its going to be one hell of a tough season

[Spun Cuppa]

Blackpool away on the August Bank Holiday weekend please Mr. Fixture Computer

 

[chucky1973]

This season's Championship is a piece of piss compared to next season's! We will be in for a massive battle.

that is very true, I dont think you can compare the championship this season to any other, the 3 teams that went up last year from league one have done well this year becasue the standard of the championship was very poor, there was not one big side in it really. Next year is a totally different ball game and I for one will be happy just to stay up and build. If we continue to play the football in the right way the Gus way, then I think we will be alright, but we are a long way from being play off / promotion contenders.

 

[Don Quixote]

That's it we're doomed, Bloom is going to let us get relegated. Obviously having the best manager in the football league counts for nothing.

 

[Arkwright]

It didn't really matter who got relegated from the Premiership they are all strong sides, with big squads. Promotion is always going to be a test for any side.

I think the biggest issue for use will be strength in depth and having a strong bench at Championship level.

I'm sure the board / manager are aware of this, let's be honest we have got a few bob now and I'm sure that the cheque book will be wisely spent over the summer period, don't think we will see big money / name players come in but experienced players at this new level. Gently, gently does it for now.

 

[chucky1973]

That's it we're doomed, Bloom is going to let us get relegated. Obviously having the best manager in the football league counts for nothing.

thats in Brighton's fans opinion......there are plenty of very good managers around currently playing football in the right way...we are just lucky to have one of them

 

[The Wookiee]

Don't forget that the relegated sides get 12m a year for 4 years parachute money from the Premier League. They will most probably ALL be in the top eight come the end of the season.

That really helped hull, boro and burnley this year !

 

[Blackadder]

I think we will make the Top Ten. When I say that, we will be.............10th.

 

[The Large One]

Let's get a sense of perspective on the challenge we face. Below is a table using results between top 6:

Southampton 23pts
Huddersfield 21
Bournemouth 13
MK Dons 12
Brighton 11
Peterborough 10

Ok, we played two of our games once winning the title, but frankly our results against the top teams were not very good.

Good job it's a 24-team league then.

What's the point in winning a totally meaningless 6-team mini-league (which the divisional outcome is NOT based upon) featuring the teams around you if you f*** up against lower teams?

 

[Bwian]

4th bottom in our first season back in the Championship will be success.

My Watford chum who has watched us a few times this season (& a Watford season ticket holder - reckons 16th-19th).

We MUST buy quality & to get that cheque book out.
Hoskins is a start but with the loss of Murray we are no further forward (at best).

Please don't leave it to July Mr Chairman before you splash the cash.
Playing a last minute poker hand of waiting to the 11th hour will not work in this division.

I have every confidence that we will survive - but nothing much more.

Do you have a calendar at home? It is MAY ffs.

You really are the most depressing, negative individual-do you rent yourself out for funerals?

It is MAY. Transfer window officially opens on July 1st and I doubt TB and Gus are sitting around, turning the pages of their calendars until July 1st arrives before they start doing anything.. Thankfully, the people running the club know what they're doing. Let them do their jobs and stop being such a knob.

 

[Rich Suvner]

Good job it's a 24-team league then.

What's the point in winning a totally meaningless 6-team mini-league (which the divisional outcome is NOT based upon) featuring the teams around you if you f*** up against lower teams?

Agreed - which is why we were worthy League 1 winners.

BUT, the quality of the Championship will be more akin (and better) to those in this top 6 league than it will to the teams we dispatched for fun. Which is why I think it's an interesting perspective on the challenge ahead.

 

[GoldWithFalmer]

anywhere above 22nd will do nicely next season imo

Whilst stating the obvious-i feel that kind of thinking stems from 2002 & 2004 (Withdean Brighton)

This is planet AMEX we are talking about (Falmer Brighton)

The two can compared but you would need the Hubble Telescope to see 1 end to the other.

 

[The Large One]

Agreed - which is why we were worthy League 1 winners.

BUT, the quality of the Championship will be more akin (and better) to those in this top 6 league than it will to the teams we dispatched for fun. Which is why I think it's an interesting perspective on the challenge ahead.

Don't necessarily agree.

Only three teams could be relegated from the Championship. What's to say the bottom, say, eight (as opposed to the bottom three) weren't worse than the top eight in League One? If it's worth considering, then the question would be 'how much worse?' e.g. would Rochdale have been relegated from the Championship if they had been playing in it?

If it's a deifinitive answer you're after, obviously you can't say. However, it doesn't necessarily follow that they automatically would have been. Possible, maybe even probable - but not definite.

As has been said before, all teams are in the divisions they're in ON MERIT.

