Are you happy with the Albion's January business?

The_Viper · Feb 4, 2015

Not really, I feel lied to about how much we were gonna be active.

But then I've been lied to for about 4 windows now, so it's more of a dull ache seeing Bournemouth and others recycling their transfer fees received into new players while ours vanishes into the void that is FFP that only seems to apply to us.

chaileyjem · Feb 4, 2015

The_Viper said:
it's more of a dull ache seeing Bournemouth and others recycling their transfer fees received into new players .

Bournemouth didn't sign anyone in January.

Icy Gull · Feb 4, 2015

chaileyjem said:
Bournemouth didn't sign anyone in January.

They did apparently try pretty hard to spend 5 million though

chaileyjem · Feb 4, 2015

spanish flair said:
I think the one we need to worry about being happy with the window is Hughton himself. After Blooms statement about how we were going to be active in this window, does Hughton believe any promises made to him about signings have lived up to his expectations, or are we to see the fourth manager walk away due to being unhappy about recruitment?

this is actually what Bloom said at beginning of the window...
via : http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/30645197

Bloom said...
"We are short of numbers and we will be looking to do some transfer activity...[the transfer window in january] is still not easy to bring [people in] as other clubs may not want to let players go."
and Hughton said...
"At this moment Tony has been very positive,We know where we are as a team and with some of the loan players we have.[and] where we need to make improvements and where we can."

He then signed 3 players. Halford, Kayal and Best. Presumably 3 players he's aware of and rates and in the positions in the squad he wanted strengthening. Not sure how this in any way adds up to club being inactive, or Hughton not being backed.

chaileyjem · Feb 4, 2015

Icy Gull said:
Saturday's programme is my guess. With some thinly veiled swipes at over expectant fans.

Here goes. Do your worst. Paul Barber from todays Argus
via : http://www.theargus.co.uk/sport/117...ight_Phillips__deal_on_transfer_deadline_day/

Paul Barber, Albion’s chief executive, said: “Come deadline day we were ready and financially able to take advantage of any late opportunities to add to our existing talent in other areas of the squad – but only on terms that suited our longer-term plans.

“As we said at the start of the transfer window, we expected to be busy, but January is more often than not a sellers’ market and we were determined not to be rushed in to deals that we didn’t think represented good value or that didn’t fit Chris’s plans for the future.”

Barber said: “The emergency loan window opens early next week and will provide clubs, including ours, with a final opportunity to tweak their squads.

“We will of course stay alert to any opportunities to strengthen further but, with our January additions and Dale Stephens and Kazenga LuaLua due back imminently, Chris now has excellent options for his starting eleven.”

nwgull · Feb 4, 2015

[MENTION=24867]chaileyjem[/MENTION] you appear to be letting facts get in the way of a good whinge.

Barber out etc.

Icy Gull · Feb 4, 2015

chaileyjem said:
Here goes. Do your worst. Paul Barber from todays Argus
via : http://www.theargus.co.uk/sport/117...ight_Phillips__deal_on_transfer_deadline_day/

Paul Barber, Albion’s chief executive, said: “Come deadline day we were ready and financially able to take advantage of any late opportunities to add to our existing talent in other areas of the squad – but only on terms that suited our longer-term plans.

“As we said at the start of the transfer window, we expected to be busy, but January is more often than not a sellers’ market and we were determined not to be rushed in to deals that we didn’t think represented good value or that didn’t fit Chris’s plans for the future.”

Barber said: “The emergency loan window opens early next week and will provide clubs, including ours, with a final opportunity to tweak their squads.

“We will of course stay alert to any opportunities to strengthen further but, with our January additions and Dale Stephens and Kazenga LuaLua due back imminently, Chris now has excellent options for his starting eleven.”

Excellent so more loans it is. The first paragraph worries me, I imagine we will have the same situation come the summer as we wait until the 11th hour to try and get a bargain. It seems our policy is to wait until deadline day, not ideal imo.

Although we did get the Israeli in earlier, in fairness

Machiavelli · Feb 4, 2015

Icy Gull said:
Although we did get the Israeli in earlier, in fairness

... and Halford ... and Best. I appreciate that you might come back and say these are only loans, but there's a possibility that we might sign them in the summer.

Seasidesage · Feb 4, 2015

Icy Gull said:
Excellent so more loans it is. The first paragraph worries me, I imagine we will have the same situation come the summer as we wait until the 11th hour to try and get a bargain. It seems our policy is to wait until deadline day, not ideal imo.

