[Albion] Stand or fall? Pah! The night Brighton & Hove Albion simply didn't bother

[hart's shirt]

Sussex Senior Cup Winners....they'll never sing that.

 

[blue-shifted]

Since we’re been in the Premier League, we’ve had this pervading negativity. That we always have to think about the things that could go wrong, instead of the things that could go right. Hughton exemplified it, but Potters attitude to the cups (and I’m sorry to say) the clubs approach to improving the squad in January has shown that there’s an overwhelming sense that we need only to cling on to our premier league position.

Villa have a decent shout of winning that final. City have lost to similar standard teams to them. If they do win it, good luck to them. A positive “can do” attitude will have got them a fabulous day out and possibly something in the cabinet.

The club should be kicking themselves.

 

[Wozza]

Oh, but Wozza …. Don’t you remember? …. we were in the midst of a crippling injury crisis …. (But managed to put out a full strength team to play the following Saturday)

Indeed. Just bullsh1t. Amazing how many fans suck it up.

 

[Mo Gosfield]

Since we’re been in the Premier League, we’ve had this pervading negativity. That we always have to think about the things that could go wrong, instead of the things that could go right. Hughton exemplified it, but Potters attitude to the cups (and I’m sorry to say) the clubs approach to improving the squad in January has shown that there’s an overwhelming sense that we need only to cling on to our premier league position.


Just like Reading a few seasons ago under Coppell. Very good first season and just keeping their heads above water in the second at Christmas. Decided no strengthening was needed in January. Result....relegated.

 

[blue-shifted]

Well, 'full strength' but with Bernardo, Pröpper, Izquierdo, Balogun, March and Trossard on the treatment table.

Out of those you've mentioned, only Trossard and Propper have played a significant part of our season.

We still started with

1 M. Ryan
15 A. Webster
33 D. Burn
5 L. Dunk
22 Martín Montoya
6 D. Stephens
13 P. Groß
18 A. Mooy
8 Y. Bissouma
46 S. Alzate
7 N. Maupay

With a decent bench as well, Connolly, Murray, Ali J ... Solid side.

 

[Wozza]

Being pedantic, we have lots of trophies in our cabinet. I’ve seen them Div 2 champions, Div 1 champions, Play Off winners, League 1 champions, Div 3 South champions.

Not one single major trophy. FACT.

 

[blue-shifted]

Indeed. Just bullsh1t. Amazing how many fans suck it up.

But the thing is, what Potter thought and what plenty on here are thinking is right. There is an element of risk. Suppose Mooy had played and done his cruciate or something, then the manager would have looked pretty silly.

But footballers are just as likely to get injured in training as they are in a game. They had 3 international breaks around then and when you think about what we’re asking, a squad of 25 to play max 45 games per year between them, it really isn’t that much. To me it also feeds into the (done to death) discussion that if Potter is concerned about the size of the squad why did he authorise all 3 of the high profile loan departures in the summer transfer window.

I think GP in the cups is only thinking of the risk and not the reward

I’d like Potter to watch the Villa pitch invasions and the Smith interviews and stop thinking about what could go wrong and start thinking about what could go right. This is great for their profile, which isn’t going to hurt with attracting new signings.

 

[blue-shifted]

The only comparison I can think of is when Liverpool played their kids when the first team were off at that glorified friendly in the middle east back in December (another Villa benefit game).

Liverpool sort of had an excuse. They were being asked to play 2 senior fixtures 1000s of miles apart within 24 hours. They decided the World Club Championship was the priority, OK fine.

We had no competing fixtures, we had hardly played due to international breaks, we just jacked it in.

 

[Wozza]

BTW, if anyone thinks I'm bitter now, wait for my 4000-word "Where are they now? The Brighton & Hove Albion XVIII from the night when they didn't really bother" retrospective, due out in Sept 2029.

 

[Icy Gull]

Not one single major trophy. FACT.

You want to get rid of one of the very few proud records we have? Shocking thought.

 

[Farehamseagull]

To me, Potter was right, for a start, when else are kids going to be given an opportunity? Very rarely in the pressure cooker of the Premier League.

Also, the competition needs to be scrapped, there’s no room for two domestic cup competitions anymore.

The organisers don’t even take it seriously, ridiculous sponsors and draws taking place in shops FFS. It’s a gimmicky, Micky Mouse cup these days. Fans can’t afford to go to the extra games as football is ludicrously expensive already. Top players play too much already so are going to have to be rested at some point so it will always be the least important competition they’re rested in, which is this. Getting rid of it might also give the incredibly dull FA Cup the boost it needs by being the only cup competition.

The equivalent competition in France has already been scrapped and I expect this to go the same way in the next few years.

 

[blue-shifted]

To me, Potter was right, for a start, when else are kids going to be given an opportunity? Very rarely in the pressure cooker of the Premier League.

Also, the competition needs to be scrapped, there’s no room for two domestic cup competitions anymore.

The organisers don’t even take it seriously, ridiculous sponsors and draws taking place in shops FFS. It’s a gimmicky, Micky Mouse cup these days. Fans can’t afford to go to the extra games as football is ludicrously expensive already. Top players play too much already so are going to have to be rested at some point so it will always be the least important competition they’re rested in, which is this. Getting rid of it might also give the incredibly dull FA Cup the boost it needs by being the only cup competition.

