank for a 33 year old left back, no matter how good he is. And good he most certainly is!!!

 

[Diego Napier]

theres one gone

Yep, one loanee

 

[Tubby-McFat-Fuc]

A club with a manager.

Too be fair though, if it was down to that and nothing else, think about it. Would you join a club with no manager, or one with Nigel Adkins in charge!! I think I'd roll the dice and take my chances!

 

[Pavilionaire]

I'd like to know how hard we tried to re-sign him. I would have preferred him to join a Prem club, as Reading are loking in good shape for an automatic promotion spot. I think this move just confirms the budgetary constraints we are operating under as compared to the clubs with parachute payments.

I think we need the likes of JFC and Maksimenko to break through to save on wages.

On the plus side all is turmoil at QPR. We just need Wigan to be asset-stripped now.

 

[JamesAndTheGiantHead]

What is more worrying than Wayne Bridge leaving, which is a blow on its own, is that Wayne was an outspoken supporter of Gus. Which would suggest that he knows Gus is leaving, as most of our players will also know.
And knowing that, and knowing how long this is taking to sort out manager wise, will surely have some of our more desirable players looking elsewhere. I am starting to lose faith.

 

[Kazenga <3]

Sad as he was absolutely class for us.

However I would be surprised if he is as good for Reading as he was for us as he has to be slowing down a bit now and I would imagine the injuries may start to pop up a bit more regularly as per the end of this season.

We shouldn't be breaking the bank for a left back no, but it is sad as whoever we have next year in all likelihood won't be in the same league as Bridge was.

Maksimenko to step up or new foreign flairlord to be drafted in?

 

[HawkTheSeagull]

What is more worrying than Wayne Bridge leaving, which is a blow on its own, is that Wayne was an outspoken supporter of Gus. Which would suggest that he knows Gus is leaving, as most of our players will also know.
And knowing that, and knowing how long this is taking to sort out manager wise, will surely have some of our more desirable players looking elsewhere. I am starting to lose faith.

No, it doesnt.

Maybe people should remember that they were feeling the same about Mattock last season and we ended up going 1 better.