[Albion] "Albion rebuilding may spill over into season"

[Lurchy]

Not really surprising, not many clubs go into the season equipped with all their business done. Hopefully we enter it with a striker, centre back and a winger already committed but confidence in that happening is now slowly starting to wane. A quality signing by the end of the week would certainly help restore that faith though.

 

[nwgull]

I doubt that there'll be many teams in all 4 divisions that will have completed their squad before the end of August. In our most successful recent season we added 4 regular first teamers in the last week of the window: Spanish, Orlandi, Crofts, Hammond. And, arguably, our two most influential players were signed in the January window that year.

 

[spence]

To be honest, I think you will find the same happening with quite a few clubs.
Money is tight, no one can dispute that, it is run as a business now after all.
The fact that Brighton always seem to do this looks like we may be setting the trend.
It's a bit like the January sales after the Christmas panic.
Still be in top 6, I think.

It's not happening with clubs showing ambition and that's a fact.

 

[Biscuit]

I suppose a positive might be that hughton is forced to use some DS lads for a few games

Worked out well last season

Who remembers the days of Shaun Wilkinson and Dan Marney? Wearing Brighton shirts and playing in the Championship..

 

[OzMike]

It's not happening with clubs showing ambition and that's a fact.

Name the ones in the Championship.
There are 24 teams after all and it will not be the majority of them.

 

[Stumpy Tim]

We have a more than decent first XI right now, but certainly not anything good enough to sustain anything longer than a few weeks. KLL & March will likely have injuries, players will dip in & out of form. Last season our first XI was really poor - we're in better shape this season.

Given we're up against Dougie Freedman in the first game, that one doesn't really matter. His teams always fluke a point against us, so we could sign Messi and Ronaldo and you'll know they'll get a last minute equaliser scored with a diving header by the ref who accidentally slips

 

[spence]

Name the ones in the Championship.
There are 24 teams after all and it will not be the majority of them.

It doesn't have to be a majority. I'm talking about the main clubs who are showing ambition already.
Derby and Boro. Firm favorites with the bookies and lets be honest they have signed some cracking players. Both clubs will finish top 6. Then there's Wednesday and Leeds. Even Burnley have spent nearly 3 million. You expect these clubs will be up there also.

 

[Terry Butcher Tribute Act]

If the article said we want to sign one or two before Forest and a couple may run into August that would be fine.

But it doesn't.

No goals, no creativity, no pace. Doomed as things stand.

 

[Saladpack Seagull]

I'm looking forward to the season starting, but I'm also very afraid that it'll be a re-run of last year; on the transfer front it's beginning to look that way. Having said that, a surprise signing of quality will go a long way to settle my nerves - the sooner the better!

 

[KZNSeagull]

I am sure that we could have signed many players by now, but they would not necessarily have been much good. We are showing ambition in going for targets that others also want. This is just the expected side effect of the season starting before the transfer window shuts.

 

[Psychobilly freakout]

I think the all round squad as it stand is defiantly better than this time last year, with several players that were no doubt over paid considering there contribution now gone which no doubt will free up capital. I for one am not concerned at this point considering the players we have brought in and are currently linked with. As others have said we are not the only club in this position and it does seem that the manager is having an input into who we are considering and have purchased which is far more encouraging than last season. We are currently in a far greater position than last season so stop all the moaning it is boring....

 

[Justice]

If KLL can take his chance and perform for 90mins week in week out it would be a massive plus, I would like him to have a ten game run to see if he can.

 

[Martlet]

We have a more than decent first XI right now, but certainly not anything good enough to sustain anything longer than a few weeks. KLL & March will likely have injuries, players will dip in & out of form. Last season our first XI was really poor - we're in better shape this season.

This - with decent players like Crofts, Stephens and March back from injury and an injection of quality in the core, we're a lot better than the team that started last season (Fenelon up front remember!). We've also got a stable management structure, with a manager who actually knows what he's doing (and a little about this division).

The window always complicates matters - players and agents holding out for best deals etc. If we add a few players between start of season and closing of transfer window I'll be relatively happy.

 

[chucky1973]

this is no surprise. I just don't think we players see us as a decent move if you base it on our history. Foreign players have never heard of BHAFC so why would they risk everything and move there.
Im happy with the squad albeit we have not done a thing about the Brighton Nil part. OK we have a new striker, but he is pointless without someone decent to get the balls to him. We still look very defence with our line up and I can see Baldock starting out wide which is just crazy. Its filling round holes with square pegs.
I think our first choices and 2nd choices have all moved on to other clubs and we are now struggling to find targets better than what we have which is a big worry.

 

[Tony Meolas Loan Spell]

Always does, always will. Nothing to discuss really. Just depends to what EXTENT the business is unfinished. Go in as we are and we could be in for a(nother) VERY barren August.

Only if its to do with season long loans like a Bridge, Ward, Bennett, Upson etc.

I EXPECT all the players that we want, contracts signed and done and dusted by the END of July at the latest.

Better get cracking Albion or do we really have League one ambition. If we do thats FINE just be honest. PLEASE.

 

[Simster]

We have a more than decent first XI right now, but certainly not anything good enough to sustain anything longer than a few weeks. KLL & March will likely have injuries, players will dip in & out of form. Last season our first XI was really poor - we're in better shape this season.

Given we're up against Dougie Freedman in the first game, that one doesn't really matter. His teams always fluke a point against us, so we could sign Messi and Ronaldo and you'll know they'll get a last minute equaliser scored with a diving header by the ref who accidentally slips

All of this, especially the second bit.

Although whilst we are in better shape than the beginning of last season, I'm confident we'll get a couple of key crippling injuries a week before the first game of the season, so that the squad is decimated and we find ourselves dipping into the transfer market for shit expensive cast-offs unwanted at other Championship teams.

 

[Easy 10]

We do still seem to find it cripplingly difficult to persuade players to come to the Albion don't we.
Sparkly new stadium, swanky new training ground, yet apparently its still a huge problem to land anyone of proven quality. Still, at least they're trying really hard again.

 

[Simster]

We do still seem to find it cripplingly difficult to persuade players to come to the Albion don't we.
Sparkly new stadium, swanky new training ground, yet apparently its still a huge problem to land anyone of proven quality. Still, at least they're trying really hard again.

I'm sure a couple of NSCers relaying back to us what a lovely guy Paul "£450k p.a." Barber is for replying with a lengthy email (to something fairly inconsequential to the rest of us) will very much allay our fears that they're not working ruddy hard to get some good players in.

 

[OzMike]

It's not only clubs that leave it till the last minute, so do the players trying to get the best deal.
We may already have approached some who are uming and ahring, *cough* Iranian chap *cough*.

 

[OzMike]

We do still seem to find it cripplingly difficult to persuade players to come to the Albion don't we.
Sparkly new stadium, swanky new training ground, yet apparently its still a huge problem to land anyone of proven quality. Still, at least they're trying really hard again.

It's a job don't forget, would you work for Palarse if they were offering you $10 000 a week more than Brighton.
Their ground may be a **** hole, but think of how lovely your house and bank account would be.
The days of local players showing loyalty is long gone, it's all about the wages deals.