[Albion] Potter in or out or fence

[Swansman]

So as you know GP so well, why has he brought so many players to the club during his tenure that he now apparently doesn't fancy? Tau (recalled from loan), Moder, Wellbeck, Zeqiri. All signed up on his watch. None of whom are getting a look-in. (You could probably add Karbownik to the list)

Then you get the consistent under-performers. Trossard. What is he doing on the training ground that is so impressive? Because he sure as hell ain't doing it on matchday.

As for Trossard I would imagine he is showing on the training ground that he is a better player than the alternatives. He is also occasionally showing it in games, currently being the number one assist maker in the team. I think he is far too inconsistent but I also think that Trossard on a good day is pretty much as good as it gets from this squad. He was excellent during the recent win/draw streak and there's really not many similar players to him in the squad or even the U23 squad.

As for the signed players, some are quite obviously for the future. Karbo is a 19 year old signed from a League One level league, Zeqiri a young player from a worse league than that. I understand that everyone wants to see the new guys but Premier League is a huge step up. Moder is also signed from the poor Polish league and in his case he also got absolutely massive competition. They are signed up for the future.

Tau... I think the club took a chance. "He's been ok in Belgium and we need another striker, lets get him home and see what we can do". Connolly, Welbeck and Ali J were injured at that point and the club was playing games like twice a day and as we've noticed the club is not going to pay for an established striker. Probably they've now seen enough of Tau to think "not good enough". Happens in every club.

Welbeck played 30% of all minutes this season and I'm not sure how much more than that people expect really.

 

[Justice]

Not so. I believe I am correct in saying Barber has previously said that relegation is a risk they accept and it won’t deflect the club from its long term aims. It will also be an outcome for which they will have contingency plans. It is supporters that worry about relegation because they don’t get to watch the big teams anymore.

Barber might drop the club like a hot coal once his salary has been cut due to relegation.

 

[KeegansHairPiece]

Barber might drop the club like a hot coal once his salary has been cut due to relegation.

So what? He is just another employee. Certainly would be plenty of high quality applicants to replace him. TB only need to look on here for so many qualified people who would know exactly how to run things.

 

[vagabond]

Like I said - don't rule out an Allardyce team until it is mathematically impossible for them to survive.

Have to say I agree with JRG on this one.

Despite many here laughing at his appointment, I said at the time he would give them every chance of survival, and like him or not, his record speaks for itself.

For our sakes, Let’s hope that record ends this season.

 

[Bry Nylon]

So what? He is just another employee. Certainly would be plenty of high quality applicants to replace him. TB only need to look on here for so many qualified people who would know exactly how to run things.

I'm not massively keen on working weekends if I can help it, plus midweek evening matches might be a bit of a problem.

 

[vagabond]

if he is not sacked he should resign.

But if the team is relegated and irrespective of whether he remains as manager or not - his (and Bloom's) current experiment will have failed.

You don’t know that. That is purely speculative on your part so you can’t comment if the experiment would be “failed” or not.

It’s quite possible that Tony and co. have long accepted at some-point we would go down. I think Paul Barber has actually alluded to this. Pretty much nearly every team outside the top 7 have been relegated from the Premier League at some point. It would be hugely arrogant to assume we could be immune from this. Especially considering we’ve flirted with relegation every season we’ve been here.

That would explain why we’re reluctant to bet the farm on excessive wages and are driven to make the club self sustaining with a conveyor belt of talent.

 

[Jeremiah]

Has Potter , in his 2 season tenure, every played a player that has been loaned to us ? Welbeck is not on loan as he was released by Watford.

I can't think of one - I feel this has been an area where we have really fallen short. Where our squad is weak (upfront) we don't seemed to have considered this as an option.

 

[KeegansHairPiece]

Has Potter , in his 2 season tenure, every played a player that has been loaned to us ? Welbeck is not on loan as he was released by Watford.

I can't think of one - I feel this has been an area where we have really fallen short. Where our squad is weak (upfront) we don't seemed to have considered this as an option.

He's been with us 22 months. 12 months of those have been in a Pandemic where the transfer market pretty much came to a halt. I very much doubt it was GPs decision whether to dip into the loan market or not.

 

[Jeremiah]

He's been with us 22 months. 12 months of those have been in a Pandemic where the transfer market pretty much came to a halt. I very much doubt it was GPs decision whether to dip into the loan market or not.

Fulham had 7 loan players in their starting 11 against Liverpool so it can be done. I am not saying this is Potters fault as it might not come under his role but it is an area where we could do better.

 

[albionalex]

Fulham had 7 loan players in their starting 11 against Liverpool so it can be done. I am not saying this is Potters fault as it might not come under his role but it is an area where we could do better.

That is not correct, Premier League clubs may not register more than two players on loan at any one time.

 

[KeegansHairPiece]

Fulham had 7 loan players in their starting 11 against Liverpool so it can be done. I am not saying this is Potters fault as it might not come under his role but it is an area where we could do better.

I think the chaotic loan years that marked David Burke's stint at the club probably still carries scars about dipping into the loan market.

 

[Swansman]

That is not correct, Premier League clubs may not register more than two players on loan at any one time.

Someone should tell them as Areola, Andersen, Lemina, Aina, Lookman, Loftus-Cheek and Maja are all on loan from different clubs.

 

[KeegansHairPiece]

That is not correct, Premier League clubs may not register more than two players on loan at any one time.

Only 2 domestic loans per season. Fulham have 2 domestic loans (Loftus-Cheek, Lemina), and 5 from European clubs.

