Wes Burns, Derrick Williams and Ayling..

[Nogbad the Bad]

3 minutes ago, BRISTOL86 said:

With respect - that's absolute rubbish.

Look at the goal we conceded vs Brighton where all the plaudits (understandably) go to Sidwell. 

Analyse that goal then ask yourself why Baldock is so important to Brighton.

Fantastic player who brings so much more than goals to the table. No big loss?!

I'd love to see he and Tammy playing together, they'd be an absolute menace. Baldock doesn't give defenders a seconds peace or time on the ball for 90 minutes and Tammy would be there time and time again to punish the mistakes. 

You're looking to praise him, I'm looking dispassionately at his unimpressive stats for Brighton and remembering how hit and miss he was for City.

He might make space well for others on occasion, but he was signed primarily as a goalscorer and a 1:5 ratio speaks for itself. 

[BRISTOL86]

8 minutes ago, Nogbad the Bad said:

You're looking to praise him, I'm looking dispassionately at his unimpressive stats for Brighton and remembering how hit and miss he was for City.

He might make space well for others on occasion, but he was signed primarily as a goalscorer and a 1:5 ratio speaks for itself. 

Luckily for Brighton, Chris Hughton looks at his actual performances. He's been a very important player for Brighton this year and part of a successful side who will be playing premier league football next season when we could well be in div 3. 

No big loss? Madness. 

[redapple]

11 hours ago, Bar BS3 said:

I wouldn't have wished we'd kept any of those players on (other than maybe Ayling, but only with hindsight with how Matthews has turned out this season)

 

I don't know why you need hindsight to see that Luke Ayling is a tremendously gifted footballer. As well as being talented he was also a guy who gave his all week in week out . Magnificent for us in the promotion season and was getting back to his best when our Coach decided that an average ( at best) player not good enough for bloody Cardiff or Sunderland was better. Madness ! 

[BRISTOL86]

10 minutes ago, Bullbag said:

Well done to the idiots running the club.

Johnson, Ashton and Lansdown along with the rest of the clowns.

Amateur hour. 

To be fair, of the names mentioned in the title only Ayling can be considered a real loss.

I don't think anyone foresaw how staggeringly bad Matthews would be and Ayling's days were numbered the second he went on that balcony...

[steveybadger]

53 minutes ago, Nogbad the Bad said:

Stats don't back that up.

Baldock has barely scored 1 goal per 5 apps. at Brighton and has scored only 11 goals this season despite Brighton being so successful.

He's 4th in their list of scorers this season.

No big loss to City with only 18 goals in 86 appearances since he left.

10 in 34 for City in the Championship and 11 in 32 for Brighton this season so fair point.

Not sure I quite agree about not being missed (although given we won the league the year he left you could make a case....). He does stretch teams in the same way Kodjia did and would have been good along Tammy (but if we're playing ifs and buts  then so would John Atyeo!)

[Bar BS3]

28 minutes ago, redapple said:

I don't know why you need hindsight to see that Luke Ayling is a tremendously gifted footballer. As well as being talented he was also a guy who gave his all week in week out . Magnificent for us in the promotion season and was getting back to his best when our Coach decided that an average ( at best) player not good enough for bloody Cardiff or Sunderland was better. Madness ! 

I'd have to disagree. I think the Adam Matthews that we had in the latter part of last season was a big upgrade on Luke Ayling. 

With hindsight, we haven't had "that" Adam Matthews. 

[View from the Dolman]

36 minutes ago, redapple said:

I don't know why you need hindsight to see that Luke Ayling is a tremendously gifted footballer. As well as being talented he was also a guy who gave his all week in week out . Magnificent for us in the promotion season and was getting back to his best when our Coach decided that an average ( at best) player not good enough for bloody Cardiff or Sunderland was better. Madness ! 

Not good enough for Cardiff on what basis? They seemed to want him to stay.

Cardiff chief executive Gethin Jenkins said: "It's disappointing we couldn't agree a contract extension with Adam, especially given the length of time he has developed with us. As a club, it's a fact that we had offered what we felt was a competitive contract, in line with our wage structure and one which would have rewarded him as he progressed with the team. This was, however, rejected by Adam and his representatives."

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/c/celtic/9407563.stm

[Super]

7 minutes ago, Bar BS3 said:

I'd have to disagree. I think the Adam Matthews that we had in the latter part of last season was a big upgrade on Luke Ayling. 

With hindsight, we haven't had "that" Adam Matthews. 

Agree with that but also Ayling is a massive upgrade on Little.

[Major Isewater]

4 hours ago, red panda said:

 

Wasn't there someone else.  Mickey something?  No, can't remember 

Mouse .

[BRISTOL86]

Remember when Liverpool paid £50m for Carroll and Downing because their stats were so good? I rest my case 

My point on Baldock is that he gives you something that isn't ever measured in stats.

That Sidwell goal simply doesn't happen without Baldock. Yet nowhere will that show in a stat.

