Brighton - Nottingham Forest

[Salvatore Matrecano]

Exactly my point when I wrote in Pap. It was tongue in cheek but the fact remains that last years team was more than the sum of its parts. It gelled and worked together, it had a team spirit better than any other we faced, the whole club seemingly pulling in the same direction for the first time.

Now we have a team of expensive strangers and apparent disharmony behind the scenes. Is it any wonder we aren’t getting results? There is more to this than just saying Spence was better than Williams.

[Paplane]

Exactly my point when I wrote in Pap. It was tongue in cheek but the fact remains that last years team was more than the sum of its parts. It gelled and worked together, it had a team spirit better than any other we faced, the whole club seemingly pulling in the same direction for the first time.

Now we have a team of expensive strangers and apparent disharmony behind the scenes. Is it any wonder we aren’t getting results? There is more to this than just saying Spence was better than Williams.

Eh? Is there?

[Sniffer Dog (Admin)]

So we just dismiss the massive leap in quality of opposition?

Zinc couldn't get in Watfords team, Davies couldn't get in Villas team, Garner couldn't get In Man Utd's team, Spence can't get in Spurs team. Am I missing something here?

[Salvatore Matrecano]

So we just dismiss the massive leap in quality of opposition?

Zinc couldn't get in Watfords team, Davies couldn't get in Villas team, Garner couldn't get In Man Utd's team, Spence can't get in Spurs team. Am I missing something here?

Yes you are.

Like I said last seasons success was not down to the quality of the individuals but of the team, coaching staff and behind the scenes structure as a whole.

Sadly large parts of that have now been broken up.

[Paplane]

So we just dismiss the massive leap in quality of opposition?

Zinc couldn't get in Watfords team, Davies couldn't get in Villas team, Garner couldn't get  In Man Utd's team, Spence can't get in Spurs team. Am I missing something here?

Yes Sniff you are  team spirit and the basis of a foundation for the club from which to build. I accept that a lot of this is said in hindsight but take that core of players, and add in your Freuler's and Niakhate's and you may have something more tangible for the season. A lot of mistakes have been made by many people at the club.

[Salvatore Matrecano]

Exactly my point when I wrote in Pap. It was tongue in cheek but the fact remains that last years team was more than the sum of its parts. It gelled and worked together, it had a team spirit better than any other we faced, the whole club seemingly pulling in the same direction for the first time.

Now we have a team of expensive strangers and apparent disharmony behind the scenes. Is it any wonder we aren’t getting results? There is more to this than just saying Spence was better than Williams.

Eh? Is there?

Head coach under pressure, CEO on the brink of being sacked, recruitment team who brought many of the current squad in already sacked. You know my feelings on our new sporting director, whether I am right or wrong we will have to wait and see.
All in all its not the everyone pulling together spirit of last season.

[Paplane]

Exactly my point when I wrote in Pap. It was tongue in cheek but the fact remains that last years team was more than the sum of its parts. It gelled and worked together, it had a team spirit better than any other we faced, the whole club seemingly pulling in the same direction for the first time.

Now we have a team of expensive strangers and apparent disharmony behind the scenes. Is it any wonder we aren’t getting results? There is more to this than just saying Spence was better than Williams.

Eh? Is there?

Head coach under pressure, CEO on the brink of being sacked, recruitment team who brought many of the current squad in already sacked. You know my feelings on our new sporting director, whether I am right or wrong we will have to wait and see.
All in all its not the everyone pulling together spirit of last season.

OIC, forgive me, I thought you were intimating there was some kind of infighting amongst the players.

[Sniffer Dog (Admin)]

Hand on heart I am convinced that last years team would get mullered most weeks in the PL unfortunately. Davies would be injured, Zinc wouldn't be good enough, Samba would be a clown, Spence would be getting the same dogs abuse that Johnson is currently getting etc.

Team spirit won't get you far in the PL the quality of the opposition is different gravy to the Championship.

[Salvatore Matrecano]

Yes of course its different gravy, nobody is saying we would be beating Man City or even be any better off. Its all irrelevant but we are saying with a huge dollop of hindsight that we would rather have kept the bulk of last years squad, bring in just a few more quality additions, Niakhate, maybe spent a bit more on one clinical striker and we would be making a better fist of it.
Much as I am saying ai didnt want the recruitment team sacked they have to share some of the responsibility for where we find ourselves.

[willdared]

Thing is we wouldn't be any worse off if we had last year's team.. we'd still be bottom but would have £150 mill still in the bank.. unless performances magically start to improve I honestly don't know where the next point is coming from. Don't even ask about the next win

[Paplane]

Yes of course its different gravy, nobody is saying we would be beating Man City or even be any better off. Its all irrelevant but we are saying with a huge dollop of hindsight that we would rather have kept the bulk of last years squad, bring in just a few more quality additions, Niakhate, maybe spent a bit more on one clinical striker and we would be making a better fist of it.
Much as I am saying ai didnt want the recruitment team sacked they have to share some of the responsibility for where we find ourselves.

Off topic I know but we once won a european cup with a team of misfits sprinkled with a few quality signings.

[wassy04]

Yes of course its different gravy, nobody is saying we would be beating Man City or even be any better off. Its all irrelevant but we are saying with a huge dollop of hindsight that we would rather have kept the bulk of last years squad, bring in just a few more quality additions, Niakhate, maybe spent a bit more on one clinical striker and we would be making a better fist of it.
Much as I am saying ai didnt want the recruitment team sacked they have to share some of the responsibility for where we find ourselves.

Tbf the majority on here would've been happy if we'd managed to sign last year's team with a handful of additions. Would've taken the pressure right off too without having that 150m tag around our necks. We could've always added the likes of Freuler and Richards etc to build on last year, along with Taiwo (to backup Davis) and MGW too. At least it would've meant we didn't need to force the new guys in too soon. I don't think it's hindsight though.

It was a decision the recruitment team took to choose perceived value instead of overpaying for Davis, Garner, even Spence. I understand it but I don't think it's improved our chances of staying up and we've ended up spending a fortune anyway.