Although we did get the Israeli in earlier, in fairness

This seriously concerns me TBH. Firstly we have decided to take a chance on being able to stay up with what we have. Fair enough, I wouldn't have done it but with some luck with injuries etc we may well have enough to stay out of the bottom three.

However, what we do have currently is a disaffected and relatively fickle support base, the empty spaces around me have been increasing in numbers all season and I do not think that staggering over the line to safety is going to encourage a lot of the waivers to renew come April. They might have accepted that if we could demonstrate that this was a strategic move ahead of a real push in the summer to get back into the promotion picture. From Mr Barber statement though that doesn't appear to be the case.

Going with what we have for the first month of next season and hoping to pick up some bargains at the end of the window has worked OK for the previous couple of seasons before this one, when we have had a reasonable squad to start with. This time we clearly will not be in that position. I will renew regardless but it's going to be a tough sale for the club over the spring and summer with nothing more than some vague promises to spend at the end of the window especially when exactly the same thing has been promised in this window and not delivered.

Anyone who knows this club and it's history will know that it is a 'bandwagon' club capable of great attendances and also capable of some pretty poor ones. Having the AMEX will mitigate that to a degree but they are naive if they think that the attendances cannot fall back into the mid teens at least next season if the fans see no prospect of a promotion push or at the very least the beginnings of a plan of rebuilding a squad which has surely come to the end of the road in terms of being able to make the play offs at least.

This squad needs major surgery for next season if it is going to achieve anything, not last minute gloss and if that is the plan expect mid table mediocrity and declining support for the 2015/16 season...

Icy Gull · Feb 4, 2015

Seasidesage said:
This seriously concerns me TBH. Firstly we have decided to take a chance on being able to stay up with what we have. Fair enough, I wouldn't have done it but with some luck with injuries etc we may well have enough to stay out of the bottom three.

However, what we do have currently is a disaffected and relatively fickle support base, the empty spaces around me have been increasing in numbers all season and I do not think that staggering over the line to safety is going to encourage a lot of the waivers to renew come April. They might have accepted that if we could demonstrate that this was a strategic move ahead of a real push in the summer to get back into the promotion picture. From Mr Barber statement though that doesn't appear to be the case.

Going with what we have for the first month of next season and hoping to pick up some bargains at the end of the window has worked OK for the previous couple of seasons before this one, when we have had a reasonable squad to start with. This time we clearly will not be in that position. I will renew regardless but it's going to be a tough sale for the club over the spring and summer with nothing more than some vague promises to spend at the end of the window especially when exactly the same thing has been promised in this window and not delivered.

Anyone who knows this club and it's history will know that it is a 'bandwagon' club capable of great attendances and also capable of some pretty poor ones. Having the AMEX will mitigate that to a degree but they are naive if they think that the attendances cannot fall back into the mid teens at least next season if the fans see no prospect of a promotion push or at the very least the beginnings of a plan of rebuilding a squad which has surely come to the end of the road in terms of being able to make the play offs at least.

This squad needs major surgery for next season if it is going to achieve anything, not last minute gloss and if that is the plan expect mid table mediocrity and declining support for the 2015/16 season...

My concern also, You'd think TB would know about how fickle the Albion support is. Whether Barber does is another matter. With so little ambition being shown for the short term I too think season ticket sales will be affected at a very high level. It may be that I overestimate the fickleness of Albion fans but I have been there when support has fallen away alarmingly in the past when things got tough. However nice the stadium is, what has been on offer on the pitch has been pretty dire and I doubt it will improve enough to inspire floating fans. We may become more solid but will we be entertaining? If season ticket renewals are in March, the club had best hope we have pulled clear of the elegation zone by then. If not, not knowing what division we will be in will mean plenty holding off.

Machiavelli · Feb 4, 2015

Seasidesage said:
This seriously concerns me TBH. Firstly we have decided to take a chance on being able to stay up with what we have. Fair enough, I wouldn't have done it but with some luck with injuries etc we may well have enough to stay out of the bottom three.

However, what we do have currently is a disaffected and relatively fickle support base, the empty spaces around me have been increasing in numbers all season and I do not think that staggering over the line to safety is going to encourage a lot of the waivers to renew come April. They might have accepted that if we could demonstrate that this was a strategic move ahead of a real push in the summer to get back into the promotion picture. From Mr Barber statement though that doesn't appear to be the case.

