[Albion] This is, by some margin, the strongest ever Brighton squad of all time

Mustafa II · Monday at 3:11 PM

On paper, it would absolutely wipe the floor with the 22/23 squad.

The 22/23 squad had an exceptional midfield with Gross, Caicedo and Mac Allister - but Baleba and Hinsh are well on their way to becoming as good as these, with Gomez looking like he might be the real deal too.

Would say the defence is marginally weaker than in the 23/24 squad - very similar - except Colwill was crucial in that season.

...but our attack is considerably better in all positions, including the quality that we have on the bench.

So why isn't the club doing quite as well as the 22/23 squad (yet)?

The 22/23 squad was really the squad that Potter spent years building - with RDZ for adding his unique touch to take us to our highest ever finish.

Hurzeler is doing a great job - I love how adaptable he is, and we do seem to be constantly improving. He had to pick up the pieces from an RDZ squad no longer on a high, and quickly bring in lots of young new faces into the team - and our recent form proves he has done this expertly.

I don't want to tempt fate - but if we continue doing what we're doing, with a bit of luck, the achievements this season could exceed our greatest ever in 22/23, as this BHAFC squad truly is a real force in football.

Cowfold Seagull · Monday at 3:15 PM

Better? yes probably, but l'm not sure it would wipe the floor with them as you put it.

Mellor 3 Ward 4 · Monday at 3:20 PM

Both Caicedo and Mac Allister would walk into this team.

Marc

too.

Attacking wise I agree.

Nobby Cybergoat · Monday at 3:20 PM

Both sides were bad at beating the bottom 3 at home. That's what we need to crack

The 22/23 midfield is better than we have now. But the present lot has huge potential

jcdenton08 · Monday at 3:23 PM

Possibly. But I was saying this before and after the Nottingham Forest debacle.

I was also saying not to get too high or too low, enjoy the wins and mourn the losses, but don’t leap to hyperbolic statements. Nottingham Forest wasn’t our “worst ever” result, bad as it was, and winning five in a row doesn’t necessarily make us now our “best ever” squad.

The evidence is in the dessert; our best ever side will be determined by our league finish. It’s why we have a league structure.

Brian Munich · Monday at 3:32 PM

I can see us surpassing the 22-23 total of 62 points. We're behind the 22-23 run rate, which was (I think) 46 points after having just beaten Bournemout 2-0 away. However, I reckon that the greater strength in depth that we now have will see us do better in the run in this year.

The way that we seem to have clicked recently has a similar feel to the end of the 21-22 season where we got 17 points from our last 8, coincidentally also starting on 34 points, except that this season we've started the run earlier with 14 games to play.

el punal · Monday at 3:33 PM

Actually, at the same stage of games played, 27, we are similar with the 2022/23 team with 43 points and 46 points two years ago. RDZ‘s side recorded 5 wins, 5 defeats and 1 draw to the end of the season accumulating 62 points. Can we better that? We have only lost 6 games thus far to the 22/23 season of 7. This will be a tight call.

chaileyjem · Monday at 3:36 PM

Mustafa II said:
So why isn't the club doing quite as well as the 22/23 squad (yet)?

As per @el punal - we're in the FA Cup QF, and 3 points behind where we were in 22/23. So effectively the same.
We've beaten Chelsea (Twice), Utd (twice), Spurs, Newcastle (twice), and Bournemouth (twice) this season - so arguably no real difference from our wins that season v Liverpool, United, Chelsea etc.
Tough ask to get 19 points from next 11 games though and obv Ipswich/Forest is more of a hurdle than Grimsby (H) .

Brian Munich · Monday at 3:37 PM

Nobby Cybergoat said:
Both sides were bad at beating the bottom 3 at home. That's what we need to crack

The 22/23 midfield is better than we have now. But the present lot has huge potential

The 22-23 side were not bad at beating the bottom 3. Our record was P3 W3 (Leeds, Leicester and Southampton). In fact the only bottom-half side we failed to beat at home that year was Everton.

chaileyjem · Monday at 3:44 PM

Brian Munich said:
The 22-23 side were not bad at beating the bottom 3. Our record was P3 W3 (Leeds, Leicester and Southampton). In fact the only bottom-half side we failed to beat at home that year was Everton.