Hughton can obviously see his contribution to his side and every single player in that squad would improve ours. 

[shelts]

17 minutes ago, Bar BS3 said:

I'd have to disagree. I think the Adam Matthews that we had in the latter part of last season was a big upgrade on Luke Ayling. 

With hindsight, we haven't had "that" Adam Matthews. 

Totally agree 

[Nogbad the Bad]

1 hour ago, BRISTOL86 said:

Luckily for Brighton, Chris Hughton looks at his actual performances. He's been a very important player for Brighton this year and part of a successful side who will be playing premier league football next season when we could well be in div 3. 

No big loss? Madness. 

No big loss to us at all - City got promoted without him and scored 96 goals along the way.

He hadn't scored in the first 5 games when he left iirc.

He's part of a successful side so with that in mind his goal tally is poor.

In his first 2 seasons at Brighton he scored a miserable 8 goals in total.

Baldock's only prolific season in his whole career was with us in L1. He's a very good league 1 striker when on form but no more than an average Championship one at his very best.

 

[Oops]

Ayling left in August 2016 by the way, which is 6 months ago.

In the spirit of the mind numbing crud that people are posting on here recently, I may start a thread to discuss Gerard Lavin's vicious Mitre-based assault on the Reading fans.....I'm sure it would occupy a few more pages. As Chipdawg said, give your flange a good wipe and post something constructive.

[Nogbad the Bad]

53 minutes ago, BRISTOL86 said:

Remember when Liverpool paid £50m for Carroll and Downing because their stats were so good? I rest my case 

My point on Baldock is that he gives you something that isn't ever measured in stats.

That Sidwell goal simply doesn't happen without Baldock. Yet nowhere will that show in a stat.

Hughton can obviously see his contribution to his side and every single player in that squad would improve ours. 

More like Hughton would improve every player in our squad.

All strikers provide movement and 'give you something that can't be measured in stats' - Baldock is nothing special in any aspect of the game.

The fact you have to look for something for the most part intangible - and presumably on limited recent viewings -  in order to support your praise for him says it all about his meagre goalscoring record.

Baldock has the odd very good game - particularly against us - but his overall game and form is inconsistent, as shown by his stats, and we all saw how wayward he could be at the most important and valued part of a strikers' game.

[Angmering Red]

I live in West Sussex and have a couple of mates who are season ticket holders at Brighton who are more than happy with Baldock, so it seems strange for someone to describe him as an 'average Championship player' when he just happens to be playing pretty regularly as a striker for a team second in league and heading for likely promotion.

[BRISTOL86]

Agree to disagree Noggers. I'll fully accept that if you only look at his goals and nothing else his record is average. 

I doubt he's losing too much sleep over you not rating him when he's been an important part of a side destined for the premier league, whilst we fight relegation to the third tier. Again. 

[BRISTOL86]

9 minutes ago, Angmering Red said:

I live in West Sussex and have a couple of mates who are season ticket holders at Brighton who are more than happy with Baldock, so it seems strange for someone to describe him as an 'average Championship player' when he just happens to be playing pretty regularly as a striker for a team second in league and heading for likely promotion.

That's because they're seeing with their own eyes what he brings to the table and not just using his stats off of Wikipedia. 

I work with three regulars at the Amex who rate him very highly. 

[aa_bcfc]

Back 4 of Ayling, flint, Williams, Cunningham wouldn't have been too shoddy would it? Why oh why do we always think that players we already have need to be replaced and then we bring in players who are at best no better. 

[Swede]

Oh dear, hindsight is a wonderful thing!

Agard: great work rate but found out at this level. Is he better than Tammy or Kodjia [at the time]? Answer, NO.

Ayling: Good player. What position would you play him? At the time was he better than Matthews? No. Is he better than GON or Korey or Pack? NO.

Derrick Williams: Reliable defender who loved to hoof long aimless diagonal balls. He was a back up centre back whom we got a fee for. Is he better than Mags? NO.

Freeman: Good player but very inconsistent. One of the first on the team sheet last season but didn't want to sign another contract at the start of the season [despite what skeletor said] & as a consequence his performances suffered. Did we want to keep him, YES. Have we got a suitable replacement ? in the short term, yes, in David Cotterell.

Kodjia: No argument, he had his head turned & we got really good money for him & have got Tammy on loan.

Wes Burns: Great potential, perhaps going to Scotland was not a good move for him. There were obviously other things going on in the background. If he was still here, I think he would be getting game time. Is he better than the player replacing him, Matty Taylor? Bar his pace, probably not.

Like I said, hindsight is a wonderful thing.

 

[petehinton]

Wes Burns and Derrick Williams wouldn't even get into our 11 now. Ayling is arguable, but hindsight is a wonderful thing.

I'm sure Kieran Agard, Wagstaff etc etc are upset too?

