[betterthanbaird]

http://www.birminghammail.co.uk/sport/fo...ar_twitter

Please don't be true.

[Worldclassalbion]

We needed 5 or 6 signings just to stand still. I'm not saying our squad is bad but it's tiny and older than most. I'm sick of being negative but although we would all give our right arm to play for our beloved Albion, if you were lucky enough to be a professional footballer at a high level would you want to play for Pulis or a club that shows no ambition?

I wouldn't.

So what's the answer, I have an easy solution but a lot on here don't want to keep hearing it. No ambition + negative manager + not enough signings who can better the team = Relegation material.

Things have to change and fast.

[WBA-Josh]

Tonight's team against Deportivo La Coruña is the following:

Foster, Dawson, Evans ©, Hegazi, Nyom, Livermore, Yacob, McClean, Rodriguez, Phillips, Rondon.

Subs: Myhill, Palmer, Howkins, Wilson, Field, Robson-Kanu, Harper, Roberts, Leko, O'Shea.

The bench shows exactly how low in squad depth we are at the moment with one week left until the season starts and even with McAuley, Brunt, Morrison and Chadli back, the starting 11 and bench will still lack some quality. At the least we still need another centre back, a left back, Fletcher's replacement in centre midfielder and a striker.

[Sir Megson]

We needed 5 or 6 signings just to stand still. I'm not saying our squad is bad but it's tiny and older than most. I'm sick of being negative but although we would all give our right arm to play for our beloved Albion, if you were lucky enough to be a professional footballer at a high level would you want to play for Pulis or a club that shows no ambition?

I wouldn't.

So what's the answer, I have an easy solution but a lot on here don't want to keep hearing it. No ambition + negative manager + not enough signings who can better the team = Relegation material.

Things have to change and fast.

Is the squad thin at the moment? Yes.

Would every fan have loved more signings by this point? Yes. 

Can Pulis sign decent players? Also a yes, I genuinely don't buy into the reason that we're not signing players and chucking money about left right and centre is because people won't sign for us. Our highest profile "names" during our current time in the PL have signed during his tenure.

I think we need to wake up and smell the coffee. 

This is coming from John Williams our new chairman, and we should be wise to this approach ever since the "TP wanted 5, he got 5" press release last window. Not a Pulis fan but he quite rightly retorted to say that was bullshit as Kanu was not his first choice to make up the 5. Peace handled this much more ruthlessly and I'm sure many a manager would have a tale to tell. Namely my namesake I bet!

I also remember the panic and negativity last season, standing still etc etc. We finished 10th and the players that have left recently were the right ones to leave.

I'm evaluating once the windows shut... Not when there's practically a month of it left to go. Doesn't mean I don't want to hear an opinion different than mine as well world-class so keep the posts coming 

[Worldclassalbion]

We needed 5 or 6 signings just to stand still. I'm not saying our squad is bad but it's tiny and older than most. I'm sick of being negative but although we would all give our right arm to play for our beloved Albion, if you were lucky enough to be a professional footballer at a high level would you want to play for Pulis or a club that shows no ambition?

I wouldn't.

So what's the answer, I have an easy solution but a lot on here don't want to keep hearing it. No ambition + negative manager + not enough signings who can better the team = Relegation material.

Things have to change and fast.

Is the squad thin at the moment? Yes.

Would every fan have loved more signings by this point? Yes. 

Can Pulis sign decent players? Also a yes, I genuinely don't buy into the reason that we're not signing players and chucking money about left right and centre is because people won't sign for us. Our highest profile "names" during our current time in the PL have signed during his tenure.

I think we need to wake up and smell the coffee. 

This is coming from John Williams our new chairman, and we should be wise to this approach ever since the "TP wanted 5, he got 5" press release last window. Not a Pulis fan but he quite rightly retorted to say that was bullshit as Kanu was not his first choice to make up the 5. Peace handled this much more ruthlessly and I'm sure many a manager would have a tale to tell. Namely my namesake I bet!

I also remember the panic and negativity last season, standing still etc etc. We finished 10th and the players that have left recently were the right ones to leave.

I'm evaluating once the windows shut... Not when there's practically a month of it left to go. Doesn't mean I don't want to hear an opinion different than mine as well world-class so keep the posts coming 

Mego At no point have I said throw money left right and centre , especially on dross. I see Pulis has defended the way he/we are conducting things re transfers at the minute, saying that Irvine signed 11 players and non are now at the club. What about his loan signings? Gnabry, Sinclair, El Ghanassey, Andre Wisdom. First 3 are good players whom he wouldn't give a chance. Hegazi looks class though. I know there is 3 weeks left but we kick off next Saturday and what we have seen so far is not good enough in my opinion.

[Sir Megson]

We needed 5 or 6 signings just to stand still. I'm not saying our squad is bad but it's tiny and older than most. I'm sick of being negative but although we would all give our right arm to play for our beloved Albion, if you were lucky enough to be a professional footballer at a high level would you want to play for Pulis or a club that shows no ambition?

