Stato
Well-known member
- Dec 21, 2011
- 6,573
Having read the responses to recent defeats I have been surprised at the vitriol. Here are my thoughts. Excuse the long windedness.
Obviously in the past we’ve had periods where everyone went expecting to lose. This seemed somehow easier than the current situation because we all understood the club’s limitations. We had no money and very little way of making any money and so simply had to hope to unearth gems or have a manager who found a winning formula. Everything we achieved felt like it was done against the odds. This reflected back our view of ourselves as fans who had had to fight and sealed a bond between playing staff and supporters.
Now we know that we have the set up to compete, so expectations are higher. This season’s team has, in patches, played technically the best football Brighton has ever played and neutrals generally have nothing but praise for Poyet’s intentions. We watch it all the time and at times I have had to pinch myself, having never believed that I would see my team play with such fluency. However, knowing what they are capable of, makes it harder to accept the team’s failings, the inability to break teams down, the tendency to concede quick goals after getting back into a game, the petulance borne of frustration sometimes shown when things are going badly.
It is tempting to lay the blame with Poyet. He doesn’t make life easy for himself as he is very honest when speaking with the media. If asked a question, he does his best to answer it. This has led to accusations of courting other clubs, tactical inflexibility and even racism.
However, it should be remembered that Poyet has, with Bloom, been responsible for the higher expectations. It was Poyet’s style of football that allowed an unfancied team on a relatively small budget to blow apart league one, prompting fans of other teams to give reviews such as this:
Great Football League Teams 36: Brighton and Hove Albion 2010-11 | The Two Unfortunates
Brighton are now higher than they have ever been in the modern premiership era and yet some fans are saying that Poyet should go. I suspect that fans are less forgiving because, despite the hard fought for new stadium and at times breathtakingly entertaining football, the emotional attachment between club and fans feels lessened. There is evidence of this in fan reactions to the changes to Gully’s Girls, the perceived threat to Albion in the Community, the arguments about standing and related fan treatment. It feels to me that, as the club moves forward, it will be extremely difficult to sustain the unique character of Brighton.
Personally, I would find it difficult to maintain the same level of interest should the club become another faceless business whose main ambition is competing for mid table respectability in the Premiership. Therefore, I welcome the fact that Poyet wants Brighton to become associated with a style of play that, defines the club. This seems to suggest that he holds values which are higher than win-at-all costs and I like that.
However fans want to win and, even if most accept that going from our base three years ago to the Championship Play Offs is a huge ask, they need to share in what Fletch from Porridge called ‘little victories’ to strengthen the bond with the playing staff along the way. Apart from the comeback against Doncaster and the close run thing with 9 against Burnley, this has been largely absent. The class and technical ability cannot provide this.
What may do is winning a derby match against the odds…
Obviously in the past we’ve had periods where everyone went expecting to lose. This seemed somehow easier than the current situation because we all understood the club’s limitations. We had no money and very little way of making any money and so simply had to hope to unearth gems or have a manager who found a winning formula. Everything we achieved felt like it was done against the odds. This reflected back our view of ourselves as fans who had had to fight and sealed a bond between playing staff and supporters.
Now we know that we have the set up to compete, so expectations are higher. This season’s team has, in patches, played technically the best football Brighton has ever played and neutrals generally have nothing but praise for Poyet’s intentions. We watch it all the time and at times I have had to pinch myself, having never believed that I would see my team play with such fluency. However, knowing what they are capable of, makes it harder to accept the team’s failings, the inability to break teams down, the tendency to concede quick goals after getting back into a game, the petulance borne of frustration sometimes shown when things are going badly.
It is tempting to lay the blame with Poyet. He doesn’t make life easy for himself as he is very honest when speaking with the media. If asked a question, he does his best to answer it. This has led to accusations of courting other clubs, tactical inflexibility and even racism.
However, it should be remembered that Poyet has, with Bloom, been responsible for the higher expectations. It was Poyet’s style of football that allowed an unfancied team on a relatively small budget to blow apart league one, prompting fans of other teams to give reviews such as this:
Great Football League Teams 36: Brighton and Hove Albion 2010-11 | The Two Unfortunates
Brighton are now higher than they have ever been in the modern premiership era and yet some fans are saying that Poyet should go. I suspect that fans are less forgiving because, despite the hard fought for new stadium and at times breathtakingly entertaining football, the emotional attachment between club and fans feels lessened. There is evidence of this in fan reactions to the changes to Gully’s Girls, the perceived threat to Albion in the Community, the arguments about standing and related fan treatment. It feels to me that, as the club moves forward, it will be extremely difficult to sustain the unique character of Brighton.
Personally, I would find it difficult to maintain the same level of interest should the club become another faceless business whose main ambition is competing for mid table respectability in the Premiership. Therefore, I welcome the fact that Poyet wants Brighton to become associated with a style of play that, defines the club. This seems to suggest that he holds values which are higher than win-at-all costs and I like that.
However fans want to win and, even if most accept that going from our base three years ago to the Championship Play Offs is a huge ask, they need to share in what Fletch from Porridge called ‘little victories’ to strengthen the bond with the playing staff along the way. Apart from the comeback against Doncaster and the close run thing with 9 against Burnley, this has been largely absent. The class and technical ability cannot provide this.
What may do is winning a derby match against the odds…
Excellent stuff. No doubt there appears to be a lot of posters who would complain if after 2 years in the prem that we hadn't qualified for the Champions league.
