Lets be honest, the wheels started coming off on September 29th.

[Mo Gosfield]

The day we lost at home to Birmingham.
We started the season predictably with one point from Hull and Cardiff. Then, just like last season, we had a very nice run of fixtures against sides still finding their feet and struggling. We cashed in with 15 points and that has cushioned us ever since. We have played three of these sides in reverse fixtures and taken one point.
Since beating Millwall we have played ( in the league ) 22 games and taken 26 points. Won 5 Drawn 11 lost 6. A pretty ordinary record and very similar to last season. It seems we can catch sides early in the season before they have settled, bank a few points, then the opposition wise-up and the wins dry up. Last season, it was a nine-game winless streak and this season it was seven. We seem to rally a bit
in November before the wheels come off in December ( Last season 4 straight defeats, this season 5 winless games )
It is a remarkably similar pattern and perhaps it means that either our strategy is too inflexible and we are found out too easily or, at the moment, we are simply not good enough. Are we getting by through individual excellence rather than cohesive teamwork and strategy?
Unless we finish the season strongly, fans are going to point to the same pattern replicated over the last two seasons and thus, no progress.

 

[KJP]

That was the first game I went to after my holiday, I take full responsibility

 

[Mellotron]

The wheel's are coming off?? We've only lost two games in nine, we're 8th in the league with a game in hand! We're playing great football (most of the time) and have a great chance of the playoffs!

Unbelievable isn't it? You'd think we were bottom by 10 points, the mood quite a few people on here seem to be in.

 

[banjo]

The day we lost at home to Birmingham.
We started the season predictably with one point from Hull and Cardiff. Then, just like last season, we had a very nice run of fixtures against sides still finding their feet and struggling. We cashed in with 15 points and that has cushioned us ever since. We have played three of these sides in reverse fixtures and taken one point.
Since beating Millwall we have played ( in the league ) 22 games and taken 26 points. Won 5 Drawn 11 lost 6. A pretty ordinary record and very similar to last season. It seems we can catch sides early in the season before they have settled, bank a few points, then the opposition wise-up and the wins dry up. Last season, it was a nine-game winless streak and this season it was seven. We seem to rally a bit
in November before the wheels come off in December ( Last season 4 straight defeats, this season 5 winless games )
It is a remarkably similar pattern and perhaps it means that either our strategy is too inflexible and we are found out too easily or, at the moment, we are simply not good enough. Are we getting by through individual excellence rather than cohesive teamwork and strategy?
Unless we finish the season strongly, fans are going to point to the same pattern replicated over the last two seasons and thus, no progress.

No its just a blip.

 

[TWOCHOICEStom]

The wheel's are coming off?? We've only lost two games in nine, we're 8th in the league with a game in hand! We're playing great football (most of the time) and have a great chance of the playoffs!

The wheel's aren't coming off, they just need a slap of WD40 (Ulloa?) and we'll be back on track.

All of that.

 

[JCL - the new kid in town]

There have been more games this season when i felt we "deserved" more than we got than last season and with a little more luck maybe we'd have quite a few more points

 

[Chesney Christ]

 

[gripper stebson]

For crying out loud some of the hand wringing on here since Saturday has been ridiculous.

WE LOST A GAME OF FOOTBALL!! Those of us who have been following the club for a few years realise this can happen occasionally.

 

[Giraffe]

Seriously why do people start threads like this. Just ridiculous.

 

[dingodan]

Our first defeat of the year.

Let's not lose perspective gents.

 

[mejonaNO12 aka riskit]

I stopped reading at "The wheels started coming off"

 

[Arthur]

Unbelievable isn't it? You'd think we were bottom by 10 points, the mood quite a few people on here seem to be in.

Those of you who visit other club boards do they have as many fickle fans as we do?

If we've won then we're nailed on for promotion, <insert whoever had a good game here> is the best player in the division and Gus is the greatest manager in the clubs history. Should we have lost then we aren't going up, <insert whoever had a stinker> should be playing park football and Gus is clueless!!

I'm not saying there is a right or wrong opinion but for you glass half empty types are we any worse off than we were this time last week?

Ok yes we've got one game less and our goal difference is -2 (you could argue that we've lost a player for 3 games but they'll be plenty of others who will see that as a blessing) but in reality this time last week we were 5 points off the play offs now were still 5 points off the play offs.

Really fail to see how that has prompted the wheels falling off.

 

[PILTDOWN MAN]

The wheel's are coming off?? We've only lost two games in nine, we're 8th in the league with a game in hand! We're playing great football (most of the time) and have a great chance of the playoffs!

The wheel's aren't coming off, they just need a slap of WD40 (Ulloa?) and we'll be back on track.

5 wins in 20. Not good enough.

 

[Marxo]

It's not where you are in February that counts, it's where you finish in May, what if McDermott was sacked last season when Reading were near the bottom?

 

[Mellotron]

"The wheels started coming off"?!?!?! What f***ing world are some people living in? We are BRIGHTON AND HOVE ALBION. Not BARCELONA.

 

[Bra]

The day we lost at home to Birmingham.
We started the season predictably with one point from Hull and Cardiff. Then, just like last season, we had a very nice run of fixtures against sides still finding their feet and struggling. We cashed in with 15 points and that has cushioned us ever since. We have played three of these sides in reverse fixtures and taken one point.
Since beating Millwall we have played ( in the league ) 22 games and taken 26 points. Won 5 Drawn 11 lost 6. A pretty ordinary record and very similar to last season. It seems we can catch sides early in the season before they have settled, bank a few points, then the opposition wise-up and the wins dry up. Last season, it was a nine-game winless streak and this season it was seven. We seem to rally a bit
in November before the wheels come off in December ( Last season 4 straight defeats, this season 5 winless games )
It is a remarkably similar pattern and perhaps it means that either our strategy is too inflexible and we are found out too easily or, at the moment, we are simply not good enough. Are we getting by through individual excellence rather than cohesive teamwork and strategy?
Unless we finish the season strongly, fans are going to point to the same pattern replicated over the last two seasons and thus, no progress.

Can I ask what you expected for the season if 8th place and in with shout of playoffs is wheels coming off?

 

[KZNSeagull]

5 wins in 20. Not good enough.

7 losses in 29 is it? Not good enough - we are Brighton - should have lost at least 15 by now.

 

[Napper]

after millwall we were top and flying , you could argue that since then the wheels have come off.

Depends what context you look at it.

Easy to jump down the posters throat for this sentence, I think he points out some good facts in his post

 

[PILTDOWN MAN]

7 losses in 29 is it? Not good enough - we are Brighton - should have lost at least 15 by now.

Not if most of the others are draws. If we won 15 and lost 14 we would be better off. Poyet himself said after another inept display at Blackburn he'd sooner see us win one lose one. To me that meant he was going to become more attack minded. That didn't happen Saturday.

 

[BLOCK F]

Wheels haven't come off,but I think the expectations of many fans are understandably higher this season than last.To date we seem to be following a rather similar pattern as pointed out by the O.P.
If we don't get to the play-offs,I think the season may well be deemed by the Board,Poyet and many fans a disappointment and an underachievement, given the quality of players we have in the squad.
Let us wait and see.