Florin Andone signs for Brighton.

Steve-Harpers-perm · Post by **Steve-Harpers-perm** » Fri May 25, 2018 11:09 pm

Anyone else feeling a bit short changed about last season? I mean if we had sorted our transfer policy out we’d be planning for the Champions League and not the poxy Europa League.

Bin Ont Turf · Post by **Bin Ont Turf** » Fri May 25, 2018 11:11 pm

We should have gone for Hazard instead of Lennon in January.

cricketfieldclarets · Post by **cricketfieldclarets** » Sat May 26, 2018 12:22 am

To be fair. Its a valid point that it would benefit us to get our targets in earlier. It goes without saying weve been amazing under Dyche. But even after last season he would be first to say we can always improve.

Vegas Claret · Post by **Vegas Claret** » Sat May 26, 2018 1:18 am

I'd rather us buy 2 players that can walk straight into our team than 6 who don't

Spijed · Post by **Spijed** » Sat May 26, 2018 5:59 am

cricketfieldclarets wrote:To be fair. Its a valid point that it would benefit us to get our targets in earlier. It goes without saying weve been amazing under Dyche. But even after last season he would be first to say we can always improve.

So you think with a slightly better transfer policy that we might be able to finish higher?

How? The only reason we were close to Arsenal is that they were poor away from home.

taio · Post by **taio** » Sat May 26, 2018 6:49 am

Spijed wrote:So you think with a slightly better transfer policy that we might be able to finish higher?

How? The only reason we were close to Arsenal is that they were poor away from home.

What Arsenal's away form got to do with our transfer policy?

Spijed · Post by **Spijed** » Sat May 26, 2018 8:17 am

taio wrote:What Arsenal's away form got to do with our transfer policy?

Nothing. But i get the feeling some think we might have been able to catch them if we had signed enough good players early enough.

They think we could be doing better when clearly 7th place will be as good as it can possibility get.

Early signings or not.

Steve-Harpers-perm · Post by **Steve-Harpers-perm** » Sat May 26, 2018 8:33 am

I honestly thought not even a Burnley fan could find anything to criticise on the playing front after last season.

cricketfieldclarets · Post by **cricketfieldclarets** » Sat May 26, 2018 11:11 am

If we think we cant get any better then we may as well pack in now.

If you stand still you go backwards.

We have been consistently amazing and consistently progressed under Dyche. And no reason that cant continue. As Dyche says its marginal gains that make the biggest difference.

Would signing players earlier have made us catch Arsenal? On its own no. But perhaps we might not have got the number of and severity of injuries we did. Perhaps we might have competed in the cups. Perhaps we might have done neither. But I cant see any reason why bringing players in earlier. Getting them dyche fit earlier. Getting them part of the group earlier. Etc etc wouldnt be a good thing.

Reecey1987 · Post by **Reecey1987** » Sat May 26, 2018 11:20 am

Like the manager keeps saying he will go for quality over quantity so i wouldnt expect that many signings . I would say 3 maybe 4 at the most depending if walters leaves . The big question will be who they will be ? Lets just leave brighton to sign who they want im sure if dyche really wanted Andone he would of got him especially seen as he only cost just over 6 million with the relegation clause activated . I think he will have a clause in his contract something similar at brighton with signing a 5 yr deal . Be foolish if they didnt put one in

Spijed · Post by **Spijed** » Sat May 26, 2018 11:33 am

cricketfieldclarets wrote:If we think we cant get any better then we may as well pack in now.

If you stand still you go backwards.

We will never get any better. It's a fact of where we are in the football food chain, unless we get a rich board member to support us. We might have a good cup run etc. but we aren't going to win the league.

Mike Garlick is realistic enough to say that our goal next season is to get 40 points, despite us finishing 7th. Anything else is a bonus.

We've done better than Stoke, WBA and Swansea ever did in terms of league placing and look at them now. But it is also highly likely we will get relegated withing the next 7-8 years.

Stan Tastic · Post by **Stan Tastic** » Sat May 26, 2018 12:02 pm

Goodclaret wrote:Middlesborough once got all their deals done early, spending a fortune on the way. Worked well for them didn't it?

