Sami considers new players

Apologies if this has already been posted on here, but felt it was a frank admission that something will have to change soon (unless we find our striking boots).


http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/29724270



"Chris held the ball okay a few times and was battling hard. It was an idea that he is in the box and putting the ball in the back of the net."



I'm not really sure how to interpret this: a tick for COG's battling qualities, but yes he is there to 'put the ball in the back of the net'. Just in case anyone had a leftfield view to our current problems, I think it's unanimously agreed (SH included) we need to sort our front-line as top priority.

An idea!? They didn't go with that one then?

Withdean11 said:

An idea!? They didn't go with that one then?

Click to expand...

Perhaps it was lost in translation?! (Technically I know there is no 'translation' but sure you get what I mean)

Full article

Bright & Hove Albion: Sami Hyypia considers fresh additions

Brighton & Hove Albion manager Sami Hyypia says he may have to bring in new players to bolster his struggling side.
The Seagulls are on a run of nine league games without a win, and are just one point above the Championship relegation zone.
"I am sure that results will come. If not with this XI then we need to find some recruits," he told BBC Sussex.
"If we need to we will bring (players in). If we turn the corner with this squad then we won't, maybe."
Brighton boss Sami Hyypia:
"We need to keep the faith and keep positive. A lot of times this season we have conceded early and then have to chase the game. It is not a very good starting point."
Former Liverpool defender Hyypia was appointed Brighton manager in June on a three-year deal, inheriting a side who had finished in the play-off places in the last two seasons.
After seeing a host of senior players leave the club, including striker Leonardo Ulloa, winger Will Buckley, midfielder Andrea Orlandi and goalkeeper Tomasz Kuszczak, Hyypia eventually made 10 signings before the end of the transfer window.
The 41-year-old Finn won two of his first four Championship games but has not tasted another league victory since beating Bolton on 23 August.
The East Sussex outfit have subsequently drawn six and lost three games.
One reason for Brighton's struggles has been the inability to replace the goals provided by Ulloa, who scored 14 in the league last season and joined Premier League Leicester City in an £8m deal in July.
Brighton's strikers fail to fire
Sam Baldock: Six appearances (one as sub), no goals
Adrian Colunga: 10 appearances (four as sub), one goal
Craig Mackail-Smith: 12 appearances (three as sub), three goals
Chris O'Grady: Nine appearances (two as sub), no goals
Summer signings Sam Baldock and Chris O'Grady are yet to score, while Craig Mackail-Smith has netted just one league goal this season.
O'Grady was recalled to the starting line-up for Tuesday's 1-1 draw at Huddersfield, having come off the bench at half-time in the 2-1 defeat by Middlesbrough on Saturday.
"I thought we would get a lot of balls played in the box (against Huddersfield) and we needed somebody to put them in," said Hyypia.
"We got balls in the box in the first half but maybe our movements weren't that great. In the second half we couldn't get the ball in the box any more.
"Chris held the ball okay a few times and was battling hard. It was an idea that he is in the box and putting the ball in the back of the net."
Chris O'Grady
O'Grady is yet to score for Brighton & Hove Albion since moving to the Amex Stadium
Seven Championship clubs have already changed manager this season but ex-Albion boss Alan Mullery, who is now a club ambassador at the Amex Stadium, believes Hyypia should be given more time to turn the club's fortunes around.
Hyypia is confident of an upturn in results but is also wary their defensive performances must improve.
"We need to keep the faith and keep positive," he added. "A lot of times this season we have conceded early and then have to chase the game. It is not a very good starting point.
"We are making it more difficult for ourselves."
With Brighton's strikers failing to find the net, centre-back Lewis Dunk is the club's top scorer so far this season, with five goals in all competitions.
"It's just dropping into the right areas in the box and I'm finishing them," said the 22-year-old defender.
"It's just frustrating that we're not getting that win but we'll keep going. We believe in ourselves and know we are a good side. It will come."

It still feels weird that the Albion are managed by a man younger than myself (44).

Was musing on our current 'system' and the loss of Lua Lua on Saturday, and whether or not the system really plays to his strengths anyway.

Two players who I think could have made this system work are Noone and Buckley. A right manager-wrong time-wrong players situation for Sami perhaps.

Lush said:

Was musing on our current 'system' and the loss of Lua Lua on Saturday, and whether or not the system really plays to his strengths anyway.

Two players who I think could have made this system work are Noone and Buckley. A right manager-wrong time-wrong players situation for Sami perhaps.

Click to expand...

Wouldn't they just be tripping over the full backs?

Although there wasn't many sights better than Will & Calde piling forward in front of the East stand, during a second half onslaught.

