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Thoughts and perspective



attila

1997 Club
Jul 17, 2003
2,244
South Central Southwick
I'm certain the club personnel were doing their best to sign the right striker - they want to stay up as much as we do, obviously - and it seems clear the funds were there. A principal target, Dwamena - who I know from contacts at Zurich has been in our sights for a while and is hugely rated by fans there - was secured and it is a personal tragedy for a young footballer (our disappointment insignificant in comparison, some perspective is essential here) that he has a condition which our stringent medical assessment deemed to be sufficiently serious to call the transfer off.

From what I have read it seems to be the case that most of our other targets simply turned us down. Clubs agreed terms: players didn't want to play for Brighton. We can't blame the recruitment team for that. Years of global media obsessing with the Premier League to the virtual exclusion of the other 72 clubs has meant that the 'never heard of them factor' must play a big part in the fortunes of promoted clubs in the transfer market, especially in the particularly refined striker market. Promoted clubs who arrive in the PL with a 'brand name' and 'Premier League history' are at a distinct advantage when selling themselves to Mr Celebrity Big Name Striker.

So, you say, what about Huddersfield, in the same position as us? They did brilliantly because it just so happens that Wagner and his advisors had such detailed knowledge of his own and nearby leagues that he could identify and pick players literally no-one else was interested in, completely under the radar. Their recruitment strategy has thus been brilliant, in a league of its own. It is one I am sure we aspire to and I hope are learning from! Well done to them.

Burnley and other clubs who are not 'glamour names?' The PL is blasted everywhere across the world. After one or two seasons their name is familiar to foreign fans and players alike, and a move there seen as a step up in a way that a move to us newbies isn't. I could go on about how our experience in this transfer window is just one more manifestation of the ludicrous imbalance, celebrity obsession and financial insanity which are the principal features of modern corporate football, but I won't.

Fact is there were a whole bunch of players who didn't want to play for us. We have a bloody good squad of ones who do and who are perfectly capable of competing in this league and keeping us up. Let's get behind them. We're good at being underdogs and have a brilliant track record at it in the last 20 years. Let's show the prima donnas who turned us down what we're made of, folks.

Up the Albion!
 
Last edited:


Jan 30, 2008
31,981
I'm certain the club personnel were doing their best to sign the right striker - they want to stay up as much as we do, obviously - and it seems clear the funds were there. A principal target, Dwamena - who I know from contacts at Zurich has been in our sights for a while and is hugely rated by fans there - was secured and it is a personal tragedy for a young footballer (our disappointment insignificant in comparison, some perspective is essential here) that he has a condition which our stringent medical assessment deemed to be sufficiently serious to call the transfer off.

From what I have read it seems to be the case that most of our other targets simply turned us down. Clubs agreed terms: players didn't want to play for Brighton. We can't blame the recruitment team for that. Years of global media obsessing with the Premier League to the virtual exclusion of the other 72 clubs has meant that the 'never heard of them factor' must play a big part in the fortunes of promoted clubs in the transfer market, especially in the particularly refined striker market. Promoted clubs who arrive in the PL with a 'brand name' and 'Premier League history' are at a distinct advantage when selling themselves to Mr Celebrity Big Name Striker.

So, you say, what about Huddersfield, in the same position as us? They did brilliantly because it just so happens that Wagner and his advisors had such detailed knowledge of his own and nearby leagues that he could identify and pick players literally no-one else was interested in, completely under the radar. Their recruitment strategy has thus been brilliant, in a league of its own. It is one I am sure we aspire to and I hope are learning from! Well done to them.

Burnley and other clubs who are not 'glamour names?' The PL is blasted everywhere across the world. After one or two seasons their name is familiar to foreign fans and players alike, and a move there seen as a step up in a way that a move to us newbies isn't. I could go on about how our experience in this transfer window is just one more manifestation of the ludicrous imbalance, celebrity obsession and financial insanity which are the principal features of modern corporate football, but I won't.

Fact is there were a whole bunch of players who didn't want to play for us. We have a bloody good squad of ones who do and who are perfectly capable of competing in this league and keeping us up. Let's get behind them. We're good at being underdogs and have a brilliant track record at it in the last 20 years. Let's show the prima donnas who turned us down what we're made of, folks.

Up the Albion!
rose tinted Glasses i'm afraid
regards
DR
 






Machiavelli

Well-known member
Oct 11, 2013
16,544
Fiveways
I agree with most of this, apart from the Burnley bit, who have signed Chris Wood, Jonathan Walters and Nakhi Wells to complement their existing forwards of Ashley Barnes and Sam Vokes. I think three of those might just have heard of B&HA, despite us not receiving the global exposure that Burnley have in two of their recent seasons.
 




