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[Albion] We are no better than last season



Swansman

Pro-peace
May 13, 2019
22,320
Sweden
It's a fact based on the league table. In the same way Liverpool are worse than last season. Fact. Sheffield United are worse than last season. Fact. Villa are better. Fact. A three kilo turbot is bigger than a one kilo turbot. Fact. Because the way you decide that is to use a measure. A Ferrari is faster than a Dacia Duster because it would beat it in a race.

Monty Python is funnier than Fawlty Towers? That's an opinion

If you are only interested in scoreboards and league tables its indeed a fact, if you are interested in football its not a fact.
 




DJ NOBO

Well-known member
Jul 18, 2004
6,442
Wiltshire
Improvement isn’t crystal clear though. Not all fans view football in the same way, some look at the style of play and can see an obvious improvement (not last might), others focus more on the results and league table. If a fan falls into the latter category then there’s every reason why they could have had enough as our overall results haven’t improved in any way and we’re still in our default position in the table.

The points tally hasn’t improved much yet. That’s a fact.
We are nearer being in a position to make the next step though, due to a general improvement in squad quality and depth.
To put it another way, if you added that mythical quality striker to the squad now, I would fancy us to make a big push next season - in there with Wolves, Leeds, Southampton.
If you added him to last season’s squad, there would still be considerable work to do to get out of that bottom six.
This is not the exciting leap we all crave, but it could be significant longer term.
 


Icy Gull

Back on the rollercoaster
Jul 5, 2003
72,015
We are certainly much better than we were two seasons ago at this stage though. FACT :wink:

Try arguing with that :lolol:
 




Hamilton

Well-known member
NSC Patron
Jul 7, 2003
12,601
Brighton
Just think when the team gets improves their results next season and all these loyal fans will be either shrugging their shoulders or thriving in the poor results of some cricket team or something. Going to be beautiful.

The writing is pretty poor today.

Are you the office junior? Is the Head of PR not in yet?
 




Guinness Boy

Tofu eating wokerati
Helpful Moderator
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Jul 23, 2003
34,756
Up and Coming Sunny Portslade
Fiction.

...but if you were to quantify it as "in the attacking third", we might nearly agree

Sent from my SM-G973F using Tapatalk

For the first season and a half of Hughton no one was saying "that Brighton team are terrible at the back". The side fairly much were Dunk and Duffy, throwing themselves at shots and winning headers so that the long diagonal could be pinged to a creative player and off we went.

So if your argument is merely that we're worse in the attacking third that does suggest a certain amount of going backwardsness.

We're a well run club, of that there is no doubt. We have better players this season. Potter has made a great call bringing in Sanchez, we've developed White well and Biss is like a different player. But none of that - none of it - is showing in the league table where it counts.
 


Guinness Boy

Tofu eating wokerati
Helpful Moderator
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Jul 23, 2003
34,756
Up and Coming Sunny Portslade
If you are only interested in scoreboards and league tables its indeed a fact, if you are interested in football its not a fact.

Results matter. It's sport, not a night at the theatre.

But they only have to be relative. A small amount of progress would be nice. I'm not asking to win the league. Then again you're not a Brighton fan so why do you give a shit whether we win or lose?
 


*Gullsworth*

My Hair is like his hair
Jan 20, 2006
9,351
West...West.......WEST SUSSEX
I dont think its a foregone conclusion that Potter will be our manager after this season. These last few games could be telling.
I know it may be hard to believe but I have heard rumblings, only rumours I might add, that our Tone is not happy with our progress. That doesnt mean he is looking to replace Potter but a disastrous end to the season may make Blooms finger get a bit twitchy. I would imagine if there has been interest in Potter, its not beyond the realms of possibility that Bloom has his eye on the Swansea manager if they fail to get promotion. Bloom is always one step ahead of our thinking.

Just a feeling.
 




Swansman

Pro-peace
May 13, 2019
22,320
Sweden
Results matter. It's sport, not a night at the theatre.

But they only have to be relative. A small amount of progress would be nice. I'm not asking to win the league. Then again you're not a Brighton fan so why do you give a shit whether we win or lose?

Of course results matter but they are not everything and hopefully (and as I see it probably) the progress made in other areas will next season be available to see even for those who might as well watch the games on Teletext.
 




Swansman

Pro-peace
May 13, 2019
22,320
Sweden
I know it may be hard to believe but I have heard rumblings, only rumours I might add, that our Tone is not happy with our progress. That doesnt mean he is looking to replace Potter but a disastrous end to the season may make Blooms finger get a bit twitchy. I would imagine if there has been interest in Potter, its not beyond the realms of possibility that Bloom has his eye on the Swansea manager if they fail to get promotion.

Just a feeling.

In the unlikely (but I suppose possible) event he would sack Potter, he would definitely not go for Cooper.
 




Icy Gull

Back on the rollercoaster
Jul 5, 2003
72,015
I know it may be hard to believe but I have heard rumblings, only rumours I might add, that our Tone is not happy with our progress. That doesnt mean he is looking to replace Potter but a disastrous end to the season may make Blooms finger get a bit twitchy. I would imagine if there has been interest in Potter, its not beyond the realms of possibility that Bloom has his eye on the Swansea manager if they fail to get promotion.

Just a feeling.

No reason to discount that TB may have the same feelings about how this season has gone as quite a few on here. Yes, he may well have doubts, he may even have decided to make a change once the season is over, even if we stay up. Not long until we find out. I don’t think the length of Potter’s contract will have any influence on a decision to sack him, if that’s what TB is thinking.

