5:20 on Saturday we could be 15th in the table!!!!!

[Foolg]

I'm beginning to not see it that way.

I feel Gus won't 100% commit to attacking football.
We had all the noise about the biggest pitch, 3 wingers, space to run at teams.
He has never played 2 wingers.
All fine when everybody is new to the division and learning the ropes.

But that's no longer the case, yet still the hand brake is on, or at least very quickly pulled at.

Acker is right we've had plenty of changes many of them forced.
But most positions esp the midfield, are easily covered, but when the changes are made the default setting seems to be a defensive one.

Nobody (new) attacking with the exception of Orlandi has been given the time to cement themselves into the team.
Look what happened when he did, he went from a good player to bossing the game, in 5 matches.

All the while we have a defensive attacking left winger, giving nothing in the final third, and a revolving door midfield none of whom are allowed to play off CMS.

The tinkering is forced in defence, less so for the attacking players, but the structure remains rigidly the same.

Hence us following the same pattern as last season, but with a significantly better team.

Spot on. Great post.

 

[Weststander]

The cliche The league table doesn't lie, will reveal all.

If by February, we aren't in the promotion mix despite the income from mega crowds paying southern high prices, the large commercial and 1901 income; and the likes of low budget Palace, Millwall and Boro are. Then the debates about ill luck, injuries, "if only we hadn't hit the woodwork", etc, ... will all mean jack s**t.

This will reveal a serious flaw in the transfer dealings over the last 4 windows and/or team selection/tactics.

 

[Stat Brother]

A very valid post, which echo's my thoughts. What worries me the most is that if we miss out on promotion this year I can see players such as Buckley, Bridcutt, Bridge and Bruno leaving for better clubs, which suggests we need to show some real ambition, for once, in the January transfer window. Whether we will or not remains to be seen.

I don't think more players is necessarily the answer.
Gus has too many players doing the same/similar jobs.

A looser midfield pushing on taking the pressure off of CMS or Hoskins or a centre forward Barnes, with attacking wing play, would go some way to getting us winning.
If the sacrifice is that Bruno and Bridge have to defend more, then so be it.

 

[Stat Brother]

Well, there was the lack of a fit recognised right back, which would either mean playing lopez back there and bringing someone else into the midfield, or keeping lopez in pretty much the same position, and playing three at the back. To keep lopez there, and playing three at the back, he needed protection of a more defensive minded hammond in the middle to support the back three when we didn't have possession. There was a reason for it. It just didn't work out. Was it the players, the short time they had to get used to the new system, is it just not a system for us? I don't know. Three at the back seems quite attacking, but maybe the next time we play it we should try it with better players or with more practice beforehand (e.g. there's been two weeks for them to work on it before watford, and with everyone fit...).

I'm coming back to this as I see it as proving my point.
Changes had to be made, but in order to accommodate a temporary right back, Hammond comes in to play defensive midfield, along with Bridcutt. Crofts the previous MoM was reigned in, and Buckley wasn't in the game.
I can't remember who started on the left, but I can be sure they weren't playing on their right backs shoulder.

So a change in right back involves playing at least 3 maybe 4 of out attacking options in defensively minded positions.
In a home game against a side who have been in a relegation position for most of the season.

If El Abd can't cope then make the substitution, to give him cover.
But at least do it from the position of 'I gave it a go'.

Bridge, Greer, Dunk, El Abd.
Bridcutt
Buckley Crofts Lopez Hoskins
CMS

 

[Acker79]

He might have started the year injured, but that would only have been for January, as he was keeping the bench warm, from then on.

Noone back in top gear for Albion From The Argus)

Craig Noone has revealed he is over the hamstring problem which hindered him last season.
...
“I’ve never felt fitter than I have been feeling lately.

“Towards the end of the season I was getting a recurrence of it but the summer has done me well.​

He wasn't in the squad for 11 of our 22 league games from Southampton til the end of the season. An initial 5 match absence with the initial injury, then the other six were spread out over the rest of the season, that is, he was in and out of the match day squad not a second long injury lay off.

 

[Acker79]

I'm coming back to this as I see it as proving my point.

Well, I was only highlighting there was a reason he made a change, not trying to counter or disagree with anything in particular you said.

