Season of failure?

[nwgull]

I was 8 same age and my dad worked for the club and got an extra season ticket free which enabled my brother to come and my dad got 2 free FA Cup final tickets in 83 and what a day. Problem today is that people like us remember the old days, surges, atmosphere, and today we see atmosphere like a tea party at the Amex. When I see the Amex and look at the north stand my mind races back to the Goldstone but there's nothing there at the Amex, silence.

Why do you go then - or do you still go? Modern football is never going to go back to that.

 

[northernseagull]

I was 8 same age and my dad worked for the club and got an extra season ticket free which enabled my brother to come and my dad got 2 free FA Cup final tickets in 83 and what a day. Problem today is that people like us remember the old days, surges, atmosphere, and today we see atmosphere like a tea party at the Amex. When I see the Amex and look at the north stand my mind races back to the Goldstone but there's nothing there at the Amex, silence.

This bashing of the North Stand epitomizes your overall view on segments of the club - deluded. The North on 'occasions' has been absolutely brilliant - just like I'm led to believe on 'occasions' it was brilliant at Goldstone.

 

[ady1973]

About the mark I reckon considering all that went on in the summer, a new manager who had not seen a great deal of English Football let alone managed in it.
Add the injury problems and the FFP restrictions. I would say not a bad job.

Next season he will have a better idea what he needs to succeed in English football and more about the passionate fans.

 

[Official Old Man]

First game of the season and the belief was of top two but Leeds, Newport & Derby put paid to that. So a rebuilding season with some good cup games. Back again to Newport! As the season went on I was happy with a top half finish with a rebuilding and hopefully new signings over winter and then summer. But in the last few months we've had 'in our own hands' top six placings which we threw away with bad results against lowly teams. We are a top six set up and we should aim for this position at least.

 

[Miami Seagull]

Seeing as Bloom said he expected Top 6 then anything less is a failure

This. It was clearly the clubs minimum requirement for the season this year. Anything less is certainly a failure, especially as the standard needed to get into the top 6 is less this year and we have had some many good opportunities, with a full squad, to solidify a place there. The Blackpool game is a perfect example and anyone that doesn't think we 'failed' during that game is bonkers.

 

[Miami Seagull]

Choose your words carefully, i'm quite sure he never said he 'expects' it, more that it is the 'target'. Completely different words with completely different meanings.

Personally, if we don't get the play-offs this season then it will not be a failure. Many thought this would be a transitional season and to still be in the hunt with 2 games to go is great.

Here's what he sais at the fans forum in August, clearly stating he would be unhappy if we failed to make the playoffs...

Bloom told fans at a forum at The Amex last night: "We aim to get to the Premiership. It's a very competitive division as we know and every season at the start of the season we've got to try and have the squad we think is capable of promotion. I certainly think this season we have that.

"You can get a few bad injuries, a few bad games, we can be just outside the play-offs, we could get a bit of luck and finish in the top two, but I think if we finish in the top six we've got to be happy and if we are in the play-offs again hopefully we'll get a bit of luck.


"But it's very difficult to say. Outside the play-offs we're not going to be happy but at the end of the day we try to be competitive so that we have a reasonable chance of promotion every season we are in the Championship."

 

[Footsoldier]

Love it, absolutely love it. People saying why do I go, you couldn't make it up. The same people that moan every week about the lack of atmosphere, oh deary me. Does anyone want me to explain?

 

[Footsoldier]

Just as your claim that the fare at Withdean was 'always great entertainment' was wildly rose-tinting history, so is the suggestion that the Goldstone was some bouncing cauldron of noise. It was good when the team were good, but it could also very often be silent (and three quarters empty).

I'll deal with you later mate as going out for a BBQ. Don't worry, I'll be back unless you abuse your mod powers.

 

[Grombleton]

Here's what he sais at the fans forum in August, clearly stating he would be unhappy if we failed to make the playoffs...

Bloom told fans at a forum at The Amex last night: "We aim to get to the Premiership. It's a very competitive division as we know and every season at the start of the season we've got to try and have the squad we think is capable of promotion. I certainly think this season we have that.

"You can get a few bad injuries, a few bad games, we can be just outside the play-offs, we could get a bit of luck and finish in the top two, but I think if we finish in the top six we've got to be happy and if we are in the play-offs again hopefully we'll get a bit of luck.


"But it's very difficult to say. Outside the play-offs we're not going to be happy but at the end of the day we try to be competitive so that we have a reasonable chance of promotion every season we are in the Championship."

