[Albion] Bloom: "Top 10... is a very realistic aim for next season"

[Guinness Boy]

You also won at home to City and LPool away. Do you seriously think you are repeating those victories again? Your key stats on whether you improve or not are linked to your lack of goals scored and losing points from winning positions. Too often you sit on leads which is why you lose so many points. Assuming you lose Bissouma will that weaken you in a key position? Where are your extra goals coming from? Everything costs money. Villa have just spent 35m to also get in the top 10. Think Wolves with a centre forward will be much better and I can't see LPool losing 6 home games.
Leeds win lots of matches because they attack so much part of the reason they lose so many. But most of their losses came when they only had 1fit centre half. When they had 4 they only lost one. Next season with fans present will be very different.

If you think you're going to beat City with 10 men again then I suggest you offer to Pep that the game commences that way.

One very consistent result from last season? At The Amex - Brighton 2 Leeds 0

 

[Wardy's twin]

Indeed. If we'd beaten ManU (h) Villa, Palace (h and a), WBA (a) and Wolves, games that we absolutely bossed (Wolves was slightly different but we dominating the game until Dunk went) - we'd have been 11th ...



... and if we'd held on against West Ham (twice) and Leicester too, then we'd have been eighth or ninth ...

... and throw in two dodgy penalties to Spurs and Southampton, and we're sixth.

And, yes, I know, if my auntie had balls etc ... but it shows just how fine the margins are. It wouldn't take a huge amount of improvement and a bit more good fortune to climb higher in the league. It looks like it would take a big effort to climb so high but there are actually just a few things to tighten.

nothing about balls , you are spot on its fine margins and its not just about how good you are it's luck , decisions and injuries.

 

[White Fan man]

Yes, I agree with all of this. You're dependent on Beilsa, but there's a reason he's an iconic manager. It shows, and you've been brilliant this/last season.
On a slightly different point, I heard Chris Waddle last night say that Ben White played CM for you, and he's barely played CB at all. Must be true.

Ben White played a few games in centre midfield when Kalvin Phillips was injured. He was nothing special as a midfielder, did a job, but that's all. More than 40 games he played as the right-sided centre back. He reads the game well, intercepts well and released the ball early to start our attacks. One thing we have noticed this season from the pundits is that none of them watched us much last season and spout nonsense about Bielsa burnout etc. His first season the problem was Roofe was our main striker and he got injured and Bamford wasn't fully fit having missed a large chunk of the season and there was also the mental issue of getting promoted after 16 years outside the Premier. What Bielsa is really good at is identifying where players should play and then improving them individually. If you asked any Leeds fan before they were promoted would Bamford and Jack Harrison score 25 premier league goals between them nobody would have believed you. Then when you consider how good Stuart Dallas has been, Luke Ayling - our goalkeeper had only played 10 games for us before promotion. Strujik had only played 5 times (more in midfield than defence). Plus his 4 major signings - raphinha, Koch, Llorente and Rodrigo have only been on the pitch together for 19 minutes. Bielsa has transformed the entire club and city. Our U23's only got Cat A status last year but romped the Premier League 2. They play in exactly the same style as the first team. To finish top half in the EPL is difficult. Apart from West ham the top 6 aren't going anywhere soon. Then you have Arsenal and Spurs who are massively wealthy clubs. Can't believe Everton will be as bad again next season and Villa have spent well over 200 million during the 2 years since they were promoted. Like all recently promoted clubs the first target is to remain in the division. Anything on top is a bonus.

 

[vagabond]

Ben White played a few games in centre midfield when Kalvin Phillips was injured. He was nothing special as a midfielder, did a job, but that's all. More than 40 games he played as the right-sided centre back. He reads the game well, intercepts well and released the ball early to start our attacks. One thing we have noticed this season from the pundits is that none of them watched us much last season and spout nonsense about Bielsa burnout etc. His first season the problem was Roofe was our main striker and he got injured and Bamford wasn't fully fit having missed a large chunk of the season and there was also the mental issue of getting promoted after 16 years outside the Premier. What Bielsa is really good at is identifying where players should play and then improving them individually. If you asked any Leeds fan before they were promoted would Bamford and Jack Harrison score 25 premier league goals between them nobody would have believed you. Then when you consider how good Stuart Dallas has been, Luke Ayling - our goalkeeper had only played 10 games for us before promotion. Strujik had only played 5 times (more in midfield than defence). Plus his 4 major signings - raphinha, Koch, Llorente and Rodrigo have only been on the pitch together for 19 minutes. Bielsa has transformed the entire club and city. Our U23's only got Cat A status last year but romped the Premier League 2. They play in exactly the same style as the first team. To finish top half in the EPL is difficult. Apart from West ham the top 6 aren't going anywhere soon. Then you have Arsenal and Spurs who are massively wealthy clubs. Can't believe Everton will be as bad again next season and Villa have spent well over 200 million during the 2 years since they were promoted. Like all recently promoted clubs the first target is to remain in the division. Anything on top is a bonus.