StonehamPark

#Brighton-Nil
Oct 30, 2010
9,762
BC, Canada
I agree with most of this, apart from the Burnley bit, who have signed Chris Wood, Jonathan Walters and Nakhi Wells to complement their existing forwards of Ashley Barnes and Sam Vokes. I think three of those might just have heard of B&HA, despite us not receiving the global exposure that Burnley have in two of their recent seasons.

If players are offered the same deals at Burnley and Brighton, I imagine 2 factors come into play.
1: Which team has a better chance of staying in the PL.
2: Where would i rather live.

In most cases, I would guess point one has much more importance the latter for the 18-26 year old professional footballer.
 








Machiavelli

Well-known member
Oct 11, 2013
16,544
Fiveways
If players are offered the same deals at Burnley and Brighton, I imagine 2 factors come into play.
1: Which team has a better chance of staying in the PL.
2: Where would i rather live.

In most cases, I would guess point one has much more importance the latter for the 18-26 year old professional footballer.

I'm not quite sure what you're responding to. I was responding to AtS' comment about Burnley signing players due to global exposure.
 


AmexRuislip

Trainee Spy 🕵️‍♂️
Feb 2, 2014
33,727
Ruislip
And probably well over £5m a year in wages. That'd be the stumbling block.

There is that!

Why the hell would he choose us over Swansea!? Join the newcomers or no in an established premier league team you have played for before...tough choice.
Just a thought.

Would he have picked us over Swansea, a club he already knows & whose fans already adore him? I'm not convinced.

A new challenge perhaps?
 


Ninja Elephant

Doctor Elephant
Feb 16, 2009
18,855
I honestly feel like if we can weather this season, stay up for a second term, it'll be easier to convince players to sign for us.
 




Tooting Gull

Well-known member
Jul 5, 2003
11,033
Agree with OP about perspective. Disappointment is okay - we all know we have gone a long way down the original wishlist - but no need for fury. We have a very strong axis at our club - call it a management spine - of Hughton, Barber and Bloom, and while criticism must be taken on the chin by any of those plus the recruitment area, we want that to remain solid.

We have had some genuine bad luck with the failed medicals, but that on its own is not a reason for failing to get the right players. We have known we were up since April 17.

What has happened merely reinforces the need to somehow finish 17th or higher this season, by whatever means possible. Then next season players would be as likely to come to us than the three who come up, if not more so.
 


cjd

Well-known member
Jun 22, 2006
6,069
La Rochelle
I get a bit fed up of hearing that players turned us down because we are not an established Premier League team.

Is it possible they turned us down because we showed a distinct lack of ambition after we got promoted and focussed on 3-4 million pound players ? A lot of money to most of us on here of course, but loose change in the Premier league.

I wonder if we had shown far more ambition initally after gaining promotion, some the quality players might not have been so quick to reject us ?
 








Thunder Bolt

Ordinary Supporter
I get a bit fed up of hearing that players turned us down because we are not an established Premier League team.

Is it possible they turned us down because we showed a distinct lack of ambition after we got promoted and focussed on 3-4 million pound players ? A lot of money to most of us on here of course, but loose change in the Premier league.

I wonder if we had shown far more ambition initally after gaining promotion, some the quality players might not have been so quick to reject us ?

No, because we were going after £13-16M players, so no lack of ambition there. Wages are a different matter, and players think they can demand more than £40K a week.
 


Machiavelli

Well-known member
Oct 11, 2013
16,544
Fiveways
I get a bit fed up of hearing that players turned us down because we are not an established Premier League team.

Is it possible they turned us down because we showed a distinct lack of ambition after we got promoted and focussed on 3-4 million pound players ? A lot of money to most of us on here of course, but loose change in the Premier league.

I wonder if we had shown far more ambition initally after gaining promotion, some the quality players might not have been so quick to reject us ?

Like Izquidero, Propper, Ryan, several strikers?
 






DTES

Well-known member
Jul 7, 2003
6,022
London
The likes of Mounie , Mooy etc should have been well known to any club

Maybe Mounie was known to the club, and they thought (or still think) that he isn't up to the task in the Premier League? Just because Huddersfield splashed out on him doesn't mean he's proven he's worth it yet; Huddersfield fans might as well complain they didn't spot Izquierdo before we did just 3 weeks ago.
 


DIFFBROOK

Really Up the Junction
Feb 3, 2005
2,266
Yorkshire
I think we should have left the last loan berth for a striker. Lot harder to get a striker (as been shown ) and in the situation with Jannsen, might not have wanted to come here permanently, but a loan move might have suited.

Sent from my GT-I9505 using Tapatalk
 



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