Is the current Albion squad "strong enough to reach the play-offs''

spanish flair · Nov 12, 2014

Grombleton said:
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.

I accept that any deal outside the framework, you would have to seek the go ahead from the people who set that framework. I am struggling to think amongst this summers signings who that could be, other than possibly Baldock, for maybe his fee and wages.

Sweeney Todd · Nov 12, 2014

Shouldn’t the question be: is Albion’s squad good enough to stay in the Championship?

Behind Enemy Lines · Nov 12, 2014

Guy Fawkes said:
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'm afraid it's a myth that we're creating a lot of chances. The stats will say we've had a lot of shots on goal but how many are actually on target? In reality very few. The statistics don’t mean much in this context. More broadly, is the club are relying too heavily on statistics when it comes to recruitment? On paper, several of the signings looked sensible but in reality, so far, have proved otherwise. The bottom line is that the club have sold its best players and not replaced them with lie-for like quality or dare I suggest, better ones?

What is the strategy to score goals? We now have a squad which is worryingly short of creativity. Lua Lua’s playing quite well but is inconsistent and for much of the season has been played out of position; Teixeira is just 21 - a big ask to be the main supply line and that leaves Mr O’Court who seems to be permanently on the bench. Not many other options are there? As a result the number of times we've created clear cut goal opportunities from open play this season has been few and far between. How many times have you watched Albion this season and really think during a match “we’re going to score now”? Not many.

In most games our passing has been poor and we're unable to keep the ball unlike under Poyet when we all could see that by keeping the ball our creative players would eventually carve out good chances to score. It worked, there was a plan. We're not terrible but neither are we a good side and on current form, miles away from the play offs. After 17 games Hyypia's ideas should be more discernable. Worryingly it's still difficult to see what the game plan is.

Icy Gull · Nov 12, 2014

chaileyjem said:
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.

Take your point but 2 years ago the loanees strengthened an already decent team with Bridge and then Upson who only arrived in January. Last season was a strange one as we had Quality players who downed tools or made the most of injury in Bridcutt and Buckley but again we had the core of a decent team and added good loanees. This season the loanees are arguably mostly our better players. this was not the case in Poyet's last season :down:

Or to put it another way, we no longer have saleable assets, except maybe Dunk and JFC, although Walton may yet be our next big transfer winner. We have sold or released our best players and replaced them with players of inferior quality or loanees.

I accept that March, Crofts and Stephens being fit could have made a massive difference to our team this season.

Brovion · Nov 12, 2014

jamie the seagull said:
"The cost of our squad this year, in terms of salaries, is higher than it has ever been in our history."

The most shocking statment from the interview.
We have always been told that we are trying to drive salary levels down.
Based on this we cannot trust the current incumbert (Burke) who agreed these deals to spend any further money.

Blimey, that is absolutely incredible. And not in a good way.

portslade seagull · Nov 12, 2014

Can anybody post the interview ? In full that is

Silverhatch · Nov 12, 2014

jamie the seagull said:
"The cost of our squad this year, in terms of salaries, is higher than it has ever been in our history."

The most shocking statment from the interview.
We have always been told that we are trying to drive salary levels down.
Based on this we cannot trust the current incumbert (Burke) who agreed these deals to spend any further money.

This is a really frightening statement. I'd call into question the whole governance of the club if our playing operation is more expensive this year than the supposed FFP busting 2012-13 season (including Bridge, Upson, Vicente, Ulloa, Barnes, Bridcutt, Buckley, Ulloa, Orlandi, Hammond, Kuszczak, CMS)

Brovion · Nov 12, 2014

Silverhatch said:
This is a really frightening statement. I'd call into question the whole governance of the club if our playing operation is more expensive this year than the supposed FFP busting 2012-13 season (including Bridge, Upson, Vicente, Ulloa, Barnes, Bridcutt, Buckley, Ulloa, Orlandi, Hammond, Kuszczak, CMS)

I agree. It's really depressed me. I'd kinda been saying to myself, ok, so the squad's not as good as last year, but at least the wage bill is considerably lower to make up for the fact that the players are inferior. Now I find there's not even a silver lining.

Dover · Nov 12, 2014

Wake up Tony. Look at what's been sold, and how and where they are playing. It's really easy, just watch Match of the Day.

And for the record. I did say to anyone that was listening at the Southampton pre-season, that playing like that we would be looking at relegation.

spanish flair · Nov 12, 2014

Brovion said:
I agree. It's really depressed me. I'd kinda been saying to myself, ok, so the squad's not as good as last year, but at least the wage bill is considerably lower to make up for the fact that the players are inferior. Now I find there's not even a silver lining.