[tweet]1402251857154777088[/tweet]

 

[Machiavelli]

Ben White played a few games in centre midfield when Kalvin Phillips was injured. He was nothing special as a midfielder, did a job, but that's all. More than 40 games he played as the right-sided centre back. He reads the game well, intercepts well and released the ball early to start our attacks. One thing we have noticed this season from the pundits is that none of them watched us much last season and spout nonsense about Bielsa burnout etc. His first season the problem was Roofe was our main striker and he got injured and Bamford wasn't fully fit having missed a large chunk of the season and there was also the mental issue of getting promoted after 16 years outside the Premier. What Bielsa is really good at is identifying where players should play and then improving them individually. If you asked any Leeds fan before they were promoted would Bamford and Jack Harrison score 25 premier league goals between them nobody would have believed you. Then when you consider how good Stuart Dallas has been, Luke Ayling - our goalkeeper had only played 10 games for us before promotion. Strujik had only played 5 times (more in midfield than defence). Plus his 4 major signings - raphinha, Koch, Llorente and Rodrigo have only been on the pitch together for 19 minutes. Bielsa has transformed the entire club and city. Our U23's only got Cat A status last year but romped the Premier League 2. They play in exactly the same style as the first team. To finish top half in the EPL is difficult. Apart from West ham the top 6 aren't going anywhere soon. Then you have Arsenal and Spurs who are massively wealthy clubs. Can't believe Everton will be as bad again next season and Villa have spent well over 200 million during the 2 years since they were promoted. Like all recently promoted clubs the first target is to remain in the division. Anything on top is a bonus.

The only thing I disagree with is the Bielsa burnout thing. You seemed to suffer from it in his first season and, as much as it wasn't expressed well, there was something in Carney's point about lockdown assisting you. The reaction up there was misogynistic -- and, if you hang around long enough on here, you'll find that we have a fair few of those on here too.
We earnt our right to get out of the Championship, and were desperately unlucky in 2016/17 and had the knowhow the following season, plus Murray in his pomp. The Championship is relentless and, again, there's something in the Bielsa burnout that you won't get in the PL, especially if you strengthen your squad.
As much as I can laud what we did in the Championship, you've done better in one PL season than we have in the four we've been in there. I lost money on you getting relegated. You've been a breath of fresh air, and relentless in a different way to what I've just indicated: more qualitative than quantitative. Bamford has just been superb, and is a model pro and has been transformed by Bielsa. Rafinha has been one of the purchases of the season (although I've been less impressed with the others). Ayling, Dallas and Harrison just play with an incredible intensity (which might be a better word than relentless to describe you).
We played well last season IMHO, and deserved a higher finish, and there's been a lot of debate about xG on here. I'm of the view that there's something developing here too, with several exciting young players coming through, and our academy really yielding -- its had a Cat A status for a while longer than you, and it's only now beginning to repay the investment. We also seem to be developing a cracking scouting system with a global reach. But there are challenges ahead, with two prominent to my mind. First, we need to sort out our strikeforce: ideally re-sign Welbeck (but if he's insisting on a 3 year deal and/or silly money, we might have to walk away), and attract a better goalscorer (this is where our xG might come into play). Second, we need to ensure we get decent fees/deals for the stars we sell. I'm more confident on this, because our chairman knows how to play a hand. I think we'll sell Bissouma this summer, with White an outside chance. Next summer, White will probably go and maybe one of Lamptey and Sanchez. They're all cracking young players.

 

[Southern Scouse]

Top ten finish without White and Biss? Not going to happen I’m afraid. We seem to have progressed from being a yo-yo club to a team who should be safe in the league with ambition’s of breaking into the top ten.
You simply cannot do that if you sell our two best players, hoping to fill the gaps with younger up coming prospects as you’ll more than likely slip down into that relegation group at the bottom and start yo yoing again.
Brighton at this moment cannot afford the quality of player needed to replace those two, whatever the price as we don’t have that statue as a club to entice similar ones of equal quality.
Biss seems stuck on to arse and White could probably choose who he wants if he gets a chance to shine in the Euros.
If Tony really expects a top ten finish selling both players wouldn’t on the face if it help his cause.

 

[Zebedee]

Top 10 without at least two decent strikers? Forget it.

