Ashworth says: “Sometimes the answers are from within”
Transfer speed dating. It sounds like a rubbish reality television show fronted by Robbie Savage or Big Ron Atkinson in which non-league players who think they are miles better than they actually are try and convince a professional club to sign them.
But apparently, it’s actually a thing. There was a transfer speed dating event at Stamford Bridge yesterday as clubs from all over Europe sent along representatives – Brighton Technical Director Dan Ashworth was present – who then had 10 minutes to speak to another club about potential deals.
You can kind of see the appeal. While nobody is going to commit to a £27,000,000 deal for Ezequiel Schelotto over a quick chat and a glass of complimentary prosecco with Ashworth, the Albion could highlight the young players they are hoping to loan out to clubs lower down the leagues or on the continent. We suspect Percy Tau featured rather a lot in Ashworth’s conversations.
The most interesting aspect of the event from an Albion point of view wasn’t anything to do with the speed dating, but came when Ashworth took a few minutes out to speak to media about the club’s transfer business.
The club’s official website revealed that Ashworth said, “Sometimes the answers are from within and not just going out and buying new players.”
Is this a glimpse into what the Albion’s policy for this summer is? So far, only two new faces have arrived to bolster a squad who finished 17th in the Premier League last season.
Leandro Trossard looks on paper a good buy and while Matt Clarke clearly has potential, unless Graham Potter plays three at the back or Lewis Dunk does actually move to Leicester, Clarke is effectively a third choice centre half.
Ashworth’s comments seem to suggest that rather than splash the cash, Potter is going to be expected to get more out of the current crop than Chris Hughton managed to.
Potter of course has a reputation for that. Swansea City’s financial constraints last season meant that he had to blood many of the Swans’ development squad players which he did with great success.
Five of them received first call ups to the Welsh national squad and Daniel James secured a £15m move to Manchester United. Oliver McBurnie meanwhile became one of the best strikers in the Championship.
At Ostersunds, Potter did a slightly different job. He brought to Sweden players who maybe hadn’t fulfilled their potential elsewhere and coaxed performances out of them that were good enough to take the club from fourth tier to Europa League and Swedish Cup winners.
Alireza Jahanbakhsh and Jurgen Locadia are the two most obvious players who have severely under-performed for the Albion. Florin Andone could fit into the category too although his case hasn’t been helped by niggling injuries and stupid suspensions and Yves Bissouma has shown glimpses of his talent but needs more consistency.
There are a whole host of promising prospects below first team level. Aaron Connolly and Viktor Gyokeres are the names most Brighton fans know.
Steve Alzate and Max Sanders both impressed in the Seagulls’ 5-2 friendly win over FC Liefering which started the club’s their pre-season schedule.
Relying on Potter to improve every single one of those players to be of the standard where Brighton aren’t in a relegation battle in 2019-20 is not only a huge ask but a massive risk.
That’s what makes Ashworth’s comments a little troubling, if indeed they point to very little activity on the signings front in the four weeks or so before the transfer window shuts.
As a bare minimum, we need to sign a right back, a central midfielder and ideally a striker. While it was good to see Sanders and Alzate get the chance to showcase their abilities against Liefering, it also highlighted two positions in which we lack depth.
That’s especially true of right back. Sanders started there despite the fact he is actually a central midfielder, so we had a 20-year-old covering a position he doesn’t actually play in.
Bruno’s retirement has left a gaping hole there and a more experienced player either to challenge or play back up to Martin Montoya is desperately needed.
Hopefully, the club realise this and Ashworth’s comments were just a throwaway line. Potter might be an excellent coach, but this is still a squad that hasn’t finished above 15th in the top flight.
It might not need revolution if Potter can coax some form out of all the players who flattered to deceive last season, but it does still need some evolution if it isn’t to be another campaign of struggle and strife.
