Brighton 4th Favourite to be relegated

[Brighton Breezy]

Whing and Rent in defence will indeed provide far better service coming forward and hopefully we can start getting bodies in the box more.

BUT

Unless we have someone getting on the end of these they won't be much use.

Reid will help, if played in midfield, because he has superb vision. The best game I saw him play was away to Sheffield United when his lovely pass set up Leon for the winner.

He is certainly capable of providing the passes but whether we have the forwards who make intelligents runs is another matter...

 

[Uncle Buck]

I agree, Its a much stronger league than last year.

Leeds, Southend and Luton are stronger than Scunthorpe, Bristol and Maybe Blackpool - while at the other end Swindon, Bristol, Hartlepool and Walsall will provide a tougher task than Bradford, Chesterfield, Rotherham and Brentford.
Add to that Nottingham Forset and Millwall and its going to be tough to break into the top 8.

Pressumably Southend are going to be minus Eastwood.

Not sure Luton will be a threat this season, think like us last year, they will have a lot of rebuilding to do.

Regarding Leeds, well in the past when big teams have dropped into this league it has taken them a couple of seasons to get out of it (Wednesday and Forest).

 

[Kinky Gerbil]

Pressumably Southend are going to be minus Eastwood.

Not sure Luton will be a threat this season, think like us last year, they will have a lot of rebuilding to do.

Regarding Leeds, well in the past when big teams have dropped into this league it has taken them a couple of seasons to get out of it (Wednesday and Forest).

Man City did bounce back up first time of asking, However I see your point.

But would you rather play Leeds or Scunthorpe? Leeds are still going to be able to pull in players.

 

[Uncle Buck]

Man City did bounce back up first time of asking, However I see your point.

But would you rather play Leeds or Scunthorpe? Leeds are still going to be able to pull in players.

Tend to take about 4 points a season off either of those...

 

[Kinky Gerbil]

Tend to take about 4 points a season off either of those...

Lol true, I guess it would depend on the attitude of the players at the club?
If the likes of Moore etc think they are too good for league one they will struggle.

 

[Barrel of Fun]

Not sure how Reid will improve the goalscoring. Even we we created chances last season at times we seemed more capable of wasting them than scoring them.

It would help - with quality of ball certainly.

According to the Football League Stats - we were:

19th Shots On Target
20th Shots Off Target
19th Most shots overall.

That said, we had 3 more shots than Nott Forest! Forest did only have one player reach double figures for their 64 league goals as opposed to our 47. I do not think that a 20+ goal scorer is the be all and end all. If we can get goals coming from all over the pitch then that may be satisfactory.

Hammond and Cox are certainly capable of hitting circa 8 each which goes some way to helping the cause. Yeovil and Bristol City were two other teams with goals coming from further afield. Perhaps, the midfield have to take more responsibility?

At times, we did tend to over play the ball and put in a poor cross as opposed to putting the opposition under real pressure by putting the right ball in at the right time.

Sorry if that is a bit of a ramble - juggling it with a bit of work.

 

[Uncle Buck]

Lol true, I guess it would depend on the attitude of the players at the club?
If the likes of Moore etc think they are too good for league one they will struggle.

Regarding Leeds, at present I have no idea what to expect. The administation stuff could drag on (probably won't), but if it does at some point the players I believe are allowed to walk away from the club.

Also pressumably some will be on their way, cannot see the likes of Healey staying in this league, so then it becomes a case of how well do their new players bed in. Coupled with the fact that teams will raise their games against them as it is Leeds.

Do not think there is much to worry about with the teams that have come up, Hartlepool away has been a 0-0 draw in something like 4 of our last 5 visits up there. Although we do have a poor record at Bristol Rovers, Swindon and Walsall in the league, but those things can change.

 

[Uncle Buck]

It would help - with quality of ball certainly.

According to the Football League Stats - we were:

19th Shots On Target
20th Shots Off Target
19th Most shots overall.

That said, we had 3 more shots than Nott Forest! Forest did only have one player reach double figures for their 64 league goals as opposed to our 47. I do not think that a 20+ goal scorer is the be all and end all. If we can get goals coming from all over the pitch then that may be satisfactory.

Hammond and Cox are certainly capable of hitting circa 8 each which goes some way to helping the cause. Yeovil and Bristol City were two other teams with goals coming from further afield. Perhaps, the midfield have to take more responsibility?

At times, we did tend to over play the ball and put in a poor cross as opposed to putting the opposition under real pressure by putting the right ball in at the right time.