 

[Robinjakarta]

Top ten finish without White and Biss? Not going to happen I’m afraid. We seem to have progressed from being a yo-yo club to a team who should be safe in the league with ambition’s of breaking into the top ten.
You simply cannot do that if you sell our two best players, hoping to fill the gaps with younger up coming prospects as you’ll more than likely slip down into that relegation group at the bottom and start yo yoing again.
Brighton at this moment cannot afford the quality of player needed to replace those two, whatever the price as we don’t have that statue as a club to entice similar ones of equal quality.
Biss seems stuck on to arse and White could probably choose who he wants if he gets a chance to shine in the Euros.
If Tony really expects a top ten finish selling both players wouldn’t on the face if it help his cause.

Good post. Those are two of the best players we have ever had. If we can absorb losing both, not flirting with relegation and getting more points next season, that's a huge achievement.

 

[Machiavelli]

Top ten finish without White and Biss? Not going to happen I’m afraid. We seem to have progressed from being a yo-yo club to a team who should be safe in the league with ambition’s of breaking into the top ten.
You simply cannot do that if you sell our two best players, hoping to fill the gaps with younger up coming prospects as you’ll more than likely slip down into that relegation group at the bottom and start yo yoing again.
Brighton at this moment cannot afford the quality of player needed to replace those two, whatever the price as we don’t have that statue as a club to entice similar ones of equal quality.
Biss seems stuck on to arse and White could probably choose who he wants if he gets a chance to shine in the Euros.
If Tony really expects a top ten finish selling both players wouldn’t on the face if it help his cause.

Biss is going to be a big, big loss, but I think we'll compensate in other parts of the pitch, because we won't find a direct replacement immediately. Caicedo might be of similar quality and style, but won't be for a while. Moder looks as though he might be similar in terms of quality, but not style.

I think we could absorb the loss of White quite easily. At most, we can only play 3 CBs, and Veltman, Dunk and Webster are good enough.

I'm not disagreeing with your overall point though. We need to be careful about selling players, while also being similarly sharp in terms of buying and developing them.

 

[Baldseagull]

Harrison is a reasonable shout but then the two systems are different. Bamford was a laughing stock until this season. A posh boy who couldn’t score in a high class brothel.

Either Bielsa can coach finishing or Leeds made better chances.

Leeds won’t do a Sheffield United next season unless Bielsa leaves.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Bamford goals per game last season 0.28
Maupay goals per game last season 0.26

 

[Baldseagull]

Ben White played a few games in centre midfield when Kalvin Phillips was injured. He was nothing special as a midfielder, did a job, but that's all. More than 40 games he played as the right-sided centre back. He reads the game well, intercepts well and released the ball early to start our attacks. One thing we have noticed this season from the pundits is that none of them watched us much last season and spout nonsense about Bielsa burnout etc. His first season the problem was Roofe was our main striker and he got injured and Bamford wasn't fully fit having missed a large chunk of the season and there was also the mental issue of getting promoted after 16 years outside the Premier. What Bielsa is really good at is identifying where players should play and then improving them individually. If you asked any Leeds fan before they were promoted would Bamford and Jack Harrison score 25 premier league goals between them nobody would have believed you. Then when you consider how good Stuart Dallas has been, Luke Ayling - our goalkeeper had only played 10 games for us before promotion. Strujik had only played 5 times (more in midfield than defence). Plus his 4 major signings - raphinha, Koch, Llorente and Rodrigo have only been on the pitch together for 19 minutes. Bielsa has transformed the entire club and city. Our U23's only got Cat A status last year but romped the Premier League 2. They play in exactly the same style as the first team. To finish top half in the EPL is difficult. Apart from West ham the top 6 aren't going anywhere soon. Then you have Arsenal and Spurs who are massively wealthy clubs. Can't believe Everton will be as bad again next season and Villa have spent well over 200 million during the 2 years since they were promoted. Like all recently promoted clubs the first target is to remain in the division. Anything on top is a bonus.

Not just a football Genius, also a top class town planner, and the inventor of the bucket.

 

[vagabond]

You simply cannot do that if you sell our two best players, hoping to fill the gaps with younger up coming prospects as you’ll more than likely slip down into that relegation group at the bottom and start yo yoing again.
Brighton at this moment cannot afford the quality of player needed to replace those two, whatever the price as we don’t have that statue as a club to entice similar ones of equal quality.

I know what you’re saying, and it’s probably the standard logic followed by most clubs. But we are never going to buy a ready made replacement for Biss or White. That’s not the model we’re following.

Whenever we sell we will have succession planning already prepared. We will buy young, cheap, talented prospects and aim to develop them into top flight internationals.

 

[Acker79]

Until come December and we're just outstide the relegation zone again, worried about the games in hand 18th place has, then the semantics will come 'it was an aim, not an expectation. You're all being unreasonable to conflate them, no one is entitled to top 10 finish just cause they want it. There are 19 other teams that want top 10, too, y'know. They can't all make it'

Why so negative?!