13 Aug 2020 07:00:19
Not been on in a long time, probably not since promotion. Hope you're all keeping well.

Just like to comment on the White situation, I think anything more than 25 million is too much. Look what brighton paid for webster having never played a game. Look what liverpool paid for gomez. White is not a 25m+ player in any team other than ours if you ask me.

Alternatives, gabriel magalhaes linked with arsenal and man utd from Lille a very good season, 22 years old and exactly the sort of defender we'd need. Ethan pinnock from Brentford a much cheaper option you'd imagine, Casey, Struijk, Kenneh all to come through, give youth a go, we're yet to see bielsa fail to physically improve a player if i'm not wrong, maybe the only one is kiko?

Trust in the process, Bielsa will have alternatives.

1.) 13 Aug 2020
13 Aug 2020 07:56:55
Agree Samo. Hope we don’t waste that much in white when biesla can make a cheaper player as good.
Unless as someone said that white is a provision of biesla signing. Then we got a bit of a prob.

2.) 13 Aug 2020
13 Aug 2020 09:24:28
I can't imagine bielsa would put that kind of stipulation on the club. He would probably strongly advise that White is signed, there's obviously a reason he head hunted him last season in the first place, he sees something in white nobody else did and now it's clear, but There are better defenders, and better ball playing centre halves. I love white but 25+ is beyond a joke and bielsa should know that.

I imagine he told radz that he wants to see commitment to signing white in various efforts, but bielsa is reasonable and if Brighton refuse to sell that's simply not Radz fault.

3.) 13 Aug 2020
13 Aug 2020 09:45:22
I think Radz uses the loan-to-buy business model as well as any owner we have had so far.
Granted Brighton didn't want to do such a deal last year, for White, but in all honesty did we want to be fixing a large transfer fee on such an unproven League One. A League One player that wasn't in that year's Team Of The Year.
I won't be surprised if Radz offers BHA a £35m loan-to-buy. If he carrys on progressing as he has done he will be worth the money. If he doesn't then we don't pay the balance (a loan fee is usually asked for) . If we stay up we know we can afford his fee. If we get relegated then I imagine White will not want to sign for us anyway.
In my basic opinion (I am no rocket scientist) I can only see wins here for everyone.

Furthering this point (and I hope I am not diluting it) I can see Augustine being given another loan-to-buy contract. If, after his few months of Bielsa training he is still happy to come to us ut shows character. Then we give him a proper pre-season. Then he gets to challenge for a spot for a season. If he does well then the £22m (minus the loan fees we have already paid) will be a good piece of business.

4.) 13 Aug 2020
13 Aug 2020 10:01:57
It seems the CB strategy was buy Ben White and to be fair, most people would have thought 30 million would do it so you can’t say we haven’t tried. Very brave of Brighton and they now need to make the most of him and we need to move on. Struick is growing in confidence but looked better in the KP role than his cameos at CB.

That doesn’t leave us many options and with clubs knowing we are desperate for a CB, prices will rise, Foyth was quoted at 7/ 8 million last summer, played one half of prem football and price is 14 plus! I’d love to see what is going on at the training ground. If we get Cody from Fulham, he might be another option at CB, played there once at Fulham and you never know that might be what Bielsa sees in him!

5.) 13 Aug 2020
13 Aug 2020 10:41:45
The gossip and that’s all it is is that Bielsa said White or someone as good, not easy!

Suspect with Augustin it’s about more than just fitness, he doesn’t fit the group. Can’t see Bielsa wanting him back and if he does come back, won’t play him!

I think attitude is so key for Bielsa, watch Poveda reaction to Leeds goals when he was a sub and keen for his chance and then the way he played in the last two games and celebrated Shacks goals. The attitude and team spirit of this team is a massive advantage. Think that’s why Pontus went and Augustin didn’t work and possibly why we’ve let a few others go as well.