Could next season be another transition?

Brighton Breezy · Mar 28, 2014

Looking at the number of players nearing the end of their contracts and with Oscar heading into his first full pre season knowing his squad and what it needs, the turnover of playing staff could be pretty high.

Anyone slightly apprehensive that it could mean another period of transition as new players settle in?

Personally I entered this season thinking a top ten finish would be fine. Wasn't expecting anything more. Am quite happy with the Albion in the top half of the Championship, showing signs of progression. Just wonder if some supporters would be quite so patient if next season brings another settling in period.

Jim D · Mar 28, 2014

Next season will be just as difficult financially as this one. We'll need to reduce our costs by another £3m or so. On that basis we may not be bringing too many in but trying to use those we've already got - especially from the U21 group.

London Irish · Mar 28, 2014

I don't think most supporters are willing to accept midtable averageness given our huge crowds and season ticket numbers - but I think they are giving Oscar the benefit of the doubt because the play-offs are still possible. If they no longer become possible, I think they will have their say big time.

But anyway, the key thing is what Bloom accepts. The received wisdom on here is that he will be very patient and accept averageness - I'm not so sure that is his record if you look at our past 4 or 5 managers.

Stuart Munday · Mar 28, 2014

I think there will be alot of changes in the summer which is not necessarily a bad thing, however I think if we are in the bottom 10 by Christmas Oscar will be history.

Brighton Breezy · Mar 28, 2014

Jim D said:
Next season will be just as difficult financially as this one. We'll need to reduce our costs by another £3m or so. On that basis we may not be bringing too many in but trying to use those we've already got - especially from the U21 group.

I would actually not mind seeing Walton step up to reserve goalkeeper, Ince continue his progression to a key player and Dunk, Forster-Caskey and March get regular starts. Chicksen and Monakana used on the bench.

That said, our budget this year was up on last season so would think even if it went down next campaign it would still be reasonably competitive. Might be Oscar puts more faith in young players as back up and works with a smaller squad of established players than Poyet favoured.

Blue Valkyrie · Mar 28, 2014

Haven't raised the white flag yet on this season personally.

If it's as successful as it may be then we'll certainly need a squad transition.

1234andcounting · Mar 28, 2014

Could someone please explain to me what a transitional season is. In 1976, Peter Taylor (the first) left in July to join his oppo, Cloughy, at Forest (and that produced one of the great football stories). Mullers, untried as a manager, with an inherited squad to which he made few if any additions in the 1976-77 season, took us to promotion playing fantastic football and by way of a bonus, two wins against top flight opposition.

In October 2001, after the season had started, Mickey Adams left to become Assistant Manager at Leicester City. Peter Taylor (the second) came in and we won the divisional title.

GP did not dynamite the Amex and machine gun to death the first team squad. He merely left.

Imagine the binfests - Brighton managers leaving to be assistants.

So, no more talk of transition seasons please.

Seagull73 · Mar 28, 2014

I'm still not sure I understand where the 'progress' is? Yes we had a completely absurd pre-season, even though the club told us that it would be 'business as usual' and that the playing side would remain 'unaffected' (Paul Barber's words).

So that's not Oscar's fault, but I know I'm not the only one that thinks that brand of football is really quite boring. It's easy to blame an injury crisis, I actually thought we were better earlier in the season, but it seems to have got slowly worse.

Yes it gets results, but that doesn't equal progress.

Tim Over Whelmed · Mar 28, 2014

I haven't raised the white flag yet, however, we have known since before Christmas that we had a lack of fire power. If TB, PB et al really thought we had a realistic chance in The Premiership don't you think we'd have seen an end of contract / out of favour EPL striker on our books now?

My thinking (and before you shoot me down it's just my opinion, I'm not saying it's right) is that Championship success, i.e. Top 10 finish and always being in or close to the play-offs keep the interest in the club whilst we wait for the Training Ground etc to be established. If we'd gone for a striker it would have made the likelihood of PL football much more real so why didn't they? Wages, don't think so £40k per week, for 12 weeks or so would easily be outweighed by the potential benefit in terms of a play-off semi final (two legs and possibly a final?)

There must have been a reason for holding back and my feeling is there is a established belief within the club that we're not ready.

Forster's Armband · Mar 28, 2014

Walt Jabsco said:
Looking at the number of players nearing the end of their contracts and with Oscar heading into his first full pre season knowing his squad and what it needs, the turnover of playing staff could be pretty high.

Anyone slightly apprehensive that it could mean another period of transition as new players settle in?

