[Albion] Get a grip

Mo Gosfield · Sep 19, 2018

Blind Pugh said:
I made the point on a similar debate last season. This being that Hughton was adopting a safety first approach, stay in the game and trying and nick a goal. This was with a promoted squad with some new talent being integrated. We did not splash the cash indiscriminately (a la Holloway). We looked to gain a point on our rivals with a fairly modest negative goal difference. This was helpful in our survival.

The view expressed that we should watch his approach when the squad was strengthened in the close season. Now Hughton has gone up a notch with his recruitment he 'appears' to be following that notion. All well and good at Anfield, but at St Marys I think a number of us were looking for the team to express themselves a little bit more.

Our GD made no difference to our survival last season. Its winning games at PL level that count.
We spent months last season watching sterile, unadventurous football and losing many games 2-0 and accepting them like moral victories. That was until Chelsea and Liverpool rocked up and reduced our GD by -8 in 180 minutes. Ultimately we finished with a GD of -20. There is always a potential battering round the corner. We are not good enough to avoid one or two. Bmuff adopted a different approach. Go for it, when you can, home and away. Take your thumpings on the chin but take advantage of anyone below par on the day. They concede a lot of goals but finished -16, better than us. Eddie Howe isn't the slightest bit worried about GD. He targets winnable games home and away and looks to spring the odd surprise ( 3-0 at Chelsea )
It is about attitude. We started games at Watford and Southampton poorly, at the wrong tempo and on the back foot. We will only pick up more away points by taking the game to teams early, before they have a chance to settle. Most surprise results that lesser teams get are as a result of early goals and defending well afterwards. We have shown that we can organise, get men behind the ball and make it difficult for the better teams. We have played three away games this season and tried to play catch up in all of them. For a side like us, who are not prolific scorers, that is a problem.
Teams come to the Amex and are trying to press us from the first whistle. We should be doing this much more away from home.

Thunder Bolt · Sep 19, 2018

Badger Boy said:
I'd love for Chris to decide that we could compete better by attacking teams when we're away. Rather than just sitting in and waiting for the inevitable goal conceded before starting to think about playing. I think we've got class throughout the team, we should be able to produce better performances than we have been.

Apart from the top 6 teams, the number of away wins, in the Premier League averages 4. We won two with a Championship squad, in the main. Hopefully we can get up to 4 wins this season.

https://www.worldfootball.net/schedule/eng-premier-league-2017-2018-spieltag/38/auswaerts/

Kalimantan Gull · Sep 19, 2018

Icy Gull said:
NEXT time he scores? Remind me when he last scored for us, I genuinely don’t know the answer to this but I was under the impression that he hadn’t scored at all.

I bloody love Propper and can forgive him one bad half in a midfield team performance that lacked any quality at all for 45 minutes. He was much better in the second half and was part of why we came back to gut Saints.

Just assume everything I write is partly tongue-in-cheek and we'll go far.

This is his last goal

I love Propper too. And I really didn't mean to make this about him, but I felt it needed saying. Now we move on. Most of all I strongly believe that every team needs a player who does all the unsung work that makes others shine, through hard pressing, tracking over the pitch breaking up play, picking up balls, moving them on. Thing is, for us that's Dale Stephens. I kinda want more from the other CM, and Bissouma offers this tantalising promise.

Machiavelli · Sep 19, 2018

Cozzy said:
The thing about forums (and footy supporters) is they are full of people with strong opinions. Many of those opinions vary from a little to a lot with some agreeing on some things and getting into a rage about others. Take it all with a bucket of salt and just believe in what you believe and let the headless chickens get in a panic over something they have a different opinion to that of those that matter which in this case is CH and his back room staff who have ultimate say on these matters regarding the Albion.
Every one is entitled to their opinion but some would do better to stay out of the debate as it obviously is too much work for their brains

All IMHO of course

It's not the strong opinions that so much concern me, it's the sense of entitlement that really bugs me. It's rife among football fans (listen to 6-0-6 for instance), but I'd have thought given Brighton's history, we'd be somewhat immune from it. Seems not.

Thunder Bolt · Sep 19, 2018

Machiavelli said:
It's not the strong opinions that so much concern me, it's the sense of entitlement that really bugs me. It's rife among football fans (listen to 6-0-6 for instance), but I'd have thought given Brighton's history, we'd be somewhat immune from it. Seems not.

We really should be beating teams like Southampton, yet when I've said or posted it could be arrogance, the person vehemently denies it.

