Ambition and expectation

[symyjym]

Whilst every club has the ambition to play in the Prem, some clubs are more ambitious than others.

We were in a great position for a serious shot of promotion last season but we failed to bulk up our squad in the January transfer window. Unfortunately by not spending then (on principle) has cost us more money now. We simply bottled it when it came to signing Grabban and Conway and we are where we are today because of it.

I am all for being shrewd financially but the fact that the value on the players I have mentioned above would have increased considerably, whereas the players we have now purchased, with all due respect to them, we will struggle to get back the money spent let alone make a profit. FFP is also about making money not just saving it.

The Prem and financial prize of it was a realistic possibility last season and the way Oscar left tells its own story. Everything we have done since the summer has been about patching up bad decision making last January.

 

[BensGrandad]

I have very little interest in the Premier League because it doesnt involve us. If, as the club maintain, promtion to that league is our aim and we achieve it then I shall be interested. In the mean time I want us to win some games and look as if we have ambition, The poor signings make it appear that the club are saying "we'll just make out we want promotion, that will keep them happy while we do what we want to make more money. We will use FFP to keep them off of our backs. They are supporters they will buy that". I hope I am misinterpreting the clubs motives.

 

[Rugrat]

I have very little interest in the Premier League because it doesnt involve us. If, as the club maintain, promtion to that league is our aim and we achieve it then I shall be interested. In the mean time I want us to win some games and look as if we have ambition, The poor signings make it appear that the club are saying "we'll just make out we want promotion, that will keep them happy while we do what we want to make more money. We will use FFP to keep them off of our backs. They are supporters they will buy that". I hope I am misinterpreting the clubs motives.

Even though FFP is a crock of sh*t the club do have to comply. In that respect the cost of running our lovely stadium is immense as are the costs of the numerous suits we employ.

I don't think the club are hiding behind FFP but it is a fact. We start off well behind many others in terms of the ability to compete and it's a huge obstacle to overcome. That forces us to try and buy shrewdly as we have, and that will always bring greater risk, with the odd great success (Ulloa was hardly a star when we picked him up).

In saying all of that, much of the spin that is served up to us (recent stuff on here) is patronising and does bring into question much of what else is being fed to us

 

[Titanic]

I have very little interest in the Premier League because it doesnt involve us. If, as the club maintain, promtion to that league is our aim and we achieve it then I shall be interested. In the mean time I want us to win some games and look as if we have ambition, The poor signings make it appear that the club are saying "we'll just make out we want promotion, that will keep them happy while we do what we want to make more money. We will use FFP to keep them off of our backs. They are supporters they will buy that". I hope I am misinterpreting the clubs motives.

What sort of deranged imbecile 'invests' £200 MILLION of his own money and then piddles around thinking "we'll just make out we want promotion, that will keep them happy while we do what we want to make more money. We will use FFP to keep them off of our backs. They are supporters they will buy that" ??

This sort of nonsense beggars belief.

 

[BensGrandad]

If you read what I posted you will see the words MAKE IT APPEAR not saying that is what is happening.

 

[Titanic]

If you read what I posted you will see the words MAKE IT APPEAR not saying that is what is happening.

What do you think IS happening then, rather than appearing to be happening?

 

[BensGrandad]

TB has been advised by his financial advisors not to throw any more money at the club, at the moment, for whatever reason.

 

[Moshe Gariani]

I have very little interest in the Premier League because it doesnt involve us. If, as the club maintain, promtion to that league is our aim and we achieve it then I shall be interested. In the mean time I want us to win some games and look as if we have ambition, The poor signings make it appear that the club are saying "we'll just make out we want promotion, that will keep them happy while we do what we want to make more money. We will use FFP to keep them off of our backs. They are supporters they will buy that". I hope I am misinterpreting the clubs motives.

FWIW, I am fairly sure that on this occasion you have the wrong end of the stick.

 

[BensGrandad]

FWIW, I am fairly sure that on this occasion you have the wrong end of the stick.

Probably, because it suits the situation.

 

[Titanic]

TB has been advised by his financial advisors not to throw any more money at the club, at the moment, for whatever reason.