The equivalent competition in France has already been scrapped and I expect this to go the same way in the next few years.

Disagree with all your comments .

Why not start a poll on the Villa fans chat site today to see if they think it should be scrapped?

It’s easy for Brighton fans to talk about scrapping cups or cups being dull, when we didn’t try in either and were deservedly beaten.

And as for integrating young players, yes there is a place for this in the cups, (and in the league as we’ve seen this season), but integrating young players and playing a youth team are 2 different things. The way most manager’s give young players experience, (for a good reason) is to bring them in alongside senior players and /or use them from the bench in selected games.

And fans absolutely go to Carabao cup games, if they are well priced, well marketed and they have a belief that they are going to watch a proper team focussing on winning the game and trying to get a trophy, rather than just not getting injured. One of my fondest Amex memories was an injury time win against Sunderland in the competition when they were a division above us.

 

[Jaxie]

Still maintain we did the right thing. I’m suprised at a pitch invasion for a fairly meaningless competition that will be scrapped in the next few years.

This kind of attitude takes all the fun and enjoyment out of football. What would you like, 38 league games of just trying to stay up? Or a bit of possible excitement now and then? I bet it was a fantastic night at villa park. Why should we as fans want no cup games!

 

[Jaxie]

Disagree with all your comments .

Why not start a poll on the Villa fans chat site today to see if they think it should be scrapped?

It’s easy for Brighton fans to talk about scrapping cups or cups being dull, when we didn’t try in either and were deservedly beaten.

And as for integrating young players, yes there is a place for this in the cups, (and in the league as we’ve seen this season), but integrating young players and playing a youth team are 2 different things. The way most manager’s give young players experience, (for a good reason) is to bring them in alongside senior players and /or use them from the bench in selected games.

And fans absolutely go to Carabao cup games, if they are well priced, well marketed and they have a belief that they are going to watch a proper team focussing on winning the game and trying to get a trophy, rather than just not getting injured. One of my fondest Amex memories was an injury time win against Sunderland in the competition when they were a division above us.

Absolutely.

 

[portlock seagull]

It’s not quite that bad as the League Cup started in 1960, so it is a record of one QF every 60 years which we are trying to maintain.

Who were the first winners of the League Cup?

They obviously quite like that pot.

Oi, stop ruining my argument with FACTS!

 

[Hotchilidog]

To me, Potter was right, for a start, when else are kids going to be given an opportunity? Very rarely in the pressure cooker of the Premier League.

Also, the competition needs to be scrapped, there’s no room for two domestic cup competitions anymore.

The organisers don’t even take it seriously, ridiculous sponsors and draws taking place in shops FFS. It’s a gimmicky, Micky Mouse cup these days. Fans can’t afford to go to the extra games as football is ludicrously expensive already. Top players play too much already so are going to have to be rested at some point so it will always be the least important competition they’re rested in, which is this. Getting rid of it might also give the incredibly dull FA Cup the boost it needs by being the only cup competition.

The equivalent competition in France has already been scrapped and I expect this to go the same way in the next few years.

I certainly agree with opening sentiment here. I for one enjoyed our game against Villa. I thought that was a valuable experience for some players who may have a part to play in our future, and they nearly got something out of the game too. The league cup is an ideal time to blood them. To be honest I wish we'd do the same in the FA Cup, I'd rather watch the kids play their hearts out rather than a limp display from notional first-teamers.

Sadly neither cup competition has the cachet it once did. I can't remember the last final of either competition I actually took an interest in. Both have been devalued by the pre-eminence of the Premier league, European competitions, the proliferation of games on live tv and the growing indifference of fans.

I am not remotely jealous of Villa fans today, If a whats app conversation hadn't kicked off about the game last night I wouldn't have even known it was taking place.

 

[darkwolf666]

T

One of them on goal difference only, the other two just one point behind us, of which one of those teams just beat us and the other could do the same this weekend. I wished I could have your confidence

Confident? No not really, we are Brighton after all... But people keep banging on about form and there are teams below us whose form is worse - FACT!

 

[JBizzle]

...and you don’t think that is our business model? Why do you think we don’t turn out full first teamers in cup competitions? It is because we don’t want them injured or knackered for more important league games.

How many people on here go on about staying in this division? The model must be to stay here or we are financially effed, as most teams who drop out find out if they don’t bounce straight back.

We are never going to compete with the majority of the teams in this division in gates, standard of players and exposure and therefore for us and a few others in this division it is one long slog to stay in the division. That is the reality of this division.

That's not the point I'm making though. My point is, everyone knows that staying in this division has to be the baseline but Bloom was laying out the long term aspiration. I don't think there's anything wrong with setting that goal, my issue is people assuming that that goal is an overnight objective and hammering him for not delivering now.

 

[fosters headband]

That's not the point I'm making though. My point is, everyone knows that staying in this division has to be the baseline but Bloom was laying out the long term aspiration. I don't think there's anything wrong with setting that goal, my issue is people assuming that that goal is an overnight objective and hammering him for not delivering now.

I dont think anyone in their right mind was expecting top ten straight away, but by stating that ambition I for one was expecting the club to at least do everything in their power to stop from going backwards. It has taken us over thirty years to get back from the last time we were relegated from this level.

 

[drummerboy10]

Why all the whinging and disappointment then We are basically shit with a few highs here and there, if it success your after don’t support the Albion.

That's the spirit!