[Albion] We're 3 players from being a top 10 side

[LlcoolJ]

My analysis above is not dis similar to how I analysed the errors on the other thread about whether is was individual errors or tactical mistakes

I responded '' Neither - I think it was a ''Learning Curve'' in a match where you could afford to take a chance. No harm was done really and it made for a good match to watch and to entertain the fans.

I am saying it how I see it - There isn't anything vindictive in my post. You have to try and manage the Expectations of fans. Otherwise you start to reach for something which might not be tangible as of yet.

Optimism is good but if you get carried away too soon then it could end in disappointment.

But all the reference points you made on the first post were wrong. [emoji23]

I agree with the sentiment of not getting carried away but honestly, I started a reply and couldn't be bothered because everything was incorrect.

And then you brought up the idea of Villa scoring two goals against us like that, and I had to go and have a lie down as my sides were hurting too much.

 

[Nameless]

Nope. We need few players perhaps but not in the positions mentioned. Ryan is brilliant and is definitely the best choice going forward. Mac Allistar, Bissouma, Mooy, Azate, Propper can become a top 10 midfield. I agree we need a new forward options.

I think we need to bring White into the side, I would like versatile forward/ winger and a Murray replacement. That's it.

 

[Swansman]

Pretty primitive views: concedes goals ("we need a 7ft3 gk who saves everything!"), doesnt score enough ("we need a striker who scores at evey opportunity and guarantees 15+ goals!").

Ryan and Maupay is arguably two of the least issues of the team. Ryan is good with his feet and a consistent keeper. By no means world class but good enough for a team that in the first stage hopes to become a top 10 team.

As for Maupay, few teams in the bottom half got a 9+ goal scorer. If your entire game revolves around getting your striker opportunities, they are both more likely and necessary to score 15+ goals but the way we play goals should be more evenly shared in the team because midfielders and wing backs will certainly be getting the opportunities to do so.

Playing the way Brighton does, a central midfielder should be expected to score around 5 goals in a season and a wing back 2 or 3. This has not happened: no other teams afaik got a worse goal contribution from midfield.

If Burn, Montoya and Schelotto scored a total of 5, which you could expect, rather than 0, and if Pröpper/Stephens/Bissouma/Alzate scored a total of 10 instead of 1, and if the AMC:s/wingers excluding Trossard
would have scored the total of 10-12 you could expect instead of 6 (Gross 2, Mooy 2, Ali J 2), the team would be in the top 10 that the performances overall deserve.

Rather than looking at improving goalkeeper & strikers, the other positions are where things need to be done (improving current players & adding quality).

 

[Finchley Seagull]

I think we're only a couple of players away from being a top 10 side but not the ones mentioned in the OP.

Goalkeeper we are fine and hopefully Walton (and Sanchez further ahead) will increase competition in that position. Ryan is definitely good enough for a top 10 side. I really don't understand the criticism he is receiving

Defensively we should have enough. The only question mark is whether we try to sign a left back, if Bernardo is not going to be a regular. Other than that, we have more than enough.

In midfield, I can understand the feeling we need one more player but I really think we are better off focusing on developing Bissouma and Alzate (especially with Molumby, Sanders, Jenks and Baluta all coming through the under 23s). A midfield three from Propper, Bissouma, Mooy and Alzate is more than good enough for a top 10 side and with an extra back up option.

The attack is the area we need to develop. Maupay has done really well and I think Connolly shows promise but we need one more striker to compete with them. Alongside that, Mac Allister and Trossard both look like they are going to be big players for us next season but we need another attacking option to compete with them, alongside March and Gross next season.

If we get those two attackers and they do well, I am confident we can improve and possibly become a top 10 side next season (and certainly longer term).

 

[fleet]

Last night I was thinking Ryan, Stephens, Propper and Gross may all be nearing the end with us. They have all done great things, but as Propper and Gross Look like they will never take a shot and certainly never be a goal threat that is a lot to carry. Stephens I am a huge fan of, but maybe he isn’t the rock in midfield just now. And Ryan I love as a personality but I never believe he will save a shot these days!