So a change in right back involves playing at least 3 maybe 4 of out attacking options in defensively minded positions.
In a home game against a side who have been in a relegation position for most of the season.

Millwall were 23rd on the opening day. They jumped up the table, and after that, they spent a total of two weeks in 22nd spot. They were in the relegation zone at the end of a grand total of 4 match days. They have spent 80% of the season (so far) outside of the relegation zone, 15 of 24 match days have resulted in them being higher than 18th in the table. They have spent the last 7 match days in 6th or 7th place. They are a big, strong side who, when we played them, were in a play off spot, and who could have (and pretty much did) out-muscle us easily on the counter attack. If you are facing a team who might cut through you, being defensive isn't so unreasonable, imo.

 

[The Birdman]

Attendances.

Will we pass the last seasons difference on Saturday and what do we think it will be by the end of the season

 

[Acker79]

10 Brighton 34pts, 8GD
14 Wolves 31pts, -2GD
15 Huddersfield 31pts, -7GD

Saturday
Middlesbrough v Blackpool (1pt/-1goals)
Charlton v Derby (1pt/-8goals)
Burnley (1pt/-9goals) v Leicester
Wolves (3pts/-10goals) v Ipswich
Huddersfield (3pts/-15goals) v Sheffield Wednesday

Realistic worst case scenario now 13th place (on goal difference), and that requires Blackpool, Derby, and Burnley all winning (draws will bring them level on pts but not GD).

I'm no good at predictions, but:
-Boro should be too much for Blackpool
-Charlton are on the back of 3 defeats
-Leicester are 5th so should be too much, but Burnley are at home, but a win isn't too much for them to ask for (leicester's home record is a big factor in them placing so high at the moment).
-Wolves and huddersfield would require far too unusual scorelines to realistically consider.

13th is the worst case, with my poor skills of predictions, I'd say we'll be 11th (I think Blackpool draw, Derby draw, Burnley win).

A timely bump.

Middlesbrough v Blackpool (1pt/-1goals) - Boro 2-0 up.
Charlton v Derby (1pt/-8goals) - Charlton currently one up
Burnley (1pt/-9goals) v Leicester - Leicester currently one up
Wolves (3pts/-10goals) v Ipswich - Ipswich currently one up
Huddersfield (3pts/-15goals) v Sheffield Wednesday - Finished 0-0, Huddersfield predictably stay below us.

So far, touch wood, everything is going our way

 

[tweenster]

If results match the latest scores we will still be 10th when we kick off tonight. Win today by 2 and we will be 6th, then win our game in hand and we would still be 6th but just a point behind Leicester in 5th and 3 points clear of 7th, with it all to play for in the New Year.

Not much to ask for really.

 

[Goldstone Rapper]

If results match the latest scores we will still be 10th when we kick off tonight. Win today by 2 and we will be 6th, then win our game in hand and we would still be 6th but just a point behind Leicester in 5th and 3 points clear of 7th, with it all to play for in the New Year.

Not much to ask for really.

Was going to post this. Up the Gulls!

 

[Bigbelly]

Was going to post this. Up the Gulls!

And we'll f*** it up again.

 

[The Brighton Buzz]

Was going to post this. Up the Gulls!

As it stands lose today 6 points off play offs and 5 points off 20th. Big game

 

[Notters]

Well, I was only highlighting there was a reason he made a change, not trying to counter or disagree with anything in particular you said.




Millwall were 23rd on the opening day. They jumped up the table, and after that, they spent a total of two weeks in 22nd spot. They were in the relegation zone at the end of a grand total of 4 match days. They have spent 80% of the season (so far) outside of the relegation zone, 15 of 24 match days have resulted in them being higher than 18th in the table. They have spent the last 7 match days in 6th or 7th place. They are a big, strong side who, when we played them, were in a play off spot, and who could have (and pretty much did) out-muscle us easily on the counter attack. If you are facing a team who might cut through you, being defensive isn't so unreasonable, imo.

stop talking sense damn you!

Was going to post this. Up the Gulls!

yes, come on Torquay.

 

[Goldstone Rapper]

yes, come on Torquay.

No, I'm supporting Brighton F.C.

 

[HawkTheSeagull]

Results going our way yet again, if there is a day to capitalise on this - then it's today !!!