[Albion] We are currently experiencing the greatest Albion team of all time

[Bodian]

This current crop of players wearing the stripes are doing fantastic. And I think we have one chance at this. The big six won't be this crap again for a long time, this is the Leicester moment, not to win the league obviously but to break into the top six. We will be raided at the end of the season whether top 6 or not and we settle back down to mid table for the following seasons. We may be approaching that ceiling thing Gus was on about. From there, who knows where it goes, but pretty certain it isn't upwards so everyone enjoy it while you can. And stop worrying about league one teams who have won us once or twice.

Unless what we are seeing is the gradual change to a more competitive league again?

I've been around for a number of "This is the best Brighton side ever and we'll never have a tough time again" and for a number of "We're shite and will never win a game again" phases and it has been fun and painful and fun and painful and fun and painful and so on... I avoid getting caught in it though, I know when things are shite that they will get better and I know when things are great that there will be shite times somewhere ahead. I'm not Mr. Living-The-Moment when it comes to football.

That said, the improvement in the team results in less pain and more fun, and I much prefer that. Its been very rosy since the Arsenal win.

I like your posts in the main Swanny - but I really don't think you're qualified to speak on this thread. You can only really compare the current team with the last few years. However much you may have researched our history - you weren't experiencing it.

Was going to start a similar thread. I don’t really know what to do. We’re SO good. Our entire club is the envy of much of the footballing world.

What a different conversation it is now when someone asks “who do you support?”

“Brighton.” Followed by the strangest feeling of all. SMUGNESS. Not just pride like before. I am smug. I thought our vindication came when we got promoted. When we beat Man United in the premier league for the first time. When Potter took us to new heights. But I think this is it. This week is peak Brighton. Whilst it’s all still new to us and we’ve still got optimism.

It doesn’t get better than this…. Does it?

Brilliant post.


What a great thread. And a couple of posters have referred to 'laughing'. That's what I find myself doing when watching us on streams - laughing one moment, saying 'bloody hell how did we do that?' the next - then just sitting there a bit stupified.

 

[CaptainDaveUK]

I remember watching Brighton away around 1996, we lost 2:0 and I genuinely wanted to play as I thought I’d do a better job. I was recently first XI for Liverpool Uni and I simply couldn’t believe how bad BHA were, that 96/97 season was just shockingly bad, so poor compared to the team of the late 70s early 80s. I’ve watched the Albion for 40 years. The current team is streets ahead of anything I’ve seen. Amazing.

 

[Lever]

I think it is important to just 'be in the moment'. The past is gone and the future unknown.... and frankly I get fed up with fatuous speculation about what may happen next, what players will be leaving, how high up the league can we get etc. Pointless.

Right now this is a great club with great management and an exciting team playing beautiful football. I love it.

That is all!

 

[CaptainDaveUK]

Unless what we are seeing is the gradual change to a more competitive league again?



I like your posts in the main Swanny - but I really don't think you're qualified to speak on this thread. You can only really compare the current team with the last few years. However much you may have researched our history - you weren't experiencing it.



Brilliant post.


What a great thread. And a couple of posters have referred to 'laughing'. That's what I find myself doing when watching us on streams - laughing one moment, saying 'bloody hell how did we do that?' the next - then just sitting there a bit stupified.

I remember laughing at Goodison this week, also United 4:0 last season, celebrating each goal half cheering / half laughing in hysterics. Especially Gross running through on goal on Tuesday, brilliant.

 

[el punal]

You have to be shitting me. I've gone into pubs in Brighton with fewer Brighton fans.

Umm - the Brighthelm?

 

[el punal]

Whatever we think of Potter now we still owe him a great deal for helping to get a TEAM together over 3 seasons that fights with real spirit and oneness. He has done what RDZ hasn't had to do. Just seeing the way that the team got around Undav after he scored yesterday shows their togetherness; the way that McAllister was eager to get back home after Qatar, acknowledging that his team mates helped him get that World Cup medal. I think that's what Potter has done, and what has made a big difference. RDZ is now just taking us to another level.

The appreciation and feeling for Deniz Undav reminded me so much of how everyone rallied round Anthony Knockaert when he lost his dad. My goodness, there is a wonderful team spirit in the ranks.

 

[Lever]

The appreciation and feeling for Deniz Undav reminded me so much of how everyone rallied round Anthony Knockaert when he lost his dad. My goodness, there is a wonderful team spirit in the ranks.

Agreed!

 

[Brovion]

I do think some are getting a bit carried away after beating a Championship side and 2 PL sides destined for the drop.

Genuinely be interested to see how we get on against any of the current top 12

Ok, name a greater Albion team then. The Charity Shield winning side of 1910 perhaps.

I don't think people are getting carried away. If our last few results had people saying "we're gonna win the league!" then yeah, fair enough, they're getting a bit carried away. But the thread statement that we are 'currently experiencing the greatest Albion team of all time' IMO is an absolute given.

 

[Eric the meek]

Great thread.

But is this peak Albion? No, I don't think so. It would only be peak Albion if there were no prospect of further improvement.