 

[NooBHA]

But all the reference points you made on the first post were wrong. [emoji23]

I agree with the sentiment of not getting carried away but honestly, I started a reply and couldn't be bothered because everything was incorrect.

And then you brought up the idea of Villa scoring two goals against us like that, and I had to go and have a lie down as my sides were hurting too much.

Fair enough. But other sides can punish you if you present opportunities to them

 

[Eeyore]

In my opinion we need 3 top quality players in order to become a top ten side.

1: Goalkeeper. Ryan is a ok and has done well for us, however I think we need someone better if we are going to kick-on. Preferably someone who can reach the corners.

2: Centre Mid. Someone who has the ability to score goals and become the engine in our side and really make us tick.

3: Striker (obvs). A new Glenn / Bobby. Big, strong, quick and can get us 15+ a season.

That's £150m please.

 

[Springal]

Current goal scorers in the 15+ per season club.

1 Jamie Vardy Leicester City 22
2 Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang Arsenal 20
3 Mohamed Salah Liverpool 19
4 Danny Ings Southampton 18
=5 Sergio Aguero Manchester City 16
=5 Sadio Mane Liverpool 16
=7 Raul Jimenez Wolves 15
=7 Marcus Rashford Manchester United 15
=7 Anthony Martial Manchester United 15
=10 Tammy Abraham Chelsea 14
=10 Raheem Sterling Manchester City 14
=12 Dominic Calvert-Lewin Everton 13
=12 Harry Kane Tottenham 13

 

[BNthree]

Ryan is a very good keeper but obviously not the best keeper there is. Seems some people expect us to have the sort of keeper that would win a Champions League final when really we're busy trying not to get relegated.

 

[JBizzle]

Did you miss his shot against Norwich. Really nasty one for the keeper to deal with.
He isn't awful at shooting, quite the opposite.
He's just young and is trying to score 30 yard screamers too often, rather than being ready for a genuine opportunity.

I would rather the chances that have fallen to Propper and Stephens over the past few seasons, fell to Bissouma.
Equally I would like Bissouma to be more circumspect about what is and isn't a shooting opportunity ( I think he is getting better at this tbh)

He's getting better and I 100% agree that he's making better decisions too, but given that he does shoot more regularly that the rest of our CMs that fact that he's never scored for us in the league doesn't tell be that he's good at it either.

 

[Joey Jo Jo Jr. Shabadoo]

Current goal scorers in the 15+ per season club.

1 Jamie Vardy Leicester City 22
2 Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang Arsenal 20
3 Mohamed Salah Liverpool 19
4 Danny Ings Southampton 18
=5 Sergio Aguero Manchester City 16
=5 Sadio Mane Liverpool 16
=7 Raul Jimenez Wolves 15
=7 Marcus Rashford Manchester United 15
=7 Anthony Martial Manchester United 15
=10 Tammy Abraham Chelsea 14
=10 Raheem Sterling Manchester City 14
=12 Dominic Calvert-Lewin Everton 13
=12 Harry Kane Tottenham 13

We don't need a 15+ a season striker, sure we'd like one, but if we got one I'm sure he'd soon be poached by someone able to offer European football. The only reason Ings isn't still at a bigger club is his dreadful injury record.

What we need is either another striker who can score as many as Maupay or more goals from our midfield. Stephens and Propper have made 191 appearances in the Premier League between them for us and have a grand total of 2 goals. In an ideal world if we could get both we'd be pushing for the top 10 without a doubt. If we could find a younger, quicker Pascal Gross, who can perform like Gross did in our first Premier League season we'd be laughing. I'm off to search through the local farmers field now, he's got a couple of haystacks....

 

[Springal]

We don't need a 15+ a season striker, sure we'd like one, but if we got one I'm sure he'd soon be poached by someone able to offer European football. The only reason Ings isn't still at a bigger club is his dreadful injury record.

