Macintosh

My Brighton friend, who saw most of his formative years, considers him an excellent signing for us. He was never going to oust Bruno from the right-back slot so was released.

An interesting article(s) regarding the transfer fee that differs from the [undisclosed] £8m we considered it to be. Not so says The Telegraph and this website, it's higher. Performance-related clauses could add another £2m. Playing in the World Cup in Qatar was probably one of those triggers. I think he made his international debut while with us and is now nearing 100 appearances. Knowing how bad we are at these things, there is probably a sell-on clause that Arsenal also get.

https://paininthearsenal.com/2021/10/04/arsenal-owed-8m-midfielder-sold-2019/#:~:text=Arsenal still owed £8m from Derby County for midfielder,full fee has been paid

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/football/2021/10/01/arsenal-owed-8m-derby-krystian-bielik-club-step-search-new-owner/

https://metro.co.uk/2021/10/02/derby-county-owe-arsenal-8million-for-transfer-flop-signed-by-arsene-wenger-15352953/

My mate who works for Brighton says Derby paid his full wages throughout and it was £5,200/week (times nine months) and there will be no compensation to be paid to Brighton by whoever signs him. They don't view him as a left-back.

23 hours ago, CBX1985 said:

 

We nearly didn't have a club twelve months ago.  Clowes bought the club despite never wanting that position.  If he thinks Warne is the man for the job that is good enough for me: he has certainly paid for his right to make the call.

 

I remember a fair portion of fans on here in favour of the club going bust and starting in the lower divisions (I wasn't one of them), but except for paying a huge amount of money for our club and I am not a Clowes fan yet, I need persuading. I never was of the Americans either, nor Webb, or Gadsby. I was sad to see Rosenior pushed, and Wassall too, bemused by both decisions that have never been communicated to fans. I am so disappointed to see McGoldrick leave. I am reading into it that we would not offer him a two-year contact.

Not finding a sponsor and that awful shirt design too didn't thrill me. The January transfer window could not have been more disappointing. Money-wise David Clowes's personal wealth is around £250m, family-wise considerably more – on par with Gibson at Boro – so I will be disappointed if we don't spend something, a few bob, and show ambition to get out of this league asap. I'm hoping that to attract Warne he gave him promises that the cheque book would be dusted off. It's ages since we paid a fee for a player and that was £11,000 to Dungannon Swifts.

I'd have been happy if he could have scored 15 goals next season – that would have been a big ask. The downside was his home-to-away ratio, I think it ended up something like 20/5. Sad there is no farewell, just the Wednesday game as an au revoir to several, the bitter taste that left.

So far, so bad, Curtis Davies released, McGoldrick choosing Notts over us, Roberts off to Bristol, Knight having many suitors. I really don't want to read about Warne selling the club to potential players, what a great guy he is, that you get a free mug. That never worked in the last transfer window.

57 minutes ago, JuanFloEvraTheCocu'sNesta said:

I don't miss the Morris days of money being launched about under the false assumption that we'd found an FFP loophole.

How many Plymouth players had we heard of prior to the start of last season? They did quite well didn't they?

Three. Bali Mumba, Sam Cosgrove and Ryan Hardie. That's all I can name, and two of those aren't Plymouth's.

I can't remember the thread it was on, but there was someone who posted that his relative was going to sign for us in the window. He couldn't mention his name 'for obvious reasons', but when push came to shove he neither got named nor came here. 

These transfer links aren't half frustrating and the quality of players decreasing. Where are the rumours of Messi, Benzema and Ibrahimovic. I miss the Morris days and having to look on Wiki who the hell these players we are interested in are!

I heard that should he play a few more games for Forest Green it triggers a money clause, and he is not signing a new deal. It makes sense and likely to be offered a permanent contract in the summer if he impresses and likes our club.

9 hours ago, Gerry Daly said:

So, how were we able to sign the likes of Hourihane and Mendez Laing in the summer? You’re not telling me we weren’t up against the same clubs for them? Not only clubs in our league but Championship clubs too? I think we can could have signed Flint if we had really wanted to

Didn't Liam explain that they met in a restaurant and had a very long chat, set out his vision and sold the club to Hourihane?