Is that a statement of FACT, as it would appear from your posting? Or just some DRIVEL you have made up, which seems more likely?

 

[BensGrandad]

You asked what I thought was happening that is my thoughts.

 

[Moshe Gariani]

Probably, because it suits the situation.

My filing cabinet stands to the right of my desk.

 

[Pavilionaire]

I don't see that our historical "pre-Premier League" performance is that relevant to today's ambition and expectation.

Football is a corporate game now, and for those teams outside the Prem the size of the club's market is crucial. There is inherent expectation and ambition simply because Brighton and Hove is the 12th biggest urban area in United Kingdom. That ambition has been fuelled by 2 play-off appearances. That, in turn, has helped to foster a genuine interest in football in the area.

I get the argument that there may be more genuine football fans in smaller Burnley than the larger Milton Keynes - but we did make the top flight for 4 seasons and reach a Cup Final so this shows that the club HAS competed at the highest level in the relatively recent past. Whilst that was over 30 years ago those that went are the mothers and fathers of todays young fans, so those glory days are still relevant for the today's potential Albion market.

Bloom's money has distorted matters until now, but once the fallout from FFP is felt we'll then know where this club really is in the pecking order now.

That said, logic dictates that because of Premier League parachute payments then every season promotion will be odds-against, and if we DO achieve promotion it is more likely to be on the back of a squad swelled by academy products more than bought-in talent.

Incidentally, with a population of 475,000 in the urban area and only one football club the only places with a bigger ratio in England and Wales are London, Birmingham, Leeds, Newcastle and Leicester (significantly the Bournemouth area has 466,000) so above that of multi-club cities like Manchester, Liverpool, Nottingham, Sheffield, Bristol, the Solent, and bigger than other urban one-club areas currently in the Prem (Stoke, Sunderland, Swansea, Burnley, Hull).

 

[JCL666]

The club are constantly marketing at us with this over hyped "PL ready" line, which means nothing if (like everyone else has said) we don't have a team delivering on the pitch.

To do that the club either need to buy our way into the premier league, or appoint a manager who is going to build something long term.

The former isn't going to happen because of FFP and I really thought we had the latter with Oscar. So my expectation is that we will have a bunch of unknown/up and coming managers who get nowhere, and then eventually one of the gambles will strike it lucky.

.......... A bit like what is currently happening.

Although I could see a pulis/warnock type scenario whereby the board just say that they've had enough and rather than buying for a "system", tell the manager, "that's what you've got make it work".



TBH I just want to enjoy watching football.

I don't mind if it's tactical war or a "we'll score more goals than you" approach, just anything rather than the nonsense we've seen this season.

 

[Steve.S]

And I never said I wanted a guaranteed result - what I said was I wanted value for my money, and also the time spent. And most of the time modern football, at any level, doesn't 'do' it for me any more, and yes I went to the Goldstone, Gillingham, Withdean, etc etc etc through good times and bad.

What you said is that you expect to be watching a side in the top six, you should re read your posts before replying to people. Nothing about value for money.

 

[Titanic]

You asked what I thought was happening that is my thoughts.

I rather thought as much. Thank you for sharing.

 

[father_and_son]

I have very little interest in the Premier League because it doesnt involve us. If, as the club maintain, promtion to that league is our aim and we achieve it then I shall be interested. In the mean time I want us to win some games and look as if we have ambition, The poor signings make it appear that the club are saying "we'll just make out we want promotion, that will keep them happy while we do what we want to make more money. We will use FFP to keep them off of our backs. They are supporters they will buy that". I hope I am misinterpreting the clubs motives.

*cough*... The club lose an absolute sh*tload of money, funded by the generosity of one man. Therefore "keep them happy while we do what we want to make more money" is more than a little un-f*cking-grateful to that man.

If you start to rephrase that sentence in line with the truth, then the statement actually sounds a little less unreasonable...

"keep them happy while we do what we want to p*ss less of Tony's money up against the wall for no return"

...if you then replace one word you get something actually close to what the club are doing...

"keep them happy while we do what we CAN to p*ss less of Tony's money up against the wall for no return"

 

[father_and_son]

I don't see that our historical "pre-Premier League" performance is that relevant to today's ambition and expectation.

