Boro have bid accepted for Rav Van Den Berg

Frozen Horse said:
I disagree.
Spending money for the sake of spending money isn't exciting, and big names don't guarantee big performances. I've had the benefit of learning from the experience under Robbo, but I don't really care about high profile signings anymore.

It's only about improving the team, and low profile signings can do that as effectively as high profile.
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Oh really because I've been going since 1962 and seen hundreds of low profile signings and the only time we have won anything is when we were spending money and getting big performances.
I know why we are going down this route and we will have to accept we won't see us winning anything while we are doing it.
 
Blf said:
Oh really because I've been going since 1962 and seen hundreds of low profile signings and the only time we have won anything is when we were spending money and getting big performances.
I know why we are going down this route and we will have to accept we won't see us winning anything while we are doing it.
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Starting XI in Cardiff. 2 loans, 2 freebies, 3 relatively cheap players. The starting team only Ehiogu, Southgate, junhino and boateng were expensive signings.

Anyway we’re not looking to win a trophy this season, we’re looking to get promoted. We’re swimming in a different pool. How much was the Norwich team that first got promoted, or Brentford team, or Brighton, or Cardiff or Luton? Teams full of freebies and signings under 2m the odd expensive player in some of those sides but some didn’t have any
 
Blf said:
Oh really because I've been going since 1962 and seen hundreds of low profile signings and the only time we have won anything is when we were spending money and getting big performances.
I know why we are going down this route and we will have to accept we won't see us winning anything while we are doing it.
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BLF - 6 of the first 11 in the 1973/4 team were 22 or under at the start of that season.

I suspect we will have Lenihan, McNair, Smith, A Goalkeeper, Howson, Akpom, McGree - over 22 against Millwall on August 5th. Possibly Isiah Jones who is now 24.

The current team could do with a couple more aged around 26/27 in my opinion.
 
Blf said:
Oh really because I've been going since 1962 and seen hundreds of low profile signings and the only time we have won anything is when we were spending money and getting big performances.
I know why we are going down this route and we will have to accept we won't see us winning anything while we are doing it.
Click to expand...

Brighton have followed this path to a higher PL finish than we ever managed, and Brentford have followed it to as high a PL finish as Robbo ever achieved.
I don't really follow your "logic".
Is it that we will win another trophy if we spend big again, or do you believe that is the only way we can be successful?

Besides, trophies aren't a priority now: getting promotion is, and it's certainly possible to do that using this approach. There's no reason to believe SG won't be more aggressive in the market in different circumstances, but I'm not convinced that need exists.
 
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There seems to be this virtuous position which says "the model" is infallible.
Just research brilliantly and recruit cheap gems ahead of everybody else who is trying to do the same thing.
What Brighton and Brentford have achieved is outstanding, but the key is the quality of their recruitment and the coaching.
It is clear that this buy cheap/develop/sell high is what the club are pursuing. I hope it is successful against the wealth of competitors trying the same thing across the sport.

Personally I think the target has to be promotion and that pragmatically requires a mix. Investment in young overlooked quality can be a part of that, as can astute use of the loan market as last January.
But so too can be significant investment in quality that can make a real difference to what you have. As can be picking up Free Transfer experience on high wage shorter contracts.
It is balancing all of those options to get the best possible squad given financial parameters.

I'm not excited by a multi year mini Brighton strategy that might one day make money, or might one day get us promoted. Building in the Championship feels like an oxymoron to me given the shorter termism of contracts.
I'd like us focused on going up given we have a Coach magnet like we have.
 
indeedido said:
There seems to be this virtuous position which says "the model" is infallible.
Just research brilliantly and recruit cheap gems ahead of everybody else who is trying to do the same thing.
What Brighton and Brentford have achieved is outstanding, but the key is the quality of their recruitment and the coaching.
It is clear that this buy cheap/develop/sell high is what the club are pursuing. I hope it is successful against the wealth of competitors trying the same thing across the sport.

Personally I think the target has to be promotion and that pragmatically requires a mix. Investment in young overlooked quality can be a part of that, as can astute use of the loan market as last January.
But so too can be significant investment in quality that can make a real difference to what you have. As can be picking up Free Transfer experience on high wage shorter contracts.
It is balancing all of those options to get the best possible squad given financial parameters.

I'm not excited by a multi year mini Brighton strategy that might one day make money, or might one day get us promoted. Building in the Championship feels like an oxymoron to me given the shorter termism of contracts.
I'd like us focused on going up given we have a Coach magnet like we have.
Click to expand...

I don't think anyone has suggested there is any model that is infallible. No model guarantees success, but some have lower risk of disaster.
I also think building up this way and developing players is more dignified that spending big. As long as I've followed football, fans have complained about some clubs "buying success"; that contains an implicit preference for clubs that achieve success bu other means.

I do agree with your point about mixing though. Few clubs achieve success by signing just one type of player, or limiting the market from which they can choose. Even the Man U "won't win anything with kids" team had an experienced spine of Schmeichel, Pally, Bruce, Irwin, Keane and Cantona.
Nor do I think we're limiting ourselves to players 25 and under; I wouldn't be surprised to see the odd bargain grizzled professional come in to add squad depth, like Sol Bamba did a few years ago. There's no point boxing ourselves in for the sake of policy.
 
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