Let's just be patient and actually trust our board and SD. I think they've earned it.

Their fans were buzzing, but then again who could blame them after winning the transfer window trophy.

cricketfieldclarets · Post by **cricketfieldclarets** » Sat May 26, 2018 12:26 pm

Spijed wrote:We will never get any better. It's a fact of where we are in the football food chain, unless we get a rich board member to support us. We might have a good cup run etc. but we aren't going to win the league.

Mike Garlick is realistic enough to say that our goal next season is to get 40 points, despite us finishing 7th. Anything else is a bonus.

We've done better than Stoke, WBA and Swansea ever did in terms of league placing and look at them now. But it is also highly likely we will get relegated withing the next 7-8 years.

In that case its even more important that we do what we can to get an edge over those below us.

FWIW worth though I believe we can and possibly even will get better.

Every year people say its going to get harder. The Premier League is getting stronger. etc.

But no reason we cant repeat this season.
No reason we cant compete in Europa league and raise our profile even more.
No reason we cant win the league cup.
No reason we cant win the FA Cup.
No reason we cant break the top 6.

If Dyche didnt think we could do any of the above he would have left on a high last month.

Spijed · Post by **Spijed** » Sat May 26, 2018 12:42 pm

cricketfieldclarets wrote:In that case its even more important that we do what we can to get an edge over those below us.

FWIW worth though I believe we can and possibly even will get better.

Every year people say its going to get harder. The Premier League is getting stronger. etc.

But no reason we cant repeat this season.
No reason we cant compete in Europa league and raise our profile even more.
No reason we cant win the league cup.
No reason we cant win the FA Cup.
No reason we cant break the top 6.

If Dyche didnt think we could do any of the above he would have left on a high last month.

How do you propose we break into the top six?

cricketfieldclarets · Post by **cricketfieldclarets** » Sat May 26, 2018 1:05 pm

Spijed wrote:How do you propose we break into the top six?

The same way we keep overcoming the odds under Dyche.

Steddyman · Post by **Steddyman** » Sat May 26, 2018 2:17 pm

Spijed wrote:So you think with a slightly better transfer policy that we might be able to finish higher?

How? The only reason we were close to Arsenal is that they were poor away from home.

I don't get this logic. So the logic is we finished 7th, therefore everything about how we do business is the best it can possibly be.

Therefore Wells and Walters have been incredible signings that Dyche should have received the manager of the year award for, even if we had finished bottom.

taio · Post by **taio** » Sat May 26, 2018 2:22 pm

Steddyman wrote:I don't get this logic. So the logic is we finished 7th, therefore everything about how we do business is the best it can possibly be.

Therefore Wells and Walters have been incredible signings that Dyche should have received the manager of the year award for, even if we had finished bottom.

The flaw in your argument is we didn't finish bottom - we finished 7th.

Most people would welcome early signings but most of those same people appreciate the difficulties in doing so.

Steve-Harpers-perm · Post by **Steve-Harpers-perm** » Sat May 26, 2018 2:22 pm

Steddyman wrote:I don't get this logic. So the logic is we finished 7th, therefore everything about how we do business is the best it can possibly be.

Therefore Wells and Walters have been incredible signings that Dyche should have received the manager of the year award for, even if we had finished bottom.

We didn’t finish bottom. Imagine living life worrying about what might happen!

ClaretTony · Post by **ClaretTony** » Sat May 26, 2018 2:37 pm

Steddyman wrote:They have. And they don't even have to prepare early for Europe. It is one side of our club that has not progressed in the last 5 years.

And we still have fans making comments like this, absolutely incredible. Had we not progressed I'd suggest we'd have been back playing in the Championship last season. Can't you see the progression in our recruitment or are you just trying to find some lame reason for criticising the club?

The recruitment and the way we recruit has improved beyond belief - most can actually see that.

CrosspoolClarets · Post by **CrosspoolClarets** » Sat May 26, 2018 3:20 pm

If Andone has signed for BHA cheap and early, it means few wanted him. I liked the look of him, but what do I know?

