Jiri Skalak, 23yo Czech attacker, confirmed signing.

[Hamilton]

I'm looking forward to seeing this chap. Then again, I was looking forward to seeing Elvis, and that didn't pan out. Let's hope he gels. We have our striker.

 

[Notters]

Answers everyone on his Facebook page, more than most ��

He's probably seen all the shite on twitter then.

 

[Stat Brother]

Well I reckon he's dog-ploppy, I can't wait to booo him.

 

[Hugo Rune]

Just watched the intro film on Player. If he is a winger, he spends a hell of a lot of time up front in the middle. Play him next to Bobby, he will score some goals. Fingers crossed of course.

This is the match OUR Jiri helps destroy Holland's hopes of playing in the Euros. He gets two assists, one being from a great free kick, and yes, he is very central for two of the goals.

http://footyroom.com/netherlands-2-3-czech-republic-2015-10/

Let's hope Holla is not Jiri's roommate!

I keep thinking McCormack when I see Jiri - am I wrong?

 

[wellquickwoody]

More importantly, he fills the 'Albion man who likes a puffer gilet and toy dog' vacancy left by Oscar. I have a feeling Jiri & Brighton will get along famously.

View attachment 72028

Gotta say, he does seem to manage to look very at home in Brighton! And so he should, a very welcoming place it is too.

 

[Silverhatch]

Broken into the Czech national team during their successful run in to Euro Qualification. Has a huge incentive to play and do well for us in our run in. Appears to be getting full international football ahead of the likes of Vydra.

 

[ryans father]

Could be a great signing and seems he can play both flanks and centrally as a number 10.

 

[Bigtomfu]

He's got a touch of the psycho killer about him, he seems to be able to put his foot through a football, he's our first Czech player and he's an international.

What more could you want?! Flairtastic

 

[Behind Enemy Lines]

Anyone know what we paid for him?

 

[Dorset Seagull]

Does the fact that he signed on deadline day suggest:

We were holding out for another target and he was 2nd choice
He was holding out for another club and we were 2nd choice

If not surely the deal could have been done earlier in the window.

 

[Dick Swiveller]

This is the match OUR Jiri helps destroy Holland's hopes of playing in the Euros. He gets two assists, one being from a great free kick, and yes, he is very central for two of the goals.

http://footyroom.com/netherlands-2-3-czech-republic-2015-10/

Let's hope Holla is not Jiri's roommate!

I keep thinking McCormack when I see Jiri - am I wrong?

We should sign their 4 as well. Takes a worse foul throw than Bruno or Calde for the second goal.

 

[nwgull]

Does the fact that he signed on deadline day suggest:

We were holding out for another target and he was 2nd choice
He was holding out for another club and we were 2nd choice

If not surely the deal could have been done earlier in the window.

Or his agent was holding out for more cash from either us or QPR.

 

[Mo Gosfield]

The keys to maintaining success this season are : -
1) Stability at the back.
2) Creativity in forward positions.
Two clean sheets in the last 14 games is a clear indication that we have been struggling at the back and its been obvious since the loss of Solly March and the awaited return of KLL that we have lost that spark, that excitement, that creativity. Knockaeret, KLL and Skalac will now provide that. The goals will now start coming again. You could have put Rhodes, McCormack, Austin, etc upfront for us and they wouldn't have scored for us, simply because very little was being created. Posters on here keep going on and on about a proven goalscorer but it wouldn't have made any difference. What we need is creativity and more decent chances being created. Hemed, Wilson and Zamora have been feeding off scraps. For all their hard work and skill, Kayal and Stephens are not creative. They do a terrific job but they won't set up the clear opportunities that are needed.
Skalac is a very good signing and Hughton and his team should be applauded. The posters on here bemoaning the apparent failure to sign a ' proven goalscorer ' and looking down their noses at Skalac really need to sit down and think about more about our team, how they are set up, how they play and what they need. I now feel with have enough ammo for the run-in. My big concern is how tight are we going to be at the back.

 

[Thunder Bolt]

Ive not seen him other than on TV.
Sparta supporting mate on FB:
'Contract is closed
I guess he is first Czech player In Brighton
And yeah he was the best player of the fall here
But I liked him since his 18. He played in boleslav just this fall otherwise only sparta'

Peter Brezovan was Czechoslovakian by birth so strictly speaking our first Czech player although he's classed as Slovakian now.

 

[Thunder Bolt]

The keys to maintaining success this season are : -
1) Stability at the back.
2) Creativity in forward positions.
Two clean sheets in the last 14 games is a clear indication that we have been struggling at the back and its been obvious since the loss of Solly March and the awaited return of KLL that we have lost that spark, that excitement, that creativity. Knockaeret, KLL and Skalac will now provide that. The goals will now start coming again. You could have put Rhodes, McCormack, Austin, etc upfront for us and they wouldn't have scored for us, simply because very little was being created. Posters on here keep going on and on about a proven goalscorer but it wouldn't have made any difference. What we need is creativity and more decent chances being created. Hemed, Wilson and Zamora have been feeding off scraps. For all their hard work and skill, Kayal and Stephens are not creative. They do a terrific job but they won't set up the clear opportunities that are needed.
Skalac is a very good signing and Hughton and his team should be applauded. The posters on here bemoaning the apparent failure to sign a ' proven goalscorer ' and looking down their noses at Skalac really need to sit down and think about more about our team, how they are set up, how they play and what they need. I now feel with have enough ammo for the run-in. My big concern is how tight are we going to be at the back.

