Why I seriously believe Albion can attain promotion through the play-offs this time!

[Danny-Boy]

This sounds like a rational argument, but the stats don't support it. Beaten semi-finalists have only won the following year's play offs five times out of twenty six and it hasn't happened since Wolves did it in 2003. Beaten finalists have an even worse record having only won the following year three times. There also isn't a particularly good record of teams making the play offs one year and winning automatic promotion the following year although Reading, Cardiff and now Leicester looking like starting a pattern.

Palace failed in the Play-off Final in 1995/6 v Leicester courtesy of Claridge's knee-in (I was there) but went up in the following Final v Sheffield U (courtesy of David Hopkin's longrange effort). I wasn't at that one, saw Brentford fail against Crewe the previous day.
I think once you get to the Final it's case of who wants it the most and the fans can play a huge part in that. Brentford have never won a play-off Final because their fans don't seem to get motivated enough. Palace have the best record of any club in the Championship playoffs (4 out of 6 I think). Last season Yeovil brought about 20,000 to support them against Brentford last May, I was there. They carried the club into the Championship for the first time ever.

If Albion can get into and through the semis, remembering this time your first game will probably be at the AMEX this time, then filling half Wembley won't be a problem, will it?

 

[Stato]

I think once you get to the Final it's case of who wants it the most QUOTE]

Sorry this is just a cliché. All teams want it just as much as each other. Palace didn't go up last year because they wanted it more, they beat us because Barnes' chance hit the bar rather than dipping under. They beat Watford because Zaha tempted a defender and fell over in the penalty area, just like he had been doing all season.

 

[Danny-Boy]

I think once you get to the Final it's case of who wants it the most QUOTE]

Sorry this is just a cliché. All teams want it just as much as each other. Palace didn't go up last year because they wanted it more, they beat us because Barnes' chance hit the bar rather than dipping under. They beat Watford because Zaha tempted a defender and fell over in the penalty area, just like he had been doing all season.

Not in my humble opinion. Palace beat Watford because most of them had played and trained together for years, whereas Watford were a group of mostly Spanish and Italian players who were cynically recruited by the team's owners to do a job. What NW London academy is there now?
You probably know better than I why Palace won the game at the AMEX. Poogate certainly gave some of the team an incentive.

The problem Albion wil have with the AMEX, like Southampton had at St Mary's afer they moved there from the Dell, is that opposing teams don't (yet) find it a frightening opressive place - I only ever saw one game at Withdean and that was enough for me. No doubt other teams dreaded it. For the moment playing at the AMEX wil be for teams with poorer grounds (most of them) a stimulus, which I think is why Albion have struggled at home against the basement clubs from time to time.

 

[Tony Meolas Loan Spell]

No chance now.

 

[JOLovegrove]

No chance now.

Bore off.

 

[glasfryn]

Those of you out there know I am not an Albion fan.

But I seriously believe THIS season can and will be the one Albion are promoted to the Premiership.

Wy? Because alone of the sides who look to get that "third berth" the Albion squad have the experience - and the incentive - to get through the play-off traumas.

Of the other sides in 2010/11, 2011/12 and 2012/13 who failed, none figure in the race this time other than Notts Forest and Reading. Both of these sides are unrecognisable now from those who participated in the playoffs.

Albion however have a nucleus of players who went through the mill last year. They will be tempered by the traumas of the Palace games and will have learned a lot. Whilst no doubt some of the other potential play-off sides have squad members who have experienced the same pressures, as a TEAM they will not be the same.

So I think this season is the one that Albion must gamble on and go for it. I'm hearing too many supporters locally saying they are comfortable as a Championship side.

GO FOR IT!!

 

[Stato]

Not in my humble opinion. Palace beat Watford because most of them had played and trained together for years, whereas Watford were a group of mostly Spanish and Italian players who were cynically recruited by the team's owners to do a job. What NW London academy is there now?
You probably know better than I why Palace won the game at the AMEX. Poogate certainly gave some of the team an incentive.

The problem Albion wil have with the AMEX, like Southampton had at St Mary's afer they moved there from the Dell, is that opposing teams don't (yet) find it a frightening opressive place - I only ever saw one game at Withdean and that was enough for me. No doubt other teams dreaded it. For the moment playing at the AMEX wil be for teams with poorer grounds (most of them) a stimulus, which I think is why Albion have struggled at home against the basement clubs from time to time.

Only two of Palace's 12/13 squad had been there more than three years, none of their team have ever referred to the dressing room incident as inspiring them, only rent-a-quote Holloway, the Albion had the 6th best home record in the division in 11/12 and the 7th in 12/13, and have only twelve league losses at the Amex since it opened, none to a team who do not have a Premier League past, but I'm sure that some more specious reasoning and sophistry could convince you of your own wisdom.

 

[Danny-Boy]

Only two of Palace's 12/13 squad had been there more than three years, none of their team have ever referred to the dressing room incident as inspiring them, only rent-a-quote Holloway, the Albion had the 6th best home record in the division in 11/12 and the 7th in 12/13, and have only twelve league losses at the Amex since it opened, none to a team who do not have a Premier League past, but I'm sure that some more specious reasoning and sophistry could convince you of your own wisdom.

Did you leave early on Saturday by any chance?

Of course y remarks were made in reference to the Brighton players, not the moronic fans who against a team that are secure in mid-table and therefore really should have been less motivated than Albion who had Forest's earlier loss to give them a spur, or should that be Spurs?


But no, your crowd picked on one player, short of stature but certainly not of talent, and then subjected him to ridicule. Which knowing Jonny Williams from last season's performances was all he needed to gel Ipswich into rubbing your noses in the metaphorical poogate. Which they did. Deservedly.

Next time maybe you should confine your attacks to your own players, some of whom by the sound of BBC SCR commentary didn't turn up.

 

[Danny-Boy]

"Did you leave early on Saturday by any chance?"

With over 15,000 on the way out by the 80th minute odds on you did...

 

[Bold Seagull]

What the hell is going on in this thread? I can't make head nor tail of who is arguing with who!?

 

[Rugrat]

What the hell is going on in this thread? I can't make head nor tail of who is arguing with who!?

Nor me ... some fella with a gazillion posts to his name starts a thread flattering us and reckons we can get promoted. We play Ipswich and as well as a 0-2 result, many give Croydon Williams a bit of stick, then OP is back seemingly of a different view to 4 pages earlier and getting into a bit of agg.

That's what I've pieced together from reading the OP and the 4 posts above anyway!

 

[Stato]

"Did you leave early on Saturday by any chance?"

With over 15,000 on the way out by the 80th minute odds on you did...

Nope. Never have left early. Even made my daughter stay until the bitter end in order to applaud the team for a great season in our last game of last season.

Williams didn't play particularly well throughout the game. If he was motivating Ipswich in midfield they would presumably had the ball for more than 35% of the game. He did well to get one cross in for the second goal when Buckley mistakenly thought that he wanted to stay in the corner to waste time rather than make progress. He then showed such a lack of class in his celebration that it made me think that being booed by Brighton fans, something which happens to every player with Palace connections, hurt him more than most. Aren't some of his family Albion fans?

Personally I thought Ipswich's tactics were pretty shoddy. Both of our wingers were fouled so often that it seemed to me that it was a planned tactic. They were obviously much more comfortable dealing with set pieces than with tracking tricky wingers. Unfortunately the ref, who booked Bruno for persistent fouling, didn't take any action to negate this until after the game was won.

Ipswich are not secure in mid table by the way, they needed to win to keep play off hopes alive, but then again why should you know this? Neither of your two teams are in our division. Oh the irony...