I do try to be supportive toward the hierarchy within the Amex, but I would have to cautiously (and to be fair in retrospect) question whether the squad may have benefited from quality over quantity. We do seem to have a decent enough squad but they do seem to all be of an average Championship standard. We, IMO don't seem to have even a single stand out player that can turn the game with a flash of inspiration.
I am, I embarrassingly confess beginning to doubt the Clubs recruitment policy. I know we are a tad on the 'careful' side with our purchases, which have lost us a small number quality players. Unfortunately this 'penny wise, pound foolish' policy is this seasons 'waste' as opposed to last years, i.e. employing a number of almost unused loanees. I won't, even can't point the finger at individuals as I, or we, don't know their remit or boundaries.
I feel it is a shame that as I personally consider we are probably the best administratively run club in the Championship that our on field aspirations fall so short. But hey, time will tell and I haven't given up on top six yet.

Stat Brother said:

Wouldn't they just be tripping over the full backs?

Although there wasn't many sights better than Will & Calde piling forward in front of the East stand, during a second half onslaught.

Click to expand...

Vicente GHOSTING past an entire Derby team before THUNDERING a shot against the bar was a better sight.

fat old seagull said:

I do try to be supportive toward the hierarchy within the Amex, but I would have to cautiously (and to be fair in retrospect) question whether the squad may have benefited from quality over quantity. We do seem to have a decent enough squad but they do seem to all be of an average Championship standard. We, IMO don't seem to have even a single stand out player that can turn the game with a flash of inspiration.
I am, I embarrassingly confess beginning to doubt the Clubs recruitment policy. I know we are a tad on the 'careful' side with our purchases, which have lost us a small number quality players. Unfortunately this 'penny wise, pound foolish' policy is this seasons 'waste' as opposed to last years, i.e. employing a number of almost unused loanees. I won't, even can't point the finger at individuals as I, or we, don't know their remit or boundaries.
I feel it is a shame that as I personally consider we are probably the best administratively run club in the Championship that our on field aspirations fall so short. But hey, time will tell and I haven't given up on top six yet.

Click to expand...

Spot on with that in my opinion

Lush said:

Was musing on our current 'system' and the loss of Lua Lua on Saturday, and whether or not the system really plays to his strengths anyway.

Two players who I think could have made this system work are Noone and Buckley. A right manager-wrong time-wrong players situation for Sami perhaps.

Click to expand...

Or Elliot Bennett. Was thinking about him during the Boro match thinking how this setup would really suit his movement.

Hyppia seems to repeat the same old musing's game after game, if you can't train the new ways into them after 3-months he never will as the players are simply not good enough to play this system. Start playing them in a system they are used to and I'm sure the strikers will then start to find the net and we will stop conceding sloppy goals where we are left 4 on 2 at the back

Time and again we revert back to the system v players conundrum.

A great hypothesis would be this:

Pick a club of relatively equal standing like Albion, say Wigan.

Give Wigan all our players and let Uwe Rosler manage them - with his system.

We take all Wigan's players and let Sami manage them, with his controversial system.

Who will finish higher this season? Answers please.

fat old seagull said:

I do try to be supportive toward the hierarchy within the Amex, but I would have to cautiously (and to be fair in retrospect) question whether the squad may have benefited from quality over quantity. We do seem to have a decent enough squad but they do seem to all be of an average Championship standard. We, IMO don't seem to have even a single stand out player that can turn the game with a flash of inspiration.
I am, I embarrassingly confess beginning to doubt the Clubs recruitment policy. I know we are a tad on the 'careful' side with our purchases, which have lost us a small number quality players. Unfortunately this 'penny wise, pound foolish' policy is this seasons 'waste' as opposed to last years, i.e. employing a number of almost unused loanees. I won't, even can't point the finger at individuals as I, or we, don't know their remit or boundaries.
I feel it is a shame that as I personally consider we are probably the best administratively run club in the Championship that our on field aspirations fall so short. But hey, time will tell and I haven't given up on top six yet.

Click to expand...

Good post.

He said keep the faith, I've now lost the faith.

OSRGull said:

He said keep the faith, I've now lost the faith.

Click to expand...

without hope there is nothing

ommollete..!!ommollette...!! loooks nice but gone too quick....really need an old fashioned cf...a la holt...for instance.frustrating times ,if we dont beat Rotherham i'll be fookin worried lar...!

Lush said:

Was musing on our current 'system' and the loss of Lua Lua on Saturday, and whether or not the system really plays to his strengths anyway.

Two players who I think could have made this system work are Noone and Buckley. A right manager-wrong time-wrong players situation for Sami perhaps.

Click to expand...

Nope. As has been hinted, he'd have Noone & Buckley covering as our fullbacks bombed forward - or playing centrally like Kaz

aolstudios said:

Nope. As has been hinted, he'd have Noone & Buckley covering as our fullbacks bombed forward - or playing centrally like Kaz

Click to expand...

This I actually think Sami is tactically inept.

Following Sami's comments I think we can safely assume the 'corner we need to turn' is fast approaching.

In fact he even suggests we'll still need new faces - even if we do start winning matches.

I guess at least he can't be accused of a head-in-the-sand mentality - though with regards to the formation, it's more head-in-the-hands...