Personally I entered this season thinking a top ten finish would be fine. Wasn't expecting anything more. Am quite happy with the Albion in the top half of the Championship, showing signs of progression. Just wonder if some supporters would be quite so patient if next season brings another settling in period.

I think the lack of spending this season and the number of players out of contract are linked big time. Here is my INFORMED opinion of what we have in store.

Oscar will have had a season to see what he has at his disposale. He now knows who he wants to keep and who he wants to get rid of.
He will have decent money to spend hence we didn't spend loads this year.
He will have his own pre-season plans with HIS squad mostly and importantly at the new training ground.

I have no doubt that Bloom and all would not bother with Nike, American Express, State of the Art Ground and Academy/training ground just to have us be average in the Championship. I don't think we will spend loads but we will invest wisely and look to move forward from this season. It's slowly, slowly catchy monkey but in my opinion it WILL NOT be going backwards. Bloom wants Prem but not at the cost of being a Pompey.

Brighton Breezy · Mar 28, 2014

1234andcounting said:
Could someone please explain to me what a transitional season is. In 1976, Peter Taylor (the first) left in July to join his oppo, Cloughy, at Forest (and that produced one of the great football stories). Mullers, untried as a manager, with an inherited squad to which he made few if any additions in the 1976-77 season, took us to promotion playing fantastic football and by way of a bonus, two wins against top flight opposition.

In October 2001, after the season had started, Mickey Adams left to become Assistant Manager at Leicester City. Peter Taylor (the second) came in and we won the divisional title.

GP did not dynamite the Amex and machine gun to death the first team squad. He merely left.

Imagine the binfests - Brighton managers leaving to be assistants.

So, no more talk of transition seasons please.

I actually agree in general that it shouldn't really be an issue when appointing a new manager but appreciate Oscar Garcia was going to need a degree of patience while he adjusted to English football.

Replacing a large per centage of the first team squad - as could happen this summer - is bound to have an impact on the club's fortunes however. Could be positive in the long-term, who knows, but a high turnover of playing staff would surely necessitate a degree of settling in period.

In general though I don't like it when the football supporters use the phrase 'transitional period' as an excuse for poor performances as has happened at other clubs. It is not like Premier League clubs cut prices when they consider a season transitional.

London Irish · Mar 28, 2014

1234andcounting said:
Could someone please explain to me what a transitional season is

It's a total illogical nonsense. It's what supporters tend to give managers they feel a bit sorry for.

As you imply, the pity for Oscar is rooted in a totally overheated asssessment of the damage done by Gus's departure.

In fact, credit to the board, the process was relatively clean. It wasn't dragged out into pre-season or regular season as is usual with a lot of managerial departures, and Oscar was appointed quickly without the need for any interim manager (which was thought a possibility at the time). Oscar was there for all the pre-season programme and has had two transfer windows now.

GolfingGull · Mar 28, 2014

I dont think any season is transitional so to speak, there are always player movements, contract renewals, extensions, youth development, etc, happening.

I believe the lack of spending in the transfer window was due to the club gambling on CMS and Hoskins being back in the team a month ago, which were the original timeframes for both until minor injuries had a say. And looking at the number of contracts expiring this summer, I would have thought there will be a number of changes in the squad which can only be a good thing. New blood for dead wood and all that.

Seagull73 · Mar 28, 2014

London Irish said:
It's a total illogical nonsense. It's what supporters tend to give managers they feel a bit sorry for.

As you imply, the pity for Oscar is rooted in a totally overheated asssessment of the damage done by Gus's departure.

In fact, credit to the board, the process was relatively clean. It wasn't dragged out into pre-season or regular season as is usual with a lot of managerial departures, and Oscar was appointed quickly without the need for any interim manager (which was thought a possibility at the time). Oscar was there for all the pre-season programme and has had two transfer windows now.

Quite - Oscar has had more than enough to establish his 'brand' now, as said on another thread where we look at the stats, it's not packed with excitement just yet.

APACHE · Mar 28, 2014

For me this season is nearly the same in football played as last season except for the number of key injuries causing OG to have a poorer selection of forwards over the course of the season than Poyet. The number of players out of contract may well mean that they will either not be offered new contracts or ones on lesser money, I expect the club to move fast on that one so they can get replacements in if players don't resign. OG is by now in the position to know who can fit into the pattern he wants for next season and I'm expecting to see a more younger setup of the 1st team and wouldn't not be surprised if some of our missing in action sicknotes are moved on to save money for new players. So I'm looking to see an improvement next season in attack and entertainment.

Ernest · Mar 28, 2014

The decent performances we've had at home under Garcia were ages ago, what people don't want to see is that the team is regressing not progressing under the Spanish clown

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