[Albion] Have Albion progressed this season?

[B-right-on]

Interestingly, that season, we had an average league position of 13.73 but finished the season so poorly that we ended up 17th.

This season we have had an average league position of 15.75 and could well end up 17th (although I think we will finish higher).

In that season we had some torrid results but this season we have too.

Yet the narrative is very different between the two seasons.

I think the main difference is the performances were so bad in the run in under Hughton, whereas with Potter when we play badly it's not actually that bad. Under Hughton, I think most of us didn't see a long term plan for success. Whereas with Potter, I think most of us see the potential.

Exactly.

 

[One Teddy Maybank]

Where have I said it’s not what I want? Of course I do but with the situation over the last year and presumably the hit to TB I do not EXPECT us to do anything more than stay in the PL. I have no doubts that with the set up in place and the manager we have that we will eventually attain more than we have in our history. I expect to be in a relegation battle but very much doubt TB, DA, PB and GP do. Strikes me that you are actually demanding it, we both want the same thing but one of us is happy to be patient and not get all angsty when we hit bumps along the way.

Under CH I expected eventual relegation and although there is no doubt that he has achieved far more in his career than Potter I really do believe that GP will surpass CH’s achievements. I can only go on what my eyes tell me. I could be wrong and GP will have to go before we reach the heights we want, I like to think we’ll do it with GP and for that reason I am still fully behind him

None of us know what the future holds

Interesting Icy, whilst I don’t disagree in terms of surpassing CH, as after all we should aspire to continually improving. I equally think we are more liable to go down under GP because we play more expansive and as a consequence are more open.

I have a lot of sympathy for [MENTION=616]Guinness Boy[/MENTION] on this thread, as in terms of gauging improvement, it HAS to be final league position (ultimately).

However, as we have not completed the season, at this moment in time it can only be based on opinion until surpass the previous total.

As per my first post, personally I think we have, because GP has developed a system a player can slot into and do a ‘job’ without damaging the team shape. See Burn for Solly and to a lesser extent Veltman for Lamptey. Primarily these players are CBs, so it is a testament to GP’s structure that this is possible. However, not everyone will agree and that is fine, just think Guinness Boy has been given an unnecessarily hard time for having a different opinion. Nobody wants us to fail.

Incidentally if we are 15th - 17th in two seasons time, the I think GPs role should be under scrutiny.


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[oldboyroy]

Our final league position may suggest otherwise and we all know our lack of finishing has cost us at least 10 points(conservatively), some would say quite a few more than that. In football terms we have progressed massively. We've been outplayed in a handful of games this season and been a match for most. We've far outplayed more sides than we've been outplayed. So yes, we've progressed into a good premier league team with killer instinct the only thing missing. Get that right and top ten is realistic possibility.

 

[Guinness Boy]

You keep banging on about Leicester.....if our recruitment team were half as good we could have done a Leicester this season. If we had a Vardy and a Mahrez, can you imagine?.

In that respect Potter has been sold VERY short

Not just those two. Leicester's recruitment is the best in the business and I'm sure TB, PB and DA are trying to get us close, as ours has also improved a lot from the Ali J and Locadia days. I DO keep saying Potter has a better squad

But I "bang on" about Leicester because I was in the room when one of the most respected sports journalists in the whole country (and a Brighton fan) stated his theory that if they can do it then so can we. And think about it. Similar ground size, provincial club with big catchment area. seasons in the lower leagues in recent memory, owner who really cares about the club. I want us to match them in terms of ambition. I think TB does but I'm not so sure about a lot of our fans who seem to want us to know our place.

If I sound unreasonably phlegmatic about this, you should probably understand that there's a good reason you won't often see me posting on here after we lose, and that because I'm only capable of writing large swear words.

Ha!

I come on here to write the swear words, to be fair. I know I shouldn't but Mrs GB really isn't interested in Maupay's latest missed sitter, xG or our goals conceded from set pieces total

 

[dazzer6666]

Interesting Icy, whilst I don’t disagree in terms of surpassing CH, as after all we should aspire to continually improving. I equally think we are more liable to go down under GP because we play more expansive and as a consequence are more open.

I have a lot of sympathy for [MENTION=616]Guinness Boy[/MENTION] on this thread, as in terms of gauging improvement, it HAS to be final league position (ultimately).

However, as we have not completed the season, at this moment in time it can only be based on opinion until surpass the previous total.

As per my first post, personally I think we have, because GP has developed a system a player can slot into and do a ‘job’ without damaging the team shape. See Burn for Solly and to a lesser extent Veltman for Lamptey. Primarily these players are CBs, so it is a testament to GP’s structure that this is possible. However, not everyone will agree and that is fine, just think Guinness Boy has been given an unnecessarily hard time for having a different opinion. Nobody wants us to fail.

Incidentally if we are 15th - 17th in two seasons time, the I think GPs role should be under scrutiny.


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.......but haven’t we improved defensively? Fewer goals conceded, more clean sheets ?

 

[Guinness Boy]

.......but haven’t we improved defensively? Fewer goals conceded, more clean sheets ?

Whilst I don't want to answer for OTM, you are statistically correct. However, situationally we leave ourselves very open to dropping points because of our poor finishing. The longer we go on in a game not scoring what we should the greater the likelihood of the opposition doing just enough. Palace was a classic example in that respect but take any game this season against teams below us and you'll see the same effect.

What we have done is tighten up over the course of the season on set pieces and for that Potter and the players (in particular Sanchez) deserve a lot of credit.