 

[Neville's Breakfast]

Has Potter , in his 2 season tenure, every played a player that has been loaned to us ? Welbeck is not on loan as he was released by Watford.

I can't think of one - I feel this has been an area where we have really fallen short. Where our squad is weak (upfront) we don't seemed to have considered this as an option.

Chuba Akpom and Barndoor Billy Paynter.....
Glad we have fallen short in the loan market

 

[Guinness Boy]

Yeah, loans are REALLY not the answer. We've been burned before. You spend a fortune between wages and "loan fee" (cause that's an actual thing now FFS) and you may, or may not, get someone who's interested in turning up. Even if they are, at the end of the season they're gone again.

I'll accept (always have, in fact) that there's a long term strategy in play. In that case loans in are not to be used unless an absolute emergency but loans out are to be encouraged.

Loan to buy is slightly different but the legals have to be watertight - and why not just buy in that case?

 

[Jolly Red Giant]

Not so. I believe I am correct in saying Barber has previously said that relegation is a risk they accept and it won’t deflect the club from its long term aims. It will also be an outcome for which they will have contingency plans. It is supporters that worry about relegation because they don’t get to watch the big teams anymore.

There is the small matter of £100million a year in PL money

 

[Neville's Breakfast]

There is the small matter of £100million a year in PL money

Depends upon relegation clauses in contracts and player sales. There is zero chance that relegation has not been budgeted. The club is well run, not a basket case like Sunderland.

 

[Living with the enemy]

The players are letting him down - even as manager of the Uder-11's I'd expect something from 2 pens and an open goal

 

[Charity Shield 1910]

This is a joke, right? The Lampard bit

No wasn't a joke. Former Chelsea manager, experience of the Championship, seems a reasonably bright individual. Expect Eddie Howe a possibility also. But can I stress, i'm not a "Potter Out". What Potter has done with our midfield is nothing short of genius. I do think he needs to be more creative upfront and was too slow at changing the keeper as you know but there we go. It's Bloom's choice and he sacked one manager for putting premier league status in danger. Well that's where we are now, so it's not a given the midfield will save Potter.

 

[Jolly Red Giant]

How many managers with multiple years on their contracts do this? I can only think of one example in all my time of watching football.
Resignations happen all the time and usually come with some pay of from the contract.

Also I take issue with "he should resign"? Personally, I don't think he should. He would have a great chance of taking us back. As Farke has done with Norwich

Managers resign all the time - see below for a list of PL managers who have resigned - and I have excluded those who resigned to take another job, to retire or because of health issues.

Steve Coppell - Palace (after relegation)

Bobby Gould - Coventry (despite keeping them in the PL)

Howard Kendall - Everton

Billy Bonds - West Ham

John Lyall - Ipswich (club were bottom and were later relegated)

John Deehan - Norwich (in the relegation zone and they were later relegated)

Ray Harford - Blackburn (after failing to win 10 games and losing Stockport in the League Cup).

Frank Clark - Forest (they were later relegated)

Kevin Keegan - Newcastle

Joe Royle - Everton

Graeme Souness - Southampton (after finishing what was regarded as a disappointing 16th)

Gerry Francis - Spurs (in the middle of a relegation dogfight)

Brian Little - Villa

Howard Kendall - Everton - again - (after a run of poor results)

Roy Evans - Liverpool

Ruud Gullit - Newcastle (after five games into the season when they lost to Sunderland)

Bryan Robson - Middlesbrough (after barely avoiding relegation and Venables being brought in as an advisor).

John Gregory - Villa

Gordon Strachan - Southampton (after a leak stated he would leave the club in the summer)

Jacques Santini - Spurs (after 13 games in charge)

Alan Curbishley - Charlton

Sam Allardyce - Bolton

Glenn Roeder - Newcastle (after 1 win in 10 games)

Neil Warnock - Sheffield United (relegated)

Paul Jewell - Wigan (after avoiding relegation in the last game of the season)

Alan Curbishley - West Ham (three games into the season)

Kevin Keegan - Newcastle again (a couple of games into the season)

Roy Keane - Sunderland (after losing 5 games in 6)

Ricky Sbragia - Sunderland (after avoiding relegation on the last day of the season)

Martin O'Neil - Villa (just before the start of the season)

Mark Hughes - Fulham (claimed the club lacked ambition)

Harry Redknapp - QPR (resigned a couple of games before the end of the season - club relegated)

Dick Advocaat - Sunderland (club in relegation zone)

Steve Bruce - Hull (relegated)

Sam Allardyce - Palace (after saving them from relegation)



The reality is that Potter has benn given a significant amount of money to build a squad along with a huge contract extension after a handful of games with clear indications that the expectation was to maintain and develop PL status. I seriously doubt the approach was - 'here's £80-90million and a six year contract - don't worry if we get relegated, we love you all the same'.

I also don't think we'll lose anywhere near the number of players you're suggesting we will. Out of players we'd like to keep, only Biss, White and Webster leaving would be my guess.

I note that you qualify your assertion with the statement - Out of players we'd like to keep - Lallana and Wellbeck would definitely be gone (if for no other reason than their wages) and Lamptey will be snapped up by a PL club. Given their age and wages, Gross and Propper would likely move back to Germany and Holland. I also think it very unlikely that either Trossard or Maupay would stay around to play in the Championship.

Now - even with that - Brighton would still have a good squad and certainly one capable of getting promotion - Sanchez, Alzate, Connolly, Clarke, Molumby, MacAllister, Moder, March, Tau, Caicedo, Zeqiri, Burn, would all form the basis of a good young squad. The problem arises after promotion - because you then need a squad capable of staying in the PL.