What will cost us this season...

[Icy Gull]

Interesting that so many posters seem to be really fighting the idea that signing a decent extra forward last year and this might have made a big difference. The number of times I've read that there are no guarantees and been given examples of failures completely ignores the fact that it can and does make a difference when you get it right. How about Gray at Burnley last year?

You'd think it wasn't worth the risk, well it worked for Burnley and it worked for Boro even if Rhodes didn't score as many as expected and now can't get a game, so what? Boro are a Premier League club, they can afford to write off the 10 million whilst TB will not feel quite so impressed with losing another 10 million if we fail this year too.

 

[Neville's Breakfast]

Interesting that so many posters seem to be really fighting the idea that signing a decent extra forward last year and this might have made a big difference. The number of times I've read that there are no guarantees and been given examples of failures completely ignores the fact that it can and does make a difference when you get it right. How about Gray at Burnley last year?

You'd think it wasn't worth the risk, well it worked for Burnley and it worked for Boro even if Rhodes didn't score as many as expected and now can't get a game, so what? Boro are a Premier League club, they can afford to write off the 10 million whilst TB will not feel quite so impressed with losing another 10 million if we fail this year too.

I don't think that anyone would disagree with you. The question is though who do you want to sign ?(rhetorical question, my point is none of us know who of the right quality is actually available). Do you think that CH has neglected to try ?

 

[Icy Gull]

I don't think that anyone would disagree with you. The question is though who do you want to sign ? Do you think that CH has neglected to try ?

No, I have no gripes whatsoever with Hughton. I am just pissed that we are so bad at finding bargain or high profile forwards that produce that I question why we fail virtually every year to find them at any level, not just first team squad.

Why do you think we manage to fall short in this department so often?

Is our recruitment team as good as we are led to believe? They do seem to get it right in every other position, why not with forwards?

 

[LamieRobertson]

No, I have no gripes whatsoever with Hughton. I am just pissed that we are so bad at finding bargain or high profile forwards that produce that I question why we fail virtually every year to find them at any level, not just first team squad.

Why do you think we manage to fall short in this department so often?

Is our recruitment team as good as we are led to believe? They do seem to get it right in every other position, why not with forwards?

Gray certainly ended up being a brilliant buy for them..linking well with Vokes..as an aside I can't remember his name being championed on NSC before last season ..may be I just missed it.

Do you not think TH was a good buy?

 

[Neville's Breakfast]

No, I have no gripes whatsoever with Hughton. I am just pissed that we are so bad at finding bargain or high profile forwards that produce that I question why we fail virtually every year to find them at any level, not just first team squad.

Why do you think we manage to fall short in this department so often?

Is our recruitment team as good as we are led to believe? They do seem to get it right in every other position, why not with forwards?

I think that perhaps it's a widespread problem. Such players are very difficult to find. Maybe a lot of decent forwards are hiding in premier league development squads these days. The midfield also has responsibility for goal scoring, especially in modern football where players are fitter and play is a lot more attacking than even 20 years ago. AK scores goals but how about the rest of the midfield ?
I hope that a striking gem appears from our development squad and I'm sure the club will still be looking elsewhere for January. It is what it is.

 

[Icy Gull]

Gray certainly ended up being a brilliant buy for them..linking well with Vokes..as an aside I can't remember his name being championed on NSC before last season ..may be I just missed it.

Do you not think TH was a good buy?

In truth, I laughed when I heard how much Burnley paid for Gray but then I'm not paid to scout players

I really like TH but he and Murray are too similar, we really needed a fit James Wilson type player to play off them. I'd love Baldock to come good, but even if all three forwards were performing I'd STILL say we were one decent forward short

 

[LamieRobertson]

In truth, I laughed when I heard how much Burnley paid for Gray but then I'm not paid to scout players

I really like TH but he and Murray are too similar, we really needed a fit James Wilson type player to play off them. I'd love Baldock to come good, but even if all three forwards were performing I'd STILL say we were one decent forward short

And IG I entirely agree

 

[BensGrandad]

FWIW I would offer £8m for Rhodes in January and then be prepared to offer him for sale in the summer for £6m having achieved the aim and got us into the Premier. Some team would do the same and pay for him to take them up. The £2m loss would be well compensated.

 

[LamieRobertson]

FWIW I would offer £8m for Rhodes in January and then be prepared to offer him for sale in the summer for £6m having achieved the aim and got us into the Premier. Some team would do the same and pay for him to take them up. The £2m loss would be well compensated.

