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Transfer Window Round Up - Summer 2010

Gus Poyet has been a very busy boy in the summer transfer window with no fewer than 13 new players arriving at Withdean and ten leaving.

There has been cash spent on two of those with signings ranging from the glamour of Scunthorpe to the horrors of Argentina. Or have we got that the wrong way around?

It's squad that has been built for one purpose and that is to win promotion to the Championship for the first season at The Amex. Out have gone League One standard players like Dean Cox and Adam Virgo and in have come proven Championship performers such as Matt Sparrow and Radostin Kishishev.

One thing still appears to be missing however and that is that elusive and much trumpeted 30 goal a season striker. Can we get by without one?

Here is the full (and long list) of all this summers movers:

OUT:
Andrew Crofts - Norwich City
The reigning Player of the Season's worth to the Albion didn't go unnoticed as promoted Norwich paid £300,000 for the former captains services. Goals from midfield are a valuable commodity and that's earned the Wales international a place in the Championship after one season at Withdean.
Liam Dickinson - Peterborough United
Signed for £300,000 last summer and sold for £100,000 a year later isn't the best bit of business ever. He never really got going at Withdean and the writing was on the wall as early as last November when he was photographeded carrying a passed out girl on a Monday night in West Street.
Adam Virgo - Yeovil Town
Not the sort of ball playing defender that Gus Poyet wants in his side, he nearly moved in January but remained at the club for the second half of the season. Released on a free since bringing an end to a less than successful second spell, he's signed for Yeovil Town.
Dean Cox - Leyton Orient
Set up two goals on Poyet's first game in charge at Southampton but it's been a steady decline since then to the point where he was released on a free. Always playing second fiddle in terms of widemen once Elliott Bennett signed, he links up with Russell Slade at Leyton Orient.
Michel Kuipers - Crawley Town
And so ends one of the great careers in Albion history with Michel Kuipers' release from the club. Lost his place to Sexy Pete Breozvan in February and unable to regain it, he drops down to the Conference for 2010/11 with moneybags Crawley Town.

Nicky Forster - Brentford
Fell out with Gus after asking why he wasn't being given a new contract in February last year despite being top scorer at the time. Moved on loan to Charlton and helped them into the play offs and has now signed for Brentford, where you'd expect him to still have goals in him.
Colin Hawkins - Sporting Fingal
Calamity Hawk never featured under Gus thanks to the fact he spent most of the season injured and also because he was of course a complete liability. Now back in Ireland with Sporting Fingal, his last Withdean appearance will stick long in the memory after a red card just 90 seconds after coming on.
Craig Davies - Chesterfield
Barn Door Davies leaves after a grand total of one goal in just over a year at the club. Nobody who was there will ever forget one of the worst individual performances of all time he put in at MK Dons in 2009 and after loan spells with Yeovil and Port Vale, he signs on a free for Chesterfield.
Sebastien Carole - None
They say never go back, but they don't say never go back twice which is exactly what Sebastian Carole did when Gus signed him up for a third spell at the Albion in January. He played eight times in total before being released in a summer and is yet to find a club.
Jake Wright - Oxford United
Bought in as a left back last summer to cover Jim McNulty's injury absence, he never looked comfortable there always appearing to be more of a centre half. A loan move to Oxford followed and helped them to promotion from the Conference with the move to the Kassam now becoming permanent.

IN:
Gordon Greer - Swindon Town
Made the move from the County Ground to Withdean much to Swindon supporters disgust and bemusement. Instantly installed as captain, a ball playing centre half who fits exactly into the Gus type of player. Only questions surround his temperament, not helped by a debut red card really!
Matt Sparrow - Scunthorpe United
Over a decades service at Scunthorpe in which he has made a name for himself as a goalscoring midfield. The perfect replacement for Andrew Crofts then and quite a coup for the Albion to get him to leave his boyhood club and drop a level at the same time.
Ashley Barnes - Plymouth Argyle
Young striker who impressed on-loan at the end of last season after replacing Nicky Forster. That temporary deal has now been turned permanent for a rumoured fee of around £100,000 and with no new front line striker arriving, he has a real chance of first team football.
Casper Ankergren - Leeds United
Signed on the eve of the season after an injury to Peter Brezovan and Gus not being convinced with Michael Poke. A dependable goalkeeper at this level who helped Leeds United to promotion last season and should be more than good enough for League One.
Marcos Painter - Swansea City
Like Barnes, another loanee who turned their deal into a permanent move. He signed on a free after being released by Swansea City where he lifted the League One title in 2008. His arrival alongside Inigo Calderon the catalyst to the up turn in form in the second half of last season.
Kazenga LuaLua - Newcastle United
Signed on loan in the second half of last season, he is back for a similar agreement this time from Newcastle United. Electric winger with a powerful shot who really impressed at Withdean and a big signing to have made. Hopefully a precursor to a permanent deal.
Radostin Kishishev - FC Litex Lovetch
Played under Gus at Leeds and has moved from the wonderfully named Bulgarian side Litex Lovetch. A vastly experienced international player who has played in the Premier League and Championship and will fill the holding midfield role while dictating the pace of the game.
Liam Bridcutt - Chelsea
Young holding midfielder bought in to play back up to the aging Kishishev who he will learn the game from. He arrives on a free after being released from Chelsea having had loan spells at Yeovil, Watford and Stockport over the last few seasons.
Fran Sandaza - Dundee United
Not the 30 goal a season man we were expecting. Striker who looks suspiciously like a horse and arrives from Dundee United were he was a semi-regular scorer in the SPL. Given our last two signings from Scotland were Steve Thomson and Graeme Smith, we won't hold our breath.
Agustin Battipiedi - Club Comunicaciones
Young Argentinian midfielder who has arrived after some serious scouting of South America in the summer. Not much is known about him other than he has signed a one year deal. Looked neat and tidy in pre-season but the jury is out on if he will be good enough for League One.
Cristian Baz - Club Comunicaciones
The second young player to come from Argentina this summer. A striker or wide man who judging by some of his highlights on YouTube has an eye for the spectacular goals from distance. Will have to fight off a lot of competition to get a chance this season.
Torbjorn Agdestein - Stord IL
Young striker who continued the international feel of the new Brighton and Hove Albion signing from his native Norway. Tall and imposing, he appears to be a target man esque player with an eye for goal. He is also rather good looking in that traditional Scandinavian way.
Michael Poke - Southampton
Goalkeeper who spent last season on-loan at Torquay and signed following his release from Southampton. Originally bought in to challenge Brezovan for the number one shirt, Ankergren's arrival has in all reality seen him slip to third choice.

Positives:

Negatives:

Rating:

  • Proven Championship quality in Matt Sparrow and Radostin Kishishev.
  • Loan players who made a difference last season coming in pemanently.

  • Reported disruptive influences in the changing room Liam Dickinson and Dean Cox gone.
  • Money spent on players who have done it before in League One - unlike last seasons outgoings.
  • Still no 30 goal a season striker, which leaves the squad looking very thin in terms of centre forwards.

8.4
/10