[Albion] How much better are we, one year on?

Greg Bobkin · Jul 13, 2020

Difficult to judge, IMO, because it's a work in progress and this season has been far from normal, with the big break and then post-lockdown changes to rules making games different than normal (sometimes good, sometimes not). But Potter wasn't hired (and Hughton wasn't sacked) with this season in mind. It was all part of a longer term project, which is starting to bear fruits with the style of football and the new young players coming through the ranks. The transfer window and next season are where we should see (hopefully) some real steps forward.

What I would say is that there are few complaints about the quality of the football, like last year. If that counts towards the team being 'better', then we're better, one year on...

Napper · Jul 13, 2020

fine line. Like alot of sides , we are a couple of bad windows from going down .

Or a couple of good windows from threatning the top half.

We've had a mixed bag of signings.

The way we are set up , our destiny will probably come down to how good our youth that comes through will be. To compete , it has to be pretty bloomin good.

e77 · Jul 13, 2020

I think we should wait until the next three games have been played before passing judgement as we could still either pass 40 points or stay away from relegation by two or three.

Shooting Star · Jul 13, 2020

I really do think these last three games will tell us an enormous amount of how far we have actually progressed. Not just because we'll have played 38 games. These last three games are against the teams we want to become; Southampton, Burnley and Newcastle. Our next step is to not spend the season in a relegation struggle and to finish anywhere from 12-14th. Like a poster on another thread said, of course these teams are always at risk of having a stinker of a season and going down (like Southampton almost did the other year). But in truth Southampton and Burnley are lower mid-table sides, and miraculously Newcastle are heading that way too. With a contracted off-season, I imagine playing Southampton on Thursday will not be radically different than playing Southampton next season in two months time.

That is why for me, if we can more than match these three teams and get 3+ points over the three games, this Potter side will have not only improved the points tally, but have shown that they are capable of pressing on to that next level. If we get fewer than 3 points, then we still aren't competing with the teams we want to be considered alongside and nothing much will have changed since the CH era materially, if you take the first two PL seasons together.

On that note, if we were to become a 12-14th place side, how would we react to that as Albion fans? We arguably haven't had a season where we aren't realistically fighting for promotion or survival since 2011-12, the first year at the Amex. Mid-table in any league would feel very foreign territory! Glorious or boring? Or gloriously boring?

warmleyseagull · Jul 13, 2020

Terry Butcher Tribute Act said:
Personally i think I'd have enjoyed the season more without the relentless blowing smoke up the arse of 'Potterball' and the Ashworth project. The club spin on everything is tedious.

I don't especially enjoy the football. We've very few players that would get a crowd off their seat. It's largely relentless passing. Good up to a point...

It's an improvement because we were in dire straights at the end of last year, but not the wonderful experience the clubs PR machine would want you to believe. Last year we stayed up with 2 games to play and this year will do similar, helped with the season being reset to help our shocking run. Maupay and Lamptey have looked good, as has Alzate. Trossard has been disappointing until a week ago.

Baffling changes, poor selections, a weird contract extension for the manager, the rushed recall of Alexis, freezing out Duffy and Glenn, completely overusing Connolly, total reluctance to play with wingers and some frankly crap results mainly at home have been frustrating.

But there have been glimpses. Arsenal away was exceptional, as was Palace away first half, Spurs at home, and no doubt others. It's a long term project and one we'll really know the benefits of in a few months time.

6/10

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This - it has been better, but not much. What we can say is that the squad looks more promising.

Seagull1989 · Jul 14, 2020

I’ve enjoyed watching us play more this season than under Hughton. I remember the first few games of the season we seemed a completely different team. The game against Everton was a highlight coming from 2-1 down then the winner, although it was an own goal, was a great fluid move.

I have been really impressed that we have tried different formations and it’s great no one can guess the starting line up . Under Hughton everyone knew the first XI every game .

I have missed a couple of things from the Hughton era though. Having width and wingers like Knocky to get us off our seats ! Also, being able to do something from set pieces , yes it always went to Duffy back post but it was effective.