I wouldn't.

So what's the answer, I have an easy solution but a lot on here don't want to keep hearing it. No ambition + negative manager + not enough signings who can better the team = Relegation material.

Things have to change and fast.

Is the squad thin at the moment? Yes.

Would every fan have loved more signings by this point? Yes. 

Can Pulis sign decent players? Also a yes, I genuinely don't buy into the reason that we're not signing players and chucking money about left right and centre is because people won't sign for us. Our highest profile "names" during our current time in the PL have signed during his tenure.

I think we need to wake up and smell the coffee. 

This is coming from John Williams our new chairman, and we should be wise to this approach ever since the "TP wanted 5, he got 5" press release last window. Not a Pulis fan but he quite rightly retorted to say that was bullshit as Kanu was not his first choice to make up the 5. Peace handled this much more ruthlessly and I'm sure many a manager would have a tale to tell. Namely my namesake I bet!

I also remember the panic and negativity last season, standing still etc etc. We finished 10th and the players that have left recently were the right ones to leave.

I'm evaluating once the windows shut... Not when there's practically a month of it left to go. Doesn't mean I don't want to hear an opinion different than mine as well world-class so keep the posts coming 

Mego At no point have I said throw money left right and centre , especially on dross. I see Pulis has defended the way he/we are conducting things re transfers at the minute, saying that Irvine signed 11 players and non are now at the club. What about his loan signings? Gnabry, Sinclair, El Ghanassey, Andre Wisdom. First 3 are good players whom he wouldn't give a chance. Hegazi looks class though. I know there is 3 weeks left but we kick off next Saturday and what we have seen so far is not good enough in my opinion.

Definitely not saying that you said throw money around left right and centre, but by definition going and signing 5 to 6 players, and not just any players, players who would improve the squad would easily cost upwards of £40-50 million just in transfer fees. 

Let's look at some of the biggest transfers in the window so far, but for PL clubs I'd say are those we're competing with and compare with some of our previous deals:

Nathan Ake - Bournemouth £20m - Much prefer our deal for Johny Evans for £6m rising to £8m with add ons.
Michael Keane - Everton £30m - as above. Also Gareth McAuley despite getting on a bit now wasn't bad transfer... for free. Ahmed Hegazi, only fair to judge him once he's had a few league games under his belt, but looking decent so far.
Jordan Pickford - Everton £30m - Ben Foster although an undisclosed fee, I'd guess it's a tad less than £30m
Kelechi Iheanacho - Leicester £25m - Rondon for £12m. Chadli £13m
Marko Arnautovic - West Ham £25m as above. Rodriguez at £15m could prove a decent signing, to be judged on this season.

Those 5 players for other clubs totalling £130m. Absolutely crazy money. And that's just the transfer fees, I dread to think of what wages there will be spent on the like of those players. We've brought in similar quality for sometimes half the price. Genuinely don't rate any of those above other than Iheanacho, yet he is still unproven and has only shown he can perform in a side filled with quality.

We're not alone in having had a slow start to the transfer window, and I have friends supporting clubs such as Swansea, Crystal Palace, Stoke etc who are all panicking similarly to us on here. I have no doubts whatsoever that we'll all be adding to our squads significantly before the month is out. 

As far as the loans you've mentioned I think only Gnabry was a Pulis signing. The others are either Steve Clarke or Alan Irvine ones if my memory is serving me well. Would have liked to have seen more of Gnabry but he never really stood out in the cup games I saw him play. Might be at Bayern Munich but doesn't look to be playing there and trying to get loaned out.

Also lets remember about how angry we were that the kids weren't getting picked towards the end of last season. How Pulis had neglected the youth we have coming through. Now that the squad is lighter going into the season and it's looking like they may have to be called into action, how scared we are now that they'll have a chance to actually play!

We do need players in, that's something I've never disagreed with as it's clear we're short of players and lack depth to the squad. When these players get signed isn't what counts, it's whether they're improvements to players we've released; and as long as they are that's what will be the most important detail for us in this transfer window. Personally I can't wait till it's done and dusted and we can get back to just the game on the pitch instead of the games in the boardroom etc.

[Beefy 1965]

Better get someone in after tonight ....
Evans Injured and Livermore potentially facing a ban
Looks like Megson will have to get his boots on

This is the First time in Years I have been extremely worried

[Arcane Astral Aeons]

Better get someone in after tonight ....
Evans Injured and Livermore potentially facing a ban
Looks like Megson will have to get his boots on

This is the First time in Years I have been extremely worried  

as i`ve just said on another thread
maybe our premier league life may just run out this season

[wba1978]

At the moment I'd be happy with;

Marton Eppel  ST - Budapest Honved  
Sam Clucas CM - Hull  
Andrea Ranocchia CB - Inter
A left back....  Any left back!

Surely not a stretch financially            

 

[silverbaggie]

Are we trying to set up a team of geriatrics?

Gareth Barry aged 36....................A good player in his time but now?

If we fail with that........I'm available and I'm only in my 70's.