[Albion] 11 cup finals

[Nobby Cybergoat]

It's a very very tough run in to be taking on without three of our first choice attacking players

All the top 6 still to play. We'll need to find some humungous performances to stay in our current position. We're capable. But we'll need to play better than we have been doing

 

[portlock seagull]

God! You’re the life and soul of the party aren’t you?

Get short odds on our atmosphere being anything but lively though! Truth not palatable?

 

[Brovion]

Here’s what will happen:

For 5mins after KO, they’ll be a few Albion Albion chants from the North. Rest (away fans a side) will mostly be sat on their hands not joining in except for moaning at any misplaced passes. I’ll be trying to sing in the East but will get lots of stares from silent families and tourists, and possibly a steward to ask me to be quiet because he’s received a complaint. Then Roma will score on the break and (the already poorly attended) crowd will then go totally quiet. By 75mins regardless of whether we’ve equalised or even lead 6-1, thousands will leave early. By FT, and wanting to applaud a fantastic campaign, they’ll be less than 5000 remaining in their seats to give the players standing ovation because you’ve got to get home and it’s nobody’s business if you leave early.

I know you're getting some pelters for that post, and you might well be a miserable old bugger, but deep down we all know that that's an extremely likely scenario! If we score early of course then the Amex might well be its usual cauldron of noise and passion.

 

[dejavuatbtn]

Have we ever won a Cup Final, since 1910?

Sussex Senior Cup?🫢

 

[el punal]

Get short odds on our atmosphere being anything but lively though! Truth not palatable?

That’s not the truth, that’s your prediction. We await to find out if your Mystic Megism comes to fruition.

 

[Iford Albion]

Then f uck off. Why aren’t you ignoring, knobhead?!

 

[Bry Nylon]

It might get flat, it will be packed.

But there is still the outside chance of it being the single biggest night, biggest game and biggest come back we've ever experienced and the Amex roof comes off.

That would just sum up our rotten luck this season.

 

[Stat Brother]

If we score early of course then the Amex might well be its usual cauldron of noise and passion.

Oh, so you're not holding out much hope either.

 

[Bold Seagull]

At least six wins from those league games could be enough.

4 points separate 5 teams going for 7th. A few of the games involve each other. As West Ham found on Sunday, whether you’re playing top of the league or bottom, games can be tough.

This whole group are scoring approx. 1.5 ppg so fair to say the target for 7th is going to be the 57-60 point mark.

6 wins I think would be enough, 5 and few draws could be.

 

[Uh_huh_him]

4 points separate 5 teams going for 7th. A few of the games involve each other. As West Ham found on Sunday, whether you’re playing top of the league or bottom, games can be tough.

This whole group are scoring approx. 1.5 ppg so fair to say the target for 7th is going to be the 57-60 point mark.

6 wins I think would be enough, 5 and few draws could be.

6 from 10, with our run-in, is massively unlikely.
Even if we managed to draw against the top 3 (huge ask) we would still need 5 further wins from:

(in order of difficulty)

1. Villa (h)
2. United (h)
3. Newcastle (a)
4. Chelsea (h)
5. Bournemouth (a)
6. Brentford (a)
7. Burnley (a)

Considering we have only managed 11 wins from the previous 28, I think that is a step too far.

 

[Bold Seagull]

6 from 10, with our run-in, is massively unlikely.
Even if we managed to draw against the top 3 (huge ask) we would still need 5 further wins from:

(in order of difficulty)

1. Villa (h)
2. United (h)
3. Newcastle (a)
4. Chelsea (h)
5. Bournemouth (a)
6. Brentford (a)
7. Burnley (a)

Considering we have only managed 11 wins from the previous 28, I think that is a step too far.

We got 5 wins from our first 7 fixtures. The previous form doesn’t have to continue. Those around us haven’t ripped up any trees either. We’re all struggling along hence we’re still it.

We’ve got players returning now, and those who have returned, probably too early, have minutes under their belts.

