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[Albion] "What the hell have we signed Duffy for?"



Icy Gull

Back on the rollercoaster
Jul 5, 2003
72,015
I have to confess to being really disappointed













that he hasn't yet scored. I thought he'd get a hatful :smile:
 






GT49er

Well-known member
NSC Patron
Feb 1, 2009
49,181
Gloucester
Trust me there were plenty on here said we didn't need another CB. Can't be arsed to look for that thread
Trust me, there weren't. What was said was that we didn't need a four million pound CB, not that we didn't need to replace Greer so that we had 4 CBs on the books.
 




Thunder Bolt

Silly old bat
I have to confess to being really disappointed













that he hasn't yet scored. I thought he'd get a hatful :smile:

A couple of times Duffy has been in the exact right position, only for Dunk to jump ahead of him. Every time we get a corner, I want Duffy to score one.
 




Finchley Seagull

Well-known member
Feb 25, 2004
6,916
North London
Just like some of our fans offered to drive Dunk to Fulham. Yet these fans still claim to know about football.

People have very short memories. As you say, some said we should sell him last summer and then were asking why we kept him when he got sent off at QPR and then made a couple of errors. Barring his aberration against Derby, it's been very clear since then why we didn't sell him to Fulham back then.
 


stss30

Registered User
Apr 24, 2008
9,546
Trust me, there weren't. What was said was that we didn't need a four million pound CB, not that we didn't need to replace Greer so that we had 4 CBs on the books.

No, there were many who insisted we'd be fine with 3CB's plus Bruno as cover.
 


Finchley Seagull

Well-known member
Feb 25, 2004
6,916
North London
A running theme of both pre- and post-match conversations on Saturday concerned the signing of Shane Duffy.

Almost exclusively people confessed that when we signed him, there was a fair amount of "WTF?" thoughts.

We had Lewis Dunk, Connor Goldson and the BFG. Sure, we needed a fourth centre-back but a relatively junior back-up was what most thought we'd be aiming for. Then, out of the blue, we break our transfer record to bring in a largely well-regarded international. What was that all about?

Fifteen games in, it's become abundantly clear. Duffy is an absolute monster and the Albion have the best defence in the Football League (Premier League clubs have only played 10 games to date) and we have more clean sheets than anyone else anywhere.

Well played Messrs Hughton, Winstanley et al.

Agree completely. I had my doubts, not based on his first two games, but just based on it seeming like a lot of money in a position we did well in last year. How wrong I was.

As you say, he has been fantastic. Frankly, judging by Saturday, Duffy is the transfer that Norwich should have beaten us to. He cost less than half of Pritchard and is in a position where they clearly need more quality.
 




MattBackHome

Well-known member
Jul 7, 2003
11,873
Trust me, there weren't. What was said was that we didn't need a four million pound CB, not that we didn't need to replace Greer so that we had 4 CBs on the books.

Indeed. No need to rewrite history. I wasn't sure about the spend but am delighted to be proved wrong (and it won't be the last time).

I reckon the Duffy/Dunk partnership is up there with Ayala/Gibson from last year - and they were just IMMENSE.
 




chaileyjem

#BarberIn
NSC Patron
Jun 27, 2012
14,612
What worries me and still does is only having 3 strikers at the club. We have been lucky so far with injuries and suspensions. This really needs addressing in Jan. Can't afford to take another 20 or so games gamble on just 3

January is now 9 fixtures away...
By the way both Hemed and Baldock have missed games this season due to suspensions or injury.
 




GT49er

Well-known member
NSC Patron
Feb 1, 2009
49,181
Gloucester
No, there were many who insisted we'd be fine with 3CB's plus Bruno as cover.

The number of idiots who suggested that three CBs was enough for the season could be counted on the fingers of one hand. With some to spare!