However, as has been stated in this thread, there is a difference between being unhappy and considering it to be a failure. Also we have to take into consideration that this was in August, when we weren't to know the struggles with injuries etc, or exactly the strength of teams around us (who this season thought Burnley & Bournemouth would do so well?).
As it stands, we've not heard from Bloom about whether there was a change in attitude towards the play-offs - they'll always want us to get as high as possible but there may not be as much expectation on a top 6 finish...they may have realigned their expectations, something which some of our fans have failed to do.

 

[southstandandy]

Considering we barely average a goal a game I think to be in with a shout of the play offs is over achievement - I'm gobsmacked we are 6th! Yes much of the football has been tedious and dull to watch but to be 6th with so few goals scored I think Oscar deserves a medal.

 

[Seagull over Canaryland]

This. It was clearly the clubs minimum requirement for the season this year. Anything less is certainly a failure, especially as the standard needed to get into the top 6 is less this year and we have had some many good opportunities, with a full squad, to solidify a place there. The Blackpool game is a perfect example and anyone that doesn't think we 'failed' during that game is bonkers.

We certainly 'failed' in the Blackpool game - but that does not constitute a 'season of failure' as posed by the OP. A season of failure would have been fighting against relegation, which might just have been some people's fears, given the state we were in pre-season. I think Tony Bloom took a bit of a punt in appointing Oscar Garcia rather than a 'safer' but more predictable pair of hands. However I give Tony a bit more credit for taking a slightly longer term view and probably accepting that bringing in a 'stranger' might mean allowing him a bit more time to achieve his targets, hence OG's two year contract.

Yes we will be disappointed if we do not make the play offs having got ourselves into such a great position, despite lacking a fully fit squad at any stage of the season. However I think most people would not have expected Oscar to secure a play off place, let alone promotion in his first season. Even the most optimistic Albion fan would admit we are not playing promotion footie - we are not. Frankly we are not quite good enough. So to damn Oscar now is unrealistic.

While I hope we will end the season on a real bang, it will not be the end of the world if we don't go up. The key thing for me will be to see how The Albion respond over the summer, what Oscar has learned about the Championship, our squad and what changes happen. The time to judge Oscar will be in 12 months time.

 

[hans kraay fan club]

I'll deal with you later mate as going out for a BBQ. Don't worry, I'll be back unless you abuse your mod powers.

Have a great time.

(It'll be shit. Barbeques were much better in the old days)

 

[Blue3]

Very please with this season thank you and unlike all the teams below Bournemouth and above Millwall it's still not over

 

[dazzer6666]

Hardly a season of failure, given all the fall out from Gus's departure and Oscar having to start with little working knowledge of the Championship or our squad, plus senior players unavailable due to long term injury (CMS, Hoskins) and one of our best (Bridcutt) clearly unsettled. Then Oscar had to contend with further injuries to key players (Orlandi, Ulloa, Crofts, Buckley, KLL etc). Plus prospective signings (Grabban etc) didn't happen and some (but not all) loanees haven't exactly turned up either (Agustien, D-Rod). Finally Barnes leaving was not ideal.

Taking that lot into account suggests we have done remarkably well to move from mid table to being consistent play off contenders. The general direction of travel has been upward despite these handicaps. Gus didn't have to contend with half those problems so Oscar has done well, all things considered. However it is frustrating to get into the play off positions and not cement our place by playing decent footie. Unless we really batter Yeovil and Forest I'm not sure we can fully claim to really be there on merit, it might feel a bit too much like we are there because other teams were worse than us.

Plus I'm another with mixed feelings about the Premier League. Yes it would be fabulous to achieve promotion and then to test ourselves against the best plus it would reward Tony Bloom's magnificent investment in the Club. No one deserves that more than him. However I'm also a football fan wanting to see our team play decent footie and win more games than it loses. I recall us sweeping into the old First Div in '79 on the crest of a wave, having played some brilliant footie for 2-3 seasons. However the bubble quickly burst with a 0-4 drubbing from Arsenal in the opening game and we then spent the best part of 3 seasons fighting a horrible survival battle. Yes the were some outstanding results and the '83 Cup run but we never quite consolidated. Plus we created a lot of financial problems that came back to haunt us.

I know there would be a huge financial windfall but assume most of that will evaporate in signings and inflated wage deals. So I'm very wary of what promotion would bring. I have to hope that we would somehow consolidate like Southampton but they are very much the exception. I want to see it happen but it won't be easy.

Pretty much sums up my feelings (as a JCL though, so without the memories of a horrible survival battle but having suffered a few miserable afternoons at the Withdean).

 

[5Ways Gull]

Is it just me who thinks that if we weren't to finish in the play-offs this would be a failed season?

I know a lot of fair-weather fans, and a few die-hards, who think that just because we finished in the play-offs last season that guarantees that we should finish there consistently from now on.

