[Albion] Do Brighton have a bigger problem than they realise? (Four Four Two article)

[Jolly Red Giant]

if you watched all our games you would know that if potter is anything he is adaptive, our style is continuously evolving.

Being 'adaptive' without it having any real effect on the outcome of games does not show innovation in my book - to me it appears that Potter is trying different things because he does not know how to solve the problem.

and all those players you mention, for on reason or another, would not play for old man hughts

Well I would dispute that - but the reality is that its irrelevant. There has been a 'transformation' in the past 18/20 months - how much of that transformation is down to Potter and his 'adaptability' and how much is down to practically an entirely new first eleven is open to conjecture.

Now Potter deserves credit for changing the style of play - deserves credit for taking advantage of Bloom's willingness to stump up probably in excess of £100m over that period - deserves credit for having the team well prepared after the PL resumed in June (7 points from the first 4 games was massive - at the lockdown Brighton were 2 points above the relegation zone). The problem at the moment is that the team are drawing games they should win and losing games they should draw (or even win) given the balance of play in the game etc. The team appear soft and inconsistent and are far from clinical enough - that, unfortunately, is a recipe for things going belly-up if Potter doesn't pull them out of the rut soon.

I have made the point that if the team can put some daylight between themselves and the relegation spots then I think the confidence will grow and they will pick up more points. The problem is that the team have not been able to create that gap - and instead are falling behind and getting caught in the relegation mire. If Arsenal win tomorrow then there will be a 5 point gap to Newcastle and with Burnley likely beating Sheff Utd, Brighton will be one place and two points above the relegation spots. The team then faces a really tough game against Wolves and, if Fulham manage to pick up a couple of points, by the time they head to Leeds they could be in 18th spot and in a spiral having to face Fulham in a crucial six-pointer that could actually make or break the rest of the season.

This team is too good to be where it is - and Potter is a PL manager who managed to get things sorted last season - but I fear that there could be a second season syndrome going on with Potter, with other coaches figuring out how to play against this team and Brighton ending up losing points as a result. It has happened all too often before with other teams and other managers. Here is hoping he pulls the team out of the funk it is in and starts putting a few points on the board.

 

[Jolly Red Giant]

There are two ways to improve the pace at which we play, simplistically. One is pass and move at greater intensity. The other is to play players who are quick. Either we move our brains more quickly or our feet. It won't result in the same style of play, but i'd suggest we look at getting more pace in to the team. You see what a difference Lamptey makes. I'd argue that any future transfer over the next season or two should have acceleration and speed as key assets. We look MUCH better when we attack at pace.

I agree - pace is crucial - particularly for teams in the bottom half of the league

 

[rogersix]

Being 'adaptive' without it having any real effect on the outcome of games does not show innovation in my book - to me it appears that Potter is trying different things because he does not know how to solve the problem.


Well I would dispute that - but the reality is that its irrelevant. There has been a 'transformation' in the past 18/20 months - how much of that transformation is down to Potter and his 'adaptability' and how much is down to practically an entirely new first eleven is open to conjecture.

Now Potter deserves credit for changing the style of play - deserves credit for taking advantage of Bloom's willingness to stump up probably in excess of £100m over that period - deserves credit for having the team well prepared after the PL resumed in June (7 points from the first 4 games was massive - at the lockdown Brighton were 2 points above the relegation zone). The problem at the moment is that the team are drawing games they should win and losing games they should draw (or even win) given the balance of play in the game etc. The team appear soft and inconsistent and are far from clinical enough - that, unfortunately, is a recipe for things going belly-up if Potter doesn't pull them out of the rut soon.

I have made the point that if the team can put some daylight between themselves and the relegation spots then I think the confidence will grow and they will pick up more points. The problem is that the team have not been able to create that gap - and instead are falling behind and getting caught in the relegation mire. If Arsenal win tomorrow then there will be a 5 point gap to Newcastle and with Burnley likely beating Sheff Utd, Brighton will be one place and two points above the relegation spots. The team then faces a really tough game against Wolves and, if Fulham manage to pick up a couple of points, by the time they head to Leeds they could be in 18th spot and in a spiral having to face Fulham in a crucial six-pointer that could actually make or break the rest of the season.

This team is too good to be where it is - and Potter is a PL manager who managed to get things sorted last season - but I fear that there could be a second season syndrome going on with Potter, with other coaches figuring out how to play against this team and Brighton ending up losing points as a result. It has happened all too often before with other teams and other managers. Here is hoping he pulls the team out of the funk it is in and starts putting a few points on the board.

you don't like football, do you

 

[nickjhs]

I think the point of the article is pretty clear. Potter has got a lot of plaudits for improving us but we're not improving where it actually counts. While this might not be revelatory to Brighton fans, a lot of non brighton fans might be surprised by just how bad our results have been.

