00:00Yeah, a couple of lines that fans pick up.
00:02One was, which basically asked how many signs could we expect,
00:06and he said there won't be as big a turnover as last year.
00:08And a lot of supporters have jumped on it,
00:10kind of thinking that Albion aren't going to do a lot of business.
00:13And I don't think that's kind of the case.
00:15You know, we spoke about it yesterday after the press conference.
00:17Albion signed 11 players last summer.
00:19It was a big turnover.
00:21You know, a lot of players left the club.
00:23Some have already left.
00:24One has already come in.
00:25We're expecting more.
00:27I think it's still going to be a relatively busy summer,
00:29but I think what he was alluding to is the fact
00:32that there's not going to be 11 new players going through the door this summer,
00:35which doesn't mean that Albion aren't going to do much business.
00:38Just to clarify what a few people have said,
00:40I still think they're going to do.
00:41I wouldn't be surprised if Albion brought in 5-6,
00:44you know, which is kind of a,
00:46for most of us, probably a routine transfer.
00:48Yeah, your average number, yeah.
00:5011 is exceptionally high,
00:52but that happened last year because of the fact that,
00:54you know, Albion sold off,
00:55because they sold Conor Townsend and sold Rannton.
00:57And, you know, players went at the end of their contract.
01:00Yeah.
01:00There was a lot of work to be done.
01:02There's still a lot of work to be done this summer.
01:04And I would say 5-6 is probably a decent number.
01:07So to sort of people worry and thinking,
01:08Albion are going to bring one or two signings in,
01:10I don't think that's kind of going to be the case.
01:12Yeah, no, absolutely.
01:16I mean, I'd written several times earlier this summer
01:19before the press conference that it's going to be evolution
01:21rather than revolution.
01:23You know, that figure when it was, you know,
01:25it was put to me a couple of weeks ago that,
01:27you know, we signed 11 players last summer.
01:29And it kind of took me aback, to be honest, Johnny.
01:31My memory's not the best,
01:33but I was kind of thinking 11, really?
01:35And then you have a look and the late likes of Holgate
01:40came in late, didn't he, on loan with Mikey Johnson.
01:44I think that was right at the end, wasn't it?
01:47And bulked up the numbers towards the end of the window,
01:49like you say.
01:50And plenty of those recruits, you know,
01:53went into August from memory.
01:55Callum Stiles and one or two others, I think, Rakic.
02:00Yeah, and it's a big figure, like you say, Johnny.
02:02And it's not realistic or healthy every year,
02:06clearly every summer.
02:07If it's happening every summer, summer's badly wrong
02:09and you're going to be plummeting down
02:10through the leagues, I think.
02:12It's more common in League One and League Two,
02:15I would say that, when shorter contracts are given out.
02:17But, yeah, look, we've seen one so far, haven't we?
02:20Which is not a busy start, but we've only just entered July.
02:25And as I said on the video yesterday,
02:26after the press are up, I foresee busier weeks ahead,
02:30to be honest, I think in both directions.
02:32And I think we've said this before,
02:35but I think there are players in the squad
02:36that Albion could do with moving on.
02:39I think there are players in the squad
02:40that'd want to move on.
02:41I think there are players in the squad
02:43that could move on,
02:45that they wouldn't so much want to move on.
02:48And that's quite the thing to say.
02:49But I think, look, Albion have clearly got some,
02:53you know, I would say a handful
02:54of quote-unquote duels, really,
02:58who are, you know, the ones that would be of value,
03:00of real value that, you know,
03:02you would also say, I think,
03:03obviously that are first-team starters,
03:07you know, that are star men,
03:08that you wouldn't say they'd want to lose.
03:10However, as Andrew and Esther insisted yesterday,
03:14without parachute money,
03:16the way the model is,
03:19you know, player trading,
03:20you know, you have to be buying and selling sensibly.
03:22And selling sensibly is as important
03:25as buying sensibly, clearly.
03:28And, look, we can use any example
03:30of a star player at Albion.
03:32You know, you want to mention Heggen,
03:33Fellows, you know, Maja, whatever.