With a new manager there is always going to be a transition period and I for one think finishing say 7th, a point of so off the top six would be a decent campaign.

We sold Bridcutt and Barnes and people still expect us to be one of the favourites for promotion, when really we don't have a good enough squad for it.

Don't get me wrong at times the football we play is boring and lacklustre when we should press forward instead. But overall it's not been a bad season. We've had poor performances but so has every other club, similarly we have won games we should have so it balances out.

I think Oscar has been unfairly blamed for the times we have lost but the same blame needs to be put on the players when they under-perform.

Bottom line if we don't make the play-offs that does not make this a bad season and we should use it as a stepping stone to push on next campaign. Cardiff were in the Championship ten years before getting promoted!

I bet David Moyes wishes more people agreed with you!!

Personally the mid to late nineties are still so indelibly ingrained on my psyche that as soon as we secured a 4th consecutive season in the Championship I was happy!!

 

[Acker79]

Well I remember hearing it when listening to the radio broadcast of the fans forum...The reason this is so clear is that I thought at the time to say this was quite a steep thing to do and almost instantly places unfair pressure on the new manager.

Maybe you can dig out the recording of the forum and have a listen...

Albion & England forever.

Thimble Keegan
Rustington BHA

It's not on iplayer anymore. I don't know if it's on seagulls player as I don't have that. I did find the original thread on here as it happened, and that included a link to a transcript:

http://attheendofthedaydes.blogspot.co.uk/2013/08/fans-forum-transcript.html

Q: Welcome Oscar, welcome back Nathan. My question is for Tony: the club has said that we wish to play at the highest possible level, which presumably means promotion to the Premier League. I was wondering, however, what your view or the board's view would be of the minimum acceptable finish for this coming season in the league?

TB: Thank you very much for that opening question. I've got to be a little bit careful - Oscar's just here on my left so I don't want to put him under too much pressure before the season even starts. It's always a difficult one. We aim to get to the Premiership, it's a very competitive division as we know and every season, at the start of the season, we have to try and have a squad we think is capable of promotion. I certainly think this season we have that. You can get a couple of injuries or a few bad games and be just outside the play-offs; we could get a bit of luck and finish in the top two. But I think if we finish in the top six we've got to be happy. If we're in the play-offs again hopefully we'll get a bit of luck. But it's very difficult to say, I mean outside the play-offs we're not going to be happy but at the end of the day we try and be competitive so that we have a reasonable chance of promotion every season within the Championship.​

 

[kevtherev]

I actually agree with Garcia. I think it's amazing that we are still 6th, stunning in fact when you watch the crap we have week in week out. The fact we are 6th is quite unbelievable. I think this is the worst championship in terms of quality for many many years. Might have something to do with FFP taking effect.

 

[Footsoldier]

I actually agree with Garcia. I think it's amazing that we are still 6th, stunning in fact when you watch the crap we have week in week out. The fact we are 6th is quite unbelievable. I think this is the worst championship in terms of quality for many many years. Might have something to do with FFP taking effect.

Only from 6th down.

 

[Guinness Boy]

Just as your claim that the fare at Withdean was 'always great entertainment' was wildly rose-tinting history, so is the suggestion that the Goldstone was some bouncing cauldron of noise. It was good when the team were good, but it could also very often be silent (and three quarters empty).

I would say The Goldstone was much better for big games and much worse for average ones. Ignoring when I was a kid and just taking it from when I went on my own there are a huge number of games that stand out. Southampton in the cup in 86, Bristol Rovers and Arsenal in 87/88, Ipswich and Millwall in the season we got to the playoff final, the Man Utd evening game in the League Cup, that game against York and Fans Utd. Games I will simply never forget. The Amex era is much shorter of course and therefore not a proper comparison but there's only really the Donny game that comes close for goosebumps. The St Pats massacre was good because beating your rivals always is but not the same as those other games I mentioned.

The point though is that I took in all those games at the Goldstone between the ages of 15 and 26 and none of them cost me half a weeks wages. This is the generation that's being lost to football due to high prices and ridiculous kick off times. If I hadn't had the experiences of those games (and they weren't always good, York choked me and there's some games in there we lost) I honestly think my younger days would have been less complete, enjoyable and memorable.

 

[Eric Youngs Contact Lense]

I don't get this hankering back to the Goldstone or Withdean...I don't remember fans actively demonstrating, petitioning etc to stay at the Withdean. Both venue had moment s, just as the Amex has had and will continue to have. Everything has changed and 20000 to 27000 each game says more is right than wrong. We are in one of the most consistently successful periods of our history, striving for a shot at the Premier League..the frustration surely is just borne out of being close to achieving that..a good friend of mine is a Birmingham City Fan..what he wouldn't give to be in our shoes right now....