Players know who is sniffing by this point. BFC will have made contact with the clubs or agents of our targets. We have got into Europe and won all the plaudits this season. Our style has evolved, as a Defour has often said. Players will want to come. I am sure we will be fine in this window. Five players of a quality who can break into our first team plus replacements for any who leave, would be ideal. CB, CM, ST, LB, RW. That’s what I expect. A dreamland wish list would be Cahill, Toure, Rodriguez for the first three of those, though that would be a little fanciful.

Caernarfon_Claret · Post by **Caernarfon_Claret** » Sat May 26, 2018 3:23 pm

Spijed wrote:How do you propose we break into the top six?

Do it the Spanish Way (blood doping - allegedly)
Or the old fashioned way (give the opposition food poisoning/bribe the officials)

KRBFC · Post by **KRBFC** » Sat May 26, 2018 3:27 pm

Not worried about when we sign players, give me a Brady in January over a Walters in June. I'd rather we wait if it meant we don't end up with duds like Wells.

ClaretTony · Post by **ClaretTony** » Sat May 26, 2018 3:27 pm

CrosspoolClarets wrote:If Andone has signed for BHA cheap and early, it means few wanted him

Either that or Brighton have offered him a ridiculous offer which could be the case given they've given him a five year contract.

tiger76 · Post by **tiger76** » Sat May 26, 2018 3:34 pm

Not fussed about missing out on this guy,Brighton are welcome to him,shocked he got a five year contract,plus it may take him time too settle into the English game we need players ready to hit the ground running in July.

ClaretTony · Post by **ClaretTony** » Sat May 26, 2018 3:40 pm

tiger76 wrote:Not fussed about missing out on this guy,Brighton are welcome to him,shocked he got a five year contract,plus it may take him time too settle into the English game we need players ready to hit the ground running in July.

Who's to say we've missed out? Our link with him was nine months ago.

HiroshimaClaret · Post by **HiroshimaClaret** » Sat May 26, 2018 3:51 pm

I`m sick of this. Another player we have missed out on. Will this ever end? It seems to just go on and on and on andone andone...

tiger76 · Post by **tiger76** » Sat May 26, 2018 3:52 pm

ClaretTony wrote:Who's to say we've missed out? Our link with him was nine months ago.

That's true and the fee was much higher then,if we were interested i'm sure we could have met the 6 million release, but add on wages he was asking for,plus no doubt agent's fees,and more importantly length of contract,that's a big financial commitment,he's hardly prolific anyway averages about 1 in 4 for Deportivo,and Brighton don't exactly create loads of chances,can't see him hitting double figures in the Prem next season.

dsr · Post by **dsr** » Sat May 26, 2018 4:10 pm

Steddyman wrote:I don't get this logic. So the logic is we finished 7th, therefore everything about how we do business is the best it can possibly be.

Therefore Wells and Walters have been incredible signings that Dyche should have received the manager of the year award for, even if we had finished bottom.

There's one truth and two bits of idiocy in this paragraph.

The truth is, we made mistakes last season. Not everything was perfect.

The first idiocy is, to think that means that something went wrong. Have you heard the saying, "the man who never made a mistake, never made anything"?

The second idiocy is, as was pointed out above, we didn't finish bottom. Telling us that the transfer policy was rubbish even though we finished 7th is daft enough; telling us the transfer policy was rubbish because we might have finished bottom if we hadn't been 7th ...

Vegas Claret · Post by **Vegas Claret** » Sat May 26, 2018 4:31 pm

I think it's fair to say that in the last few seasons we have had an improved squad after every transfer window. Look at the improvements the club are making behind the scenes - they are planning for being in the PL. They won't neglect the playing side to put a few seats in the Bob Lord stand, come kick off our first team will be improved.

Steddyman · Post by **Steddyman** » Sat May 26, 2018 6:41 pm

taio wrote:The flaw in your argument is we didn't finish bottom - we finished 7th.

Most people would welcome early signings but most of those same people appreciate the difficulties in doing so.

No, quite the opposite. I am saying because we finished 7th doesn't mean every decision we made was perfect. So do you also think that Wells and Walters were good signings?

taio · Post by **taio** » Sat May 26, 2018 6:48 pm

Steddyman wrote:No, quite the opposite. I am saying because we finished 7th doesn't mean every decision we made was perfect. So do you also think that Wells and Walters were good signings?