03:37People have mentioned Kayla Taylor,
03:38haven't they?
03:39Someone like Johnson, Josh Griffiths,
03:42whatever.
03:42Players are relatively young,
03:44you know, good talent.
03:46I'm not saying that one or more of them
03:49will definitely be solved this summer,
03:51because I don't know that,
03:51but it would not surprise me in the slightest,
03:54were an offer deemed substantial
03:57to do something there.
03:59And then that becomes the next part
04:01of the project, isn't it,
04:02to reinvest it and repeat those successes.
04:06Basically, that's a successful model.
04:08And no one wants any of those players to go,
04:10really, but it's business, isn't it?
04:13And, look, not all of them
04:17had wonderful seasons last season
04:18for several reasons,
04:19but we don't have to go there yet.
04:20So, I agree with you, Johnny.
04:22I mean, we haven't even got into loan territory yet,
04:24have we?
04:25And obviously, you can use five.
04:27And I think you and I both said yesterday
04:28we expected a decent volume of loans.
04:32And this is something maybe for another day,
04:34if not later in the pod,
04:35but the loans have to be better.
04:38And they haven't been good enough of late.
04:40Certainly, when you compare them
04:41to Albion's level before that,
04:43it was almost like the best players
04:44every season with the loans, weren't they?
04:45And that, in a way, can become a problem.
04:48And Alvin have tried to sign them since,
04:51haven't they, and been stung in some places.
04:53But, obviously, you can use the loan market
04:55to your advantage so much.
04:56And I don't think it's happened enough of late,
04:58if I'm honest.
05:00You think of failures in recent seasons.
05:02So, look, there are also clear areas,
05:05and I think both Mason and Nesta said that,
05:07that the squad needs balking in.
05:09You know, they referenced, didn't they,
05:11two attacking players having left
05:13at the end of their deals
05:14in John Swift and Grady D in Ghana.
05:16Positionally-wise, quite similar players.
05:18And they said, look, that's somewhere
05:20where we're having a look.
05:21However, having said that,
05:23they said Isaac Price came in in January.
05:25Tamir Bani came in in January.
05:27They were outlays, significant outlays,
05:30weren't they, in fees.
05:31So, you know, Isaac Price has already made his mark.
05:33Will continue to do so, I think.
05:35He's one of the jewels I should have mentioned
05:37when I was listing those players earlier.
05:40Tamir Bani hasn't made his mark yet,
05:41but much is hoped.
05:43So, there's always that fluidity, isn't there,
05:45of, OK, just because players have left this summer,
05:49the replacements are maybe already
05:51in the building type thing, you know.
05:52But I think, again, we know,
05:54I think we know that the striking department
05:56needs stocking up, doesn't it?
05:57I did a piece this week,
05:59and for me, I've been a light-up full-back.
06:01You know what I mean?
06:02They look all right in the middle of defence now,
06:03don't they?
06:04Obviously, the one signing has been that Phillips,
06:06but beyond the starting full-backs,
06:08where's the depth?
06:08Where's the competition?
06:09There is none.
06:11We've known for years, haven't we,
06:12Darnell Furlong, you know,
06:15if he goes down, what's next?
06:17You know, where's his competition?
06:18Where's the pushing of him?
06:20Then where else do you look?
06:21You look in midfield,
06:22and yes, the numbers are there,
06:23but can they do more there?
06:24I would say probably.
06:26So, there are areas,
06:27and that's obviously what they'll be acting upon
06:29when I think the ballpark figure
06:31of maybe a summer of, you know,
06:34including the loans,
06:35which, you know,
06:35you would expect them to go up to five,
06:37maybe only three or four.
06:38You expect a ballpark figure of five and seven
06:40new faces through the door.
06:42Now, I'm not saying that
06:43with any sort of clear
06:44sort of information given to me.
06:47That's just educated guesswork
06:49from speaking to people,
06:50listening to people yesterday.
06:51And I think that's where the squad is
06:53and probably what it needs to,
06:55you would say,
06:56be in competitive contention for the top six.
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