[Albion] The Albion - Close season - victim of your own success

[Psychobilly freakout]

Well this season has been a fantastic season so far with a potential highest position and record points tally on the horizon.
We have a great mixture of youth, and journeymen with an envied youth academy churning out potential stars of the future.

Everything Mr Bloom has put in place, backroom staff appointments, academy, stadium is now bearing fruit.
Yes we all know we maybe a striker light, but we did try if the rumours are true with a record breaking offer, however true to his stance on previous dealings in the transfer market, he would not be bullied into paying over the odds, I get that.

Things simply seem divine down here on the south coast, we seem to pushing in the right direction. We can wear our Albion shirts, hats, with pride as the media is also starting to take serious notice of how well we are managed and the whole ethos of the club.

Speculation on Potter and various players over the last few games, has got me very worried that we could be a victim of our own success....

What if moneybags Newcastle, and other teams come along in the close season and pick apart our team or even our manager, where would we be, how many could we comfortably let go ? just how many could go ?

worst case scenario
Potter - 1st class manager and potential future England manager - could be poached.
Sanchez - Barcelona or Madrid come calling
Lamptey - mentioned that he has several clubs looking to sign him over the season.
Cucurella - Tottenham interested
Duffy - touted as his last season for us
Veltman - goes back to Holland
Bissouma - Newcastle or Villa bound
Trossard - Everton or Newcastle
Gross - back to Germany
Moder - mentioned in the press Newcastle are looking at him
Mwepu - already the media are saying he should go to a bigger club
Welbeck - does not sign and moves on
Maupay - allegedly unhappy and possible moves on

I know they all wont go, but you have to admit that list is worrying, all of those above are potential targets for clubs when the window opens. how many would seriously damage our spine.

At worst I would be happy with Duffy, Bissouma, Gross, Maupay moving on, any of the others and I will start to worry.


I am probably worrying about nothing.

 

[Justice]

We still have to address the elephant in the room..home form it’s been a pretty dull season for those who don’t travel.

 

[Greg Bobkin]

Well this season has been a fantastic season so far with a potential highest position and record points tally on the horizon.
We have a great mixture of youth, and journeymen with an envied youth academy churning out potential stars of the future.

Everything Mr Bloom has put in place, backroom staff appointments, academy, stadium is now bearing fruit.
Yes we all know we maybe a striker light, but we did try if the rumours are true with a record breaking offer, however true to his stance on previous dealings in the transfer market, he would not be bullied into paying over the odds, I get that.

Things simply seem divine down here on the south coast, we seem to pushing in the right direction. We can wear our Albion shirts, hats, with pride as the media is also starting to take serious notice of how well we are managed and the whole ethos of the club.

Speculation on Potter and various players over the last few games, has got me very worried that we could be a victim of our own success....

What if moneybags Newcastle, and other teams come along in the close season and pick apart our team or even our manager, where would we be, how many could we comfortably let go ? just how many could go ?

worst case scenario
Potter - 1st class manager and potential future England manager - could be poached.
Sanchez - Barcelona or Madrid come calling
Lamptey - mentioned that he has several clubs looking to sign him over the season.
Cucurella - Tottenham interested
Duffy - touted as his last season for us
Veltman - goes back to Holland
Bissouma - Newcastle or Villa bound
Trossard - Everton or Newcastle
Gross - back to Germany
Moder - mentioned in the press Newcastle are looking at him
Mwepu - already the media are saying he should go to a bigger club
Welbeck - does not sign and moves on
Maupay - allegedly unhappy and possible moves on

I know they all wont go, but you have to admit that list is worrying, all of those above are potential targets for clubs when the window opens. how many would seriously damage our spine.

At worst I would be happy with Duffy, Bissouma, Gross, Maupay moving on, any of the others and I will start to worry.


I am probably worrying about nothing.

I think if you looked at every club, they would probably have a similar list on their 'worst-case' scenario.

What you can be confident of is that TB and co will have a plan in place for any one – or all – of those departures. We've seen before that whenever someone is shipped out (regardless of sold on or deemed surplus to requirements) the replacement is often on a par or an upgrade.

Not too concerned about any of them, to be honest. Players and managers come and go – we just have to trust in the people making the decisions...

 

[b.w.2.]

As you say, there is no way they are all going.

In addition, some of them need to move on with virtually zero detriment to the squad.

I think Biss is gone.

Tross is the one that worries me.


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[Swansman]

TB won't allow the team to get ripped apart just like that.

Obviously as long as things are going well and the club keeps finding/producing top level players, Brighton will be selling 1-2 key players every year. But everyone wont leave at the same time.

As for GP my guess is that he will get and sign a new 5-year (or so) contract before the next season.