Brovion · Sep 19, 2018

BBassic said:
You can support the team and not be pleased with performances, or aspects of them.

Sums it up in a nutshell. Being pissed off with the first half against Southampton, and saying so on here, does NOT make you a negative ungrateful whinger or a bad fan. (Not least because that's exactly what the players thought too). There is absolutely nothing said on here that fans haven't said between themselves in pubs, workplaces, buses, etc since professional football began.

My only caveat is that if you want to be negative - do it here. That's what NSC is (partly) for. Don't take it out on the players at the game. (Away fans very very rarely do this anyway as almost by definition they're the most passionate and loyal members of the fanbase).

Machiavelli · Sep 19, 2018

Weststander said:
Great point.

There’s a vast difference between gutted fans posting as we’re getting outplayed and beat, simply sharing the pain, from those who appear to feast on destroying Locadia, Stephens, March after an allegedly poor performance.

I've said this before but you have Stephens-tinted spectacles. Perhaps not on the pitch, but on here certainly. He, alongside Propper, had a mare in the first half, as did most others, but those two certainly stood out. How many threads were started up about Stephens, and how many threads about Propper?

Weststander · Sep 19, 2018

Wardy's twin said:
Same this season ... Liverpool away we looked very good.

The improvement in the recent second half at Anfield, versus that of 90 minutes back in May, was incredible. Similarly, we were far better on the night in recently beating ManU in football all over the park, compared to the hard fought narrow win in April.

Not a smooth curve, but signs of upping our game in overall terms.

NooBHA · Sep 19, 2018

Brovion said:
Good point! This time last year (after strikergate) there was a definite feeling amongst some fans of: "let's hope we're not too far adrift come January and then the new signings will be able to save us. Oh, and will we ever be able to beat a Top Six side?"

What we are witnessing here may be the beginning of our Sense of Entitlement which I think inevitability comes to all PL teams eventually. No one has gone as far as to say "we should be beating teams like Southampton", but on the other hand people are already far less tolerant of poor performances than they were last season.. People are, rightly, pissed off by that first half performance and are saying" **** me that was shit" rather than "Well it's the Premier League and Southampton are an established club so it's no surprise it took us a while to get going. The fightback was encouraging though."

I have started to be able to spot a poor performance coming within 10 mins into the match.

I always now look closely at Dale Stephens. If he starts off strolling around like it's a training ground match I know its gonna be a nightmare. If Dale looks up for it right from the off we get a much better performance. I have always been told how important a player he is and I see it now. He has to be right up for it to inspire players round him - I would actually make Dale the Captain but obviously it is difficult to do that now because people would see it as a ''slur'' on Dunky, when in fact it wouldn't be. It would only be that The Defenders are always usually ''up for it'' but the creative players in the middle of the park need a ''motivator'' around them and I think Dale would provide that more often if he was given the responsibility of Captain

NooBHA · Sep 19, 2018

Bozza said:
I have the following pencilled in:

"Ship out Locadia (hopefully)"

Don't worry...............I have a pencil rubber you can borrow in Janury

Perry Milkins · Sep 19, 2018

Mo Gosfield said:
Our GD made no difference to our survival last season. Its winning games at PL level that count.
We spent months last season watching sterile, unadventurous football and losing many games 2-0 and accepting them like moral victories. That was until Chelsea and Liverpool rocked up and reduced our GD by -8 in 180 minutes. Ultimately we finished with a GD of -20. There is always a potential battering round the corner. We are not good enough to avoid one or two. Bmuff adopted a different approach. Go for it, when you can, home and away. Take your thumpings on the chin but take advantage of anyone below par on the day. They concede a lot of goals but finished -16, better than us. Eddie Howe isn't the slightest bit worried about GD. He targets winnable games home and away and looks to spring the odd surprise ( 3-0 at Chelsea )

It is about attitude. We started games at Watford and Southampton poorly, at the wrong tempo and on the back foot. We will only pick up more away points by taking the game to teams early, before they have a chance to settle. Most surprise results that lesser teams get are as a result of early goals and defending well afterwards. We have shown that we can organise, get men behind the ball and make it difficult for the better teams. We have played three away games this season and tried to play catch up in all of them. For a side like us, who are not prolific scorers, that is a problem.

Teams come to the Amex and are trying to press us from the first whistle. We should be doing this much more away from home.

Don't disagree.The point I was making was that we are now richer in squad depth and it seems he is still meek in the style he wasn't away from home.

