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The Guardian's Assessment - From nowhere to the Premier League







trueblue

Well-known member
Jul 5, 2003
10,421
Hove
Pace? Knockaert & March
Strength? Stephens, Sidwell, Kayal, Dunk, Bruno, Rosenior, Duffy

Lots of people have written off the new signings without having seen them too. To describe our position as laughable is too harsh, it's not ideal, but plenty of other clubs have not made the quality or quantity of signings they were hoping for either.

We might go down, we might stay up, but whatever happens, I'm sure you'll still be supporting the Albion in 12 months time.

Good post. I think we're pretty solid, which is a promising start. We ARE short of pace though, by PL standards. At the moment, I think we just won't have the goals in the side to edge enough games. But it's only August 1st.
 


trueblue

Well-known member
Jul 5, 2003
10,421
Hove
All three promoted clubs to go straight back down then?

Can see Huddersfield struggling certainly. Newcastle will probably spend enough when push comes to shove. So we're pinning our hopes on some others having a shocker. Need Burnley to get dragged in this time and there's some evidence from last season to suggest Watford, Stoke and Swansea could be in the mix.
 


Dolph Ins

Well-known member
May 26, 2014
1,525
Mid Sussex
Got home and watched the video. I had small children while this was going on and did nothing. Thank you, thank you, thank you to all of you who saved my club.
 


portslade seagull

Well-known member
Jul 19, 2003
17,610
portslade
They have it pretty much spot on. Maybe not 20th but bottom 3 beckons as it stands. 17th is all we need but that looks like a struggle
 






Raphael Meade

Well-known member
Jul 5, 2003
4,125
Shoreham/LA
100% this. That video (which is excellent) shows yet again why I'm more than happy we haven't gone crazy in the transfer market. I would genuinely prefer us to go down than panic buy someone for £20m on a ridiculous wage who could easily get injured in week 1 or show no team spirit. The club got promoted in the right way and I'm happy for them to do the right thing now.

Spot on!
 


Weststander

Well-known member
NSC Patron
Aug 25, 2011
64,002
Withdean area
100% this. That video (which is excellent) shows yet again why I'm more than happy we haven't gone crazy in the transfer market. I would genuinely prefer us to go down than panic buy someone for £20m on a ridiculous wage who could easily get injured in week 1 or show no team spirit. The club got promoted in the right way and I'm happy for them to do the right thing now.

The club's annual accounting losses escalated to what is believed to be £35m in 2016/17, possibly within FFP, so the club aren't averse to investing in players wages and fees (even when way beyond its true income).

Now that we have huge new financial resources, there's scope for bringing in top flight quality players in the positions needed, without doing "the wrong thing". No need for panic buys, as Winstanley and his superiors have had since 17 April to have planned and acted on getting new recruits.

Perhaps the remaining parts of the jigsaw will be revealed soon? TB will want more than anyone for us NOT to blow this once in, who knows how long, shot at staying in the PL.
 






Herr Tubthumper

Well-known member
NSC Patron
Jul 11, 2003
59,593
The Fatherland
17th is always a struggle, and at least half the Premier League see it as their primary target.

It really is a sad state of affairs that survival is the primary target for most.
 


BadFish

Huge Member
Oct 19, 2003
17,121
100% this. That video (which is excellent) shows yet again why I'm more than happy we haven't gone crazy in the transfer market. I would genuinely prefer us to go down than panic buy someone for £20m on a ridiculous wage who could easily get injured in week 1 or show no team spirit. The club got promoted in the right way and I'm happy for them to do the right thing now.

Absolutely, we have come too far to be over spending now. As long as the team is improving year on year then we have nothing to worry about. Any stint in the Premeier League is going to improve our financial standing so i am happy. I am confident we will give it our best shot and that is good enough for me.
 




Paris

Well-known member
Jul 17, 2010
4,080
13th district
Can see Huddersfield struggling certainly. Newcastle will probably spend enough when push comes to shove. So we're pinning our hopes on some others having a shocker. Need Burnley to get dragged in this time and there's some evidence from last season to suggest Watford, Stoke and Swansea could be in the mix.

If Burnley struggle at home they're down imo. Wouldn't be that surprised to see Southampton struggle this season. They can't keep on changing managers, selling their best players and then simply coast. It will backfire at some stage. Hopefully we'll be in the mix to stay up. Agree that the others you mentioned might have a fight on their hands too.
 
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Fron nowhere to the Premier League - Guardian

Brilliant video from the Guardian

[video]https://www.theguardian.com/football/video/2017/aug/01/brighton-hove-albion-a-journey-from-nowhere-to-the-premier-league-video[/video]

Maybe someone can embed this, I don't know how to do that!
 






Monkey Man

Your support is not that great
Jan 30, 2005
3,157
Neither here nor there
It's fair enough to predict 20th place for us, based on the current squad and our limited top flight experience within the playing staff. I'd probably do the same if I was being totally dispassionate.

However leagues are strange things and there are always examples of teams that overperform and others that go on unexpected bad runs. And there are generally surprise results most weeks of the season. And with not very much separating the bottom 13 sides in the Premier League it's very difficult to predict who the bottom three will be this year, or any year.
 


b.w.2.

Well-known member
Jan 8, 2004
5,182
Those saying it's OK if we go down need their respective heads examined. It is good for nobody at the club, and especially TB, so stop and think before you post...


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 


Simster

"the man's an arse"
Jul 7, 2003
54,209
Surrey
If Burnley struggle at home they're down imo. Wouldn't be that surprised to see Southampton struggle this season. They can't keep on changing managers, selling their best players and then simply coast. It will backfire at some stage. Hopefully we'll be in the mix to stay up. Agree that the others you mentioned might have a fight on their hands too.

Yep, I think the following clubs will definitely be in a relegation battle all season:
Albion
Huddersfield
Burnley
Watford
Swansea

And one or perhaps two of these might:
Southampton
Palace
Newcastle
West Ham
 


Bish Bosh

Active member
Aug 10, 2005
486
Wish it was in the EU
Yep, I think the following clubs will definitely be in a relegation battle all season:
Albion
Huddersfield
Burnley
Watford
Swansea

And one or perhaps two of these might:
Southampton
Palace
Newcastle
West Ham

Stoke were in poor form at the end of last season. May be because they had done enough and then eased off but they could be in the mix. West Bromwich too, especially if Pulis walks and he has a history there.

Overall look at last year's table. Clubs way up on 46 points. Without disaster clubs like Sunderland or previously Villa it will be particularly tight.
 






Simster

"the man's an arse"
Jul 7, 2003
54,209
Surrey
Stoke were in poor form at the end of last season. May be because they had done enough and then eased off but they could be in the mix. West Bromwich too, especially if Pulis walks and he has a history there.

Overall look at last year's table. Clubs way up on 46 points. Without disaster clubs like Sunderland or previously Villa it will be particularly tight.

Yeah I can't disagree with that, but feel that Stoke and WBA will just have too much about them to worry about a relegation threat this season. Stoke seem to blow hot and cold - they go on a great winning streak then fall apart. WBA under Pulis look very solid and they have one or two underrated, fine players. The only way they are going to be involved is, as you say, if Pulis walks out.

I liked the comment made yesterday about team spirit. In itself, it won't see a club challenging well into the top half of the table, but we all saw with Sunderland what happens if you don't have it at all. That at least is something that we don't need to worry about. You couldn't say the same for Huddersfield (given that they've got half a brand new team) and potentially one or two others.
 


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