I'd be dead against it, unless Curtis wants to move. That lump Bolton had on loan from Southampton, Dan Nlundulu, he was winning every header, holding the ball up and even beating defenders – although it always came to nothing. However, Davies's knowhow sorted him, and Roberts/Forsyth were then winning the heading duels. He became anonymous in the second period and totally dominated by our defenders. That's something you can't buy, experience and knowledge. It had been sorted out in the dressing room at half-time and having Stearman (now more a coach), Chester, Smith, Davies and Forsyth to call on, that's our trump card. As much as some fans moan about the age of our squad, they are proving to be as fit as any 20-year-old from other teams.

I'm only coming back here to defend Derek Hales. I prayed he was going to be a fantastic player for us and always remember the cup game against Blackpool, how he gave his all to win that game. Fans gave him a hard time here for his four goals in 23 games, £280,000 or maybe £333,333 transfer fee when all the national papers clamored for England to pick him and we went and signed him ahead of many others. He played best with a target man next to him, Flanagan was the example, we never did that. After selling him to West Ham for £110,000 he did okay for them, 10 goals in 24 games and had a career record of 187 goals in 443 games. He'd have done well if he'd had Jordan Hugill up front with him. So there you are, stop it, never mention his name again when trotting out those Billy Davies's signings and Jeff Beck. Chalk and cheese.

Paul Warne says one of his Derby County transfer targets has told him he wants to move to Pride Park as the Rams continue their pursuit of signings this month.

"That's what I am doing with one player at the moment and I am fighting with two other clubs to get him here. 

"In fairness, I had a text off him earlier saying that he is coming. I just need to make sure everyone dots the is and crosses the ts. I presume the player will be coming in after the weekend.

"It could be either or (loan/permanent). That's the fun part."

Sounds like Jordan Huggill to me.

Prior to Liam Rosenior departing, I was told the loan signing of Andrew Moran was very likely in January. He's an attacking midfielder, a bit like Jason Knight. Probably not a consideration now, but considered Brighton's best ever prospect.

The other week I had Sammy McIlroy MBE, Paul Moulden and Clare Shine on our table, and was later joined by Dion Dublin, Ellen White and Ben Brereton Diaz. Some forward line that was and I'm not including myself! 

A huge Manchester City fan and loved his nature. Not bad at tenpin bowling either, a regular at Ilkeston Bowl.

Another story from Alan's days as manager of Seattle, although it isn't about him. Back then New York Cosmos thought they had the divine right to win everything, because they had the star players like Pele and Beckenbauer etc, a bit like Liverpool and Manchester City today. Roger Davies was leading the scoring charts, one ahead of Cosmos's Giorgio Chinaglia and they were playing each other in the Giant's Stadium. Only a few minutes into the game there was a minor tussle between Roger and one of their defenders and the ref sent Roger off. It was not even a foul but it ensured Roger did not score and would be suspended.

It got tasty after that and Iranian Cosmos full-back Andranik Eskandarian launched himself at Tommy Hutchison and left horrendous stud marks down his shin. Bruce Rioch saw this, arrived like a train, knocked Eskandarian spark out with a single punch and just walked off the pitch without looking for the red card he knew he was getting.

Those were the days when at Sounders home game the club gave out 20,000 kazoos each time. What an atmosphere that would have been [not]. It never caught on. 

We really need to sort out a museum, maybe a perspex one on wheels that can be rolled out on match days? Right up Bombardier/Toyota/Rolls-Royce's street to produce that.

Across the road from Hardwick School was Alan's handbag shop in the 1970s, or at least that's what I think I remember.

A lovely story about Alan Hinton from Tommy Hutchinson, when they played in the NFL, with Alan managing Seattle. Bruce Rioch, David Nish, Jeff Bourne and Roger Davies were in that side as well. Roger Davies had a reputation as a joker and relaxing around the pool with the players, Alan came back from the horse races with a huge wad of money he had won, waving it around. 'Drinks are on you, boss', they shouted. Alan was having none of this, so Roger picked him up and dropped him in the pool. Alan went absolutely bonkers and told Roger the money was coming out of his wages, but it never did and the incident was completely forgotten the next day.

First off, you get around 80 minutes of football to watch. The throw-ins get taken from where the ball went out, and quickly. No five minute wait for the towel to come out for the monotonous long throw and no appealing for it when the player knew they had kicked it out. Same happens with corners, they admit it was off them last. Corners, no shoving, pulling shirts, waiting for the ref to intervene and another minute wasted for a pointless, unpunished ticking off. 