Going with what we have for the first month of next season and hoping to pick up some bargains at the end of the window has worked OK for the previous couple of seasons before this one, when we have had a reasonable squad to start with. This time we clearly will not be in that position. I will renew regardless but it's going to be a tough sale for the club over the spring and summer with nothing more than some vague promises to spend at the end of the window especially when exactly the same thing has been promised in this window and not delivered.

Anyone who knows this club and it's history will know that it is a 'bandwagon' club capable of great attendances and also capable of some pretty poor ones. Having the AMEX will mitigate that to a degree but they are naive if they think that the attendances cannot fall back into the mid teens at least next season if the fans see no prospect of a promotion push or at the very least the beginnings of a plan of rebuilding a squad which has surely come to the end of the road in terms of being able to make the play offs at least.

This squad needs major surgery for next season if it is going to achieve anything, not last minute gloss and if that is the plan expect mid table mediocrity and declining support for the 2015/16 season...

I voted a 'temporary' no to the thread's question. This no is temporary, because I expect the club to undergo a major rebuilding process in the summer, which is always a better time to do so (and, more importantly, the time that Bloom has frequently said he favours). If they do this and, especially, sign a few players in the first half of the summer, this should generate enthusiasm for those STHs to renew or join. Without such signings and enthusiasm, I suspect your analysis is right, but I think/hope this is all part of the strategy agreed with Hughton: keep us up, and there will be a major investment in the squad over the summer.

Hotchilidog · Feb 4, 2015

Icy Gull said:
My concern also, You'd think TB would know about how fickle the Albion support is. Whether Barber does is another matter. With so little ambition being shown for the short term I too think season ticket sales will be affected at a very high level. It may be that I overestimate the fickleness of Albion fans but I have been there when support has fallen away alarmingly in the past when things got tough. However nice the stadium is, what has been on offer on the pitch has been pretty dire and I doubt it will improve enough to inspire floating fans. We may become more solid but will we be entertaining? If season ticket renewals are in March, the club had best hope we have pulled clear of the elegation zone by then. If not, not knowing what division we will be in will mean plenty holding off.

In contrast I think the worst thing they could have done was go out and splash the cash in an attempt to appease what some would say is a disaffected fanbase. Any Jan window business should be made for footballing reasons, and we haven't been bounced into buying players just for the sake of it. If there were players available that suited pour needs we would have gone for them, but it appears there were not. The SWP deal is precisely the sort of shit deal we should be avoiding like the plague, devoting a large of sum of money to a has-been who we all have heard of.

It sounds like Kayal will be ok, and with Stephens and Kaz soon to be available the main hole in the squad has been filled. Other holes remain but the loan window is there to provide a short term fix should it be required without compromising any plans we may have for next summer.

If the team starts to perform then the season ticket issue will take care of itself.

Seasidesage · Feb 4, 2015

Hotchilidog said:
In contrast I think the worst thing they could have done was go out and splash the cash in an attempt to appease what some would say is a disaffected fanbase. Any Jan window business should be made for footballing reasons, and we haven't been bounced into buying players just for the sake of it. If there were players available that suited pour needs we would have gone for them, but it appears there were not. The SWP deal is precisely the sort of shit deal we should be avoiding like the plague, devoting a large of sum of money to a has-been who we all have heard of.

It sounds like Kayal will be ok, and with Stephens and Kaz soon to be available the main hole in the squad has been filled. Other holes remain but the loan window is there to provide a short term fix should it be required without compromising any plans we may have for next summer.

If the team starts to perform then the season ticket issue will take care of itself.

If the team go on a run I would agree with you, but it's a big if at this point. Survival is the main thing obviously but I cannot see this squad moving too far up the table. While I don't think we should've signed Messi and Ronaldo, I do think one or two higher profile but sensible signings would've been taken as a statement of intent for the summer. By hoarding all of our money for the last day of August we risk losing a proportion of our current season ticket holders from the end of the season costing us money from the budget available in the summer.

SWP? God no, but someone of the right age in a forward position might just have reignited the season and more importantly offered a hope of better times ahead...

B.W. · Feb 5, 2015

chaileyjem said:
this is actually what Bloom said at beginning of the window...
via : http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/30645197

Bloom said...
"We are short of numbers and we will be looking to do some transfer activity...[the transfer window in january] is still not easy to bring [people in] as other clubs may not want to let players go."
and Hughton said...
"At this moment Tony has been very positive,We know where we are as a team and with some of the loan players we have.[and] where we need to make improvements and where we can."

