1st time no sympathy for us if Albion relegated

[Icy Gull]

I suspect barber and bloom will be in shock in how this year has turned out, whatever they say on public

Nah they are not stupid. It was a gamble probably brought on by arrogance that has misfired badly.

 

[wigman]

Think some of the players are already on their summer holidays

Kemy is on a permanent one.

 

[Lethargic]

I feel MUCH more pissed off with how this season has gone than I have ever felt, even in relegation seasons. I feel there is a real arrogance coming from the top and I am losing the connection I had through all the rough years. The stadium is fantastic but it makes the failings in recruitment and manager retention even worse. We should be going forwards but we are going backwards at pace. It's depressing tbh.

This

 

[London Irish]

This season has been crap because they didn't do their homework on the manager and didn't reinvest the Ulloa money back in the team. I think they've learned from the first mistake certainly by getting a safe pair of hands in re. Hughton but I'm not convinced they've learned about the second - but I hope to be pleasantly surprised in the summer, bring it on.

I was surprised at the bad mood around the ground after the second goal went in tonight - there have been many more clueless displays this season than tonight's!

 

[Tony Meolas Loan Spell]

The moneyball approach just aint working. Its that simple.

 

[West Hoathly Seagull]

Personally, and I am quite happy to be shot down for this, I think Bloom cannot escape the blame for what has gone wrong. Clearly something has when you can lose two managers in succession who got you to the Play Offs, one of whom was severely hamstrung by an injury crisis (and I was not myself a great fan of Oscar's). And I thought that interview he gave after Oscar's one with Andy Naylor was pure spin. The players on Oscar's list were too expensive were they? Well then, you might have made a better effort to keep our better players, mightn't you?

Before anyone starts on the £200 million thing either, no-one, least of all me is seeking to deny that, but in my view there was too much focus on FFP, and where the non-stadium element is concerned, I detect (and this is my opinion, not from a source or anything) that there has been too much emphasis on the Youth Academy, again to the detriment of the first team. The latest 16 year old "prospect" to be released by Chelsea isn't going to help the first team, or if he does, not for a good few years. Sure, you need a strong youth policy, but the first team is what really counts. I don't know what it is, but something has gone badly wrong with the club. I am with Icy Gull on that.

 

[Gazwag]

I understand Barber thinks it's fine to load up on loan players, apparently doesn't make a difference

Seriously what does Barber really know about football?

He's not employed to know anything about football that's why we have a manager, coaches etc. He doesn't choose players to get on loan or otherwise.

 

[Easy 10]

I was surprised at the bad mood around the ground after the second goal went in tonight - there have been many more clueless displays this season than tonight's!

Its an accumulation though isn't it. We've played worse, but it was yet ANOTHER toothless display at the fag-end of what has been comfortably the most rancid season we've witnessed since the days of Adams Mk2. I sloped off around the 86th minute mark, could honestly see no point whatsoever in hanging around.

I guess a season like this was probably due. We've enjoyed a steady upward curve over the last 5 years or so, but its just not in BHA's DNA to enjoy continued success, so we were always going to stink this league out at some point. At least we're probably still going to be in it next season, that about the only positive we can take from 2014-15.

 

[Megazone]

At least we're probably still going to be in it next season, that about the only positive we can take from 2014-15.

One positive about this season. Kayal looks like a top class signing. We need to build the team around him next season. He pulls all the strings.

 

[Dolph Ins]

I stayed to the end but did not clap them off for the first time this season. They really did not look like a team playing for each other, and that worries me.

 

[Justice]

He's not employed to know anything about football that's why we have a manager, coaches etc. He doesn't choose players to get on loan or otherwise.

I've seen this a few times yet he seemed to have a big input in appointing Hypia according to him, which is worrying.

 

[Alex Alex Dawson oo! oo!]

Personally, and I am quite happy to be shot down for this, I think Bloom cannot escape the blame for what has gone wrong. Clearly something has when you can lose two managers in succession who got you to the Play Offs, one of whom was severely hamstrung by an injury crisis (and I was not myself a great fan of Oscar's). And I thought that interview he gave after Oscar's one with Andy Naylor was pure spin. The players on Oscar's list were too expensive were they? Well then, you might have made a better effort to keep our better players, mightn't you?

Before anyone starts on the £200 million thing either, no-one, least of all me is seeking to deny that, but in my view there was too much focus on FFP, and where the non-stadium element is concerned, I detect (and this is my opinion, not from a source or anything) that there has been too much emphasis on the Youth Academy, again to the detriment of the first team. The latest 16 year old "prospect" to be released by Chelsea isn't going to help the first team, or if he does, not for a good few years. Sure, you need a strong youth policy, but the first team is what really counts. I don't know what it is, but something has gone badly wrong with the club. I am with Icy Gull on that.

