Your predictions for the Albion's upcoming transfer window.

Nixonator said:

Disagree. He is a solid, physically very strong, committed and mobile full back with quality delivery on his left foot. Defensively he rarely gets beaten, stops more crosses than he doesn't and has made some pretty critical blocks of late.

If we use Bruno as comparison then obviously it's a pointless discussion, as Bruno is such a cultured footballer whereas Bong is a bit 'rough around the edges'. That said he does have certain attributes over Bruno and indeed over Rosenior. For all of Bruno's quality, correct me if i'm wrong, he is yet to chalk up an assist this season? Whereas Bong, from memory must have a handful.

He has not misplaced passes as you describe unless you count long balls down the left which haven't paid off. His primary weakness is being pressed and caught in possession and being forced inside on his right foot, which teams have identified, often with 2 forward players closing him down and limiting his options very quickly. This is not a slight on the player, they just know if they do that to Bruno he can play his way out of it. This often results in Bong playing it safe by passing back to LD/DS and cue people calling him shit.

I love Liam Rosenior, he's a quality all-round footballer and his professionalism is really something to admire, but to describe him as a shoo-in for Bong is just bollocks and i'm almost entirely certain that CH rates Bong very highly based on his physicality alone.

Click to expand...

Exile said:

You make a very good case, so fair play.

I'm absolutely no harsh critic of Bong - I think he's decent. this discussion has come from me describing his form as 'patchy of late'. I think that's pretty fair. Very good in patches - second half v Fulham, Pretty ropey in patches - first half v Villa. But whether it be via careless passes, or as you say, getting caught in possession, he DOES give the ball away more often than I would like, so in my opinion, Rosenior would take the spot, if fit.

(Which he isn't, so its a rather moot point!)

Click to expand...

Nixonator said:

No doubt, there is certainly justified critcism of him, particularly in our last 2 games but I maintain he is our best LB if everybody is fully fit.

I wouldn't say that you have unjustly criticised him at all (and there is alot of that going around lately), I just disagree that LR should replace him.

Click to expand...

Nixonator said:

Disagree. He is a solid, physically very strong, committed and mobile full back with quality delivery on his left foot. Defensively he rarely gets beaten, stops more crosses than he doesn't and has made some pretty critical blocks of late.

If we use Bruno as comparison then obviously it's a pointless discussion, as Bruno is such a cultured footballer whereas Bong is a bit 'rough around the edges'. That said he does have certain attributes over Bruno and indeed over Rosenior. For all of Bruno's quality, correct me if i'm wrong, he is yet to chalk up an assist this season? Whereas Bong, from memory must have a handful.

He has not misplaced passes as you describe unless you count long balls down the left which haven't paid off. His primary weakness is being pressed and caught in possession and being forced inside on his right foot, which teams have identified, often with 2 forward players closing him down and limiting his options very quickly. This is not a slight on the player, they just know if they do that to Bruno he can play his way out of it. This often results in Bong playing it safe by passing back to LD/DS and cue people calling him shit.

I love Liam Rosenior, he's a quality all-round footballer and his professionalism is really something to admire, but to describe him as a shoo-in for Bong is just bollocks and i'm almost entirely certain that CH rates Bong very highly based on his physicality alone.

Click to expand...

Stat Brother said:

I don't know if I'd be so kind as to call it bold either.

All you're saying is the club will buy a striker.
Any 1st team striker will smash the Albion's transfer record which currently stands at somewhere between £2.5 and £4.5m.

Click to expand...

BensGrandad said:

I do not think that Bongs place in the team is in any doubt whatsoever if CH was concerned about him Pocognoli would have been pushed on. When fit I see LR as being on the bench to cover most defensive positions or to be brought on to hold a lead and even used as a defensive midfielder in some away games.

Click to expand...

Stat Brother said:

What with all the speculation around linking Roger Marti with us, I'm sure a scout will be in attendance.

Click to expand...

Big_Unit said:

But his passing is really not very special at all. Bruno shanks one into the stand twice a season. Bong does it twice a game. Having the skipper - who is a MAGNIFICENT footballer - as the other full back does mean Bong suffers very easily by comparison. So would Rosenior.

Click to expand...

Cowfold Seagull said:

Let's just sign someone for a fee first. My own personal feeling is that whoever comes in, (providing somebody does), will only be a loan signing until the end of the season, just to help us get over the line.

Click to expand...

Nixonator said:

Disagree. He is a solid, physically very strong, committed and mobile full back with quality delivery on his left foot. Defensively he rarely gets beaten, stops more crosses than he doesn't and has made some pretty critical blocks of late.

If we use Bruno as comparison then obviously it's a pointless discussion, as Bruno is such a cultured footballer whereas Bong is a bit 'rough around the edges'. That said he does have certain attributes over Bruno and indeed over Rosenior. For all of Bruno's quality, correct me if i'm wrong, he is yet to chalk up an assist this season? Whereas Bong, from memory must have a handful.

He has not misplaced passes as you describe unless you count long balls down the left which haven't paid off. His primary weakness is being pressed and caught in possession and being forced inside on his right foot, which teams have identified, often with 2 forward players closing him down and limiting his options very quickly. This is not a slight on the player, they just know if they do that to Bruno he can play his way out of it. This often results in Bong playing it safe by passing back to LD/DS and cue people calling him shit.

I love Liam Rosenior, he's a quality all-round footballer and his professionalism is really something to admire, but to describe him as a shoo-in for Bong is just bollocks and i'm almost entirely certain that CH rates Bong very highly based on his physicality alone.

Click to expand...

Stat Brother said:

Ordinarily I'd agree with that, but not for this current squad and their position.

This mythical loanee, that we talk of, is incredibly unlikely to have any of the attributes needed by a team staring down the barrel of top, with such an obvious gaping hole in the squad.

- They would have played very little first team football, this season.
- They might not have played at all.
- He could well be coming to the end of his career, or quite the reverse.

Nobody is lending anyone a regular first team playing goal scorer.

With only half the season left for much of this squad to finally get promotion, January onwards isn't the time to be bringing in a player needing some form of 'help'.

That would be fine, if the club were top 10 with strikers who have a decent track record of fitness.
Remembering back to Hemed and Murray playing together clearly says this isn't a position that ought to be gambled with.

Spend the money, deal with the market, get 'the' striker, and hope for the best.
If nothing else yet another failure won't result in a second summer (and autumn) of 'what might have been' naval gazing.

Click to expand...

Blue Valkyrie said:

5 games until the transfer window opens and we can get that striker in.

Click to expand...

DFL JCL said:

just the obvious one really. David Villa in during the winter break in MLS so he can spend the winter with his pal Bruno ;0)

Click to expand...