Where's the 15 Million gone?

[Postman Pat]

I'd say its almost inevitable that we will have to 2m+ for a new frontmen possibly 3m+ ...

Who will we find for £3m that will be happy to fit in to our wage structure?

I can't see us signing any player for that sort of money who will take £10-12k a week.

 

[seagullsovergrimsby]

I would be very happy with a couple of £1M+ strikers from mainland Europe coming in that David Burke has identified and we've already scouted.

 

[byf1]

Fair enough. Now that you've been pretty damning in the way the club are conducting their business, would you be prepared to take it all back IF, at the end of the season, the club prove you completely wrong?

Gladly! I want nothing more than to be proved completely wrong and us to go get some real quality that can ensure we at least challenge at the right end of the table. Let say for example we brought in the following...

Decent Left back - Joe Bennett would be good
Luciano Becchio
Glenn Murray
Plus one more creative midfielder/winger - dream would be Elliott Bennett

 

[Return of the Rev]

i'd suggest if you want a free spending club with no caution on their finances then chelsea is the perfect team for you.

or mile oak

 

[Return of the Rev]

Where's the 15 Million gone?
In the same trunk as the cup final cash?

 

[Guy Fawkes]

Sorry, but IMHO we've seen quite enough of CMS at this level to make a value judgement that it's never going to work. Under-pressure ball-suppliers just don't know where to find the bloke. Whereas they always knew where to find Ashley Barnes - lurking in or near the box where a striker should be. CMS at this level reminds me of Holroyd at Withdean. Forever making irrelevant runs while pointing at the ground and being ignored by all and sundry.

Are you thinking of the same Ashley Barnes as me? - the one i watched week in, week out was usually found out opn the wing and very rarely in or around the box.

Had CMS not been injured in the 2012–13 seaon he would probably reached 20 goals if not more - 2012-13 #Championship 29 games 11 goals (better than 1 in 3)
Last Season he missed all bar 5 games due to injury.

The way some fans talk about him, you'd think he has a record nearer to Heskey as a striker and somewhere around the 1 in 10 mark and certainly incapable of scoring at Championship level. Maybe they need to think again and give him a chance?

 

[Seagull by the Sea]

Is it possible that the players coming in now are the culmination of a lot of negotiating over the past months, rather than us being 'slow and under-prepared'?

I don't believe so, no.

If it was just one or two players maybe but I would be worried if we took that long to negotiate with 6 or 7 players.

I just think that we could have guessed Ulloa may be going an we should have been ready to buy before/when he went. Also, Holla was out of contract so could have come earlier, like Toko.

Bennett obviously is a late one because of Ward but we really should have done a deal for Ward in June.

As I say, I am not unhappy with how things are now as the players do look good (albeit for one game) but things are visible now and I just think we weren't at the races during the close season.

 

[Kevlar]

hope we can get better in than CMS
until then hope we start CMS ahead of COG
he creates more space for midfielders to run into
and hopefully cuts down the amount of hoof balls

 

[Thunder Bolt]

Are you thinking of the same Ashley Barnes as me? - the one i watched week in, week out was usually found out opn the wing and very rarely in or around the box.

Had CMS not been injured in the 2012–13 seaon he would probably reached 20 goals if not more - 2012-13 #Championship 29 games 11 goals (better than 1 in 3)
Last Season he missed all bar 5 games due to injury.

The way some fans talk about him, you'd think he has a record nearer to Heskey as a striker and somewhere around the 1 in 10 mark and certainly incapable of scoring at Championship level. Maybe they need to think again and give him a chance?

It has already been proved that Barnes & CMS had roughly the same strike rate per game.

 

[el punal]

Gladly! I want nothing more than to be proved completely wrong and us to go get some real quality that can ensure we at least challenge at the right end of the table. Let say for example we brought in the following...

Decent Left back - Joe Bennett would be good
Luciano Becchio
Glenn Murray
Plus one more creative midfielder/winger - dream would be Elliott Bennett

Well, you've got one on your wish list! I can't remember isn't FFS Murray a bit injury prone of late? Benno and Becchio - good call.

 

[Brighton Mod]

byf1, have you ever started a thread that isn't a wind up?

21 million debt is the short answer.

Does the debt not back up what the poster is saying? Not a well managed situation?

 

[Billy the Fish]

I don't believe so, no.

If it was just one or two players maybe but I would be worried if we took that long to negotiate with 6 or 7 players.

I just think that we could have guessed Ulloa may be going an we should have been ready to buy before/when he went. Also, Holla was out of contract so could have come earlier, like Toko.

Bennett obviously is a late one because of Ward but we really should have done a deal for Ward in June.

As I say, I am not unhappy with how things are now as the players do look good (albeit for one game) but things are visible now and I just think we weren't at the races during the close season.

Can you not see that you're making all of this up?