We've lost just four games, and apart from Boro, by just one goal. Those single goals were all defensive errors, but in each of those four defeats, we didn't score a single goal. Had we managed to score, three of those defeats could have been draws.
When we score a goal, we don't lose.

 

[dazzer6666]

The keys to maintaining success this season are : -
1) Stability at the back.
2) Creativity in forward positions.
Two clean sheets in the last 14 games is a clear indication that we have been struggling at the back and its been obvious since the loss of Solly March and the awaited return of KLL that we have lost that spark, that excitement, that creativity. Knockaeret, KLL and Skalac will now provide that. The goals will now start coming again. You could have put Rhodes, McCormack, Austin, etc upfront for us and they wouldn't have scored for us, simply because very little was being created. Posters on here keep going on and on about a proven goalscorer but it wouldn't have made any difference. What we need is creativity and more decent chances being created. Hemed, Wilson and Zamora have been feeding off scraps. For all their hard work and skill, Kayal and Stephens are not creative. They do a terrific job but they won't set up the clear opportunities that are needed.
Skalac is a very good signing and Hughton and his team should be applauded. The posters on here bemoaning the apparent failure to sign a ' proven goalscorer ' and looking down their noses at Skalac really need to sit down and think about more about our team, how they are set up, how they play and what they need. I now feel with have enough ammo for the run-in. My big concern is how tight are we going to be at the back.

Spot on

 

[shoreham seagull 1973]

Anyone know what we paid for him?

According to wiki £12m.

 

[Bold Seagull]

The keys to maintaining success this season are : -
1) Stability at the back.
2) Creativity in forward positions.
Two clean sheets in the last 14 games is a clear indication that we have been struggling at the back and its been obvious since the loss of Solly March and the awaited return of KLL that we have lost that spark, that excitement, that creativity. Knockaeret, KLL and Skalac will now provide that. The goals will now start coming again. You could have put Rhodes, McCormack, Austin, etc upfront for us and they wouldn't have scored for us, simply because very little was being created. Posters on here keep going on and on about a proven goalscorer but it wouldn't have made any difference. What we need is creativity and more decent chances being created. Hemed, Wilson and Zamora have been feeding off scraps. For all their hard work and skill, Kayal and Stephens are not creative. They do a terrific job but they won't set up the clear opportunities that are needed.
Skalac is a very good signing and Hughton and his team should be applauded. The posters on here bemoaning the apparent failure to sign a ' proven goalscorer ' and looking down their noses at Skalac really need to sit down and think about more about our team, how they are set up, how they play and what they need. I now feel with have enough ammo for the run-in. My big concern is how tight are we going to be at the back.

Indeed. I would add that I felt once Kaz, then Bong, Rosenior and finally March got injured, it became incumbent on Stephens and Kayal to add to the attacking creativity of the team as our wide threat was greatly diminished. Prior to the injuries, they were able to dominate the midfield, protect the back four, get the ball out wide or to the front players, and even contribute with some goals.

I'm confident/hoping that with a renewed threat out wide, Stephens and Kayal can return to the basics of protecting the back four and winning the midfield battle - this I think will play a big part in us tightening up at the back.

 

[Mo Gosfield]

We've lost just four games, and apart from Boro, by just one goal. Those single goals were all defensive errors, but in each of those four defeats, we didn't score a single goal. Had we managed to score, three of those defeats could have been draws.
When we score a goal, we don't lose.

I agree.
My main point is that the lack of goals can be attributed to a paucity of service. Think about those defeats and there weren't many clear chances being created by us. Earlier in the season, with KLL, Solly and Bong + Rosenior raiding forward, the forwards were getting on the end of stuff and our goalscoring was nearly the best in the division. Throw in the fact, that, defensively, we were making less errors and you can see why we were top.
Teams always go off the boil with scoring at some stage of the season and that's when you hope that you are tight at the back. Unfortunately, our barren spell coincided with some of our defenders deciding to commit a series of calamitous errors.
Boro didn't concede for 9 games and went clear at the top. Now, apparently, their goals have dried up and they have lost to Bristol and Forest.

 

[Withdean11]

The keys to maintaining success this season are : -
1) Stability at the back.
2) Creativity in forward positions.
Two clean sheets in the last 14 games is a clear indication that we have been struggling at the back and its been obvious since the loss of Solly March and the awaited return of KLL that we have lost that spark, that excitement, that creativity. Knockaeret, KLL and Skalac will now provide that. The goals will now start coming again. You could have put Rhodes, McCormack, Austin, etc upfront for us and they wouldn't have scored for us, simply because very little was being created. Posters on here keep going on and on about a proven goalscorer but it wouldn't have made any difference. What we need is creativity and more decent chances being created. Hemed, Wilson and Zamora have been feeding off scraps. For all their hard work and skill, Kayal and Stephens are not creative. They do a terrific job but they won't set up the clear opportunities that are needed.
Skalac is a very good signing and Hughton and his team should be applauded. The posters on here bemoaning the apparent failure to sign a ' proven goalscorer ' and looking down their noses at Skalac really need to sit down and think about more about our team, how they are set up, how they play and what they need. I now feel with have enough ammo for the run-in. My big concern is how tight are we going to be at the back.

Don't forget we have Bong, Greer, Uwe and Rosenior to come back from injury. That's effectively an entire back four.