Derby might be interested

 

[BensGrandad]

Which was to be an excellent bench warmer who wouldn't get a sniff of a game once they were promoted?

He did what he was bought to do, get the goals for them to be promoted. He scored some vital goals and the price they sell him for even at a loss is a good move and a drop in the ocean compared to what they have gained.

 

[Neville's Breakfast]

Enjoy the game tomorrow everyone.
I'm going for a 6-0 win with hat tricks from Murray and Elvis

 

[LamieRobertson]

BG Just as a matter of interest hav u been out leaflet dropping ..this popped through my letterbox

 

[BensGrandad]

Not guilty m lord.

 

[El Presidente]

He did what he was bought to do, get the goals for them to be promoted. He scored some vital goals and the price they sell him for even at a loss is a good move and a drop in the ocean compared to what they have gained.

He scored six goals.

During the same period Tomer Hemed scored eleven, Knockaert six.

 

[BensGrandad]

He scored six goals.

During the same period Tomer Hemed scored eleven, Knockaert six.

But what you miss is the significance of those 6 goals and the points they earned Middlesbro.

 

[NooBHA]

But what you miss is the significance of those 6 goals and the points they earned Middlesbro.

I think you might find that in that period BG when Rhodes was scoring those goals for Middlesboro - Brighton picked up more points than Middlesboro did. I am not certain but I think Brighton picked up more points than anyone in the league from February/March onwards

 

[Thunder Bolt]

I think you might find that in that period BG when Rhodes was scoring those goals for Middlesboro - Brighton picked up more points than Middlesboro did. I am not certain but I think Brighton picked up more points than anyone in the league from February/March onwards

It's no good pointing out facts, when they fall on deaf ears.

 

[chaileyjem]

But what you miss is the significance of those 6 goals and the points they earned Middlesbro.

Hemed, Knockeart and our attacking options were picking up more points, 12 more goals in (in 1 fewer game) than Boro in the same period.
Here's the table from end of January and the end of the transfer window

 

[Brighton Mod]

No, you're not a fool but you are making it sound like some sort of formula: buy striker...get promoted. It is so easy to make a mistake in the transfer market. Perhaps the player doesn't gel with the team or he gets injured or whatever. There are no guarantees. There is a tremendous amount of research needed before making a signing. The club identified Pritchard as being both available and able to fit in. He went to Norwich. I am inclined to believe the club didn't feel that there was another candidate out there who would have enhanced our squad and who wanted to come here. I believe them because the recruitment team seem (in my opinion)to be doing a great job. I'm not sucking up to the club, I'm just taking a view. I guess it's up to you whether or not you go along with that.

There is no magic formula that will get any team promoted to the Premiership, but there are many procedures that a club can put in place to negate many of the factors that would count against getting promotion. The issue of the striker is prominent as we as fans identify that for us to get to the premiership we need more depth and quality to our front line. We undeniably ran out of strikers last year as we entered the most crucial stage of the season and it cost more than £100m to the club. With regards to the club not having identified the right person or having bet everything on Pritchard i'm not sure. The process of recruitment and selection is ongoing and for an organisation with our resource not to have options when we clearly are in need is a bad reflection, those responsible for recruitment would have been looking at the scenario of us being promoted and the other of staying in the Championship. The best they came up with was Pritchard,who came late in the window and went to Norwich after reportedly turning around on the M25, we let him go easily or was just that he became available we and we pitched in at the last minute.
We do need another striker, but there seem to be a reluctance by the club to make a serious move for anyone. I understand that some of the money required now is quite obscene and I like many others am becoming turned away from the game because of it, but its where the club finds itself and I just wonder if we have the stomach, bank account or willingness to get what we need.

 

[BensGrandad]

I think you might find that in that period BG when Rhodes was scoring those goals for Middlesboro - Brighton picked up more points than Middlesboro did. I am not certain but I think Brighton picked up more points than anyone in the league from February/March onwards

That may have been the case because we were playing catch up and he scored the goals that made that more difficult. What you are all forgetting is the points that he earned Middlesbro.

V Bolton 2 goals Boro won 2 -1 so 3 points.
V Burnley 1 goal drew 1-1 so 1 point
V Birmingham 1 goal drew 2-2 1 point

So of his 6 goals 4 of them earned Middlesbro 5 points. If they hadnt spent the £10m on him we may have been in The Premier.