[Albion] Tony Bloom lumps yet another £8m on his Albion Premier League dream

[Mo Gosfield]

There is a lot of wailing and gnashing of teeth about the failure to add any more strikers to the squad but this is, frankly, overreaction. Just because we haven't brought anyone in before this window closed doesn't mean to say that CH won't arrange subsequent loan deals. He will be looking at the ability of our squad to score goals and will have seen that in 7 competitive games this season we have scored 16 goals. Those goals have already been spread across 7 different players.
The top six last season scored the following goals......Burnley 72, Boro 63, BHA 72, Hull 69, Derby 66, Wed 66.....so we have the bench mark for the number of goals roughly needed to challenge. Now lets look at the potential within our squad.
Murray.....3 in 5 already suggests that he is likely to get 15-20.
Hemed.....proven at this level. Because of all our wide men we will get a fair few penalties again and he will score most of them....likely...15+
Baldock....unless anything changes dramatically ( unlikely ).....realistically....4-5.
Manu........will get some game time, mainly off the bench.....3-4.
Loan striker ( whoever )............3-4.
So the strikers will contribute................40+.........given reasonable fitness,suspensions etc.

Wide

Knocky.......3 already............so could get in double figure.....likely 9-12
Murphy..........5-6
Skalac...........4-5
KLL................2-3
Solly...............1-2 ( Wide likely to score 20-25 )

Midfield

Kayal..............2-3
Stephens........5-6
Norwood.........3-4
Others.............2 ( Mid likely to score 12-15 )

Defence

5-6 ( Total )

So....we have an estimate of 77-91 goals. The lower figure being the more realistic. Knock off 10% for injuries, loss of form and you are down to about 70 goals. That is comfortably enough for top six and will ensure we are not far off top two. Those out there decrying the failure to sign another striker are just not giving enough credence to the potential already within our squad. We already have enough ammo to score plenty of goals and do well again this season.

 

[Driver8]

There is a lot of wailing and gnashing of teeth about the failure to add any more strikers to the squad but this is, frankly, overreaction. Just because we haven't brought anyone in before this window closed doesn't mean to say that CH won't arrange subsequent loan deals. He will be looking at the ability of our squad to score goals and will have seen that in 7 competitive games this season we have scored 16 goals. Those goals have already been spread across 7 different players.
The top six last season scored the following goals......Burnley 72, Boro 63, BHA 72, Hull 69, Derby 66, Wed 66.....so we have the bench mark for the number of goals roughly needed to challenge. Now lets look at the potential within our squad.
Murray.....3 in 5 already suggests that he is likely to get 15-20.
Hemed.....proven at this level. Because of all our wide men we will get a fair few penalties again and he will score most of them....likely...15+
Baldock....unless anything changes dramatically ( unlikely ).....realistically....4-5.
Manu........will get some game time, mainly off the bench.....3-4.
Loan striker ( whoever )............3-4.
So the strikers will contribute................40+.........given reasonable fitness,suspensions etc.

Wide

Knocky.......3 already............so could get in double figure.....likely 9-12
Murphy..........5-6
Skalac...........4-5
KLL................2-3
Solly...............1-2 ( Wide likely to score 20-25 )

Midfield

Kayal..............2-3
Stephens........5-6
Norwood.........3-4
Others.............2 ( Mid likely to score 12-15 )

Defence

5-6 ( Total )

So....we have an estimate of 77-91 goals. The lower figure being the more realistic. Knock off 10% for injuries, loss of form and you are down to about 70 goals. That is comfortably enough for top six and will ensure we are not far off top two. Those out there decrying the failure to sign another striker are just not giving enough credence to the potential already within our squad. We already have enough ammo to score plenty of goals and do well again this season.

How many times. There aren't any more emergency loans!

 

[The Merry Prankster]

It is possible to discuss the needs of the team and the realistic chances of the team and still be grateful to Tony. Just because my personal opinion is that this transfer window has been a bad one in terms of a)what we need to be contenders (a striker) and b) next season, does not mean I am ungrateful to Tony or have a massive sense of entitlement. It means that my hope is that we will reach the Premiership (as do most fans and definitely Tony), my opinion is that this transfer window has not made that more likely this season or next. Time will tell. But the continual battering for being ungrateful is a nonsense.