Of course, there was discussion about potential fourth CBs - were any of our youngsters, such as Rea or Dallison, up to stepping up to that role, for instance - but not people advocating setting out for a whole season with just tree CBs.
 


spence

British and Proud
Oct 15, 2014
9,953
Crawley
January is now 9 fixtures away...
By the way both Hemed and Baldock have missed games this season due to suspensions or injury.

If you read my post again you will see i'm talking about post Jan and not before.

Baldock is normally injury prone. We have been quite lucky with him so far.
 


spring hall convert

Well-known member
Nov 3, 2009
9,608
Brighton
It's a masterstroke. Completely evident to me that there are two specifics we had problems with last year where Duffy improves us

- Defending set pieces.
- Against route one teams.

I have worries about his lack of pace but alongside Dunk or Goldson, I can't really see that being too much of a problem.
 




spence

British and Proud
Oct 15, 2014
9,953
Crawley
*cough* Preston *cough

Agree with the OP though, he has been an immense signing for us. He looked a little shaky the first couple of games, but now he's settled in and has adapted to our system, he has been absolutely outstanding next to Dunk. I very much doubt there is a better CB pairing in the division, and with Goldson / Hunemeir as backup, we have an embarrassment of riches now in that most vital of positions.
This terminology about "embarrassment of riches" really grates me. It's a small club mentality and reminds me of Withdean era. You will find all the bigger clubs in this division have at least 4 CB's. It's the norm.
 


chaileyjem

#BarberIn
NSC Patron
Jun 27, 2012
14,612
If you read my post again you will see i'm talking about post Jan and not before.

Baldock is normally injury prone. We have been quite lucky with him so far.

I agree with you that we need another attacking option in January. I was making the point that we've managed to cope up til now despite having Baldock being suspended and Hemed being injured and January is ever closer. Perhaps we've been as unlucky as it will get.
 


Stat Brother

Well-known member
NSC Patron
Jul 11, 2003
73,888
West west west Sussex
To me his signing made all the sense in the world, when the club backed it up with THE striker.

When that signing failed to materialize, spending all that money on SD began to not make sense.

That wasn't help by being bombarded by the default setting of some posters replying:-

'well we need to replace Greer'.

Which is all well and good, only Greer didn't leave the Albion as a £4m rated defender.
While the club is saying it can't make the money work for a striker.

So far everything has worked out considerably better than I (and I'm sure many others) expected, so fingers crossed the team gets through the next half a dozen games, ready to gear ourselves up for January.
 


JBizzle

Well-known member
Apr 18, 2010
6,227
Seaford
I agree with you that we need another attacking option in January. I was making the point that we've managed to cope up til now despite having Baldock being suspended and Hemed being injured and January is ever closer. Perhaps we've been as unlucky as it will get.

The other benefit is that (frantically touching wood and barring any injuries) our strength in depth at the moment means that our only real need in January is the Baldock competition/2nd striker role. Any other signings would need tot be improvements on what we have.
 




Carrot Cruncher

NHS Slave
Helpful Moderator
Jul 30, 2003
5,053
Southampton, United Kingdom
This terminology about "embarrassment of riches" really grates me. It's a small club mentality and reminds me of Withdean era. You will find all the bigger clubs in this division have at least 4 CB's. It's the norm.

I know what you're saying, but on this occasion it's correct, we DO have an embarrassment of riches at the back, not just 4 making up the numbers. When you have a player who has played in one of the top leagues in the world (BFG) as your 4th pick CB, that is fantastic and not small team mentality. As the point was made above, Villa's expensive defensive signings would be 4th-6th picks here.
 


Carrot Cruncher

NHS Slave
Helpful Moderator
Jul 30, 2003
5,053
Southampton, United Kingdom
I agree with you that we need another attacking option in January. I was making the point that we've managed to cope up til now despite having Baldock being suspended and Hemed being injured and January is ever closer. Perhaps we've been as unlucky as it will get.

Oooh, now you've gone and ruddy done it. Silly Jem :)
 


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