"Garcia wasn't involved with the players and Upson ran the team/dressing room".

[Stat Brother]

Upson didn't strike me as that demonstrative while here.
Calm, composed, knew what needed to be done, and did it, nothing more nothing less.

Hardly the character to take over a settled(ish) dressing room, containing some 'bigger personalities'.


Imagine Upson walking in on day one, pi$$ing on Greer then saying 'I'm the big dog now, anyone got a problem with that?'.

 

[London Irish]

Seeing as you were predicting us to miss the play-offs by some margin, I'm not sure you're fully entitled to make that claim of being able to see what was going on with the team.

I'm entitled to make any claim I like - now take your happy pills and cheer up

 

[Buzzer]

I'm entitled to make any claim I like - now take your happy pills and cheer up

What is it with you and your obsession with my mood? And why do you get it spectacularly wrong every time? I'm clearly quite perky hence the jokes about Mrs G.

Very strange.

 

[portlock seagull]

I think many of us could see that last season's play-off place was the remnants of Gus's strong squad on auto pilot with Oscar sensibly staying out of the way as much as he could. I'm convinced he would have struggled as much as Sami this year with quality like O'Grady and Gardner

Agree, much like Taylor after Micky Adams.

 

[portlock seagull]

Seeing as you were predicting us to miss the play-offs by some margin, I'm not sure you're fully entitled to make that claim of being able to see what was going on with the team.

We hardly romped it! It was painful to watch us creep into the last berth on the final day. Not exciting like 91. I felt guilty, taking a place knowing we couldn't possibly go through because that involved scoring goals. Deja vu eh?! Only worse now.

 

[Seasider78]

I had heard that Upson and Ward were two of the big characters and leaders in the dressing room so it makes sense to hear that Upson was very influential over the squad.

This is not news though is it as you would expect that of someone with his experience in the game. However the idea that he was running the show over Oscar is simply ridiculous

It does make you wonder though who galvanises the dressing room when we have lost our big characters and have a dour manager and puppet assistant

 

[London Irish]

What is it with you and your obsession with my mood? And why do you get it spectacularly wrong every time? I'm clearly quite perky hence the jokes about Mrs G.

Very strange.

No , you're a manic depressive loser. Please stay away from me

 

[Buzzer]

No , you're a manic depressive loser. Please stay away from me

Crikey. That escalated quickly.

 

[portlock seagull]

No , you're a manic depressive loser. Please stay away from me

That's a bit unpleasant. Especially given NSC has a fair few threads on this illness. It's a thumbs down from me.

 

[8ace]

I've got such a mucky mind. All I can do is snigger at the double entendres and euphemisms and reference them to Mrs Garcia.

 

[Icy Gull]

I think many of us could see that last season's play-off place was the remnants of Gus's strong squad on auto pilot with Oscar sensibly staying out of the way as much as he could. I'm convinced he would have struggled as much as Sami this year with quality like O'Grady and Gardner

Oscar had no intention of sticking with a club who shot their bolt, budget wise, on the previous manager. He saw what was happening and left. Wise man in restrospect, he was never going to be the yes man Sami appears to be.

I think, given a budget like Poyet was given he could have taken us up, we'll never know.

 

[Buzzer]

Ha!

 

[Greg Bobkin]

I thought the Spanish-speaking Nathan Jones was there to help communication between the manager and the players

Can't believe it took this long for Nathan Jones to be mentioned

So Upson was loud in the dressing room, translates to Jones does nothing.

NSC at its best

I'm not saying he did nothing but, in my simplistic view, if a manager is meant to manage the team, but isn't doing that, then the number two (i.e. Nathan Jones) should step up. If, as is being suggested, a player took charge, it would possibly mean that Nathan wasn't doing this (and this could have been for a number of reasons).

I don't know what he did or didn't do last season, but I do know we got into the playoffs. He might have been partly responsible for achieving this, or he might not have been we don't know.


Blowing things out of proportion - 'NSC at its best'

 

[Mellotron]

Oscar had no intention of sticking with a club who shot their bolt, budget wise, on the previous manager. He saw what was happening and left. Wise man in restrospect, he was never going to be the yes man Sami appears to be.

I think, given a budget like Poyet was given he could have taken us up, we'll never know.

Bloom has always stated as fact that every year the budget has either stayed the same or gone up?

 

[Thunder Bolt]

I'm not saying he did nothing but, in my simplistic view, if a manager is meant to manage the team, but isn't doing that, then the number two (i.e. Nathan Jones) should step up. If, as is being suggested, a player took charge, it would possibly mean that Nathan wasn't doing this (and this could have been for a number of reasons).

I don't know what he did or didn't do last season, but I do know we got into the playoffs. He might have been partly responsible for achieving this, or he might not have been we don't know.


Blowing things out of proportion - 'NSC at its best'

I'm amazed that Joaquin Gomez hasn't been blamed yet, especially for our set pieces.

 

[Icy Gull]

Bloom has always stated as fact that every year the budget has either stayed the same or gone up?

Yeah, I know but either he is being economical with the truth or we are now paying way over the top for the players we have. Anyone who thinks the quality of players is anything like we had in Poyet's last season is in denial

Just consider how much we have raked in on transfer fees on player's from Poyet's era and the quality of the players that are actually Brighton players today. I totally refute any suggestion that the quality is anywhere near as good. Neither is the manager but that's another argument.

 

[Mellotron]

Duplicate.

 

[Mellotron]

Yeah, I know but either he is being economical with the truth or we are now paying way over the top for the players we have. Anyone who thinks the quality of players is anything like we had in Poyet's last season is in denial

Just consider how much we have raked in on transfer fees on player's from Poyet's era and the quality of the players that are actually Brighton players today. I totally refute any suggestion that the quality is anywhere near as good. Neither is the manager but that's another argument.

I agree the squad is poorer now but it be pretty bad of Tony Bloom to categorically lie to us like that, you think he would? The majority of our best players were brought in pre-Burke, and who the manager is can make a huge difference to how good a player is, and is intrinsically linked to how "good" the players brought in go on to be. Adam El Abd is a perfect example of the difference a top quality manager makes.

Also shot our bolt doesn't tie up with the fact we had the 8th highest budget when we came 4th. If 8th is "shooting our bolt" then we are never, ever, ever going to get to the Premier League.

 

[maltaseagull]

"...Stay with us even though Leicester can offer you lots more money and football in the Premiership". You've got to wonder why Upson chose them instead of us.

The way things have turned out, it's probably for the best that he went.He hasn't played for Leicester yet this season has he?

 

[Icy Gull]

Also shot our bolt doesn't tie up with the fact we had the 8th highest budget when we came 4th. If 8th is "shooting our bolt" then we are never, ever, ever going to get to the Premier League.

If we haven't got parachute payments and we are not willing to flout FFP then surely we have "shot our bolt" having once been as high as 8th highest budget? As things stand I doubt we will make the Premier League any time soon. I can live with that and ignore the PLR hype coming out of the club. It doesn't help that the recruitment policy seems to be a shambles though.

I am happy in the Championship and don't look forward to a potential return to League One or Two which is more likely than a rise to the Premier League at the moment.