 

[pishhead]

I think most people's opinions about our chances have been shrouded by the Newcastle game. Yes everyone would like to have had another striker on board but these things happen. I have a feeling that we will be playing a slightly different style for a lot of games by deploying a number 10 and I would say that we have more than enough players proficient in that role.

 

[LamieRobertson]

In their last full seasons in the championship Murray and Hemed scored a combined total of 47 goals. POXY.

Amazing ..lets hope he's cheering on those 'poxy' forwards ..or maybe that's what he will be chanting

 

[LamieRobertson]

It is possible to discuss the needs of the team and the realistic chances of the team and still be grateful to Tony. Just because my personal opinion is that this transfer window has been a bad one in terms of a)what we need to be contenders (a striker) and b) next season, does not mean I am ungrateful to Tony or have a massive sense of entitlement. It means that my hope is that we will reach the Premiership (as do most fans and definitely Tony), my opinion is that this transfer window has not made that more likely this season or next. Time will tell. But the continual battering for being ungrateful is a nonsense.

A considered post imho

 

[GOM]

Could have been £200M up by now strengthening from a position of strength last January with £8m spent then,that said we continue.....it's not my money,i am grateful,but.....well as you say we all have 10 days,we will be alright.

You are aware of the strengthening from a position of strength we actually did last January aren't you ?

 

[Surf's Up]

I think they've gone wrong somewhere in the striker business, but aside from that no-one can have any grumbles. They've kept the team together.

The only thing theyve done wrong is refuse to bow to the outrageous financial demands of avaricious agents and selling clubs. Others have taken this gamble and it remains to be seen whether it will pay off for them. One thing is for sure, on or two of those clubs will have gambled and will lose. I personally find the idea of someone like Knockaert playing in the no 10 role pretty exciting and arguably better than anyone we might have brought in. With regard to Stephens, don't forget the January window. I can understand his disappointment but I think he will knuckle down once he gets over his disappointment. For him not to do so will de-value his stock in the market and make potential suitors think twice about signing up a sulking petulant prima donna. He should play his arse off between now and January and both he and the club should take stock then. If he's playing well there's a pretty good chance the team will be well positioned and he will see the chance of fulfilling his wish to play in the premiershit with us. If he's playing well but we're not competing with all the Big Time Charlies he could be sold with no loss interms of his value or his integrity.

 

[Knotty]

Obviously didnt try hard enough as we failed for whatever reason.

Obviously? Didn't try hard enough?

What do you know that the rest of us don't?

Do you know how many strikers we went for?

Do you know who they were?

Do you know if they wanted to come to us?

Do you know what fees were offered?

Do you know what wages etc were offered?

If you KNOW none of those, your statement has no basis in fact and only reflects a gratuitous desire to criticise the club.

 

[GOM]

That is a much stated statistic that is very much overstated simply because at Easter we were so far behind on GD that we had no choice but to throw caution to the wind and out last few scores gave a false impression. Had we done the same in the period September to December we would now be in the Premier not chasing possible play offs again.

Remember who we bought in the January window ?. Maybe we couldn't have done it September to December.

 

[Stat Brother]

Obviously? Didn't try hard enough?

What do you know that the rest of us don't?

Do you know how many strikers we went for?

Do you know who they were?

Do you know if they wanted to come to us?

Do you know what fees were offered?

Do you know what wages etc were offered?

If you KNOW none of those, your statement has no basis in fact and only reflects a gratuitous desire to criticise the club.

What he does know is that with him in charge we'd have all the worlds strikers.

If only TB was as good as BG.

 

[BensGrandad]

Without reading back over the thread i would guess its because BG is suggesting the club werent really trying

No I said they obviously didnt try hard enough which is the usual reason anybody fails anything. Had they gone just that little bit further perhaps, they may have signed a striker.

 

[Justice]

Lot of sheep on here this morning.

 

[BensGrandad]

in most windows

You've changed your tune. You spent so much time complaining that Bloom & Hughton's biggest mistake was not getting a left back, but now that's been sorted out, you've found something else to moan about.

