[Albion] If We Survive

Se20 said:

Now some of you realise how much money is needed just to survive in this league.
You’ve spent approximately £120 mill on players in two seasons, but how many of this season signings were in your team yesterday?
You need PL experienced players, and they’re not cheap .

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you're not wrong............ 30 million for Barn Door Benteke

Baldseagull said:

Like Benteke?

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And £6m a year in wages, on a long contract. The same with other average players.

All giving the grand total of 39 points.

Parish, under the direction of Not-So-Bright, never learns on transfers.

peterward said:

you're not wrong............ 30 million for Barn Door Benteke

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Quite. No guarantees that splashing the cash will ensure player x thrives in a new team, even when surrounded by top calibre team mates. Wilfred Zaha at Man U? Torres at Chelsea? Our first set of PL signings had a very good success ratio, subsequent transfer windows have been less so, though, unlike some on here, I am not giving up on any of them yet.

Weststander said:

Dunk - capped by England, justifiably so, other than his recent shitness, his game has come on loads since Hyppia.

Bong - still lapses, but a decent FB against quality opposition.

March - this season he’s improved a lot, after his nervous first PL season.

Duffy - from the quality CB for Blackburn in a poorer division, he’s established himself as a PL centre back against the best.


If you really think known of those players has improved one jot in the last 3 or 4 years, then CH should be sacked without delay.

Or are you exaggerating, because you can’t stand CH in the job?

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I said I think March has improved, albeit offensively I think he’s sacrificed a lot for his defensive improvements. Bong is still ridiculously limited and he only functions as a defensive full back in a side that wants their full backs narrow and with little intent., Dunk is putting in the same performances and mistakes he was producing in the Championship. Yes, against a better class of opposition, but his flaws are still there too. Duffy is the same - his game is as limited as it was the day he walked in. He’s always been able to head a ball and he’s always been willing to jump in front of most things, yet he still can’t pass for shit, he’s still caught out regularly against pace and movement, he still really struggles to read the game when he’s the covering defender rather than the stopper and he still can’t cope with space in behind him.

To me they were all players who could play at a higher level than the Championship and they’ve shown that. But none of them have taken steps to develop the weaknesses in their game from that level to this. And to me that is a damning indictment of our coaching and management, because it’s the players en mass who aren’t improving.

I suspect we’ll agree to disagree though.