Of course not every decision was perfect. An individual would have to be remarkably stupid to expect that and I don't thing I've seen or heard anyone say Dyche's every decision was perfect last season. What was the point you were trying to make about us finishing bottom because I am not the only person perplexed by that?

Steve-Harpers-perm · Post by **Steve-Harpers-perm** » Sat May 26, 2018 7:40 pm

taio wrote:Of course not every decision was perfect. An individual would have to be remarkably stupid to expect that and I don't thing I've seen or heard anyone say Dyche's every decision was perfect last season. What was the point you were trying to make about us finishing bottom because I am not the only person perplexed by that?

What he is saying is we could have finished bottom after our flawed transfer policy over the last 5 years and although we scraped a lucky 7th our transfer policy is still poor.

Steddyman · Post by **Steddyman** » Sat May 26, 2018 10:57 pm

Steve-Harpers-perm wrote:What he is saying is we could have finished bottom after our flawed transfer policy over the last 5 years and although we scraped a lucky 7th our transfer policy is still poor.

No, what I was saying was our transfer policy and our finish were unrelated. We took ok to good players and turned them into better players, but at the same time lost our way for 12 games due to weaknesses in the squad when injuries bit hard after christmas.

Does anyone think we have the ideal striker setup? I don't three very similar style of striker with no pacy striker to play off them (hence Hendrik in the hole) is ideal. We brought in our two best players (Defour and Brady) the previous year and it took a FULL pre-season to turn them into the players they were. Bringing them in late in the window didn't help our cause when they were first signed.

We also seem to really struggle to identify and land players from abroad who aren't already playing in England (Defour aside). So we end up paying more for home grown talent.

UpTheClaretsFCBK · Post by **UpTheClaretsFCBK** » Sat May 26, 2018 11:02 pm

Got a Romanian friend who lives in Burnley, now a Burnley fan but supports Steau really.

He said this bloke is not better than what we’ve got already.

Next...

welsbyswife · Post by **welsbyswife** » Sat May 26, 2018 11:11 pm

UpTheClaretsFCBK wrote:Got a Romanian friend who lives in Burnley, now a Burnley fan but supports Steau really.

He said this bloke is not better than what we’ve got already.

Next...

Modern Britain in a nutshell there........expect the Brexiteers to be along soon.......

Steve-Harpers-perm · Post by **Steve-Harpers-perm** » Sun May 27, 2018 7:55 am

Steddyman wrote:No, what I was saying was our transfer policy and our finish were unrelated. We took ok to good players and turned them into better players, but at the same time lost our way for 12 games due to weaknesses in the squad when injuries bit hard after christmas.

Does anyone think we have the ideal striker setup? I don't three very similar style of striker with no pacy striker to play off them (hence Hendrik in the hole) is ideal. We brought in our two best players (Defour and Brady) the previous year and it took a FULL pre-season to turn them into the players they were. Bringing them in late in the window didn't help our cause when they were first signed.

We also seem to really struggle to identify and land players from abroad who aren't already playing in England (Defour aside). So we end up paying more for home grown talent.

You sound like one of life’s worriers.

Steddyman · Post by **Steddyman** » Sun May 27, 2018 10:38 am

Steve-Harpers-perm wrote:You sound like one of life’s worriers.

Thanks. A sound and well considerered rebuttal of my argument.

Steve-Harpers-perm · Post by **Steve-Harpers-perm** » Sun May 27, 2018 11:43 am

Steddyman wrote:Thanks. A sound and well considerered rebuttal of my argument.

I don’t think any more comments are needed on our poor transfer policy you are obviously right.

Steddyman · Post by **Steddyman** » Sun May 27, 2018 5:03 pm

Steve-Harpers-perm wrote:I don’t think any more comments are needed on our poor transfer policy you are obviously right.

Agreed

Steve-Harpers-perm · Post by **Steve-Harpers-perm** » Sun May 27, 2018 8:05 pm

Steddyman wrote:Agreed

We can only hope that Dyche or chairman are reading your comments otherwise I worry what next season will bring.