Somebody pinch me

[daveinprague]

Agree 100% with this. And it's all the sweeter for coming after the hard times. 50 years for me as a supporter this year and I am enjoying every minute of it, with some of the pinch me stuff that others have mentioned.

Been a supporter since 1964. If some of the fans nowadays, had ever smelled the toilets at the Goldstone, they would understand real suffering. Now is a magical time.
We do need a striker, but im sure there is one on the way.

 

[Brian Parsons]

I concur with every thing said so far and to those people who still find fault and whinge all the time just think back 20 years, Hereford have been stranded in the Conference only coming out once or twice and that could so easily have been us. Enjoy this season for I might have never happened.

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[pishhead]

As a 7 year old I was taken to my first game, away to Wolves. We won 4 -2 It was the same day Palace lost 9-0 to Liverpool. I saw us survive at Hereford, I saw all of the promotions at Withdean. I saw us finally arrive at Falmer, I saw us feck it up against Palace and Wednesday in the play-offs.
Never did I think I would see us in the Premier league. Come Saturday win, lose or draw I will look around me and still have to pinch myself.

 

[Commander]

And STILL some people aren't happy.

 

[Mellotron]

And STILL some people aren't happy.

In that case they will never be happy, and that's to do with them, not football.

 

[Gritt23]

...coar...i'd let Solly skin me.

Ironically, as I read that, I pulled a face somewhat similar to your avatar.

 

[Commander]

Fantastic to see Knocky and Solly in their limited time on the pitch causing the Atletico defenders much the same kind of problems as the pair of them did to Championship defenders last season. Pretty sure they're both going to make a fair few Premier League defenders look like absolute donkeys. Just hope they get adequate protection from referees.

This was the biggest positive for me. I've had this nagging concern that top-level defenders aren't going to fall for their stuff, but the fact that Atletico did gives me a lot of hope.

 

[Commander]

In that case they will never be happy, and that's to do with them, not football.

Yep. Cannot imagine what they're going to be like if we are bottom of the league after 10 games, which we might well be.

 

[Mellotron]

This was the biggest positive for me. I've had this nagging concern that top-level defenders aren't going to fall for their stuff, but the fact that Atletico did gives me a lot of hope.

I think Solly will be our "secret" weapon for the first few months, if opposing defenders double up on Knocky's flank I can see Solly getting plenty of joy.

 

[trueblue]

Wonderful. I was a bit pessimistic before yesterday's performance and still think we'll struggle without one more very good striker. But even with what we've got, I'm now feeling that we should be able to edge enough games against the mid to lower ranking teams to be in with a real shout of survival. If we can get 2 or 3 players in, a great chance of staying up - and potentially beyond that only another summer from being a very decent (i.e. mid-table) PL side.

It's all rather surreal that we can be on here wondering whether a Dutch international is going to be good enough for us! It only seems like yesterday that George O'Callaghan was out of our reach...

 

[TWOCHOICEStom]

What a journey we've been on. To be honest, I thought "we'd made it" when we got back to the Withdean. When we got into the Championship. When we moved to the Amex. When Vicente hit the bar. When we had WAYNE BRIDGE at left back.

But nah, we've just given Atletico Madrid a decent game before our opening match in the Premier League. Now, we've made it. Anything from here on our is a bonus for me. We've reached the top of the mountain and Tony Bloom could not have done more to make sure we don't slide down it again. This is dreamland. I just can't see how it will ever get any better than this.

 

[Martlet]

Soak it up Mellotron.......I think we have bigger things to come, however all this can go backwards very quickly and forward a year we could be a mid table Championship side looking over our shoulder. I hope everyone enjoys here and now, it may not happen again for a very long time.

You know what, you're absolutely right Gullsworth, but there's a whole raft of clubs whose fans will be kicking off the Prem season thinking "is this our last year?" Bournemouth, Burnley, Palace, Swansea, Watford - even Leicester, not to mention the other sides that went up.

There's nothing guaranteed - but everything to play for, and yesterday told me this team's going to be well up for the challenge.

 

[Official Old Man]

The game against Athletico was a friendly. In a friendly you skin a player once. Quite a few of our players skinned their defence and midfield more than once. That was skill.

