Who’s to blame for our current position?

[Northstander]

Stanley, Archer and Bellotti for selling the Goldstone from under us, and not having a new ground ready or under construction when we did leave, crippling the club financially for years to come.

The Falmer Nimbys, Lewes District Council, Norman Baker and the rest who dragged out the planning process for as long as possible, hoping the club would fold rather than ever building the new stadium.

The Withdean stadiums high costs which meant we lost money every season there, meaning that it put the clubs future at risk, and hampered our efforts in getting the quality players we need to sign to challenge for and stay in the Championship because wages were an issue.

Our over achieving in the early years after returning to Brighton, leading to unrealistic expectations of Championship football, we just never had an income or infrastructure in place that could seriously deliver this over an extended period. The longer we remained at Withdean, the longer the losses have gone on for has meant we have been unable to sign the type of experienced players we are lacking and have had to gamble more on young players still learning the game to make an impact we need.

Mark McGhee, who started the rot in terms of falling attendances, due partly to the poor standard and level of entertainment his side produced, and his falling out with our better players - forcing them out of the club and never really replacing them, meaning we were in a bad way when Wilkins took over that youth team products were over relied upon as that was all he had to use. When he arrived, we felt we were still riding on the feel good factor of success on the pitch that had been building since returning to Brighton, yet when we left, apathy had set in and we have continued to go backwards.

Fans changing attitude, the lack of effort in trying to create an atmosphere at home games, and their continual moaning, a far cry from the atmosphere when we first returned, when we were all happy to be back in the town and still have a team to support, rather than look to find fault with what has always been a temporary solution, Withdean.

And that is pretty much, nail on head!

Its a number of reasons that has resulted in the current situation, Falmer is coming so just get behind the team and be that twelth man

 

[Brighton Breezy]

Dick Knight for sacking Wilkins and bringing back Adams and undoing a lot of progress.

 

[Gwylan]

Mark McGhee... his falling out with our better players - forcing them out of the club and never really replacing them ...

I'm intrigued by this. Who are these players that McGhee forced out? I remember that Cullip, Currie were sold from under him, Dan Harding wanted out, and DK vetoed a deal for Iwelumo.

The only ones that I remember McGhee have problems with are Leon Knight and Mark McGammon. Are you seriously suggesting that part of the Albion's current problems are because we got rid of McGammon and because McGhee failed to keep a striker who has struggled at every club since leaving us?

 

[Brighton Breezy]

Colin Kazim-Richard as well.

 

[Gwylan]

Colin Kazim-Richard as well.

Great, someone else who failed to settle at another league club.

 

[Ernest]

Can't blame Magoo, if you want to blame him then blame Dick Tight as he signed numpties like Turienzo instead of Iwelumo

 

[pork pie]

The old Board, and The School Teacher!

Don't worry, Gus will get it sorted!

 

[Gritt23]

The board for sacking wilkins.

100% agree.

 

[y2dave]

It's been a catalogue of errors since bringing Adams back, Gus has a lot to do and sadly I think he needs at least two transfer windows to get things on track.

For me these are the key mistakes we've made:

Adams return and the signings of Livermore, Hawkins, Mcleod and Virgo have proved to be a disaster. Not replacing Butters with a capable, experienced, natural leader at the back has seen promising youngsters stagnate and lose form. Maybe Adams thought Hawkins would be this man, sadly persisting with him cost us Joel Lynch who is now plying his trade as a championship LEFT BACK.

The load signings made by Dean White and a late run of form following Slades arrival glossed over what was a shocking campaign. We looked dead and buried and sleepwalking into relegation for most of the season.

This summer Slade was quite clearly building a team for the future by bringing in some good prospects. He probably felt mid-table was realistic and would be accepted by TB.

My priority would be to release the deadwood ASAP, retain our prospects and bring in a new left midfielder, left back, center back and keeper.

 

[GT49er]

I long for a Butters, Morgan, Culverhouse, Suddaby, Cross or Winstanly. Passed their best but their knowledge made the difference to those around them.

....or a Colin Pates!

 

[mona]

Stanley, Archer and Bellotti for selling the Goldstone from under us, and not having a new ground ready or under construction when we did leave, crippling the club financially for years to come.

The Falmer Nimbys, Lewes District Council, Norman Baker and the rest who dragged out the planning process for as long as possible, hoping the club would fold rather than ever building the new stadium.

The Withdean stadiums high costs which meant we lost money every season there, meaning that it put the clubs future at risk, and hampered our efforts in getting the quality players we need to sign to challenge for and stay in the Championship because wages were an issue.

Our over achieving in the early years after returning to Brighton, leading to unrealistic expectations of Championship football, we just never had an income or infrastructure in place that could seriously deliver this over an extended period. The longer we remained at Withdean, the longer the losses have gone on for has meant we have been unable to sign the type of experienced players we are lacking and have had to gamble more on young players still learning the game to make an impact we need.

Mark McGhee, who started the rot in terms of falling attendances, due partly to the poor standard and level of entertainment his side produced, and his falling out with our better players - forcing them out of the club and never really replacing them, meaning we were in a bad way when Wilkins took over that youth team products were over relied upon as that was all he had to use. When he arrived, we felt we were still riding on the feel good factor of success on the pitch that had been building since returning to Brighton, yet when we left, apathy had set in and we have continued to go backwards.

Fans changing attitude, the lack of effort in trying to create an atmosphere at home games, and their continual moaning, a far cry from the atmosphere when we first returned, when we were all happy to be back in the town and still have a team to support, rather than look to find fault with what has always been a temporary solution, Withdean.

This is a good answer. Of course, it's many things. The failure to replace leaders on the pitch when they packed up eg. Butters and others. The undervaluing of Dean Hammond. Slade's decision to break up the team that kept us up and move the likes of Sullivan on and replace them with inferior players. The recent injury to Michel has not helped and has stalled Poyet's good start. One can go on......and on

 

[sir albion]

Whoever made the decision to get rid of Dean Wilkins as the club has fallen apart since then.

Must be dick tights fault

 

[withdeanwombat]

The board for sacking wilkins.

Jimmy Melia for those white shoes.

 

[Chesney Christ]

The players. End of. Anyone who says differently is being unreasonable.

At the end of the day, chairmen and managers don't tell them to go out there and play like retards and make tonnes of unforced individual goal-costing errors.

So in the year we came 7th, we had better players than we do now?? Really??

 

[Tom Hark Preston Park]

Some of the blame has to go to whoever it is arranges the pre-season fixtures where we are invariably shit against a succession of non-league opposition and everyone goes ho-ho doesn't matter it's only a warm-up session, its all about getting the fitness levels up. Then the league opposition comes around and it turns out that, well, yes, actually we ARE shit. But by then its too late to do anything about it.

 

[DJ Leon]

The players. End of. Anyone who says differently is being unreasonable.

At the end of the day, chairmen and managers don't tell them to go out there and play like retards and make tonnes of unforced individual goal-costing errors.

But your mantra is that the players are not good enough (I think I can find approx. 3000 posts to back this up) - how then is that their fault? Surely you should be blaming management for buying them?

 

[GT49er]

Who's to blame? How far back do you want to go?

Personally I blame the directors who wouldn't let Billy lane sign Denis Law because he was too skinny......................

 

[Janbha]

Ron Challis rip