As you might have guessed I am really hoping TB is leaning towards my attitude towards GP but a sacking would not shock me any more than CH’s did :shrug:
 


Perfidious Albion

Well-known member
Oct 25, 2011
6,118
At the end of my tether
BHA with 34 points & 5 games left still need 8 points to overhaul last seasons tally:

2019/20 41 points 15th
2018/19 36 points 17th
2017/18 40 points 15th

.... looks like we have/will be going backwards from last seasons lofty points & place in the table.

Can’t see why some are blinded by Potter.

How are you judging your team? Surely a better team would be getting better results. The figures above confirm that we have stood still this last 3 years. I know that our football is better in the midfield but we fail to improve where it really counts, in front of goal. All too often one ends an Albion game feeling frustrated.
I am not in the "Potter out" camp. I don't think it will happen anyway. And I am not calling for his head.
We always knew last night's game was difficult, they are just the kind of side we struggle with.... Oh well, we have to "keep calm and carry on"
(NB. For all our failings I would rather be a Seagull than a City supporter, at least we can have pride in our club's values )
 


Hamilton

Well-known member
NSC Patron
Jul 7, 2003
12,601
Brighton
The points tally hasn’t improved much yet. That’s a fact.
We are nearer being in a position to make the next step though, due to a general improvement in squad quality and depth.
To put it another way, if you added that mythical quality striker to the squad now, I would fancy us to make a big push next season - in there with Wolves, Leeds, Southampton.
If you added him to last season’s squad, there would still be considerable work to do to get out of that bottom six.
This is not the exciting leap we all crave, but it could be significant longer term.

I kind of agree.

It's clear that the current squad has limitations in its ability to execute on the type of play that Potter wants. Whether Potter is adept enough and getting results, even with an improved squad, is open for debate.

The club need to decide whether we have talent in the development squad coming through who can plug those gaps, or whether we need to invest. Sometimes we feel like we are in two minds. I'm hoping that the likes of Ella and Cashman etc are better than Connolly, who sadly is nowhere near being the striker we need.

But for me, it's not just about a striker. Goals are not coming from 'everywhere'. The shooting accuracy of our midfield is pitiful. We are talking in the region of 15%. Compare that to a team like Villa where their accuracy is nearer 30% and it's not surprising that others teams are nicking goals and results.

Last night, Gros seemed to be employed to only cross the ball into the box. It was like bashing our head against the wall. Only when Ali J came on and he started to attack the box did we really see opportunities. It all just feels so predictable and laboured at times.

Right now, we can't be a selling club. If we lose Bissouma then I really worry. Together with Lalana (who will need replacing), they have helped run our show. Mac has blown a bit hot and cold this season, and for me, sadly hasn't reached their levels, yet.
 




*Gullsworth*

My Hair is like his hair
Jan 20, 2006
9,351
West...West.......WEST SUSSEX
In the unlikely (but I suppose possible) event he would sack Potter, he would definitely not go for Cooper.

Why on earth not?

Cooper is a young up coming manager. If Swansea miss out on Promotion then it would alert a lot of clubs. Done well at Swansea.....better than Potter some would say, has connections with the England set up, been linked to moves to the Premier league, again.....press talk. He may have considered Cooper if Potter has been linked to a bigger club and sacking Potter may not have been the trigger for the interest.
 


Guinness Boy

Tofu eating wokerati
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Jul 23, 2003
34,756
Up and Coming Sunny Portslade
Of course results matter but they are not everything and hopefully (and as I see it probably) the progress made in other areas will next season be available to see even for those who might as well watch the games on Teletext.

Being a tactics obsessed manager fanboi makes you the weirdo, not the 99% of people on this board who have spent their life supporting their local community club through thick and thin. And when those people are allowed in the ground, some of their best times are when the team wins when it shouldn't. I can still remember us absolutely mugging Leicester a few seasons ago. The contrast in expressions on the train home told you all you need to know about why this game is so loved. On the counter, had fans been in for the Palace game this season, their end would have gone absolutely stark staring mental when they scored the winner to the point of pitch invasion while our stands would have emptied. The fact we played them off the park would only have made it worse.
 


One Teddy Maybank

Well-known member
NSC Patron
Aug 4, 2006
21,919
Worthing
No reason to discount that TB may have the same feelings about how this season has gone as quite a few on here. Yes, he may well have doubts, he may even have decided to make a change once the season is over, even if we stay up. Not long until we find out. I don’t think the length of Potter’s contract will have any influence on a decision to sack him, if that’s what TB is thinking.

As you might have guessed I am really hoping TB is leaning towards my attitude towards GP but a sacking would not shock me any more than CH’s did :shrug:

I was shocked by CH and equally would be shocked by a GP sacking.

In both cases we are/were punching above our weight. It would make no sense to me offloading GP, as whilst we haven’t moved on as [MENTION=616]Guinness Boy[/MENTION] points out, it feels like we could with the signing of a striker.....
 


zefarelly

Well-known member
NSC Patron
Jul 7, 2003
22,013
Sussex, by the sea
I'll just leave this here.

Appalling statistic which really does leave Potters P45 on TB's desk . . . . Or at the very least 'heres the striker, its the last chance saloon chump'

Brighton have won just four of their 25 Premier League games against sides in the relegation zone (16%) - the lowest win rate of any club in the competition.
 




rocker959

Well-known member
Jan 22, 2011
2,802
Plovdiv Bulgaria
One wonders what actually goes on at our multi million pound training facility with regards to passing, crossing , free kicks and shooting practice for the players to pick up thousands of pounds per week .
 


zefarelly

Well-known member
NSC Patron
Jul 7, 2003
22,013
Sussex, by the sea
One wonders what actually goes on at our multi million pound training facility with regards to passing, crossing , free kicks and shooting practice for the players to pick up thousands of pounds per week .

Its actually a loungecore easy listening gentlemen's club, they don't play football! From Shoreham if the winds blowing in the right direction, you can hear James Last songs:ohmy:
 


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