He then signed 3 players. Halford, Kayal and Best. Presumably 3 players he's aware of and rates and in the positions in the squad he wanted strengthening. Not sure how this in any way adds up to club being inactive, or Hughton not being backed.

Lost / got rid of 4 loans, including Halford, plus Toko and, surprisingly, Colunga. Brought in 2 loans, including Halford, plus Kayal. So our squad has actually shrunk. Hardly going for it, is it? In terms of quality, I suspect Bent > Best, and Kayal is likely better than Toko, but who knows? Losing Colunga without replacing in an area we are already weak strikes me as poor management, and must be addressed by signing a naturally wide forward when the loan window opens. In summary, Bloom bigged-up our likely activity in the window, and we failed to deliver yet again.

B.W. · Feb 5, 2015

chaileyjem said:
Here goes. Do your worst. Paul Barber from todays Argus
via : http://www.theargus.co.uk/sport/117...ight_Phillips__deal_on_transfer_deadline_day/

Paul Barber, Albion’s chief executive, said: “Come deadline day we were ready and financially able to take advantage of any late opportunities to add to our existing talent in other areas of the squad – but only on terms that suited our longer-term plans.

“As we said at the start of the transfer window, we expected to be busy, but January is more often than not a sellers’ market and we were determined not to be rushed in to deals that we didn’t think represented good value or that didn’t fit Chris’s plans for the future.”

Barber said: “The emergency loan window opens early next week and will provide clubs, including ours, with a final opportunity to tweak their squads.

“We will of course stay alert to any opportunities to strengthen further but, with our January additions and Dale Stephens and Kazenga LuaLua due back imminently, Chris now has excellent options for his starting eleven.”

Spin. We are at least one naturally wide forward short (2 in reality).

B.W. · Feb 5, 2015

nwgull said:
[MENTION=24867]chaileyjem[/MENTION] you appear to be letting facts get in the way of a good whinge.

Barber out etc.

What facts are they? Who said Barber out?

B.W. · Feb 5, 2015

Machiavelli said:
... and Halford ... and Best. I appreciate that you might come back and say these are only loans, but there's a possibility that we might sign them in the summer.

These are only loans! By definition, we might sign them permanaently, we might not.

ewe2 · Feb 5, 2015

The business done is fine,as long as the new and returning players get up to speed very quickly. My concern that may not be the case,and then too late !

B.W. · Feb 5, 2015

Seasidesage said:
This seriously concerns me TBH. Firstly we have decided to take a chance on being able to stay up with what we have. Fair enough, I wouldn't have done it but with some luck with injuries etc we may well have enough to stay out of the bottom three.

However, what we do have currently is a disaffected and relatively fickle support base, the empty spaces around me have been increasing in numbers all season and I do not think that staggering over the line to safety is going to encourage a lot of the waivers to renew come April. They might have accepted that if we could demonstrate that this was a strategic move ahead of a real push in the summer to get back into the promotion picture. From Mr Barber statement though that doesn't appear to be the case.

Going with what we have for the first month of next season and hoping to pick up some bargains at the end of the window has worked OK for the previous couple of seasons before this one, when we have had a reasonable squad to start with. This time we clearly will not be in that position. I will renew regardless but it's going to be a tough sale for the club over the spring and summer with nothing more than some vague promises to spend at the end of the window especially when exactly the same thing has been promised in this window and not delivered.

Anyone who knows this club and it's history will know that it is a 'bandwagon' club capable of great attendances and also capable of some pretty poor ones. Having the AMEX will mitigate that to a degree but they are naive if they think that the attendances cannot fall back into the mid teens at least next season if the fans see no prospect of a promotion push or at the very least the beginnings of a plan of rebuilding a squad which has surely come to the end of the road in terms of being able to make the play offs at least.

This squad needs major surgery for next season if it is going to achieve anything, not last minute gloss and if that is the plan expect mid table mediocrity and declining support for the 2015/16 season...

Great post.

B.W. · Feb 5, 2015

Machiavelli said:
I voted a 'temporary' no to the thread's question. This no is temporary, because I expect the club to undergo a major rebuilding process in the summer, which is always a better time to do so (and, more importantly, the time that Bloom has frequently said he favours). If they do this and, especially, sign a few players in the first half of the summer, this should generate enthusiasm for those STHs to renew or join. Without such signings and enthusiasm, I suspect your analysis is right, but I think/hope this is all part of the strategy agreed with Hughton: keep us up, and there will be a major investment in the squad over the summer.

Always waiting for the next window... then a steady squad decline follows... I admire your optimism.

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