AlbionInUs · Jul 14, 2020

Based on points total, it is very similar. HOWEVER, the future looks a lot brighter now than it did towards the end of CH’s reign. GP was never going to have an immediate impact. We can’t really judge GP for another few seasons.

DJ NOBO · Jul 14, 2020

Some of the recent posts on this thread have been true to the mark imho. Balanced views.
There’s a sizeable contingent on NSC who laud Potter and defend the players at all costs, and shout down anyone who writes otherwise . I don’t understand why - It’s not like the club isnt capable of peddling its own PR. And I doubt Maty Ryan gives a shit about what you, I or anyone bar his inner circle think about his ability.
Potter has done OK so far. Nothing more, nothing less. If we win the last three I might have to review that though.

Worried Man Blues · Jul 14, 2020

It's just another chapter in the great BHA story, enjoy it ..............we are financially safe.

Durlston · Jul 14, 2020

Apologies for my grumpiness over the weekend. It's not normally like me on NSC but I picked up an horrific sickness bug from my new little 'un and took it out on a few posts. It seems like it's one illness after another at the moment but still feel very proud of her.

As I said we'll stay up. I think last night would have taken a lot out of Southampton so why not get safety at St. Mary's? :thumbsup:

Kalimantan Gull · Jul 14, 2020

Kosh said:
Errrmm ok.

I’m not sure I was being too harsh, more laying the blame at the feet of our somewhat limited players.... hence the two fine managers line...

I think it’s worth noting the lack of tangible progress, progress being the something we were told to expect.

Progress suggests building on the existing foundations - something we would have looked for if Hughton was still in charge - whereas Potter has done something of a refresh and restart, with new players and a different style, so standing still (if it is that) is a pretty fine outcome. Ryan Dunk Propper Gross are the only members of CH's first team that are still regular starters under Potter. It's perhaps more of a rebuild than we think. Usually we'd expect a rebuilding team to drop down the division a bit, few teams can manage rebuilding AND consolidating their position at the same time.

In my opinion the progress can be measured in different ways, the youth coming through, the more assured style of play, the flourishing of prospects on loan, no longer relying on a few aging stalwarts, more tactical flexibility and being able to come back from deficits.

Many of our lost points this season have come from singular mistakes, the ball given away in a dangerous position without cover, the wrong decision being made, positional errors - many of which are things that will be coached out in time or will be eradicated as young players gain experience. Last season our lost points came because we simply weren't good enough or when our confidence drained, those players suffered under pressure and eventually CH couldn't lift them up.

No doubt we could have gone any of these three seasons. But we haven't so we can build on all these things. It's exciting.

boik · Jul 14, 2020

I think the difference under the new regime is potential. You get glimpses of how it might all come together, of how the kids might come through and contribute to the progress. Previously it seemed like we could stop the opposition and get just enough points to stay up. The future looks like we want to play matches our way, and hopefully get the extra points our play deserves. Not sure we have all of the pieces for the jigsaw at the moment (hence the mistakes and costly dropped points), but I'm very hopeful that our "ceiling" has been raised a fair bit.

JBizzle · Jul 14, 2020

I think one gauge of our progress is we haven't seen any performances like Tottenham (A) this season where we absolutely stank out the new WHL (which converted a lot of neutrals to anti-Brighton) and Bournemouth (H) where we absolutely evaporated at the Amex (and turned a lot of Hughton "Ins" to "Outs" - Including Bloom, I'd wager).

It's only a feeling, but I just think we've been far more competitive against our peers this season. We still have a way to go against the big boys but a double over Arsenal and a win against Spurs can only be a good sign. The last two games have possibly dampened overall optimism, but I do seriously think we're a better side.

Ecosse Exile · Jul 14, 2020

Lamptey, Burn, Webster, Alzate, Trossard, Connolly and Maupay.
That is 7 players who look like they will play a huge part in our team next year. Only Burn out of all of them had played a single minute of football in the premier league before this season. Add to that Bissouma who has really grown up as a footballer imho over the course of this season and some very talented youngsters returning from loans at a good standard and i would say this seasons progress will be much more evident next season.
But even just on the playing style alone i think the progress is massive, i wasn't sure about Potter when he came, another season of progress and i will worry about us being able to keep him.