What we need is either another striker who can score as many as Maupay or more goals from our midfield. Stephens and Propper have made 191 appearances in the Premier League between them for us and have a grand total of 2 goals. In an ideal world if we could get both we'd be pushing for the top 10 without a doubt. If we could find a younger, quicker Pascal Gross, who can perform like Gross did in our first Premier League season we'd be laughing. I'm off to search through the local farmers field now, he's got a couple of haystacks....

Agreed. Maupay will improve and I think can get to 10-12 goals. It was only a few games ago that 'Own Goal' was our second top scorer.

 

[Swansman]

That's £150m please.

Yup.

There's two ways to get the requested types of players: signing really expensive ones or developing talented players into really expensive ones. As the current owner clearly have opted for the latter method by upgrading facilities and signing a Potter type manager, I think the only way to sign the players people want to have is through getting rid of Bloom and replace him with some Saudi oil prince looking for a toy club to fill with toy players to entertain the toy fans.

 

[Farehamseagull]

If it’s just 3 players we can get, it would have to be:

Centre midfielder;
Wide right pacey attacker;
Striker.

I think Ryan and Burn are easily good enough and both really fit into the way Potter wants to play.

 

[Eeyore]

Such personnel could come from the 'Gross Scenario'

Look at clubs that have been relegated with clubs in the best European leagues. There are always some diamonds in there.

But as mentioned many times before. Albion are among the last to feed at the trough. And other clubs have pretty good scouting systems too.

Manchester United got it right all those years back. Home grown talent is the way forward. It means there is more to spend on foreign contracts. I think the club are doing the right thing there.

 

[The Brighton Buzz]

Harsh on Ryan. He's not world class but ultimately he clearly has the trust of the defence which is why we're solid at the back. Apart from that, there is little to disagree with. I think Bissouma (who is getting better with every passing game) could be that engine you refer to next season, but Stephens needs replacing now. He's been a good servant, stayed with the club to get us over the line when asked, but unfortunately he's not quite good enough anymore.

Agree with this. I feel we need two new players. Central Midfielder and a Striker to team up with Maupay and Connelly. Propper needs to play in the Gross role or be sold. Gross is too slow and should be replaced by Alzate. Bissouma will become the first midfielder on the team sheet next year.
Defensively we are ok. Lamptney and Montoya Right Back, Webster Dunk White possibly Duffy if still here Centre backs and Bernardo and Burn left back. I think Bernardo will be first choice eventually. We are not far off the next step of being a middle of the table team and then push on. Top managers are now giving Potter the plaudits for the way he plays. He has done this with Hughtons players, a massive transformation and the players have to take credit for this. Some will fall by the wayside through little fault of their own and will just not fit into the way Potter wants to continue to build. Basically those with little pace. A few more of the under 23’s will come into the squad. The future looks bright.

 

[Not Andy Naylor]

We have one sitting on the bench
I just can’t see why Burn gets in in front of Bernardo at leftback

I completely agree. I struggle to see where Bernardo has done much wrong and yet it seems that Burn has to play in Potter's eyes even if it's ahead of a specialist left back.

On Bissouma, he and Alzate could be our central midfield of the future. Both are capable of holding or going box to box. Sure, a 24-year-old Brian Horton would be nice but no doubt out of our price range. Better to spend the available readies on a central striker if we can find the right one.

 

[dazzer6666]

He's getting better and I 100% agree that he's making better decisions too, but given that he does shoot more regularly that the rest of our CMs that fact that he's never scored for us in the league doesn't tell be that he's good at it either.

More myth these days - genuinely don't think he's been shooting much at all compared to how he first started with us.

 

[JBizzle]

More myth these days - genuinely don't think he's been shooting much at all compared to how he first started with us.

Maybe, but I'm comparing him to Stephens and Propper here. Stephens has the odd pop from the edge of the box at a corner, but Propper will never shoot and always prefers a pass.

So comparatively, I still think he shoots more than them (but, yes, less than when he started)

Sent from my SM-G975F using Tapatalk

 

[Pretty pink fairy]

Top ten ? After last night's performance we're just making up the numbers, I suppose there's a few greedy agents who could potentially help out though
Regards
DF