 

[Lethargic]

It's a bit niave to essentially take the last 2 seasons, in order to really understand if we are making progress THIS season we need to understand next season. If we start to climb with better performance s then yes this season has been progressive.

It's a bit like taking one days Corona figures which are higher and saying no we are not making progress

We need next season to close the conversation but in my book it looks like we are on a progressive track.

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[Icy Gull]

Not just those two. Leicester's recruitment is the best in the business and I'm sure TB, PB and DA are trying to get us close, as ours has also improved a lot from the Ali J and Locadia days. I DO keep saying Potter has a better squad

But I "bang on" about Leicester because I was in the room when one of the most respected sports journalists in the whole country (and a Brighton fan) stated his theory that if they can do it then so can we. And think about it. Similar ground size, provincial club with big catchment area. seasons in the lower leagues in recent memory, owner who really cares about the club. I want us to match them in terms of ambition. I think TB does but I'm not so sure about a lot of our fans who seem to want us to know our place.



Ha!

I come on here to write the swear words, to be fair. I know I shouldn't but Mrs GB really isn't interested in Maupay's latest missed sitter, xG or our goals conceded from set pieces total

It does seem to me that you are somehow blaming Potter for our dreadful finishing, it’s as if the style he has us playing is flawed because of this. It is so obviously the reason we aren’t in the top half of the table. I personally think you should be questioning Blooms backing more than Potter’s management if you want us to do a Leicester.

When I read the above this song sprang into my mind, can I dedicate it to you?


https://youtu.be/hFDcoX7s6rE

 

[Goberpiles]

I was in the out camp for mush of the season, the win against Leeds has pulled us out of trouble along with Fulham conceding last minute goals. Performance wise we attack now, we are a striker away from getting results.

We had pretty much the whole season without Lamptey, if we can get a decent LWB running the other wing and him fit and a striker that can finish chances, 8 goals in 32 games isn’t good enough from Maupay, in comparison Wilson from Newcastle has 10 in 19 games.

So yer I think we have made progress and just hope it continues next season.

 

[dazzer6666]

Whilst I don't want to answer for OTM, you are statistically correct. However, situationally we leave ourselves very open to dropping points because of our poor finishing. The longer we go on in a game not scoring what we should the greater the likelihood of the opposition doing just enough. Palace was a classic example in that respect but take any game this season against teams below us and you'll see the same effect.

What we have done is tighten up over the course of the season on set pieces and for that Potter and the players (in particular Sanchez) deserve a lot of credit.

So you’re saying judgement shouldn’t be based on stats alone then ?

 

[Guinness Boy]

So you’re saying judgement shouldn’t be based on stats alone then ?

It should be based on the stats that matter, wins and points. I've always pretty much railed against xG. Equally there's no point in conceding fewer goals if you still lose or draw the game. To mix sports, what's the point in bowling out the opposition for 50 if you're only going to get 42 all out yourself.

 

[dazzer6666]

It should be based on the stats that matter, wins and points. I've always pretty much railed against xG. Equally there's no point in conceding fewer goals if you still lose or draw the game. To mix sports, what's the point in bowling out the opposition for 50 if you're only going to get 42 all out yourself.

Need to improve in all areas, but that improvement may not always happen at the same pace ?

 

[Sid in the Sharknado]

It should be based on the stats that matter, wins and points. I've always pretty much railed against xG. Equally there's no point in conceding fewer goals if you still lose or draw the game. To mix sports, what's the point in bowling out the opposition for 50 if you're only going to get 42 all out yourself.

You get to the pub faster?

 

[zefarelly]

I voted treading, simply because we're not winning or scoring more, nor scoring more points. The last 18 months has been treading water at best for many people.

We've improved in style, less defeats and seemingly the quality of the squad has improved, althouygh thats a constantly moving target for all teams, but we haven't registered any better points wise, that's what makes prizes. Of course we could tonk Arsenal on the last day and finish above Palace yet ;-)

 

[Guinness Boy]

You get to the pub faster?

And you get to call yourself "Sussex"

 

[One Teddy Maybank]

.......but haven’t we improved defensively? Fewer goals conceded, more clean sheets ?

Yes, but would you not accept potentially we are quite open because of our playing style?

Not a criticism, just hypothetical.


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[Lenny Rider]

I went treading water but with a caveat, this season has been a huge learning curve, and providing we learn from this we will certainly progress on to the next level.

One of those learning curves is that a proven striker is required, with 4 games left we've had nearly 500 shots, almost 140 on target, yet scored only 35 goals, with that amount of chances what would an Abraham or perhaps even an Ivan Toney scored?

I do have to agree with the school of thought that we have to move on from the theory of their being 3 teams worse than us every year, because sooner or later this won't happen, so the bottom line is we will only really be able to put this season into context on 1st May 2022, if its Groundhog Day we won't have benefitted, if we are knocking on the door of the top 10 then the hard yards this season will have been worth it.

 

[vagabond]

Yes, but would you not accept potentially we are quite open because of our playing style?

Not a criticism, just hypothetical.


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Don’t we have one of the best goals conceded record in the PL?

 

[zefarelly]

Don’t we have one of the best goals conceded record in the PL?

joint 6th . . . . very good.

7th lowest scorers though . . .

 

[Albion Dan]

I've been critical but would have to say there is an opportunity for progression if we pick up points in the last few games. We have certainly progressed in terms of playing the better sides. Against the bottom teams we've been poor.