Weststander · Sep 19, 2018

Machiavelli said:
I've said this before but you have Stephens-tinted spectacles. Perhaps not on the pitch, but on here certainly. He, alongside Propper, had a mare in the first half, as did most others, but those two certainly stood out. How many threads were started up about Stephens, and how many threads about Propper?

Unashamedly, I rate Stephens as a solid PL defensive midfielder, vital to our team. In addition, with so much muscle/height in the PL, Stephens is vital in various battles.

It's no accident that the Albion players rate him highly too.

Personally I don't tend to join in the anti-Propper binfests and wasn't a part of the Aug/Sept17 lynch-mob.

There were many anti Stephens posts last season, but they died a death when we started getting results.

All about varied opinions.

Mo Gosfield · Sep 19, 2018

Blind Pugh said:
Don't disagree.The point I was making was that we are now richer in squad depth and it seems he is still meek in the style he wasn't away from home.

Leopards/spots etc. Maybe he won't change. Maybe we will have the pragmatic away approach for the whole of his tenure. If we do, I fear more away allocations will fail to sell out. The hardcore will still pitch up every game. The next tranche ( 50-75% away attendees ) will be more selective.

Machiavelli · Sep 19, 2018

Weststander said:
Unashamedly, I rate Stephens as a solid PL defensive midfielder, vital to our team. In addition, with so much muscle/height in the PL, Stephens is vital in various battles.

It's no accident that the Albion players rate him highly too.

Personally I don't tend to join in the anti-Propper binfests and wasn't a part of the Aug/Sept17 lynch-mob.

There were many anti Stephens posts last season, but they died a death when we started getting results.

All about varied opinions.

It is, and I don't really disagree with your assessment on Stephens here (although I think in the past you've claimed he's quicker than Propper, which I just don't get), but you're missing my point. My point is that there isn't too much of an anti-Stephens agenda on here, yet you claim there is in lumping him together with March and Locadia as our boo-boys (whereas there'd have been far more validity to substitute the name Propper for Stephens in your list). And it's this that informed my previous post.

rippleman · Sep 19, 2018

Bold Seagull said:
So how is that different from people questioning Locadia which in turn has led to this thread about negativity, which you’re agreeing with even though it’s most likely the Propper & Locadia threads that have prompted it.

I see a difference here. Propper has been an unsung hero since joining. Until Monday night he has not had a bad game and I was baffled to see a thread started to put the boot in.

Locadia, on the other hand, has made no positive contribution in any PL game that I have seen. Why we binned off Hemed to keep Locadia in the 25 is baffling. He may turn things around and after the money we spent on him I really hope he does. But based on his contributions to date, I'm beginning to wonder.

Therein lies the difference.

Icy Gull · Sep 19, 2018

Kalimantan Gull said:
Just assume everything I write is partly tongue-in-cheek and we'll go far.

This is his last goal

I love Propper too. And I really didn't mean to make this about him, but I felt it needed saying. Now we move on. Most of all I strongly believe that every team needs a player who does all the unsung work that makes others shine, through hard pressing, tracking over the pitch breaking up play, picking up balls, moving them on. Thing is, for us that's Dale Stephens. I kinda want more from the other CM, and Bissouma offers this tantalising promise.

You had me fooled there you absolute Dick, I was at that game and thought I had a bit of dementia :smile:

I didn’t realise how good the graphics are on whatever football manager programme that is from!

Weststander · Sep 19, 2018

Machiavelli said:
It is, and I don't really disagree with your assessment on Stephens here (although I think in the past you've claimed he's quicker than Propper, which I just don't get), but you're missing my point. My point is that there isn't too much of an anti-Stephens agenda on here, yet you claim there is in lumping him together with March and Locadia as our boo-boys (whereas there'd have been far more validity to substitute the name Propper for Stephens in your list). And it's this that informed my previous post.

Hi.

I did get your point.

Personally I think Stephens WAS persistently criticised variously on NSC, by a quite a large numbers of posters. A typical theme was "What exactly does he do?" He was debated to death, with views polarised. It seemed to mainly disappear once we started to get all those great results (West Ham, Arsenal, etc) where I assume he shone.

I agree, Propper gets a battering too, but my note of names was only a sample; I could've mentioned many current and recent past players who were crucified on NSC and at games. I'm a nomad in buying tickets around the Amex and we've sat next to Albion 'fans' who loudly detest Baldock, or Hemed, or Murray, or Knockaert.

Almost funny isn't it?

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[Albion] Get a grip

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