So, if I understand you correctly, the Board should have put more money into the football club entity of the BHA business and less into the stadium, training ground etc; maybe not build the training ground at all? Wouldn't this have meant the football club losing even more money on top of the £33m or so "shortfall" that's had to be found in the first three years at the Amex?

 

[Pavilionaire]

Arguably the team that went down with 45 points in 2002-03 was better than tonight's team.

Kuipers, Blackwell, Cullip, Rodger, Brooker, Zamora would all have made it into tonight's line-up, not to mention Ingimarsson and Sidwell.

 

[Uh_huh_him]

I feel MUCH more pissed off with how this season has gone than I have ever felt, even in relegation seasons. I feel there is a real arrogance coming from the top and I am losing the connection I had through all the rough years. The stadium is fantastic but it makes the failings in recruitment and manager retention even worse. We should be going forwards but we are going backwards at pace. It's depressing tbh.

I am the eternal optimist and will always reach for the most positive view on any situation. But ultimately this sums up how I feel too.
I love the albion and the Amex is everything I wished for, but the current situation is very disheartening. Particularly tonight, after watching us give in to a team that will be playing premier league football next season....... And it's Bournemouth....

 

[Brovion]

...

I was surprised at the bad mood around the ground after the second goal went in tonight - there have been many more clueless displays this season than tonight's!

Just to add to Easy10's answer there was probably also the realisation that Bournemouth played really poorly (by their standards), and yet they were still good enough to easily hold us at arm's length. Then they have not one but two shots on target - that both go in. You could almost accept them grinding out a 1-0 away win in the time-honoured fashion of good teams playing poorly and still winning, but that second goal took the piss.

 

[tommynockers]

Nicko son, you've missed my point. I not comparing us on the whole to other clubs. But to BRIGHTON sides from past 4 decades that have gone down.

Example: 92 we got relegated but we had to sell Small & Budgie to avoid wind up. It was understandable. Relegations in the noughties, well we were massively over achieving on the road to falmer. And so on. This club at the moment is set up for the Premiership and...going via League 1 it seems? "Premiership Ready" remember. That's the Albions words, not mine.

There are many clubs so called. "Set up for premiership" But a stadium and training ground don't mean you are premiership ready in any way shape or form. It's a Russian owner that makes you 100% premiership ready!!

 

[scousefan]

I agree that this is the most disappointing season in many years. The key lesson of the last three years is that you can't do anything if you havent got people up front who can score goals. They are hard to find and must be held onto. (E.g. Losing Murray and Barnes were bigger losses than anyone expected.)

My worry is whether we have learnt the lessons. The big problem last year was the recruitment strategy. We were arrogant and let people go without replacements. We haggled over contracts and missed key signings. Now we are less attractive and will have to be smarter and pay more. Do we know whether Hughton will be happy with the investment plans or like with Oscar and Gus will problems now emerge.

I'm hopeful that in CH we have a good (if safe) manager to take us forward. I'm less confident in the board and Barber

 

[jimbob5]

After losing 3 games on the trot and not scoring a goal against relatively average teams they certainly are showing themselves still to be relegation candidates and frankly relegation would be the kick up the back side they deserve. Frankly the way I feel they can fade away and go bust! OK, maybe I don't really mean that! it's just that they've peed me off something rotten this time and yeah we've all had a drink! So don't push me man. Best not to talk to me even!

 

[cunning fergus]

I feel MUCH more pissed off with how this season has gone than I have ever felt, even in relegation seasons. I feel there is a real arrogance coming from the top and I am losing the connection I had through all the rough years. The stadium is fantastic but it makes the failings in recruitment and manager retention even worse. We should be going forwards but we are going backwards at pace. It's depressing tbh.

Absolutely IG, end of thread.

 

[APACHE]

Last night really showed everything that's been wrong about our season, poor planning (the wrong manager to start the season coupled with poor quality players brought in) by the suits who have yet to really say that they got it wrong and yes I include our owner in that. You get what you pay for and if you buy cheap you usually get poor quality, the loanees have been mostly poor all season and last night 3 of them were. I started following the Albion in 1969 and I must say that I've seen some poor teams in that time but this pre-season was a warning of what was to come, as the suits got the wrong manager and went for the cheap option in players. Each home game you wait to hear the team selection and then you can usually guess the performance we will get as this group of players has no real fight in them when up against it and time and again crumble when going a goal down. Let's hope CH keeps us up and is then backed to get his players in.