[Albion] Premier League 23-25/4/22

[Icy Gull]

A lot of people thought they'd be cannon fodder, but they seem to be every bit as good as teams like these. WHo'd a thunked it. Second season will be the real teller.

They were in freefall before Ericsson joined them, one player can make a difference. We took a punt on Lallana last season as ours, it’s been a failure

 

[Robinjakarta]

Thought Everton gave a good account of themselves and on that performance they'll be fine.

In the Championship.

 

[crodonilson]

They played like Palace did at our place in lockdown. Their fans will put up with that at Anfield. However they now need to win games not draw them. Their next match is at home to Chelsea. A draw won’t be good enough so they can’t put 9 men in their own box and time waste, they will have to show some attacking ambition, Chelsea will pick them off. I think they’re fecked.

Of course they will have to play differently to get the requisite number of points but I was impressed with their spirit, organisation and attitude. Compare their performance to that of Man Utd's at Anfield a few days earlier. Everton are still fighting, I think 9 points will be enough for them from their away game at Watford and then victories at home to on the beach Palace and Brentford.

 

[Paulie Gualtieri]

They played like Palace did at our place in lockdown. Their fans will put up with that at Anfield. However they now need to win games not draw them. Their next match is at home to Chelsea. A draw won’t be good enough so they can’t put 9 men in their own box and time waste, they will have to show some attacking ambition, Chelsea will pick them off. I think they’re fecked.

What’s time for Lukaku to find some form

 

[nwgull]

The right result, would love to see Liverpool win the quadruple, there's a healthy Liverpool presence here in Dorset. Thought Everton gave a good account of themselves and on that performance they'll be fine.

I can see Everton getting a few draws playing like that, but they need wins now. Just can't see them getting the 8-9 points that they'll probably require.

 

[Jim in the West]

Of course they will have to play differently to get the requisite number of points but I was impressed with their spirit, organisation and attitude. Compare their performance to that of Man Utd's at Anfield a few days earlier. Everton are still fighting, I think 9 points will be enough for them from their away game at Watford and then victories at home to on the beach Palace and Brentford.

Easy for Everton to get motivated for a match against Liverpool. Will the same overpaid mercenaries be pumped up for the rest of their games? If they are, I'll take my hat off to Lampard. My guess is, however, they will revert to norm. They will also get nervous (yesterday was all about shithousery and the Mersey derby - no time for nerves....it'll be different from now on). Plus, I don't think Palace and Brentford will roll over quite so easily. They are both decent teams. You could argue that BHA and Southampton should be on the beach, but yesterday's game was keenly fought - no sign of anyone giving up.

 

[Simster]

Tonight's game then. Palace v Leeds

This is one of those rare occasions when you can make a case for it being alright if Palace win.

A win for Palace puts them close to us but drops Leeds right in the shit.
A win for Leeds takes them out of immediate relegation danger but Palace still several points behind us.
A draw doesn't really help either much but it probably helps Leeds more.

I guess it's a draw ideally isn't it, with a point dropped from both? Palace would be 3 points behind us, Leeds would be 3 points ahead of Burnley but with a worse GD and a shocking fixture list remaining.

If not, well I guess it depends how much you value Palace finishing above us again or a properly chucklesome Leeds relegation.

 

[zefarelly]

I'd really like to see Leeds go down. so I can live with a Palace win

 

[Napper]

draw please

 

[Uh_huh_him]

Draw or Leeds.
Never going to want a Palace win (unless it keeps us up, and even then.....)

 

[Nobby Cybergoat]

Tonight's game then. Palace v Leeds

This is one of those rare occasions when you can make a case for it being alright if Palace win.

A win for Palace puts them close to us but drops Leeds right in the shit.
A win for Leeds takes them out of immediate relegation danger but Palace still several points behind us.
A draw doesn't really help either much but it probably helps Leeds more.

I guess it's a draw ideally isn't it, with a point dropped from both? Palace would be 3 points behind us, Leeds would be 3 points ahead of Burnley but with a worse GD and a shocking fixture list remaining.

If not, well I guess it depends how much you value Palace finishing above us again or a properly chucklesome Leeds relegation.

