Bwian
Kiss my (_!_)
- Jul 14, 2003
- 15,898
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Is the current Albion squad "strong enough to reach the play-offs''
- Thread starter Bozza
- Start date
Grombleton
Surrounded by <div>s
- Dec 31, 2011
- 7,356
I'm not defending Burke, but don't all the deals have to be rubber-stamped by TB first, or at least work within the agreed framework?
Bwian
Kiss my (_!_)
- Jul 14, 2003
- 15,898
I said this on another thread:
That really is astonishing that this season's rabble are earning so much.
Time to bring back performance related earnings for footballers-especially our current squad.
I'd like to add that Burke and co should be on performance related pay too-he'd be shopping in Iceland a lot this season...not the country either!
I can't prove it of course, but think with the right coach they would be competing in upper midtable/playoffs. Confidence is in pieces at the moment which is leading to more and more fundamental errors. The performances at the start of the season really had me believing we were in for a similar season to Oscar's, not spectacular but a solid team nonetheless, despite the huge turnover of bodies. As the weeks went on we still didn't adapt to Hyypia's style, leading to him finally changing it in the last few games.
O'Grady and Hughes could well come under the journeyman tag though!
Bwian
Kiss my (_!_)
- Jul 14, 2003
- 15,898
These 'men' are professional footballers for crying out loud. That is all they've known about and wanted since an early age-that should be motivation enough to do better. They should be going out there to win in spite of the manager/coaches.
They're not showing any lack of confidence when it comes to asking for high wages so now is the time for them to frigging well start earning their salaries.
Guy Fawkes
The voice of treason
- Sep 29, 2007
- 8,212
yes it may have been as the players were recruited, but for whatever reason we haven't been getting the points return our performances merit. (Cardiff, Bournemouth, Blackpool, etc)
Had we secure some of those extra points, then we could have been nicely positioned for a play-off challenge again.
Do i think we can make it now without new players - no.
Do i think we can still make it with new signings - It's possible, (but not probable and a mid-table finish is more likely) - how far away were Palace, Reading, Bolton, etc when they put in a very good run in the 2nd half of the season after being in or around the bottom 3?
Had we secure some of those extra points, then we could have been nicely positioned for a play-off challenge again.
Do i think we can make it now without new players - no.
Do i think we can still make it with new signings - It's possible, (but not probable and a mid-table finish is more likely) - how far away were Palace, Reading, Bolton, etc when they put in a very good run in the 2nd half of the season after being in or around the bottom 3?
Albion Dan
Banned
If that is true and TB believes the squad those wages have purchased is up to scratch compared to the last two years then I seriously fear for the future under the current management team.
Algernon
Well-known member
Absolutely no chance. Far too lightweight and lacking in leadership and fight.
Icy Gull
Back on the rollercoaster
- Jul 5, 2003
- 72,015
Short term investment for half the team as they won't be here next season and we have paid one transfer fee?. The team is full of loanees, which is never a good thing. See Adams Mark 2 for proof.
If we are going to rely on loanees from here on in, we will not get promoted anytime soon. I can live with staying in the Championship though, just hope that we can.
We have no choice but to run with whatever Bloom deems appropriate, doesn't mean we have to love it and not question it though does it?
Guy Fawkes
The voice of treason
- Sep 29, 2007
- 8,212
We are high up the pitch, creating a lot of chances (in terms of number but not necessarily quality of shots) and limiting the opposition to only a few chances (from which they seem to be scoring from their first effort on target)
We are lacking that killer pass / cross, that spotted run and through ball and maybe just a bit of luck (keepers playing a worldie against us, woodwork and out for us --> wookwork and in for Blackburn and teams scoring with their first effort, etc)
We are trying to win, the tactics are to go for the win (pushing Dunk & Greer up, even Stockdale at the death on occasions) we haven't appeared to have settled for a point in any of the games i've seen this season
I don't doubt they're not trying to win at all, but been obvious since day one how confused they are with the tactics and what's being asked of them, it's not just a case of putting in more effort. Confidence is bound to be fragile when they went 10 or 11 games without winning, it's only natural. Yes the players have to do their part, but it's driven completely by the coaching staff.
Wrong-Direction
Well-known member
- Mar 10, 2013
- 13,435
I don't think so no
oldboyroy
Well-known member
TB = cloud cuckoo land!!
spanish flair
Well-known member
Do we know he has to rubber stamp all deals? When I was working and I was given a budget to run my department, I never had to keep running to the boss to rubber stamp every purchase and I don't think I could have handled that if I had. Surely a player budget and guidelines are set and someone manages it, I would think DB and PB between them. The thought of Bloom hiring top guys without authority I find a little strange to be honest.
midnight_rendezvous
Well-known member
On paper maybe but the game is played on grass and that's where we slip up.
- Jun 27, 2012
- 13,944
is the structure of the team, in terms of loanees really that different to previous seasons when we made the play-offs etc.
For Joe Bennett, Gardner, Teixeira, even Bennett - see also Ward, Andrews, Lingard, Conway last season and Upson, Bridge, Hammond in 2012/13 (virtually all ever-presents in the team) . Obika/Lita for example last year were emergency loans but hardly played and were here for a few weeks like Al Habsi, Halford who we aren't relying on are we.. Bennett feels like a Upson. Potentially a signing in January.
But not true to say this year is any different from previous Amex seasons in terms of the loan/permanent/emergency loanees balance. Its not Watford a la Zola quite yet.
oldboyroy
Well-known member
And the wage bill is higher now with some players 2 leagues below them in terms of quality.....we have well and truly been had Burke has too!!!
Grombleton
Surrounded by <div>s
- Dec 31, 2011
- 7,356
That's partly my point - I presume he would rubber-stamp some of the deals (the big money ones) but otherwise there'll be a framework set for DB to work within - if there's a deal that may break that framework then it'd be a judgement call between DB, TB and (i assume) SH and PB.
Either way, the claim made (not by you) that "Based on this we cannot trust the current incumbert (Burke) who agreed these deals to spend any further money." is peculiar when he will know what boundaries to work within. I do concede that the people he has bought in within that framework have been mixed.