I havent changed my tune at all not even in the slightest. We missed out on promotion last season arguably down to 2 factors not having adequate cover at left back in Nov/Dec and not bringing in GM or similar in January, for whatever reason. To his credit CH has realized the problem and has brought in adequate defensive cover so that the same situation cannot arise this season but yet again as has happened many times we have failed to sign that elusive striker. We are 1 striker down on thiis time last season so how is that progression to ensure promotion as automatic Obviously Pritchard was the target A and preferred but what happened to targets B & C did we also fail to sign them or were they non existent. The annoying aspect from most supporters, who are completely behind TB, is that this happens in nearly every window and we are then fed the line of excuses as to why it didnt happen. But our rivals do not seem to have the same problems signing who they want whether it be defenders or strikers..

 

[sussex_guy2k2]

In hindsight, I'm relatively happy with the window. There's been a lot of extravagance by other clubs, and many of them have drastically improved their squads, and alongside the Stephens situation it's changed the context a little bit about how we define success.

I think we've got a stronger squad than last season once all our players are fit, we've improved defensively, we've got a very good Championship striker in on loan, and we've brought in depth to the centre of our midfield, plus I still believe we're stronger than most within the division. Plus, most importantly, we've kept our best players.

I don't think we have the makings of a Top 2 side or squad anymore however (although I hope I'm wrong), because I think there are at least 3 or 4 stronger squads and teams in the division, with more flexible managers than CH, but I think we'll make the play offs again which is still a good season. I also do think we're a striker short, unless of course CH has an intention of switching systems more regularly to use one of our wide players more centrally or if he wants to play Manu more regularly.

But overall, it's been positive.

 

[chaileyjem]

PS: Mea Culpa.

I genuinely thought Albion would come through and land a striker before the window shut, based on Hughton's quotes etc, and said so on here. Several times.
I was (very) wrong.

 

[GOM]

My take was he wanted a loan move away and a regular start. This didn't happen because we didn't make any additions to enable Kaz to do this

Or it could be he was as disappointed as you we hadn't got another striker in.

 

[Betfair Bozo]

I think most people's opinions about our chances have been shrouded by the Newcastle game. Yes everyone would like to have had another striker on board but these things happen. I have a feeling that we will be playing a slightly different style for a lot of games by deploying a number 10 and I would say that we have more than enough players proficient in that role.

I can only speak for myself but the Newcastle game made no difference. My opinion is based upon the fact that I assumed (along with 99% of you I would guess) that we would bring in another forward option before the window closed. Everyone knows this is the one area in which we are exposed and we haven't been unable to rectify that. We are guessing to some extent as to whether any of our current players would be a success as a 2nd striker at this level and an injury to GM or TH doesn't bear thinking about. You don't have to think very far back as to when a lack of striking options cost us oh so very dear.

Unlike others I am not going to blame the club, we have no idea what bids went in and what money was being asked by selling clubs, and we have the best chairman in the league as far as I am concerned. However, it was a little galling seeing fans joining in with Andy Naylor to slate other fans who merely expressed a view that he has twice expressed himself during the window. Makes them seem the needy ones in my opinion.

 

[Knotty]

No I said they obviously didnt try hard enough which is the usual reason anybody fails anything. Had they gone just that little bit further perhaps, they may have signed a striker.

But you don't know how far they went! Maybe a little bit further would still not have landed a player - look at Burnley's repeated efforts to get Stephens!

What do you want the club to do ... pay twice the player's value? Kidnap him?

Not trying hard enough might be one of many, many reasons a club fails to sign a player, but without a shred of evidence to back it up, you choose that one as 'obvious'! Are you clairvoyant?

 

[Maximus]

We are where we are. We'll never know how far or how close we were to our targets (Pritchard aside), and I think that's a good thing compared to how some other clubs go about their business. I'm sure the club tried to get a striker, and we may see the culmination of this in January. Things don't always happen in the time frame we'd like (Ulloa for example).

If Tony is willing/able to take an £8m gamble on Stephens then so be it - I trust his judgement. There's no doubt he would have taken the decision after talking it through with Hughton, who would have given a fair assessment of Dale's attitude - Hughton wouldn't want to upset the squad harmony.

Also worth noting that players like Kayal, Dunk and Knocky would be wanting to see a strong squad stay together to give us the best chance of being up there again. By selling one of our best players it wouldn't send a great message to our other key players. Better to have the blanket reason of keeping the squad together.

If we'd have got a result at Newcastle this thread may have been different - keep the faith.