How good our stats are compared to our results is running commentary on all forms of media. Nothing new, the author has simply regurgitated what all the pundits have been saying. Why post it here

 

[giveusfalmerplease]

I think 40 points will be minimum need this year to avoid the drop. So our ( slightly under) one point per game won't be enough so SOMETHING has to change, our luck will do!

 

[Justice]

West Ham now lead the race for the prolific Boulaye Dia he may of helped get one or two goals.

 

[phoenix]

Bite? F***in' hell!

You seem to have picked up the ridiculous idea that I was advocating hoofball (a dreadful word not worth the space it takes up). Please read my posts and see what I am saying before replying with a complete non-sequitur!
I'll spell it out for you:
* Our passing game is fine;
* Passing out from the back is fine (as long as our players recognise the occasional cases where row Z is appropriate - occasionally it is!)
* The passes we are making are fine - BUT ..........
......... when player A passes to player B, the ball is traveling from A to B too slowly; it's the right pass to make, but the ball needs to reach player B before the opposition has had time to stroll into position to pressurise player B and keep their shape.
Same passes that we're making at the moment, not hoofball facepalm, just make the ball travel the same distance, in the same direction, but quicker!

Geez! - some people can be hard work!

Why are you saying Fin hell ? Its really not necessary.
We are just having a little chat.
I am not the best at putting things over in writing,I must admit.

No! i'm saying if the OTHER team HOOF it upfield we will be a little thin at the back,

Please try to stay calm,thanks Goodnight. .

 

[sydney]

They obviously need to put NSC on ignore

i'm sure they have but besides that i thought man management would have been Gra's forte.

 

[HastingsSeagull]

We'll continue being 16th or 17th until we sign a quality striker. Have a bad run of injuries or loose some players to other clubs and we could slip lower like Bournmouth did.

We can put in all the hard work and have lots of the ball and chances. Be unlucky in some games, wasteful in others. If we continue playing well in the middle 4/6ths of the pitch and average at the back, but dire around the opponents box (our crossing isn't even good either) squandering chances then that's our ceiling. Maybe 15th. Sign a striker who converts or exceeds his xg and we'd be mid table. Where the other 90% of our team deserve to be.

I'm also amazed MacAllister can't get a game but guess we don't see him in training.

 

[OzMike]

Can’t argue with that.

This, we really need a sniper in the box.

 

[Acker79]

I think 40 points will be minimum need this year to avoid the drop. So our ( slightly under) one point per game won't be enough so SOMETHING has to change, our luck will do!

Every year someone seems to think that. This year, though, I think there might be something in it. When a team runs away with it, as liverpool did last year, there tends to be a concentration of points at the top end, meaning the there are fewer at the bottom end, lowering the survival points target. This year, there have been so many dropped points by the top teams already, that they will be more spread out and potentially increase the points at the bottom end.

 

[Jim in the West]

Every year someone seems to think that. This year, though, I think there might be something in it. When a team runs away with it, as liverpool did last year, there tends to be a concentration of points at the top end, meaning the there are fewer at the bottom end, lowering the survival points target. This year, there have been so many dropped points by the top teams already, that they will be more spread out and potentially increase the points at the bottom end.

I think the thing that's different this year is that the points are getting distributed more evenly at the top and middle of the table. All three teams in the relegation zone this year have FEWER points than at the same stage last season (Everton 14, Norwich 11, Watford 8....a total of 33, compared to a total of 21 points this season - Fulham 11, West Brom 8, Sheff Utd 2). It is inconceivable that Sheff Utd will even get to 35 points - they'd need to average almost 1.5 pts/game over the rest of the season. They are 99% relegated. West Brom, even with Big Sam, have a huge job. I can't see any of the bottom three getting to forty points. Which is good, as I can't see us getting to that number either!

 

[Jolly Red Giant]

if you watched all our games you would know that if potter is anything he is adaptive, our style is continuously evolving.

Well roger - maybe you could indicate where Potter was 'adaptive' tonight and in what way the style was 'continuously evolving'?

 

[rogersix]

Well roger - maybe you could indicate where Potter was 'adaptive' tonight and in what way the style was 'continuously evolving'?

forest up shit street then?

and he's not even irish

 

[Jolly Red Giant]

forest up shit street then?

and he's not even irish

Go on - have a bash at answering the question