Weird thread

[JBFC II]

2 hours ago, redapple said:

I don't know why you need hindsight to see that Luke Ayling is a tremendously gifted footballer. As well as being talented he was also a guy who gave his all week in week out . Magnificent for us in the promotion season and was getting back to his best when our Coach decided that an average ( at best) player not good enough for bloody Cardiff or Sunderland was better. Madness ! 

Not good enough for Cardiff?? He was their main right back until he got sold to Sunderland for 3 million.....

[JBFC II]

23 minutes ago, aa_bcfc said:

Back 4 of Ayling, flint, Williams, Cunningham wouldn't have been too shoddy would it? Why oh why do we always think that players we already have need to be replaced and then we bring in players who are at best no better. 

True but then a back line of: Matthews at his best, Flint, Mags and Goldbourne is (bar goldbourne) better

[redapple]

3 hours ago, Bar BS3 said:

I'd have to disagree. I think the Adam Matthews that we had in the latter part of last season was a big upgrade on Luke Ayling. 

With hindsight, we haven't had "that" Adam Matthews. 

I agree that Matthews has been disappointing but Ayling is a proper footballer. He was superb for Yeovil, easily their best player in their promotion season and in Championship. He was great in our Div 1 conquering Year and had some good games last season. He was messed about because of Cotterill's failure to get a replacement for the injured Little. 

He's a Right Back with skill, never shys from the ball, decent in the air , a good crosser of the ball, and always was a good outlet . I just can't see how other fans didn't see this . 

Re Matthews , he had 2 decent games last season . One against Huddersfield , and against Bolton who were frankly pathetic . He missed the last few games with his hamstring . Bad signing and so glad Ayling has showed Leeds fans what a good player I always thought he was . 

[chipdawg]

1 hour ago, JBFC II said:

Not good enough for Cardiff?? He was their main right back until he got sold to Sunderland for 3 million.....

Actually he left on a free to Celtic, but that wasn't because Cardiff didn't want him. He was pretty highly regarded back then 

[chipdawg]

32 minutes ago, redapple said:

I agree that Matthews has been disappointing but Ayling is a proper footballer. He was superb for Yeovil, easily their best player in their promotion season and in Championship. He was great in our Div 1 conquering Year and had some good games last season. He was messed about because of Cotterill's failure to get a replacement for the injured Little. 

He's a Right Back with skill, never shys from the ball, decent in the air , a good crosser of the ball, and always was a good outlet . I just can't see how other fans didn't see this . 

Re Matthews , he had 2 decent games last season . One against Huddersfield , and against Bolton who were frankly pathetic . He missed the last few games with his hamstring . Bad signing and so glad Ayling has showed Leeds fans what a good player I always thought he was . 

Ayling was also a nobhead who got involved with chucking piss off a balcony onto punters at a racetrack. That may or may not have been the main factor in him leaving, but I suspect it contributed 

[redapple]

You were there with them and knew what went on then were you Knobhead ? 

From what I recall 2 players from other clubs were the ones involved. Ayling and all the other City lads were in the same private box. 

I think Ayling made an apology ( no doubt written for him by the Club Press Office) to say he regretted events and anything that had disenhanced the clubs image. Basically he was hung out to dry by the club. 

 

[JBFC II]

1 hour ago, chipdawg said:

Actually he left on a free to Celtic, but that wasn't because Cardiff didn't want him. He was pretty highly regarded back then 

Ah right fair enough, he then joined Sunderland for 2-3 mill so that's where I get confused haha

[JBFC II]

46 minutes ago, redapple said:

You were there with them and knew what went on then were you Knobhead ? 

From what I recall 2 players from other clubs were the ones involved. Ayling and all the other City lads were in the same private box. 

I think Ayling made an apology ( no doubt written for him by the Club Press Office) to say he regretted events and anything that had disenhanced the clubs image. Basically he was hung out to dry by the club. 

 

No need for personal insults really....

[JamesBCFC]

2 hours ago, redapple said:

I agree that Matthews has been disappointing but Ayling is a proper footballer. He was superb for Yeovil, easily their best player in their promotion season and in Championship. He was great in our Div 1 conquering Year and had some good games last season. He was messed about because of Cotterill's failure to get a replacement for the injured Little. 

He's a Right Back with skill, never shys from the ball, decent in the air , a good crosser of the ball, and always was a good outlet . I just can't see how other fans didn't see this . 

Re Matthews , he had 2 decent games last season . One against Huddersfield , and against Bolton who were frankly pathetic . He missed the last few games with his hamstring . Bad signing and so glad Ayling has showed Leeds fans what a good player I always thought he was . 

ayling was also positionally poor and got caught in possession upfield pretty often, including for the goal we scored against Leeds at Ashton Gate

[bs3]

18 hours ago, Shtanley said:

Baldock, Freeman and Fredericks the list goes on. Weird how they all seem to improve once they leave.

No , these players played well for us but some fans think we can get better players, however in many cases we fail to bring in players who are better than we already have.