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[Albion] 33 after 31
- Thread starter Bozza
- Start date
- Thread starter
- #2
One obvious positive from that: this is the largest buffer we've had to the relegation zone in our four PL seasons.
Marvellous scenes.
Sheebo
Well-known member
- Jul 13, 2003
- 29,319
And we’re playing comfortably the best football out of those 4 seasons and seem to be improving and aren’t just defending for points...
One thing that surprises me and yes stating the obvious but with out the figures in front of me I would never have guessed it. Based on Chris's defensively minded set up. I would never have guessed this would be the lowest season for goals against.
I believe GP is more attack minded. (Yes I know others will disagree) So pleasantly surprised by this. And we have actually scored more in the last two seasons. Not by much mind......
I take that small positive.
I believe GP is more attack minded. (Yes I know others will disagree) So pleasantly surprised by this. And we have actually scored more in the last two seasons. Not by much mind......
I take that small positive.
- Thread starter
- #7
Another standout is the way we look "out of place" based on our goal difference in both the Potter seasons. In the Hughton seasons, we look about right.
Albion Dan
Banned
Shows how good Hughton really did in that first season. Had a far inferior team performing better on ppg and playing really good football. It never felt like we’d go down that season and we had some cracking well deserved results. Of course all unravelled at the end and was time for him to go.
Potter has to push us on next season. If we are still in the same position and risk of getting relegated going into the last half of the season then you can’t imagine TB will be still be happy.
Potter has to push us on next season. If we are still in the same position and risk of getting relegated going into the last half of the season then you can’t imagine TB will be still be happy.
Pint of Ale and a Burger
New member
Yes,it's also worth mentioning that in hughtons final season we had 27 points after Christmas and looked like making 40 with plenty of time to spare.
I remember thinking before Christmas that we just need the new young Murray style striker in January and we will be flying.
But it was also at that point in January that the wheels fell off.
I always wonder if by January some of the players and even hughton had realised a change was coming.
As you say the honeymoon period will well and truly be over for potter at the end of this season and we need to see improvement in the results and in my opinion the run up to next January needs to feel as comfortable in terms of getting points on the board as it was for hughton in his last season.
I do still have the feeling though that potter is laying the foundation for us to move up the table in a way that encompasses every aspect of the club's vision which wasn't going to happen under hughton.
BN41Albion
Well-known member
- Oct 1, 2017
- 6,827
Very true. We're making progress despite what the actual league positions suggest. Potter will be under a bit of pressure from the board (and many fans!) to improve the points column next season though by turning some of those draws into wins.
I do think the club need to help him out though by doing all they can to bring in firepower. I'm not sure how it's really GP's fault that we're in this position this season especially; he has us set up creating enough good chances to win 2 games over in many games.
Silverhatch
Well-known member
We have better players at the back and midfield. The difficult bit remains putting the ball in the net. Without Lamptey’s searing pace and March’s left sided balance our threat appears to have been blunted but Potter has made us more secure than Hughton. This is the first PL season where we’ve given everyone a proper game - even City at the Etihad against their strongest side. Sort out the top end (the incredibly difficult bit) and we are at least the equal of last night’s opponents across 38 games. Never seen a more elite -competitive team represent my club. Hugely encouraging and maddeningly frustrating in equal measure.
But effectively not moving forward where it matters in terms of the league. The first season I found the most enjoyable, but I guess that’s because it was the first season.
I do feel we remain a decent forward away from top 12 though....
Justice
Dangerous Idiot
Potter hasn’t really been tested yet, his last spell with full capacity stadiums was awful.
Blue Valkyrie
Not seen such Bravery!
Shows how much the 2 points rather than 12 vs Palace and West Brom have cost us. 4 games that we really could have won.
Terry Butcher Tribute Act
Well-known member
- Aug 18, 2013
- 3,672
Crazy stat. Agree with what has been said about TB not accepting flirting with relegation next year. To become established in the top 10 we need to be looking to finish there
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blockhseagull
Well-known member
Which is correct.
However he needs to back Potter with a top 10 budget.
No surprise Villa kicked on with the amount of £££ they spent..... TB can’t expect Potter to deliver top 10 on a bottom 5 budget.
I think it’s a minor miracle that Potter has got us where we are when we went into the season with a front three of Maupay, Connolly & Zeqiri. That’s a championship strike force, so to have us reasonably clear of the drop, playing well in almost every game and with a minus 5 GD is a genuine feat and testament to his coaching abilities. Give him the tools and then he will be tested and we can judge.
Mo Gosfield
Well-known member
- Aug 11, 2010
- 6,362
Agree with that.
We didn't quite get the right £20m striker in Maupay. He works hard but is just short of the level required. The other two have youth on their side but not the quality needed. Welbeck has experience and class but is not a prolific goalscorer ( 6-7 a season ) We need more.
el punal
Well-known member
Valid points. I would add that many teams that get promoted to the Premier League punch above their weight in the first season and then fall away in the following year. In that instance look at the fortunes of Huddersfield and Sheffield United. We did too and only escaped the drop because Cardiff played catch up far too late in the campaign.
I agree with your comments regarding Potter. We do have a team that is showing so much promise but is lacking a cutting edge in front of goal. Rectify that - i.e. a decent striker (no shit Sherlock!) - and we really will be progressing. So, a positive outlook but with a “but”.
Given that there are a perma 8 teams in the top 10 I'm not sure there's such a thing as established top 10.
Way I see it each season starts with those 8 aiming for top 4 or top 1 and the other 12 wanting to put relegation fears behind them as quickly as possible. Each season 1 or 2 teams 'outperform' and spoil the party a bit, this year WHU, last year Wolves and Sheff U, then Burnley, Stains and even WBA and Plucky before that. Tables show that positions 9-20 hugely fluid.
I think we're set up for a good run but can't ever see us expanding the top 8 to a top 9. Quite rightly though TB will be thinking otherwise