 

[Blue3]

Have we ever won a Cup Final, since 1910?

Sussex Senior Cup

 

[Thunder Bolt]

Have we ever won a Cup Final, since 1910?

Cardiff 2004. It was a final and we won.

 

[Uh_huh_him]

We got 5 wins from our first 7 fixtures. The previous form doesn’t have to continue. Those around us haven’t ripped up any trees either. We’re all struggling along hence we’re still it.

We’ve got players returning now, and those who have returned, probably too early, have minutes under their belts.

Those 5 wins happened when we had both Solly and Mitoma at the top of their game.

I love your optimism, but our opportunity for European football was in the last 11 games, not the next 11.

 

[philgull25]

Agree wholeheartedly. Just being in the hunt fur Europe and ahead of the likes of Chelsea and Newcastle should be a huge positive.

I’d say that another top half finish (on top of winning our Europa league group and getting to the knockout stages) should be considered a good season. I suspect many won't see it that way, but it should be considered such.

 

[Uh_huh_him]

Agree wholeheartedly. Just being in the hunt fur Europe and ahead of the likes of Chelsea and Newcastle should be a huge positive.

I’d say that another top half finish (on top of winning our Europa league group and getting to the knockout stages) should be considered a good season. I suspect many won't see it that way, but it should be considered such.

Yeah agreed.

However it's important to improve on our league position for next season.
That means keeping most of the squad together and further strengthening too.

 

[WATFORD zero]

I’d say that another top half finish (on top of winning our Europa league group and getting to the knockout stages) should be considered a good season. I suspect many won't see it that way, but it should be considered such.

Exactly what I said before the season started and still believe

 

[Bold Seagull]

Those 5 wins happened when we had both Solly and Mitoma at the top of their game.

I love your optimism, but our opportunity for European football was in the last 11 games, not the next 11.

I reckon I'm neutral on it being possible, neither pessimistic or optimistic about it. I think it's 50/50. I can't see Wolves or Newcastle stringing together more than us, West Ham have probably been the luckiest side in the league this season, that may start to dry up.

We're all focussing on us of course, but if our battle for 7th is West Ham, Wolves, Newcastle and Chelsea, then yes we may not win 5 of our last 10 fixtures, but then again, those other 4 teams may not win 5 either - and we're going to take points off each other.

So all to play for.

 

[philgull25]

Yeah agreed.

However it's important to improve on our league position for next season.
That means keeping most of the squad together and further strengthening too.

Realistically, we are probably going to see one or two most seasons, and have reached a point where we can’t expect to keep improving on our league position every season.

Especially given the clubs stated business model, we have to expect some ups and downs from here on in.

 

[Silver f Chariot]

I'd love us to get to Europe again, but as a club, we have a terrible record in "important/ big/ Must win games" Generally. Not sure it its a mentality thing but our general record is is pretty poor. I can only remember being Successful in maybe 3 "big" games ( Cardiff play off final, last game at Goldstone and getting a point at Hereford). Can't think of many other " really "big" games that we actually won. I'm sure I may have missed one or 2 but there's an awful lot of "big" games we managed to choke away. Feels like when the pressure is really on we just don't perform.

Of the top of my head i can remember these one's:

Lost in 2 FA Cup semi finals in last 4 years. (2019, 2022)
Needed 1 point from last 3 games to Win the championship - failed
Lost in the play offs x 3. (derby, Wednesday, Palace) to get promote
Lost At Middlesboro last game to get promoted automatically
Lost to Roma in Knockout phase of Europa league
Lost home to Athens in First European game.
Lost to Luton (H) - ( division below us) in the southern final of the JPT - Winner gets to Wembley
Lost FA cup final 1983
Lost Play off final 1991

Also had some unbelievably close shaves too with last min gifts getting us through....
Millwall Away in cup QTR final
Last min vs Doncaster - 1st game at Amex
Swindon in play offs
Forest to get in the play offs...

I hope we can bury this terrible record, but it doesn't bode well for us if we've got "11 cup finals" left.