The manliness the women players show when they get fouled is a delight to see, give it a rub, get up and run it off. Rarely does the trainer need to be involved. Jack Grealish take note on that point, it was not a leg breaker, it was tickle, man up next season.

Then the crowd, how involved they were at both games I've been to, no swearing, and certainly no 'f*** the EFL' throughout the whole match bellowing in my ear. It's lovely that a whole family can attend and feel comfortable, and everyone sat down in their seat, there was no need to stand up the whole game as happens at just about every game now.

Then the officials. The authorities considered females were good enough to run the game, and what a delightful job they do. No back chat going on, no tellings off. If they are good enough for this tournament then they are desperately needed to officiate in the men's game, full of substandard officials for 30 years now.

This should be the template for the future of football. I hope it is, that a club is brave enough to want this, ask players and supporters to behave in a similar way instead of feeling obliged to copy what others do.

It is interesting to note that since Jordan Ibe's transfer to Adanaspor, on a three-year contract, he has yet to play for them. You can only imagine how bad it is for him right now, stuck in Turkey, with no end to the suffering.

1 hour ago, ramit said:

A winning mentality is all well and good, but needs to be reasonable, or negativity will take over when the high goals read demands are not met and that does not help the team in the slightest.  Some need a reality check.

Reasonable? I'm guessing that Liam is selling the club to people like Conor Hourihane, James Chester, James Collins, David McGoldrick, Haydon Roberts, Kwaku Oduroh et al slightly better than some here. If you were Curtis Davies and had been offered a two-year contract at Bristol City on wages considerably more than he is willing to accept here, is it so he can see us finish comfortably mid-table and tell the missus that was a great point we got today against Plymouth at Pride Park. Really? This side we are assembling would be up there in the Championship, we'd beat Burnley, Middlesbrough, West Brom etc, we'd be favourites for a promotion spot. I'm expecting enough points on the board for promotion by Christmas and Liam to get manager of the month all the way through.

If I had just signed for Derby County, took a look at those we'd got here and been able to attact and a manager hungry to prove himself, I'd want the conversation around the training ground to be let's win the league, let's put on a show for the fans. Remember, we were more than a match for the top teams in the Championship. People should listen to Rob Keys' talk on the radio the other day, how having a positive mindset can make such a difference. He was appalled how England gave up a run chase against the West Indies recently, that a draw would be okay, and never wanted to see that from his side. He took the job because he wanted to know if what he was saying as a pundit could translate into managing the national side. That's what I want, players, owner, staff and manager being positive, and especially from the fans too. It rubs off, some need to stop hiding behind the sofa, which appears to be more than half here.

2 minutes ago, Jubbs said:

I mean that's not even 2 years ago.

It was the last season we got Clarke on loan, whenever that was. I go to around 15 games each year with the Brighton kit man when they play up north. Last season we had Aaron Connolly lined up as a loan.

9 hours ago, Ghost of Clough said:

I dont think we were looking to get Roberts 3 years ago when he was just 17. They only loaned him out to Rochdale in 2020, so Championship a year earlier would be a bit of a stretch.

https://www.sussexlive.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/haydon-roberts-leeds-brighton-transfer-4529758

38 minutes ago, Jimbo Ram said:

Time will tell……

Isn't it odd, we tried to get him ahead of Jacob Butterfield many moons ago (as well as Lewis Dunk instead of Jason Shackell) but Brighton would not budge. Both Conor Hourihane and James Chester had been targets previously but we could never compete against Villa's buying power. When news broke out Derby were after Joe Wildsmith a few seasons back it got him a new contract. Nathaniel Mendez-Laing was all but signed before Boro stepped in, and Matt Clarke's last minute loan three seasons ago happened because we were pushing to get Haydon Roberts instead. Now that's what I call the long game.

Serdar Dursun next I'm guessing.

14 minutes ago, RoyMac5 said:

? They knew he'd do his ACL again? That he'd do his shoulder? That Poland would injure his knee?

He has history. It could happen to any player, but...

It's George Thorne all over again, a hush after each tackle, and that will likely never go away. My worry is how good is Bielek now because he never looked back to fitness on his last return. But, we'll know soon enough. I'd be sad though if he's running out for Hull, Reading, Wigan etc next season because the Polish manager said so.