[Albion] Manchester City vs Brighton & Hove Albion *** Official Match Thread ***

[Blue3]

Good effort but no points so four games gone W1 D1 L2 no outlandish comments but I think I can see progression and that GPs idears are starting to develop and its pleasing on the eye to watch.

The team at this early part of the season look to have more and stronger options than last year, it always was very unlikely we would get anything out of this game, Man Cite are the best team in the Country and there finishing is very clinical the difference between the two teams about £500 million so currently we sit 16th

 

[Boroseagull]

Of course I'm going. Why shouldn't i?

Because there's no game?

 

[Garry Nelson's Left Foot]

What I learnt today:

1) Potter is not a pragmatist. Our formation and style of play is perfect for a team like City.

2) The player's have fully bought into the style of play. Even when it was blatantly obvious(arguably 68 seconds in...) that we were not going to get anything from the game we didn't give up or hunker down in defence and try and minimise the damage but kept going forward and kept playing the same way.

3) We need to take our chances. We're very open so we're going to concede chances so when we're on top or just when we create a chance, we need to score it.

4) Today won't be the only spanking we get this season. If we do point three though we'll also hand one or two out.

5) Lovely to see Connolly given a good chunk of game time. (alright it's not something I learnt from today's game but it rounds it out to a nice number).

 

[Pogue Mahone]

We are going down!

We lost 4-0 against Manchester City. Loads of teams will do worse, score-wise.

But I find it hard to understand that you think we'll go down after that. I think it was a truly encouraging performance- we were good to watch and made chances.

They are just too good, not just for us, but for nearly everyone else.

We will be more than fine this season.

 

[Publius Ovidius]

Palace won 3-2 there last season,

I am a bit sick of this...”oh there is no point us going to places like the top 6 teams as we are always beaten there” If we lose home games, then this is going to be a very long season!

I'm not happy that we lost 4-0 but I'm not unhappy with how we played. We play football but we're not able to buy 50m+ players so I don't expect us to compete with the likes of M.C. Good on Potter for having a go.

 

[jimhigham]

I thought we were clearly the better team against West Ham!

As for “we’re not scoring goals”, we scored four in the first two games. Since then we’ve played a game with ten men and a game against the best team in the country. Far too early (and simply wrong) to be saying we aren’t scoring in my opinion. Let’s see what happens against Burnley and Newcastle. Four points from those and we’ll be flying. One or less and we’ll start asking questions.

Ahhh! A refreshing gust of common sense. Thanks for that.

 

[Thunder Bolt]

I thought we were clearly the better team against West Ham!

As for “we’re not scoring goals”, we scored four in the first two games. Since then we’ve played a game with ten men and a game against the best team in the country. Far too early (and simply wrong) to be saying we aren’t scoring in my opinion. Let’s see what happens against Burnley and Newcastle. Four points from those and we’ll be flying. One or less and we’ll start asking questions.

As I said previously, we rarely get anything against Burnley & Barnes is bound to score. I think we stand a chance with Newcastle, but who knows. We should have taken our chances against Southampton.
I am worried.

 

[Thunder Bolt]

Palace won 3-2 there last season,

I am a bit sick of this...”oh there is no point us going to places like the top 6 teams as we are always beaten there” If we lose home games, then this is going to be a very long season!

Final Score just said Brighton made it easy for City. I wasn't watching a stream so I can't comment, but I wonder if there are some blue & white tinted specs being worn.

 

[Weststander]

And were absolutey dire to watch in those games. This was better, they are just on a different level. We are still learning the new system but it’s clear we’re progressing. The goals will come, we’ve not had a lot of luck in the home games so far but that will change. I’m confident we will tear apart some teams this season.

And as for Duffy, I’d say this will be our first choice back 3 from here on. Webster was very good and far more comfortable on the ball than Duffy which you have to be in this system now.

I’m very positive about the future. We’re already far more entertaining to watch than last season’s dirge and that’s the hardest game of the season already out of the way. Onwards and upwards.

Overall I’m positive about the future, and relieved that CH was sacked.

But both national radio sports broadcasters were very clear today that our tactics were naive “playing into Man City’s hands time after time”.

IMHO when this Albion team/squad play away at anyone from West Ham/Leicester upwards, we must put defence in numbers first, sit deeper and deny the opposition space in behind. That’s standard, a must. We can still carry a threat on the counter with two or three players with pace.

There’s a balance to be had. These clubs have a load of world class players who love playing against fools who push up en masse. By contrast, visiting teams that sit deep, who are disciplined, cause an awful of frustration. Sometimes getting results.

 

[BRIGHT ON Q]

As I said previously, we rarely get anything against Burnley & Barnes is bound to score. I think we stand a chance with Newcastle, but who knows. We should have taken our chances against Southampton.
I am worried.

And West Ham. Obvious I know but We have to start turning those games into wins like Palace have today or we have no chance.

 

[Cadiz Seagull]

Pep but his arm round Potter's shoulder at the end and as they walked off together he seemed to be encouraging him. If Pep thinks GP is doing OK then that's good enough for me.

Also the commentators on Hesgoal were very complimentary although I have no idea who they were.

For my part, I'm happy how things are going for now. I'm confident we'll get better as time goes on.

 

[dangull]

Man City are probably the best team in the world at the moment. 49% possession away from home in the 1st half and creating some good chances?

I'm quite optimistic for the rest of the season.

 

[DumLum]

Nice to see neutrals give us praise. We might see ourselves move up the pecking order on match of the day. We were one of the worst premier league teams in history for entertainment over the last couple of years.
Going back to our defensive ways of last season we could have still lost 4-0 but we wouldn't have given Webster and Connolly a useful experience.

 

[Blue Valkyrie]

I wanted Potter to make us *more like Bournemouth than Burnley* and it seems like he is getting there.

The Burnley game is important as it could give us a big boost. We are due a win against them, for sure.

 

[SIMMO SAYS]

Final Score just said Brighton made it easy for City. I wasn't watching a stream so I can't comment, but I wonder if there are some blue & white tinted specs being worn.

With great respect if you didn't watch the game you shouldn't wonder.
I watched on a stream and think we will be ok this season

 

[Cadiz Seagull]

Agreed, I really think Graham is the real deal. The early signs are so good, yet some people want to kick off because we lost away to a team that’s accumulated 198 points in the last two seasons. We were the most boring and unsuccessful team in the country in the second half of last season. To turn that around into something I actually want to watch in a few weeks is fantastic.

The thumbs up button seems to have disappeared, so consider yourself up-thumbed