 

[Paulie Gualtieri]

Would be nice to get Mac and Trossard tied to new contracts and I think Cucurella probably deserves a revisit based on performance.

Would be nice to announce at the West Ham game but suspect it’s not something we typically do from memory

 

[Bry Nylon]

We reside in that football hinterland where we are big enough to attract prospects with a really bright future and blend them with gifted players no longer able to command a squad number at the very top clubs. However we just don't have the financial clout - or offer a realistic enough prospect of top honours - to retain the best talent if one of the super-clubs come calling. Look at what happened to Villa; they slapped a £100m price tag on Grealish as he was so pivotal to their plans - and City simply paid it. Then hardly played him.

Sadly, I can't see how we will ever break into the strata above 'PL mid-table' because the moment we do, or the better we become, the players and management who have got us there will simply be hoovered up by the clubs above us and have to start again.

My daughter isn't a football journalist, but if she were she would probably describe this performance paradox as "totes awks."

 

[Frankworthington]

As you say, there is no way they are all going.

In addition, some of them need to move on with virtually zero detriment to the squad.

I think Biss is gone.

Tross is the one that worries me.


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Not bothered if Trossard goes to be honest

Only turns up one game in three but brilliant on his day. Mitoma will replace him but we may sign another forward. Vital that we keep Wellbeck
Onwards and upwards!!

 

[Bry Nylon]

We still have to address the elephant in the room..

FFS, really? We got stitched up there. Get it out on loan.

 

[One Love]

TB won't allow the team to get ripped apart just like that.

Obviously as long as things are going well and the club keeps finding/producing top level players, Brighton will be selling 1-2 key players every year. But everyone wont leave at the same time.

As for GP my guess is that he will get and sign a new 5-year (or so) contract before the next season.

5 more years of being terrible at home!!

Gonna have to relocate further north to see us play well

 

[AmexRuislip]

FFS, really? We got stitched up there. Get it out on loan.

Nelly Furtado, a great prospect from Amazon Basin Colts

 

[Swansman]

5 more years of being terrible at home!!

Gonna have to relocate further north to see us play well

Sure, if the coach is the only reason why a team is struggling (overall or home or away) or not then I suppose that will be the case.

 

[fly high]

We reside in that football hinterland where we are big enough to attract prospects with a really bright future and blend them with gifted players no longer able to command a squad number at the very top clubs. However we just don't have the financial clout - or offer a realistic enough prospect of top honours - to retain the best talent if one of the super-clubs come calling. Look at what happened to Villa; they slapped a £100m price tag on Grealish as he was so pivotal to their plans - and City simply paid it. Then hardly played him.

Sadly, I can't see how we will ever break into the strata above 'PL mid-table' because the moment we do, or the better we become, the players and management who have got us there will simply be hoovered up by the clubs above us and have to start again.

My daughter isn't a football journalist, but if she were she would probably describe this performance paradox as "totes awks."

Southampton is an example of talent hovered up by the big clubs. Academy players such as Ings, Lallana, Chambers & Shaw, to name just a few & young players brought in such as Mane & van Dijk. They struggled to replace them & now they could lose their two best players in Ward Prowse & Walker Peters. We will need to keep the supply line going to avoid similar problems, worry is just how important is lose of Ashworth to our prospects.

 

[b.w.2.]

Not bothered if Trossard goes to be honest

Only turns up one game in three but brilliant on his day. Mitoma will replace him but we may sign another forward. Vital that we keep Wellbeck
Onwards and upwards!!

Tross definitely inconsistent, but you could say that about every wide forward/winger since the dawn of time. Definitely should try to keep him.


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[mejonaNO12 aka riskit]

It's OK. We already have gone through the worst case scenario. Many on NSC informed us we were doomed without buying a striker as they are the only players allowed to score goals.

So much so I haven't even brought myself to look at the table. How far adrift are we?

 

[SAC]

All clubs loose players and occasionally lose managers too, you just need to trust in the club to replace them. If the wages are as low as people think then loosing players will be all the more likely as most players will be able to significantly increase their pay by moving elsewhere.

 

[GT49er]

We still have to address the elephant in the room..home form it’s been a pretty dull season for those who don’t travel.

I thought the topic was about who might leave in the summer, not about who we need to come in - or elephants for that matter.

 

[BadFish]

This was the plan. It will be managed. We'll miss a good player or maybe two, but we'll be okay.

I believe that we can also use the money from a couple of big sales to fund some more exciting youngsters.

. . . or even a Stri . . . . nah.

 

[Icy Gull]

Worst case scenario? I quite like the Championship anyway

 

[BRIGHT ON Q]

Just got to keep the conveyor belt rolling.