[Albion] Verdict on albion v cheltenham?

[Thunder Bolt]

Very very poor until Lua Lua came on. We had no idea of how to break down a League 2 defence. New players URGENTLY needed.

Strange, I saw 2 goals tonight, so we must have broken them down. It took a while with nearly all their team parking the bus, but we did it.
It was a better performance than losing to Newport last season (we lost the first three games then)

 

[PILTDOWN MAN]

Another disappointing display, Midfield is soooooooooooo poor and..............................

sod it couldn't be bothered...................

night

 

[One Love]

Strange, I saw 2 goals tonight, so we must have broken them down.

He said until Lua Lua came on we had no idea how to break down a League 2 defence. So you saw 2 goals before LuaLua came on?

 

[Surf's Up]

On their website Yates said "if someone can tell me what formation they were playing when they brought Lua Lua on they're a better man than me" - sounds like the tactics went out of the window if correct.

 

[The Birdman]

Chicksen played ok look even better when Lua Lua came on.

 

[Icy Gull]

Cheltenham were probably the most ineffective attacking team that I have ever seen at the Amex, just useless...fortunately.

 

[Smith DID score]

It was appalling, and only improved when KLL came on. For me it was the worst performance since we moved to The Amex.

Didn't you go on Saturday then?

 

[Goldstone Rapper]

It was appalling, and only improved when KLL came on. For me it was the worst performance since we moved to The Amex.

Worse than the 3-1 defeat to Newport?

 

[Thunder Bolt]

Worse than the 3-1 defeat to Newport?

You know when a posters uses 'ever' or 'never' in their post, it shows poor analysis. Either that or they suffer from short term memory loss.

 

[PILTDOWN MAN]

Right I laid in bed and thought for a while couldn't get that sleepy feeling so got back up and so here we go on my feelings on how we are now.

I cast my mind back to when first we hit the big time. Well supported we rode the crest of a wave, Bamber's vision, we had exciting players, one that youngsters like me idolized. Household national names, ones that people even know now. Over a period of years, Ward, Lawerson, Foster, Stevens, Gregory, Shanks, W Young, Robinson, Case, Horton, Corrigan, S Nelson, the list goes on.

Then came the bad times enough said.

So now, one of the best stadiums, the best academy, the best supported club outside the Premiership but however very few hero's on the pitch. No names, no one who excites you, little passion I find it sterile.

Now I'm aware it's an age thing I'm now in my mid-forties so shouldn't be idolizing young men, so to speak, but I ask my 12 year old son (not my 19 year old step daughter as she thinks they're all gorgeous) and I don't see the same connection. I find that sad.

So where are we? Who's the star of the show? What player do the kids want on their shirt? If I'm honest I'm at a loss to answer that.

The sparkle seems to have gone. It was very subdued Saturday and tonight.

I hope the club surprise us and being in a few exciting players for us all to find that feelgood factor once more.

 

[GT49er]

Right I laid in bed and thought for a while couldn't get that sleepy feeling so got back up and so here we go on my feelings on how we are now.

I cast my mind back to when first we hit the big time. Well supported we rode the crest of a wave, Bamber's vision, we had exciting players, one that youngsters like me idolized. Household national names, ones that people even know now. Over a period of years, Ward, Lawerson, Foster, Stevens, Gregory, Shanks, W Young, Robinson, Case, Horton, Corrigan, S Nelson, the list goes on.

Then came the bad times enough said.

So now, one of the best stadiums, the best academy, the best supported club outside the Premiership but however very few hero's on the pitch. No names, no one who excites you, little passion I find it sterile.
at.
Now I'm aware it's an age thing I'm now in my mid-forties so shouldn't be idolizing young men, so to speak, but I ask my 12 year old son (not my 19 year old step daughter as she thinks they're all gorgeous) and I don't see the same connection. I find that sad.

So where are we? Who's the star of the show? What player do the kids want on their shirt? If I'm honest I'm at a loss to answer that.

The sparkle seems to have gone. It was very subdued Saturday and tonight.

I hope the club surprise us and being in a few exciting players for us all to find that feelgood factor once more.

Agree with most of that - except that we weren't that well supported really. What was the average gate when we were in the top flight? Fourteen thousandish or thereabouts, I think; certainly not much more. Parts of the east stand were closed even, and the Lego stand didn't really make up the difference.

But yes, I totally agree about wanting that feel-good factor back.

 

[PILTDOWN MAN]

Agree with most of that - except that we weren't that well supported really. What was the average gate when we were in the top flight? Fourteen thousandish or thereabouts, I think; certainly not much more. Parts of the east stand were closed even, and the Lego stand didn't really make up the difference.

But yes, I totally agree about wanting that feel-good factor back.

Not when in the first division more like 24000 to start with. East stand closure was well after.

 

[GT49er]

Not when in the first division more like 24000 to start with. East stand closure was well after.

24,000 against Arsenal on the first day, yes, but a lot of lower gates after that (OK, with a few high ones too, when the likes of Man U., Spurs or Liverpool came to town). Haven't got massive stats to hand, but looking at the 1981/82 record I can see home gates of 13K and 15K (Sept., home to Middlesborough and Coventry); 17K (Oct., Stoke); 13K (Nov., Notts County); 14K (Dec., Sunderland); 15K and 17K (Feb., Everton and Forest); 10K and 17K (May, Wolves and Ipswich) - so not exactly the land of milk and honey support wise. 82/83 was worse.

Memory can play tricks at this distance in time, but I'm pretty sure there were parts of the east stand out of use by then.

 

[AlastairWatts]

.....The sparkle seems to have gone. It was very subdued Saturday and tonight.......

Exactly. Apart from CMS they look like a bunch of journeymen players plucked from Division 1

 

[perseus]

My First Impressions

Rohan Ince pretty well has a free rein in the middle of the field (more like a centerpiece in a 4-3-3 except we had no one on the right wing). There was my over-riding thoughts on the game. Except that Cheltenham were totally ineffective going forward. We created 8 half chances in the first half, none converted. We looked better in the second half but we created even less, four half chances, one headed in by Dunk. And the full chance from Macca when he scored. Much less than we created against Newport.

Mackail-Smith was as usual, i.e. not very good. But he took his goal very well with his left foot. Forster-Caskey corners were not that bad, quite good and no worse than last year from whoever was taking them.

PS: Charlie Harris has a reputation for right footed long shots with the academy squad. No sign of the pace of Buckley though.

I think we could keep Buckley if we wanted to. I think his pace is irreplaceable on our budget. It is pace that full backs fear more than all the tricks and deceptions.

 

[grawhite]

It doesn't. He is on a 3-year loan from Newcastle.

I seem to remember us buying him from Newcastle for £1 million or so, he is contracted to Brighton not Newcastle.

 

[portslade seagull]

Bye bye Buckers then, think we need at least 7 quality replacements but think we will be lucky to see 1. The rest wll be journeymen to make up numbers and save dosh

 

[AZ Gull]

Ending when?

I seem to remember us buying him from Newcastle for £1 million or so, he is contracted to Brighton not Newcastle.

BensGrandad came up with this beauty of a post a few months ago, to which I was paying homage:-

Somebody, a scout for a premier club, was saying that Kazenga hasnt signed for us but is on a 3 season loan as there were problems when we wanted to sign him, surely this cant be right.

 

[grawhite]

BensGrandad came up with this beauty of a post a few months ago, to which I was paying homage:-

Must have been on football rumours website.

 

[AZ Gull]

Must have been on football rumours website.

Either that, or a scout for a premier club told him.