[Albion] The first crack in Graham Potter's calm demeanour?

[Thunder Bolt]

We're a False Number 8. The chasing pack will swallow us up over the Xmas period. We'll be about 13th or 14th in the division going into the New Year. This is what happens when you can't score goals for toffee and won't spend money to rectify the issue

That’s a better position than the previous four years.

 

[A1X]

Just out of interest on the whole “people shouldn’t complain, we’re 8th” argument, what’s the low-water mark for that response? Is it being in the PL at all given our history? Above the third tier? People shouldn't complain for as long as we’re in the football league?

I mean I assume for the argument to be made people have to have a point in mind, a mythical line which as long as we’re above it people need to remember our history and not moan about things. I’m fascinated as to what it is.

 

[dadams2k11]

We're a False Number 8. The chasing pack will swallow us up over the Xmas period. We'll be about 13th or 14th in the division going into the New Year. This is what happens when you can't score goals for toffee and won't spend money to rectify the issue

Won't spend money?

We were clearly after a striker in the summer and had the money. Maybe we won't be bended over a barrell and get dry humped.

 

[PILTDOWN MAN]

Maybe we won't be bended over a barrell and get dry humped.

Don't knock it until you've tried.

 

[dadams2k11]

Don't knock it until you've tried.

How do you know I haven't? [emoji57]

 

[Hugo Rune]

Just out of interest on the whole “people shouldn’t complain, we’re 8th” argument, what’s the low-water mark for that response? Is it being in the PL at all given our history?

People should complain if they think there is an issue, even if we are 1st, that is their right.

However, booing the players is something else, especially when we are having the best season in our history. It’s pathetic, idiotic and will probably be counter productive. Palace fans will be absolutely thrilled that we’re now shootings ourselves in the foot. It’ll be no surprise if we now go on a losing streak due to poor moral in the team caused by the booing minority. Only 3 teams have lost less matches than us; the top 3, but that’s not enough for the entitled morons!

 

[PILTDOWN MAN]

People should complain if they think there is an issue, even if we are 1st, that is their right.

However, booing the players is something else, especially when we are having the best season in our history. It’s pathetic, idiotic and will probably be counter productive. Palace fans will be absolutely thrilled that we’re now shootings ourselves in the foot. It’ll be no surprise if we now go on a losing streak due to poor moral in the team caused by the booing minority. Only 3 teams have lost less matches than us; the top 3, but that’s not enough for the entitled morons!

What draws you to that conclusion?

 

[Baldseagull]

Well that says more about you I'm afraid, if a comment from Potter really pisses you off that much then maybe you need to give your head a wobble.

Potters comments didn't even register for me, and im guessing the majority of this board. He was completely correct in what he said. We are 8th, with a bottom 5 budget and can't score at the moment.

Would you be so anti potter if we had won 2/3 more games and sitting 4/5/6th?

Potter called out the boo boys, the boy boys don't like it.

What has the current league position or history of the club got to do with it? No one was feeling frustrated and booing at being eighth, no one was frustrated and booing that we created chances and defended well, they and I were frustrated that we failed to score from the numerous good chances created, weren't you?
I am not anti Potter, I am anti him referencing the history of the club as a reason for the fans to not have higher hopes than drawing or losing in games we are dominating. I have always been a Potter in guy, throughout the period where many were not so happy with him and some were suggesting we should get rid.
To be honest, it was a bit of an effort to leave the house Saturday, and venture out into the cold with disrupted trains and the expectation of being disappointed by the result, I didn't boo, but I was frustrated, even more so after seeing Potter suggest there is nothing to complain about, you don't need an emotional intelligence degree to understand why there was some booing.

 

[bright265]

What is the booing for? Our issue is as easy to identify as adding 1+1: we need a finisher.

Nothing is going to change, in terms of goal scoring, until we bring one in. People need to accept that.

The club failed in this regard during the summer, but were clearly after one with the links to Edouard. Potter has clearly stated his want for a striker last season, taking this into account. He cannot be criticised in this regard, whatsoever.

So, I don't understand the goal of this booing. Is it to make Maupay into Aguero? Is it to get Potter sacked with the belief that another manager will improve finishing? Those are the only two reasons I can think of, and both are ridiculous ideas.

Brighton play fantastic football under Potter and create plenty of chances.. The only thing missing is a finisher, and this is one area where I will not blame the manager; it is entirely based on the quality of the player.

 

[NooBHA]

Don't knock it until you've tried.

I think someone must have tried it and didn't like it shortly before. Locadia and Elvis Manu signed on the dotted line

 

[Guinness Boy]

Well that says more about you I'm afraid, if a comment from Potter really pisses you off that much then maybe you need to give your head a wobble.