 

[DT Withdean]

Cardiff could well be in trouble next year, expect them to start trimming the wage bill very soon. (source Mark Hudson).

The IFA?

 

[Herr Tubthumper]

Let's get a sense of perspective on the challenge we face. Below is a table using results between top 6:

Southampton 23pts
Huddersfield 21
Bournemouth 13
MK Dons 12
Brighton 11
Peterborough 10

Ok, we played two of our games once winning the title, but frankly our results against the top teams were not very good.

....and if you did a table against Championship teams we played last season?

Either way, you cannot predict much from your table or mine.

 

[kevtherev]

Don't forget that the relegated sides get 12m a year for 4 years parachute money from the Premier League. They will most probably ALL be in the top eight come the end of the season.

But 12m a year is not alot when you got players on long contracts, worth 40k-80k a week, that you cant shift because no one wants them. The championship is full of sides who have spent a few decent years in the prem and now they are also rans just making up the numbers.Some in Swindons and Bradfords case are in the 2nd division. Its a long climb back up there, if you dont do it in the first or second season after coming down. Its a hell of a gamble to keep the big earners and bank on going back up first time of asking.

 

[Rich Suvner]

Don't necessarily agree.

Only three teams could be relegated from the Championship. What's to say the bottom, say, eight (as opposed to three) weren't worse than the top eight in League One? If it's worth considering, then the question would be 'how much worse?' e.g. would Rochdale have been relegated from the Championship if they had been playing in it?

If it's a deifinitive answer you're after, obviously you can't. However, it doesn't necessarily follow that they would have been. Possible, maybe even probable - but not definite.

As has been said before, all teams are in the divisions they're in ON MERIT.

You don't necessarily agree that our results against those pushing for promotion to the Championship are more relevant (as a yardstick) than our results against teams struggling not tobe relegated to League 2? Ok, but I think that's misguided.

I agree that the bottom 8 in the Championship aren't necessarily better than the top eight in League 1, but I can pretty much guarantee that the majority of Championship teams will be of a quality similar (or better) than Southampton, Huddersfield, Peterborough, MK Dons and Bournemouth . Because as you say, they're there on merit.

My mini league table was about providing a perspective.

 

[Herr Tubthumper]

Good job it's a 24-team league then.

What's the point in winning a totally meaningless 6-team mini-league (which the divisional outcome is NOT based upon) featuring the teams around you if you f*** up against lower teams?

Quite. And part of the reason those team are in the top 6 is because they beat us....so it's skewed.

 

[DT Withdean]

Poyet knows he needs to strengthen the squad and has already stated that he wants six new players.

I,m sure we will not be fighting relegation, lower mid will be realistic.

Don't understand all the fuss regarding Murray, he was offered a contract that Gus thought he was worth and chose to go else where. We have allready signed one new forward and I'm sure more will follow. If we were realy desperate to hang on to him I'm sure the club would have pulled out all the stops, they did'nt and that should be a clue on what we have to come.

We are not at Withdean any more with a very small budget and nothing to actract players to us, better players than Murray will be signed moving forwards. I have no worries about next season as I'm confident the players that Gus and Tony bring in will be of a high standard and fit with the way Gus wants his side to play.

Brighton as a club is now bigger than the likes of league 1 Murray etc

All true.

Think of the new income from 18,500 s/t holders including high paying 1901, exex boxes, 1,000+ in restaurants, £3m tv money, big new club shop, and unlike others, ZERO BANK INTEREST PAYABLE.

The excellent Hoskins is just the start of this Summer's moves.

Gus knows all this and more, otherwise he would move on.

 

[Bwian]

But 12m a year is not alot when you got players on long contracts, worth 40k-80k a week, that you cant shift because no one wants them. The championship is full of sides who have spent a few decent years in the prem and now they are also rans just making up the numbers.Some in Swindons and Bradfords case are in the 2nd division. Its a long climb back up there, if you dont do it in the first or second season after coming down. Its a hell of a gamble to keep the big earners and bank on going back up first time of asking.

As we well know-that started us on our decline. If you don't get it right-it ruins you. Ask Luton.

 

[DT Withdean]

....and if you did a table against Championship teams we played last season?

Either way, you cannot predict much from your table or mine.

Those stat's are always meaningless. There have been many seasons when ManUre have stumbled against LFC, CFC and Arsenal, but only care about the Premier League points stat in May.

That mini-table ignores the 2 points stolen at home to Bournemouth after dominating the game. Sky live that day were stunned by the lineman's error.
The last home game was a relaxed (on our part) affair with no Murray, Ankergren or El-abd. Wood, Elphick & Brezovan are not very good.

The 2011/12 squad will be a class greater.