Having the same dilemma. I'm going to try to forget the game is happening and take the positives with whatever the result is

 

[Swansman]

Palace win, please. If they get one or two points more or less than Brighton because of it... I struggle to give a shit. Ten points here or there gives bragging rights, a handful of points.. pretty meh and random, and not worth it if Leeds staying up is the cost of it. Can't miss out on that opportunity.

 

[One Love]

Palace win, please. If they get one or two points more or less than Brighton because of it... I struggle to give a shit.

I'm not surprised, you're not a Brighton supporter.

 

[Swansman]

I'm not surprised, you're not a Brighton supporter.

Regardless of my affiliation to Brighton I wont place myself in some fetal position tearfully fearing what Crystal Palace might do.

 

[bhafc99]

They played like Palace did at our place in lockdown. Their fans will put up with that at Anfield. However they now need to win games not draw them. Their next match is at home to Chelsea. A draw won’t be good enough so they can’t put 9 men in their own box and time waste, they will have to show some attacking ambition, Chelsea will pick them off. I think they’re fecked.

“When you are in a relegation fight, sometimes the ends justify the means. Sometimes you just have to sit deep, make it ugly, and make sure you only lose 2-0 with 17% possession. Everton tried everything to derail Liverpool here, except play football. But when the other team is so lavishly and embarrassingly better than you, perhaps the only tactic left is to take the football out of the equation entirely. When you are leaking goals from all directions, perhaps there is little point in coming here and playing like Graham Potter’s Brighton.”

Today’s Guardian!

 

[Seagull on the Hill]

Come on Leeds!

 

[Milano]

“When you are in a relegation fight, sometimes the ends justify the means. Sometimes you just have to sit deep, make it ugly, and make sure you only lose 2-0 with 17% possession. Everton tried everything to derail Liverpool here, except play football. But when the other team is so lavishly and embarrassingly better than you, perhaps the only tactic left is to take the football out of the equation entirely. When you are leaking goals from all directions, perhaps there is little point in coming here and playing like Graham Potter’s Brighton.”

Today’s Guardian!

We drew 2-2 playing that way up there. On paper Everton’s players are on a par with or better than ours………

 

[Icy Gull]

“When you are in a relegation fight, sometimes the ends justify the means. Sometimes you just have to sit deep, make it ugly, and make sure you only lose 2-0 with 17% possession. Everton tried everything to derail Liverpool here, except play football. But when the other team is so lavishly and embarrassingly better than you, perhaps the only tactic left is to take the football out of the equation entirely. When you are leaking goals from all directions, perhaps there is little point in coming here and playing like Graham Potter’s Brighton.”

Today’s Guardian!

I’ll take that as a compliment, although I’m sure it wasn’t written as one

We are being taken seriously as a PL team, with a twist. What’s not to like?

Enjoy seeing us being referred to as Graham Potter’s Brighton too

 

[One Love]

Regardless of my affiliation to Brighton I wont place myself in some fetal position tearfully fearing what Crystal Palace might do.

LMAO you go so over the top. I don't know any Brighton fan that would be doing that.

However finishing above them for once would be great and stop the forever in our shadow comments.

 

[Stato]

Palace win, please. If they get one or two points more or less than Brighton because of it... I struggle to give a shit. Ten points here or there gives bragging rights, a handful of points.. pretty meh and random, and not worth it if Leeds staying up is the cost of it. Can't miss out on that opportunity.

Leeds aren't going down. If there is an opportunity, its quite a small one. Even if were large, it would actually be better for Brighton's chances to lose Everton from next year's EPL than to lose Leeds. With Phillips sold and Bielsa gone, they'll be odds on to fill one of next year's places, but, in all honesty, as long as its not us, and if it can't be Palace, most of us don't care a single jot who else goes down.

Vs.

If you had lived our history, you'd be very aware that Brighton have finished ahead of Palace in the League just once in the last 40 years. On that occasion they still had the last laugh by knocking us out of the play offs. I don't care whether we have to sneak past them on alphabetical order, I want that finally put to bed.

Its not even close. If we still had him, I'd be in favour of loaning them Ben White again just for this evening.