Bloom's Review

[chaileyjem]

Yes I have never heard him before say Top 2 - it's always been that we'll aim for top 6.

And he doesn't say that in this interview. What he wants is top 2 or getting promoted and he's said that many times.
What he expects. All you get out of him is he expects, given the "nucleus of the squad", us to be challenging for promotion. He's said that before.
He said that in 2014, god forbid and look how that turned out.

 

[Steve in Japan]

Getting promoted is always the ambition or aspiration of the club and this he has said numerous times in the last 5 years.
So what he says from 1.20 or so is not unusual.
"getting to the play offs 3 times in the last 4 seasons is an achievement...but it makes us even more determined..so next season we want to go up and want to be in the top 2"

In terms of what he expects given the squad then thats very different and he's cautious in line with previous statements he normally makes at the end of the transfer window
In effect all he says is we'll be competitive.

so from 4.53 he says
"We've the nucleus of a squad who i think have a real chance of challenging and getting promotion next season."

He doesn't actually say anywhere in the interview that he expects us to be top 2.

Semantics alert!!

 

[Blue Valkyrie]

Yes he has. Think it was the second season under Gus. Im sure Chailey bore can confirm as he loves SCOURING the print media.

I have no memory of that at all.

All I remember is a general notion of 'competitiveness' and a target of challenging around the playoffs.

 

[chaileyjem]

I have no memory of that at all.

All I remember is a general notion of 'competitiveness' and a target of challenging around the playoffs.

Yes. I couldn't find any evidence of it.

 

[perseus]

Stress on a long tough season. It very much seemed like that to me.

Individual bits of skill to win games that could be drawn, especially against Forest with Lualua and Knockaert. Pity we could be bring out the magic to take it to the wire v Wednesday.

Last seven home games were epic.

Season reminded me more of 1971-72 in Division 3 when the chase was on, but that was over 40 years ago.

 

[perseus]

Surely, it is our turn to have the last game at home even if it means the first match away?

 

[Hiney]

From 2016/17 FFP losses are £39m over three years, so you could gamble it all in the first year, but if not promoted would then have to have major cutbacks or accept a transfer embargo in years 2 and 3.

For me Tony Bloom is just an amazing (and very generous) fan. He travels quite often on the train with the fans rather than the team bus. He's approachable, friendly, shy (compared to the 'look at me' owners of some clubs) AND has given us the Amex and Lancing, as well as underwrite £100 million of trading losses. Oh.............he's an Albion fan too, one of us, one who has blue and white in his veins. He is doing what many of us would love to do if only we had his intelligence, business acumen and success.

That's why I can't understand the likes of [MENTION=1813]norm[/MENTION]an Baker Suck My Lozenge want to replace him with a random foreigner with no such affection for the club, purely on the whim of just spending money on players and not the infrastructure, is beyond me. Perhaps he's one of those 'fans' who are desperate to see us play Manchester United and Chelsea at the Amex, and visit their grounds too, and buy a half and half scarf. I'm not saying that's wrong, but surely he would be better transferring his support to one of those clubs if that's what is most important.

Following the Albion is a huge part of my life. After my family and good health, I can think of nothing more important in my life. But the reasons for that importance isn't the opposition or seeing their star players, it's the amazing bunch of characters, both at the club (such as Calde, Bruno, BZ etc.) and also in the fanbase itself.

Random people on the internet here on NSC with whom I have become firm friends, given me great advice on occasions (most of which I sadly ignored at the time) and lots of support in troubled times. The memories, the LOLz, the moments of sheer ecstacy that can surpass the highest high of any drug, have come at places such as Edgar Street in Hereford, the Abbey Stadium in Cambridge, not Old Traffford and White Hart Lane.

The Albion is the love supreme, but it's the shirt that counts, the sense of belonging, not the millionaire centre forward of the opponents.