Potters comments didn't even register for me, and im guessing the majority of this board. He was completely correct in what he said. We are 8th, with a bottom 5 budget and can't score at the moment.

Would you be so anti potter if we had won 2/3 more games and sitting 4/5/6th?

Potter called out the boo boys, the boy boys don't like it.

Just out of interest on the whole “people shouldn’t complain, we’re 8th” argument, what’s the low-water mark for that response? Is it being in the PL at all given our history? Above the third tier? People shouldn't complain for as long as we’re in the football league?

I mean I assume for the argument to be made people have to have a point in mind, a mythical line which as long as we’re above it people need to remember our history and not moan about things. I’m fascinated as to what it is.

People should complain if they think there is an issue, even if we are 1st, that is their right.

However, booing the players is something else, especially when we are having the best season in our history. It’s pathetic, idiotic and will probably be counter productive. Palace fans will be absolutely thrilled that we’re now shootings ourselves in the foot. It’ll be no surprise if we now go on a losing streak due to poor moral in the team caused by the booing minority. Only 3 teams have lost less matches than us; the top 3, but that’s not enough for the entitled morons!

All of which skirts round two rather awkward issues.

I don't think it's "where we are" that is an issue as much as "how far back do you want to go"?

Now, I want to make something clear. I've been following the club since 1980 and many of the people around me in the WSU are of that age and era too. No one booed where I was and I certainly didn't. I don't believe in it. People might point to posts I've made that they regard as negative but that's in debate between fans of the club. Potter and players don't have to read NSC - in fact I'd suggest they don't. But booing in the ground is unavoidable for them so you'd better do it for a good reason, and frustration isn't good enough.

But - it seems from on here and what I heard that quite a bit of the booing was from the North Stand and that's where a lot of our younger fans are. Hereford was 24 years ago and counting. Many NS fans would not have been born when that game was played. And many aged t24 or younger will only ever remember the Amex. So all they can remember is nice stadium, good football and (Hyypia apart), winning season being in or around the playoffs or doing ok in the Premier League.

And - the club have expressly come out and said Top Ten is the target this season. It seems there has been a flip of perspective. Last season those of us saying we should have a better league position were told to be patient and it was part of the long term plan. See what's coming. Now we are in that top ten, which is great, but many can see that barely lasting to Christmas with our lack of goals and wins recently.

So - fans who weren't even alive when Hereford happened and only remember the Amex, a real hiatus in our season's progress and Potter trying to give some old boys a history lesson. Are we really surprised.

At some point, maybe we have to accept that to meet TB's stated ambition for the club we need to forget being little old Brighton who are just pleased to be here and actually become ruthless new Brighton putting away sides who are patently worse than we are,

 

[Bold Seagull]

All of which skirts round two rather awkward issues.

I don't think it's "where we are" that is an issue as much as "how far back do you want to go"?

Now, I want to make something clear. I've been following the club since 1980 and many of the people around me in the WSU are of that age and era too. No one booed where I was and I certainly didn't. I don't believe in it. People might point to posts I've made that they regard as negative but that's in debate between fans of the club. Potter and players don't have to read NSC - in fact I'd suggest they don't. But booing in the ground is unavoidable for them so you'd better do it for a good reason, and frustration isn't good enough.

But - it seems from on here and what I heard that quite a bit of the booing was from the North Stand and that's where a lot of our younger fans are. Hereford was 24 years ago and counting. Many NS fans would not have been born when that game was played. And many aged t24 or younger will only ever remember the Amex. So all they can remember is nice stadium, good football and (Hyypia apart), winning season being in or around the playoffs or doing ok in the Premier League.

And - the club have expressly come out and said Top Ten is the target this season. It seems there has been a flip of perspective. Last season those of us saying we should have a better league position were told to be patient and it was part of the long term plan. See what's coming. Now we are in that top ten, which is great, but many can see that barely lasting to Christmas with our lack of goals and wins recently.

So - fans who weren't even alive when Hereford happened and only remember the Amex, a real hiatus in our season's progress and Potter trying to give some old boys a history lesson. Are we really surprised.

At some point, maybe we have to accept that to meet TB's stated ambition for the club we need to forget being little old Brighton who are just pleased to be here and actually become ruthless new Brighton putting away sides who are patently worse than we are,

We’re 8th, 1/3rd of the season gone. It’s a marathon not a sprint. As far as I’m aware 1/3rd of the season school report we’re meeting TBs ambition. We’re still 8th because EVERYONE outside the top 3 have poor spells of results and/or form. As per last season, despite games we should have won, we still picked ourselves up and got results.

 

[pb21]

But - it seems from on here and what I heard that quite a bit of the booing was from the North Stand and that's where a lot of our younger fans are.