But surely that is a serious failing on the person who has constantly beat the drum about us driving down costs, so that we will confirm to FFP limits.
So are we going to see that we failed that target?

chaileyjem · Nov 12, 2014

Silverhatch said:
This is a really frightening statement. I'd call into question the whole governance of the club if our playing operation is more expensive this year than the supposed FFP busting 2012-13 season (including Bridge, Upson, Vicente, Ulloa, Barnes, Bridcutt, Buckley, Ulloa, Orlandi, Hammond, Kuszczak, CMS)

Barnes/Bridcutt/Buckley/Orlandi/Hammond/Kus - doubt wages any less substantial than those for Holla, Bruno, KLL, Stockdale, Hughes or Stephens.

Dunk, JFC, March have all recently signed vastly improved new contracts.
CMS is still here.

Sure that Ulloa is on a substantial increase in salary at Leicester but why assume that Baldock's contract is any different to Leo.
As we know Bridge's wages were heavily subsidised so presumably similar to Bennett etc.
Vicente aside, its still hard to see why the squad of 2014/15 given what Bloom has said, the exponential growth of football salaries, agent fees, and our competitive salary costs in the past should not be greater than 2012/13 or 13/14. Even if we are frustrated with their performance after 17 games.

kevtherev · Nov 12, 2014

I think Tony Bloom should be more concerned with getting out of the bottom six. Because we are not going to by scoring one goal a game and drawing games. Unless form takes a massive upturn we are in a relegation scrap. As for spending money in January to get us out of trouble, who's going to identify the targets, Burke

...Be afraid, be very afraid.

chaileyjem · Nov 12, 2014

Icy Gull said:
TThis season the loanees are arguably mostly our better players. this was not the case in Poyet's last season.

Or to put it another way, we no longer have saleable assets

Last year loanee Stephen Ward was one of our top 3 players. Loanees Bridge and Upson were some agree, our 2 best players of the 2nd half 2012/13

As for saleable assets then if anything i'm certain that we have scouts sniffing around our...
England u21 internationals - Dunk, March, JFC - our England u18 international - Walton, let alone KLL, Ince, and Stephens. Not substantially different in the past to Noone, Bridcutt, Cook, Elphick and Barnes. But yes agreed we no longer have an £8m rated striker !

flying high · Nov 12, 2014

Keep Elliott Bennett and add Glenn Murray and it would be.

BensGrandad · Nov 12, 2014

flying high said:
Keep Elliott Bennett and add Glenn Murray and it would be.

EB tweeted he was at The Coal Shed with GM and their wives over the weekend so we can hope and dream that they discussed joining up together again.

sir albion · Nov 12, 2014

I actually think our squad is good enough to be honest...Its either the tactics are shite or the midfield is super shite.Im sure the goals will come,but the biggest concern is our league 1 midfield that offers jack shite in creativity or goals.

Clearly we're a lot better than our position suggests,but yet again it's the piss poor midfield we have

Brovion · Nov 12, 2014

chaileyjem said:
Barnes/Bridcutt/Buckley/Orlandi/Hammond/Kus - doubt wages any less substantial than those for Holla, Bruno, KLL, Stockdale, Hughes or Stephens.

Dunk, JFC, March have all recently signed vastly improved new contracts.
CMS is still here.

Sure that Ulloa is on a substantial increase in salary at Leicester but why assume that Baldock's contract is any different to Leo.
As we know Bridge's wages were heavily subsidised so presumably similar to Bennett etc.
Vicente aside, its still hard to see why the squad of 2014/15 given what Bloom has said, the exponential growth of football salaries, agent fees, and our competitive salary costs in the past should not be greater than 2012/13 or 13/14. Even if we are frustrated with their performance after 17 games.

Because he's not fit to lace Leo's boots?

EDIT: Ok, that's being unkind.

chaileyjem · Nov 12, 2014

Brovion said:
Because he's not fit to lace Leo's boots?

Thats a view but what we're speculating are his likely salary/contract being v.different from Leo in Jan 2013. The fee, we're led to believe was v.similar. And we know that the Albion have a strict pay structure so its not too much of a leap to suggest that its in the same ball park.

Whether SB ends up scoring a hatful and gets sold for 10m quid 18 months down the line is another thing entirely.

GreersElbow · Nov 12, 2014

The issue is, we've not see our squad play a default formation or system. It's a mix and mash of everything, therefore, we cannot gauge the true quality until we have a system they are comfortable in. Currently in my opinion, that'd be a traditional 4-4-2 diamond, but we've not seen anything to suggest we're changing that.

Lower West Stander · Nov 12, 2014

Course it isn't good enough.

If Kaz doesn't do it, there isn't one game changing player in the team. In past years, we've had Leo, Buckley, Vicente, Noone, Bennett (poss return I know) even FFS. Remember Noone's flick and Buckley's finish for the Doncaster goal? Can you imagine the team scoring a goal like that now?

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