Dear Gus

[jevs]

Bloody hell...and i thought our lot were fickle !!! sometimes, people really need to take a step back....top of the league by 4 points, in the promotion zone by 6 points and in the FA cup 3rd round draw tonight.

There have been times this season when i've read articles that have mentioned BHA in the same breath as Barcelona and Real madrid....some opposition fans have never seen a team play so well on their turf in their life time.

You were always going to have a sticky spell....most teams do but you've really got to get behind your team and be positive....many players are confidence players and to boo them is just counter productive.

 

[philsussex]

Bloody hell...and i thought our lot were fickle !!! sometimes, people really need to take a step back....top of the league by 4 points, in the promotion zone by 6 points and in the FA cup 3rd round draw tonight.

There have been times this season when i've read articles that have mentioned BHA in the same breath as Barcelona and Real madrid....some opposition fans have never seen a team play so well on their turf in their life time.

You were always going to have a sticky spell....most teams do but you've really got to get behind your team and be positive....many players are confidence players and to boo them is just counter productive.

Good post. Interesting to hear an 'outsider's' point of view.

 

[jevs]

Good post. Interesting to hear an 'outsider's' point of view.

It's never been easy for BHA...especially in the last few years but the one thing i never expected is their fans to boo the team. You've been through thick and thin and always laughed it off but now that promotion is almost expected, the fans start booing. We expect it at West ham....we have some complete cocks at the Boleyn but never expected it with BHA

 

[JBizzle]

The FA Cup is f***ing up our season. FACT.

Sod Pompey in the next round. I want to go up.

 

[Meade's Ball]

Gustavo should definitely open up and admit he made a terrible mistake choosing those players. I mean, how will those players ever know they are rubbish without their manager saying so? It's only that criticism broadcast to a bunch of moaners that will either make those individuals quit the sport as they should, or magic up a will to fight for their place in the replay.

 

[ali jenkins]

Dear Gus,

If you value the fans and want them to get behind you and the team then make sure you put out the strongest team possible for the next 2 FA Cup games.

 

[Tricky Dicky]

It's never been easy for BHA...especially in the last few years but the one thing i never expected is their fans to boo the team. You've been through thick and thin and always laughed it off but now that promotion is almost expected, the fans start booing. We expect it at West ham....we have some complete cocks at the Boleyn but never expected it with BHA

That's just it - for some people expectations have far outweighed reality, mainly due to a few good results. I wonder how many of these same people would have bitten your hand off for a shot at play-offs at the start of this season. As ever, fickle football fans, but not just here.

 

[Turkey]

Bloody hell...and i thought our lot were fickle !!! sometimes, people really need to take a step back....top of the league by 4 points, in the promotion zone by 6 points and in the FA cup 3rd round draw tonight.

There have been times this season when i've read articles that have mentioned BHA in the same breath as Barcelona and Real madrid....some opposition fans have never seen a team play so well on their turf in their life time.

You were always going to have a sticky spell....most teams do but you've really got to get behind your team and be positive....many players are confidence players and to boo them is just counter productive.

Quite. I'm really worried about this divide because if we get people on the manager's back this season could very very quickly change from glorious football to another massive disapointment. We don't have the best players in this division, we don't have much strength in depth, we need to keep our players wrapped up in cotton wool, we musn't get more injuries ala Navarro and suspensions and fatigue. We need everyone to stay behind the team and help them push on. It's the whole Micky Adams feeling of us vs the world we need, not stupid in fighting.

 

[The Sock of Poskett]

Quite. I'm really worried about this divide because if we get people on the manager's back this season could very very quickly change from glorious football to another massive disapointment. We don't have the best players in this division, we don't have much strength in depth, we need to keep our players wrapped up in cotton wool, we musn't get more injuries ala Navarro and suspensions and fatigue. We need everyone to stay behind the team and help them push on. It's the whole Micky Adams feeling of us vs the world we need, not stupid in fighting.

Spot on.

We need to remind ourselves how we've survived the last 13 years or so since the dark days of Belotti, Archer et all.
We're on the verge of potentially the most exciting period in Albion's history since the golden years of 76-83.
We're four points clear at the top of League 1.
We have a manager many clubs would love to have.
We've got a chairman who has paid for our new stadium.
We've not had it so good for a long, long time.

Let's not blow it, eh?

Yes, Gus will make mistakes and sometimes shoots from the hip. Sometimes we'll take issue with his team choices, his tactics or his comments. But booing doesn't help him or the players.

Supporters support the team. We'll get through dips in form, injuries and tough FA Cup battles together - it's the only way.

[end of mini rant]

 

[Westdene Wonder]

I want us out of the cup as soon as possible because these additional games will end up with injuries which result in losing further league points.
What is worrying is that when squad members are used they are unable to deal first time with non-league opposition,the lost opportunity to add a goal scorer could well result in us missing out on promotion.