I'm in WSU and heard a good few booing coming from near where I was, it seems to me that it was spread around pretty evenly.

 

[Not Andy Naylor]

This.

He fell for the media hook, line and sinker.

There was no media fishing. Potter was fuming after the final whistle and always intended to address the booing.

 

[Weststander]

There was no media fishing. Potter was fuming after the final whistle and always intended to address the booing.

I know, everyone saw that.

BUT THEN the Sky interviewer targeted it, in the heat of the moment, Potter didn't keep his counsel.

It's an old Gary Newbon tactic.

 

[Cheshire Cat]

It's impossible to recruit where everyone you hire is a success (in any industry). One (or even several) duds is not a 'damning indictment' unless there have been no successes.

I can't think of a successful striker recently.

 

[PILTDOWN MAN]

There was no media fishing. Potter was fuming after the final whistle and always intended to address the booing.

It was interesting though, sitting at home watching it, a rare event for me, the crowd didn't appear to be getting on the players backs during the game, perhaps they were.

There's always going to be some reaction as we are failing to win. Previously this has been more of a load sigh. I think this time could have been due to the subs used.

It's a shame as the interview should have been about how well we played but failed to capitalise again.

 

[A1X]

It was interesting though, sitting at home watching it, a rare event for me, the crowd didn't appear to be getting on the players backs during the game, perhaps they were.

I only noticed it happening when a few times we got a free kick in their half and two touches later it was back with Sanchez. Come to think of it I don’t think we put any “deep” free kicks into the box, all went short (and seemingly all went back to Sanchez).

 

[Weststander]

What has the current league position or history of the club got to do with it? No one was feeling frustrated and booing at being eighth, no one was frustrated and booing that we created chances and defended well, they and I were frustrated that we failed to score from the numerous good chances created, weren't you?
I am not anti Potter, I am anti him referencing the history of the club as a reason for the fans to not have higher hopes than drawing or losing in games we are dominating. I have always been a Potter in guy, throughout the period where many were not so happy with him and some were suggesting we should get rid.
To be honest, it was a bit of an effort to leave the house Saturday, and venture out into the cold with disrupted trains and the expectation of being disappointed by the result, I didn't boo, but I was frustrated, even more so after seeing Potter suggest there is nothing to complain about, you don't need an emotional intelligence degree to understand why there was some booing.

Excellent post.

Ditch this benchmarking to the ever distant past, what the hell's that got to with a passing-by manager in 2021?

The overwhelming majority of fans are big Potter supporters, he must know that. He wouldn't have a clue why a tiny minority booed, so don't be hypersensitive in guessing the reason and reacting.

As a professional coach and lover of the game, I think he was very pleased with his body of work, the overall performance at final whistle. Fair enough.

But lifelong supporters of the club across all age groups have Albion DNA, they yearn for winning goals and a victory. As the weeks and months tick by without that, some supporters are perfectly within their rights to be emotional about another failure by our team to get over the line in a game of football.

 

[SuperFurrySeagull]

He was very pissed off about the same thing in Östersund (2 minutes into the video):

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oyWtZIzr8wU

Completely understandable. If you lose 5-0 or something against a shit side and your players are not working hard, then it is one thing, but when you play well and you get booed... well it doesnt really motivate players to do that little extra for the fans, so as a manager it has impact on your work as well.

This clip is brilliant & quite revealing of Potter's (non-university qualified) character, I think. And the water bottle is an entertaining sub plot in itself (ok, so I don't have quite the emotional investment in that day's events as I do with yesterday - "Could someone please get Mr Potter another bottle of water please! No, not the glass one.."). Interesting that he references the hard working players & the history. When you're that angry & in the heat of the moment he's probably not had that much time to really analyse the detail of what he's going to say.

But he's proper angry here, making yesterday seem like a Sunday school sermon by comparison. This clip fills me with even greater respect & admiration for the man (if that were possible), yet there are those who complain that he's too 'zen', not passionate or emotional enough, or invested enough in events to give a damn. What he's paid is irrelevant if you're the warm blooded human being he clearly is, responding to stressful events is not pay graded. Hence those who booed yesterday have every right, in my opinion, as a non-booer myself, to express themselves as they see fit, but have no right to criticise another, albeit a well paid human, doing exactly the same & responding, either emotionally or otherwise.

FFS give him a break, grow thicker skin & take it on the chin, carry on booing if you must (although I wish you didn't) & enjoy the best football/circumstances that we've seen, like ever (fan since 1978 ). We're still incredibly lucky to have him with us - I fear that issues like this are much more likely to push a manager away than any other, often touted, reason (I honestly don't think he would tbh, he's far too principled)

This has been good & mainly mature debate here, on both sides, but let's move on soon, eh?