 

[Beach Hut]

The sage of dickness has started a useless boring thread

 

[byf1]

The sage of dickness has started a useless boring thread

Ahhh the man with a glorified mullet, welcome!

 

[byf1]

Is it possible that the players coming in now are the culmination of a lot of negotiating over the past months, rather than us being 'slow and under-prepared'?

You don't seriously believe that do you? Of course we were slow, no1 wants and chooses to business in late August, that's why Hyppia even in the media has seemed frustrated.

Why would we negotiate for months for Bennett when Ward was clearly our main target, we may have had Bennett on the back burner but it's been clear all summer who we wanted to bring in and for some reason we just couldn't get it over the line. For me I believe we were too slow, ****ed about over the bits and bobs and then when it was finally all agreed Ward went with a better option of a prem club which is his choice of course.

As for Holla, again, if we had brought in Clayton we'd have never seen this guy in an albion shirt.

 

[Hiney]

Yes, I do believe that as it happens. I also don't believe that we work on one target exclusively, then move onto the next one if that doesn't come off. We have load of irons in loads of fire, all the time. Sometimes business gets done quickly, sometimes it doesn't, but it's not for lack of trying on the part of David Burke and his team.

Of course it's frustrating, but I 100% believe that the recruitment team have done their utmost to get in good players that will enhance the squad - do you think Tony Bloom would tolerate anything else?

Like I said, it's massively frustrating, especially after losing the first two games, but the level of hysteria directed at the club after JUST TWO GAMES is quite frankly an embarrassment.

 

[Invicta]

A free transfer isn't 'free' and loans can cost a significant amount. Unless you have the club accounts for the last 3 months then most of this is largely speculation.

As previously stated 11 days to go so so maybe more players in.

 

[dazzer6666]

Yes, I do believe that as it happens. I also don't believe that we work on one target exclusively, then move onto the next one if that doesn't come off. We have load of irons in loads of fire, all the time. Sometimes business gets done quickly, sometimes it doesn't, but it's not for lack of trying on the part of David Burke and his team.

Of course it's frustrating, but I 100% believe that the recruitment team have done their utmost to get in good players that will enhance the squad - do you think Tony Bloom would tolerate anything else?

Like I said, it's massively frustrating, especially after losing the first two games, but the level of hysteria directed at the club after JUST TWO GAMES is quite frankly an embarrassment.

Exactly.

 

[Grombleton]

You don't seriously believe that do you? Of course we were slow, no1 wants and chooses to business in late August, that's why Hyppia even in the media has seemed frustrated.

Why would we negotiate for months for Bennett when Ward was clearly our main target, we may have had Bennett on the back burner but it's been clear all summer who we wanted to bring in and for some reason we just couldn't get it over the line. For me I believe we were too slow, ****ed about over the bits and bobs and then when it was finally all agreed Ward went with a better option of a prem club which is his choice of course.

As for Holla, again, if we had brought in Clayton we'd have never seen this guy in an albion shirt.

Care to back that bit up with facts, or the same reactionary bollocks you've hilariously provided so far in this thread?

 

[DavidinSouthampton]

Ok ok were a selling club, most sides outside the top 4 in the Premiership are and even they lose their stars on occasion, but what really hacks me off is the fact that we've got 15 million or there abouts in players sold over the last 7 months, we've watched quality players disappear and simply aren't spending hardly any of it, doesn't seem quite right to me to be honest.

Are the club in that deep shi* that we simply cant afford it, did Gus know all along that it was a matter of months until we sold all the stars. If we are now consolidating and calming things down then why not tell us so? If that's the case then simply explain the situation to the fans in a diplomatic way. No the transfer window isn't shut and of course there is still time but realistically can you see us spunking 3-4 mill on a striker because I cant and can you see us bringing in a classy creative winger on 2-3 million because again, I cant!

Personally I think the club have ****ed up bigtime, didn't do the deals early enough, messed about and now are reaping those rewards of not doing things early enough, it's been a right royal **** up and I'm sorry but a couple of free transfers isn't enough.

All we are seeing is free transfers and loans and for a team who have the largest gates outside the premiership, up there with the most expensive season tickets and everything else that goes with it, I think we deserve at least an explanation from the club and not some politician style reply from slime ball Barber saying we are trying.

I think it's fair to say that we are now on our C list targets due to missing out on the main ones....

Am I the only one who thinks it isn't right we sell all the decent players, get in 15 million and replace them with a few loans and free transfers?

Also, new rule applies....if you intend on answering the thread with the words 'Bedwetter or some other boring **** pot answer like go support Chelsea, then save your fingers eh.

If you can get quality players in without fees, why pay out good money.

With loans we might on occasion get a (young Portugese) star.

I agree permanent transfers are preferable, but I am happy we don't rush out and splash the cash just for the sake of it to get in any old body. If and when we do pay out..... And it will happen...... We will get decent people in we have been tracking and know something about, thereby minimising the risk of things going wrong.