Everything indicates we are a work in progress and in the middle of a rapid evolution, right now.

1. 8th position in the PL.
2. Exciting, incisive football that is getting results and plaudits.
3. An almost seamless transition from Potter to RDZ, who is arguably an improvement.
4. A tried and tested pathway for South American wonderkids into the PL.
5. The aim of the summer 2019 five year plan, to be a top 10 PL club, already achieved with over a year to spare.
6. Great successes in the transfer market, both incoming and outgoing.
7. Individual recognition for the playing staff (internationals, a WC winner) and the CEO, awarded an OBE.
8. A world class academy, recently compared to that of Bayern Munich.
9. Growing anecdotal evidence of a growing worldwide fanbase. The brand is taking off.

 

[5Ways Gull]

We are definitely experiencing the greatest Albion times of all time.

 

[Swansman]

Ok, name a greater Albion team then. The Charity Shield winning side of 1910 perhaps.

I don't think people are getting carried away. If our last few results had people saying "we're gonna win the league!" then yeah, fair enough, they're getting a bit carried away. But the thread statement that we are 'currently experiencing the greatest Albion team of all time' IMO is an absolute given.

Bit of a rush to find out since there's only one person left in Britain who was a alive at that point - some lady called Ethel Caterham, born 1909.

Someone needs to call her and ask whether she'd go with Pervis Estupinan or Jack Haworth as left back.

 

[5Ways Gull]

Great thread.

But is this peak Albion? No, I don't think so. It would only be peak Albion if there were no prospect of further improvement.

Everything indicates we are a work in progress and in the middle of a rapid evolution, right now.

1. 8th position in the PL.
2. Exciting, incisive football that is getting results and plaudits.
3. An almost seamless transition from Potter to RDZ, who is arguably an improvement.
4. A tried and tested pathway for South American wonderkids into the PL.
5. The aim of the summer 2019 five year plan, to be a top 10 PL club, already achieved with over a year to spare.
6. Great successes in the transfer market, both incoming and outgoing.
7. Individual recognition for the playing staff (internationals, a WC winner) and the CEO, awarded an OBE.
8. A world class academy, recently compared to that of Bayern Munich.
9. Growing anecdotal evidence of a growing worldwide fanbase. The brand is taking off.

Totally agree with all of the above:

Re 4 - we also seem to be tapping into a fairly decent group of Irish youngsters.

Re 9 - that's a big one, global recognition is one of the big measures of a "Big" club.

 

[Weststander]

Right now this is a great club with great management and an exciting team playing beautiful football. I love it.

That is all!

Same here. Enjoy.

 

[Silverhatch]

Yes. Been supporting this lot from mid 70s. Poyet/Hughts/Potter - wonderful. De Zerbi’s start… OMFG

 

[DataPoint]

The only player from previous generations who would improve this team would be Lawrenson.

Watch some of Peter Ward's goals! Then change your mind.

 

[The Clamp]

I'm certain I'm not the only one continually pinching myself...

Indeed we are, Sir.

 

[Cheshire Cat]

Watch some of Peter Ward's goals! Then change your mind.

Ward was ok in Divisions 2 and 3, but failed in Division 1.

Not world class.

 

[Sirnormangall]

It is incredible. Top 5 leagues in Europe away top scorers- PSG, Bayern, Brighton, Real Madrid. Mad!

And we’ve achieved that in the toughest league.

 

[warmleyseagull]

This may be true but I am not seeing it, literally. I gave up my season ticket due to illness and last season and this have therefore been to around a dozen games only. Despite picking some games that I knew we would win, eg Norwich, Forest and the like, in those dozen games I have not seen us win once at home though did break my duck away at Wolves. I did not see us win even once the whole of last season.

But I hear things are generally going pretty well

I've been around for a number of "This is the best Brighton side ever and we'll never have a tough time again" and for a number of "We're shite and will never win a game again" phases and it has been fun and painful and fun and painful and fun and painful and so on... I avoid getting caught in it though, I know when things are shite that they will get better and I know when things are great that there will be shite times somewhere ahead. I'm not Mr. Living-The-Moment when it comes to football.

That said, the improvement in the team results in less pain and more fun, and I much prefer that. Its been very rosy since the Arsenal win.

Agreed. You get a lot of stick, but not justified IMO in this case. We overdo the negative and the positive. Sell a couple of players, few injuries/loss of form, some bad luck, and exit R4 and lower half of PL is eminently feasible. Keep them all, avoid injuries, good fortune, and Europe and Wembley on horizon. It’s what keeps us as fans: the glorious uncertainty of it all.

 

[Sirnormangall]

Like many of you I’ve been supporting the club for many years. Since the 60s there have been good times and bad, from memory mostly bad, but that has made the (rare) good times even more special. For the majority of my supporting years our aspirations have been to get promoted from Div 4 to 3, or to see how long we could survive in Div 2. The brief journey into Div1 and an FA Cup final was the pinnacle followed by 25 years+ of despair, more or less. So, to be where we are now and playing in such a fantastic style ( including under Potter) is the stuff of dreams for me. This is clearly the best BHA team I’ve ever seen.