Sorry if that is a bit of a ramble - juggling it with a bit of work.

Sorry, but however good the service is, with our current crop of forwards, I do not see any of them being the answer to our goal scoring issues. Ironically I think long term Gatting might provide some solution, as of all of them he seems to have some idea of movement off the ball.

 

[coventrygull]

So if we don't get relegated it would of been a succesfull season

 

[Kinky Gerbil]

Regarding Leeds, at present I have no idea what to expect. The administation stuff could drag on (probably won't), but if it does at some point the players I believe are allowed to walk away from the club.

Also pressumably some will be on their way, cannot see the likes of Healey staying in this league, so then it becomes a case of how well do their new players bed in. Coupled with the fact that teams will raise their games against them as it is Leeds.

Do not think there is much to worry about with the teams that have come up, Hartlepool away has been a 0-0 draw in something like 4 of our last 5 visits up there. Although we do have a poor record at Bristol Rovers, Swindon and Walsall in the league, but those things can change.

I quite fancy Bristol to go up or at least get to the play offs, quite a tidy little side.

 

[Brighton Breezy]

As I said elsewhere Reid et al can provide decent service but whether we have the forwards to make the intelligent runs midfield players need is another matter.

The movement and general positional play of our strikers has been lacking meaning often aimless balls are pumped into the box as a last resport which are far too easy to defend against.

The fact Cox and Hammond scored so many last season kept us up. I don't think the midfield can be blamed for our poor shots ratio.

 

[Uncle Buck]

I quite fancy Bristol to go up or at least get to the play offs, quite a tidy little side.

I guess if they continue the run they had last season they could be OK, but at the same time they were turned over a fair bit before that run.

 

[Uncle Spielberg]

So the bookies have us to go down then.
I might have a sneaky tenner on, just to soften the blow like. At least it'll go towards a piss-up if it happens.

Correct, William Hill think we will go down

 

[Kinky Gerbil]

I guess if they continue the run they had last season they could be OK, but at the same time they were turned over a fair bit before that run.

For some reason the teams that tend to go up via the play offs do well, certainly from league 1 to the championship.

 

[Uncle Spielberg]

I am going into a season with the least expectation than I can ever remember in 35 years. I expect us to do NOTHING absolutely NOTHING. We have a very average squad and a very poor manager, it will be seen as a big achievement to finish 20th and avoid relegation and Wilkins can receive all the plaudits if he does that but for me it is hugely dissapointing that we have become happy with such shite, even whilst at Withdeanwe had some ambition and in this division went up twice and infact expected to go up. It seems everyone is happy with 20th now.

 

[Kinky Gerbil]

I am going into a season with the least expectation than I can ever remember in 35 years. I expect us to do NOTHING absolutely NOTHING. We have a very average squad and a very poor manager, it will be seen as a big achievement to finish 20th and avoid relegation and Wilkins can receive all the plaudits if he does that but for me it is hugely dissapointing that we have become happy with such shite, even whilst at Withdeanwe had some ambition and in this division went up twice and infact expected to go up. It seems everyone is happy with 20th now.

Wont be let down then unlike under Mcghee then.

 

[Easy 10]

You'll get £30 including your stake - a whole year after you put it down. Doesn't seem worth it.

It will when I'm wandering listlessly round town, red-eyed and emotional from our impending season back in the basement, just hankering for the blissful oblivion of a prolongued alcoholic haze if only to take away the pain, at least for a few hours. I'll call in at the bookies, pick up my winnings, and drink the anguish away.

 

[Uncle Spielberg]

Wont be let down then unlike under Mcghee then.

mmmmmm

First season 4th - 78 point, promotion, play off final
Second season - survival in the championship
Third season - relegated when wheels came off in last 3 months
Fourth season - mid table and cup win after 8 games and sacked

Wilkins - relegation form, 12 wins 18 defeats, 91st worst home out of 92 in the league, 1 win in last 12 home games, 5 losses in a row twice and a six match losing run in less than a season

see what you mean

 

[Kinky Gerbil]

mmmmmm

First season 4th - 78 point, promotion, play off final
Second season - survival in the championship
Third season - relegated when wheels came off in last 3 months
Fourth season - mid table and cup win after 8 games and sacked

Wilkins - relegation form, 12 wins 18 defeats, 91st worst home out of 92 in the league, 1 win in last 12 home games, 5 losses in a row twice and a six match losing run in less than a season

see what you mean

You said season, So I assume it must have been a huge blow when he managed to get Brighton relegated.