Football is a corporate game now, and for those teams outside the Prem the size of the club's market is crucial. There is inherent expectation and ambition simply because Brighton and Hove is the 12th biggest urban area in United Kingdom. That ambition has been fuelled by 2 play-off appearances. That, in turn, has helped to foster a genuine interest in football in the area.

I get the argument that there may be more genuine football fans in smaller Burnley than the larger Milton Keynes - but we did make the top flight for 4 seasons and reach a Cup Final so this shows that the club HAS competed at the highest level in the relatively recent past. Whilst that was over 30 years ago those that went are the mothers and fathers of todays young fans, so those glory days are still relevant for the today's potential Albion market.

Bloom's money has distorted matters until now, but once the fallout from FFP is felt we'll then know where this club really is in the pecking order now.

That said, logic dictates that because of Premier League parachute payments then every season promotion will be odds-against, and if we DO achieve promotion it is more likely to be on the back of a squad swelled by academy products more than bought-in talent.

Incidentally, with a population of 475,000 in the urban area and only one football club the only places with a bigger ratio in England and Wales are London, Birmingham, Leeds, Newcastle and Leicester (significantly the Bournemouth area has 466,000) so above that of multi-club cities like Manchester, Liverpool, Nottingham, Sheffield, Bristol, the Solent, and bigger than other urban one-club areas currently in the Prem (Stoke, Sunderland, Swansea, Burnley, Hull).

 

[chaileyjem]

The club are constantly marketing at us with this over hyped "PL ready" line, which means nothing if (like everyone else has said) we don't have a team delivering on the pitch.

Actually the club don't use the phrase "premier league ready" in any marketing, messaging or communication to fans. So very few fans would be aware that this is a phrase that the club use behind the scenes . (Although it has appeared publiclyin a couple of interviews with Sami and Paul Barber.) But to be honest , all Champ clubs aspire to be prepared to promoted to the PL . What would you say if they weren't ?

 

[jcdenton08]

Yep. The one correct statement in here is that it does sound stupid to a STH.

If you want a stage-managed positive result week-in week-out for your money then, may I suggest, wrestling be your chosen viewing, because that's the only "entertainment" (sport) where you will see the good guys triumph every time.

I am a season ticket holder and so, by your own terminology, I guess that makes me a full-time fan. But the key word isn't "full" or "part" - its fan. I will support this team on the way up and I will support them on the way down. I will be crest-fallen when we lose and euphoric when we win but I don't go for the result, I go because I am a fan.

If the result really is the be-all and end-all to you then you are at best a football customer, at worst a football consumer, but you are not a fan. Don't get me wrong here. You are welcome to come and spend your money at the Amex, just like the away fans, the JCLs and the plastics and any other derogatory demographic that you care to mention - I will welcome you in the seat next to me. But in reality, given your comments above, I'm pretty sure you would be happier declaring your self to be a "fan" of one of the top 5 PL clubs, watch your team on Sky and be safe in the knowledge that a "bad season" means Europa and not Champions league because relegation and promotion are problems left to the disappointing world beneath you.

As something of a PW buff, I take issue at this. Modern pro-wrestling (being the American WWE/TNA products, the independent products like Chikara and ROH, plus the Japanese products and subsequently the UK independent Feds) rely on the trusty heel/face dynamic. While the shows are scripted (the parlance is "booked") to decide to wins and loses, the good guy (or "face") does not win every time. Rather, he will often lose to build "heat" for a rematch, on pay-per-view or live events. There have been famous individual stars who consistently were booked to "win" matches and thus "got over", such as Hulk Hogan, Andre the Giant and Goldberg - but even they suffered the occasion loss (normally due to the bad guy or "heel" cheating them in some way, again driving demand for a rematch and heightened interest).

In short, wrestling was a particularly poor example as, while pre-planned, the good guy doesn't always win and often paid fans at "house shows" and TV ratings pay good money to see their guy actually lose. Even worse, it's staged so they lose deliberately. This is like paying to watch the Albion deliberately lose (Akin to picking Stockdale in goal)