Of the bottom 3 we've so far beaten Ipswich and Southampton and have still Leicester to play so that could end up the same. Of the bottom half this year we've beaten at least once (so far) Everton, United, Spurs, Southampton and Ipswich and still to play (again) Palace, Wolves, West Ham, Leicester, Brentford and Spurs in the remaining 11.

Nobby Cybergoat · Monday at 3:46 PM

Brian Munich said:
The 22-23 side were not bad at beating the bottom 3. Our record was P3 W3 (Leeds, Leicester and Southampton). In fact the only bottom-half side we failed to beat at home that year was Everton.

Fair play. It feels like we've struggled with this for ever.

That rare season off appears to be the difference between qualifying for Europe and not doing so

Withdean South Stand · Monday at 3:56 PM

This season is a huge opportunity to get back to 6th again. We have the potential and if we can keep the team selection consistent, keep the players available then I think we WILL finish 6th. Which would be absolutely extraordinary and we could potentially throw in FA Cup glory as well.

3rd isn't off the table either, but neither is 10th. This season is crazy, we really could find ourselves making Champions League or dropping away (again).

Braggfan · Monday at 4:00 PM

Mustafa II said:
Would say the defence is marginally weaker than in the 23/24 squad - very similar - except Colwill and Cucurella were crucial in that season.

Am I misreading that? I'm not sure that's right. Colwill and Cucurella didn't play in the same team.

Mustafa II · Monday at 4:01 PM

Braggfan said:
Am I misreading that? I'm not sure that's right. Colwill and Cucurella didn't play in the same team.

Sorry, brain fart with that one.

Braggfan · Monday at 4:03 PM

Mustafa II said:
Sorry, brain fart with that one.

Ha ha thats ok. I was thinking maybe I'd misread it, or was mis remembering things.

um bongo molongo · Monday at 4:04 PM

Mellor 3 Ward 4 said:
Both Caicedo and Mac Allister would walk into this team.

Marc too.

Attacking wise I agree.

As well as a two years younger Dunk being much better than the two years older version

The Optimist · Monday at 4:18 PM

um bongo molongo said:
As well as a two years younger Dunk being much better than the two years older version

Also wasn’t suffering from injuries.

Joey Jo Jo Jr. Shabadoo · Monday at 4:21 PM

Nobby Cybergoat said:
Both sides were bad at beating the bottom 3 at home. That's what we need to crack

the 22/23 team beat all 3 relegated sides at home.

Leeds 1-0
Leicester 5-2
Southampton 3-1.

The first two results were under Potter, the latter under RDZ. Away from home we beat Southampton 3-1 and drew 2-2 with both Leeds and Leicester. Probably our best season against the bottom 3.

This season we’ve beaten Saints and Ipswich away after drawing at home. We’ve drawn with Leicester away, if we can beat them at home it will probably be our second best set of results against the bottom 3.

Same applies if we beat Wolves at their ground and they drop into the bottom 3.

Guinness Boy · Monday at 4:27 PM

Mellor 3 Ward 4 said:
Both Caicedo and Mac Allister would walk into this team.

Marc too.

Attacking wise I agree.

Yep. Had a much better midfield under Potter's last full season and the split one with RDZ but a far weaker attack than today. Defensively, unfortunately we've not quite replaced Snake Cucurella on the left and Dunk was far better back then than he is now. I prefer Bart to Sanchez in goal, others won't.

Slightly odd wording in the OP too. Our coaches don't build the squads, the recruitment team buy and build for the coach to develop.

DavidinSouthampton · Monday at 4:28 PM

Joey Jo Jo Jr. Shabadoo said:
the 22/23 team beat all 3 relegated sides at home.

Leeds 1-0
Leicester 5-2
Southampton 3-1.

The first two results were under Potter, the latter under RDZ. Away from home we beat Southampton 3-1 and drew 2-2 with both Leeds and Leicester. Probably our best season against the bottom 3.

This season we’ve beaten Saints home and away again, drawn at home and beaten Ipswich away. We’ve drawn with Leicester away, if we can beat them at home we will equal that record just slightly difference spilt between home and away points.

Same applies if we beat Wolves at their ground and they drop into the bottom 3.

We didn’t beat Saints at home This season. They nearly beat us.

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