 

[Spider]

That's just it - for some people expectations have far outweighed reality, mainly due to a few good results. I wonder how many of these same people would have bitten your hand off for a shot at play-offs at the start of this season. As ever, fickle football fans, but not just here.

I wouldn't even consider booing the team at a game like yesterday. The only time I've ever booed them was after the defeat agasint 9 man Wallsall. However, I really don't think that being angry about us not beating a team 4 divisions below us suggests too high expectations!

P.S. Was a nice suprise to see my thread when I woke up this afternoon. i certainly don't remember writing it at 4am last night!

 

[Thunder Bolt]

Bloody hell...and i thought our lot were fickle !!! sometimes, people really need to take a step back....top of the league by 4 points, in the promotion zone by 6 points and in the FA cup 3rd round draw tonight.

There have been times this season when i've read articles that have mentioned BHA in the same breath as Barcelona and Real madrid....some opposition fans have never seen a team play so well on their turf in their life time.

You were always going to have a sticky spell....most teams do but you've really got to get behind your team and be positive....many players are confidence players and to boo them is just counter productive.

Quite. I'm really worried about this divide because if we get people on the manager's back this season could very very quickly change from glorious football to another massive disapointment. We don't have the best players in this division, we don't have much strength in depth, we need to keep our players wrapped up in cotton wool, we musn't get more injuries ala Navarro and suspensions and fatigue. We need everyone to stay behind the team and help them push on. It's the whole Micky Adams feeling of us vs the world we need, not stupid in fighting.

Spot on.

We need to remind ourselves how we've survived the last 13 years or so since the dark days of Belotti, Archer et all.
We're on the verge of potentially the most exciting period in Albion's history since the golden years of 76-83.
We're four points clear at the top of League 1.
We have a manager many clubs would love to have.
We've got a chairman who has paid for our new stadium.
We've not had it so good for a long, long time.

Let's not blow it, eh?

Yes, Gus will make mistakes and sometimes shoots from the hip. Sometimes we'll take issue with his team choices, his tactics or his comments. But booing doesn't help him or the players.

Supporters support the team. We'll get through dips in form, injuries and tough FA Cup battles together - it's the only way.

[end of mini rant]

This, this and this.

 

[West Hoathly Seagull]

I am more concerned about the fact that the "fringe" team is struggling against non-league outfits who they should be able to brush aside without much trouble. If they can't do that, what chance do they have if they get into the first team because of injuries and suspensions in the first choice XI. Strength in depth does not appear to be there on current evidence.

Unfortunately, they have every likelihood of getting into the first team when we pick up injuries and suspensions. Dunk I'm fine with. The others I'm not so sure about - Elphick seems to have gone off the boil since his dropping, Bridcutt gets impetuous, as shown by his lunge at Hartlepool (no, I didn't think it was a red, but it was still a stupid challenge) and his petty throwing down of the ball after a free kick was given against him. From then on, he was far less effective. Navarro's return to fitness is badly needed. The two Argentinians clearly are not up to English football - if Baz can't do it against non-league sluggers, he never will, and we've just seen two poor performances from Battipiedi. Finally, Gus knows his strike force is not up to the task; but this is where we come up against the wages problem. We can afford fees for decent strikers, but not their wages. What was the rumour about Painter's wages at Swindon. £6000 per week was it - I forget, but wasn't he one of those we were priced out of?

 

[West Hoathly Seagull]

Bloody hell...and i thought our lot were fickle !!! sometimes, people really need to take a step back....top of the league by 4 points, in the promotion zone by 6 points and in the FA cup 3rd round draw tonight.

There have been times this season when i've read articles that have mentioned BHA in the same breath as Barcelona and Real madrid....some opposition fans have never seen a team play so well on their turf in their life time.

You were always going to have a sticky spell....most teams do but you've really got to get behind your team and be positive....many players are confidence players and to boo them is just counter productive.

Never been a boo boy myself, only having booed the team on very odd occasions when I thought they weren't trying. The closest I have come was during the Wilkins era; a particularly bad performance on TV against Blackpool is the game that sticks in my mind, and then it was partly as I was hacked off at McGhee's sacking, having been given zero support by the Board. However, I'm an Albion fan of long enough standing to have lived through the worst of the Barry Lloyd days and Gillingham, where we saw REAL rubbish. I must admit that the lack of strength in depth does worry me somewhat, as I've said above, though I guess that's the same for most clubs at this level. Even SCC, Huddersfield and Charlton would struggle with injuries and suspensions, and we have had a number of key players out recently, in particular Sparrow, who is supposed to provide another attacking option from midfield. Despite those concerns, our league position is beyond my wildest dreams at the start of the season, and the second half against SCC shows that if we can field our strongest team, we can get the good performances back.