Soton Seagull · Jul 14, 2020

Many positives - nicer on the eye, slightly more goals, slightly less conceded. Some promising youngsters (not entirely sold on Conolly yet) and potential to be a stonger team next season pushing for midtable obscurity.

On the flip side, in league terms no better off and the same post Xmas disaster as last year. The break really helped us as I feel the downward momentum would've carried on without it. I feel the rest has saved us, and perhaps the approach Potter took during that time deserves credit. I think we've swerved a relegation so next season is about proving and emboldening the Potter vision.

Audax · Jul 14, 2020

I said this in a different thread, but it's relevant here and I'll say it again. With different words maybe.

That last season with Hughton for me encapsulated why he needed to go, despite all of the great work he'd done rescuing us from the Hyypia nightmare, getting promoted, and then two survival seasons in the Prem. The first half of the season, as well as we did, I feel that we'd hit our ceiling. We bagged the results we played well enough to bag, and maybe bagged a few extra points along the way. Then we had a poor run over Christmas and it all went downhill. Suddenly we couldn't get a result from anywhere, and Hughton's tactics got more and more backs-to-the-wall. In adversity he played to his strength - defensive solidity - and along the way we forgot how to win games. There was no imaginative approach to trying to find our way out of the hole, and ultimately the end of season points we got was about right. We got what we deserved, no more, no less.

This season with Potter I feel entirely different. We've not hit our ceiling. We've dropped so many points throughout the season having played 95% of a match well enough to get a result, only to lose points through short passages of being under par. While our likely finishing position this season is unlikely to be much better than anything Hughton achieved in terms of points on the table, it definitively is better in terms of the potential I can see in Potter's philosophy, and the squad. I'm hopeful we'll finish 15th, with 40 points or thereabouts. But when I look back on the season and all those dropped points, I'll be disappointed: we've played well enough through this season that in an alternate reality where we got the results we deserved we'd be up there scrapping it out with Burnley, Arsenal, Spurs trying for a top 10 finish.

That, for me, is the big difference. The table says there's been very little change. But look at the underlying what could have been potential, and I doubt there's any out there who'd put the Hughton-led 18/19 team in the same ballpark as the Potter-led 19/20 team. Next season is all about Potter and the squad turning that potential into reality. We should be going into that season looking for a solid 9-10-11 final finish as an entirely reasonable expectation.

Lifelong Supporter · Jul 14, 2020

I think this is a very well titled thread but that it would be best suited to once the season is finished.

There are plenty of fine words written here, many putting a positive spin on things. We need to stay up and we need to show we can get a result or two in the last three games. We can then look back on a season of success and look forward with optimism.

warmleyseagull · Jul 17, 2020

On BBC Sport: Potter has introduced a more attractive and fluid style of play and has increased the Seagulls' numbers for possession, successful passes, goals, shots, clean sheets and touches in the opposition's penalty area. Crucially, he has got them all but safe with two games to spare.. On commentary, I think I heard it right that Albion have now achieved 4,000k player movement, the most in the division.

And Xg table has us 7th with 1.62 compared to 19th with 0.99 last season. Clearly Sean Dyche doesn't care too much for Xg as Burnley are bottom and 19th last season. My argument would be that you cant keep being crap at Xg as sooner or later you stop taking the few chances you get (and/or concede more to the chances created by opposition). Issue for Albion is undoubtedly conversion of chances. that can come.

Overall, I would say that last season we were very lucky to stay up; the three lucky 1-0s in a row and Cardiff blowing up at the end; this season we have been slightly unlucky even to be mathematically in a relegation scrap with two to go. Plenty to work on to make more of the chances but the style should win through.

b.w.2. · Jul 17, 2020

Much much better. Watching us play is enjoyable again. Results only slightly better but... it is a miracle that Potter has remodelled the playing side of the club AND slightly improved the points tally... really excited by next season. However, the long-overdue Muzza replacement is a must IMHO...

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sydney · Jul 17, 2020

4 pts...still lacking 2 world types , Llanna and Ings aren't what we need .....i think we have a whopper of a signing on the way , just quietly..

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[Albion] How much better are we, one year on?

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