 

[Deleted member 2719]

Thought Bong had picked up some pace as well when having to chase back

Is this pace stuff legal

 

[Deleted member 2719]

Ironically, as I read that, I pulled a face somewhat similar to your avatar.

I bet Solly pulled a face similar to your avatar.

 

[Mellotron]

What a journey we've been on. To be honest, I thought "we'd made it" when we got back to the Withdean. When we got into the Championship. When we moved to the Amex. When Vicente hit the bar. When we had WAYNE BRIDGE at left back.

But nah, we've just given Atletico Madrid a decent game before our opening match in the Premier League. Now, we've made it. Anything from here on our is a bonus for me. We've reached the top of the mountain and Tony Bloom could not have done more to make sure we don't slide down it again. This is dreamland. I just can't see how it will ever get any better than this.

I reckon there could be one further level of "we've made it". That would be winning or getting to a cup final, and/or perhaps Europa League football one day.

 

[Mo Gosfield]

And STILL some people aren't happy.

I could be wrong but I suspect that the majority of people on here moaning and groaning are relatively recent recruits to the fold. Those of us who have lived through years of 3rd and 4th tier mediocrity, the sudden rise and Wembley and then the inexorable decline to 1997. Gillingham, marches, campaigners above and beyond the call, rejection, disappointment, frustration and then Withdean. Up and inevitably down again and then a glimpse of the sunlit upland.
Those who declined the charm of Withdean, sitting in the pouring rain. Programmes turning to papier mache. Portacabins and scaffolding, have not been properly prepared for all this. They are spoilt with the Amex but they don't appreciate it. They take it for granted. They are greedy, like a lot of football. They want it all, here and now. Never mind about running a sensible and prudent business, we should be splashing the cash in all directions. If you want to buy a Rolls Royce, you have got to be able to afford the petrol that goes in it.
Football, generally, loses a grasp on reality. I heard a journalist on the radio referring to Matic's transfer fee ( £40m+ ) to Man Utd as..." relative peanuts "....its only in football that you will hear glib comments like this. It is no surprise that there are those on here bemoaning our relative lack of spending, when all through football, many are being sucked into this whirlpool, this madness.
If you cannot be happy with our present position, I suggest you seriously consider another hobby.

 

[Brovion]

In my 54 years of watching us, I can assure you the club and team have never been In a better place, but the fact we still have moaners is quite unbelievable. Please enjoy the ride and and stop whinging.


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Meh. The new signings will all be shit, we'll get relegated, Tony Bloom will lose interest and the Amex will be sold and turned into an industrial estate. You mark my words.

Or to put it an other way ....

Yes, 100% agree (and my Albion-watching career, whilst not as long as yours, does go back to 1966). Even the 'Glory Years' weren't as good in comparison as we knew that the club's ramshackle infrastructure (epitomised by the Goldstone) would eventually catch up with us. Do you remember Mike Bamber's talk of a new stadium at Waterhall?

 

[Chicken Run]

We just gave Atletico Madrid's full strength side a properly close match, only losing in the final few minutes, and it now looks like we're about to spend £10m+ on a player. Even just a couple of years back to Hyypia's era we would've been absolutely destroyed.

I swear it was yesterday I was standing in the Sportsman garden getting vaguely excited that Andy Whing just walked past on the other side of the fence.

This is utterly mental.

I totally agree but Citeh ship 4 or 5 past us Saturday and you watch the meltdown!!

 

[larus]

Soak it up Mellotron.......I think we have bigger things to come, however all this can go backwards very quickly and forward a year we could be a mid table Championship side looking over our shoulder. I hope everyone enjoys here and now, it may not happen again for a very long time.

Agree. I am confident of the planning being done by Bloom, Barber and Hughton. There is nothing guaranteed and we could go down and then have a bad reaction in the championship, but I am very pleased with the type of players we have signed so far. My only lingering doubt is a striker as I do feel we need a bit more quality there.

Am I right in saying there their record in the Champions League for the last 4 years is 2 finals, 1 Semi and 1 Quarter. And some people are still frigging moaning that we lost 2-3.