[Albion] Albion Mojo Meter

[Bozza]

The Premier League isn't exciting.

I think that's the crux of it. I feared it would prove to be the case, and I think it is.

Fair enough, do you think this is a case of it's better to travel than to arrive, and that we would be better off in the Championship?

Again, something I said when we were promoted, suggesting that moment was very possibly "Peak Albion".

I think NSC reflects that too - there's relatively little to talk about or get excited about around the Albion now, particularly now we've had one full season and all the big away days have already been taken in, generally to widespread disappointment (and not just at the results).

In the Championship we had 46 games and on many days we weren't playing, the chances are a club we were jousting with, would have a key fixture. Nights when we weren't playing but Newcastle or Huddersfield had games, were really exciting. There were very few days, as a promotion-chasing Championship club, where there wasn't something going on that could impact us. In the Premier League, it's the complete reverse, and on most days there's nothing of note happening.

That even extends to some match days too. When we visited Manchester City earlier this season, it seemed to be a day when many Albion fans took the day off and did something else.

 

[LamieRobertson]

Did we though? I thought Wednesday controlled the game after the red card, we were indebted to Stockdale for perhaps the best double save I've seen at the Amex, which in turn got the crowd behind the team, and we scored a very late winner through a breakaway.

Were the tactics yesterday any different in that we were playing reasonably well with ten men and then started getting into more of their half in the last 10-15 minutes. There was also the advantage against Wedenesday of them finishing the match with nine men.

In terms of unpredictable attacking football we are far better suited to the Championship than the Premier League, but is it realistic to expect otherwise?

 

[LamieRobertson]

I think that's the crux of it. I feared it would prove to be the case, and I think it is.



Again, something I said when we were promoted, suggesting that moment was very possibly "Peak Albion".

I think NSC reflects that too - there's relatively little to talk about or get excited about around the Albion now, particularly now we've had one full season and all the big away days have already been taken in, generally to widespread disappointment (and not just at the results).

In the Championship we had 46 games and on many days we weren't playing, the chances are a club we were jousting with, would have a key fixture. Nights when we weren't playing but Newcastle or Huddersfield had games, were really exciting. There were very few days, as a promotion-chasing Championship club, where there wasn't something going on that could impact us. In the Premier League, it's the complete reverse, and on most days there's nothing of note happening.

That even extends to some match days too. When we visited Manchester City earlier this season, it seemed to be a day when many Albion fans took the day off and did something else.

Result never in doubt...thats going to apply to so many clubs ...and yet Cardiff yesterday and Huddersfield in a couple of weeks good turn out and still a fair way to travel..because people think we have a chance along with a couple of other reasons

 

[*Gullsworth*]

Welcome to the Premier League. First season is exciting seeing big names, clubs and MOTD highlights. But the reality slowly creeps in that you can’t compete with a third of the clubs and survival is such a be all and end all it promotes nervy, negative football.

In many ways I think it would be preferable to have 4/5 years in the top league to balance the books coupled with 1 or 2 successful seasons in the Championship.

As a fan I get much better value in the Championship. Yes the standard isn’t as good but you see competitive matches week in week out where all 3 results are possible. In contrast you don’t go away from home as a 20/1 outsider having to put ten men behind the ball for 90 minutes with 20% possession and take a 2-0 defeat as a positive ivo goal difference.

This post nails it right on the head. We will always be also rans in the top league...whoever is manager. We just cannot afford a sustainable future to compete with the top half. Are we all turning into Norwich fans? Not me....would love to play more expansive and exciting football bit CH is not the problem......the quality of players is. Before anyone mentions Bournemouth....they are having their moment in the sun and are doing exceptional atm. But will they continue to be a top six side? I think we all know the answer to that. So mojo is where I expected to be.....satisfied but frustrated we can't improve our style of play. That doesn't mean we won't see some exciting wins in the future. Enjoy the ride folks, we are in a position twenty clubs in the Championship would love to be and could do any better than us.

 

[Stat Brother]

Nothing wrong with calling out what our style is: dull, negative and turgidly boring to watch. I hope and expect us to do much better, nothing wrong with saying that either!

Absolutely, but we weren't saying that just 10 games ago.
Then, v Utd, the team was anything but dull, [MENTION=6886]Bozza[/MENTION] talks of 'Peak Albion' being not winning the Championship, I beg to differ.

'Peak Albion' could/should/ought to be still in front of us, but that will only be the case if somehow the manager finds his way back to what he had in August, instead of turning them into a very VERY poor pub team.


Yesterday's game looked like the footballing equivalent of Frank Bruno's first 2 professional opponents fighting each other.
Nobody want's to see that.

 

[Kneon Light]

Mojo high. Enjoying this season like all seasons.
Yesterday was the only really disappointing result all season (Possibly Fulham but enjoyed that due to the circumstances) and that was largely due to a red card.
Looking at the staying up tracker I believe we are still 1 point ahead. We've scored in all but one (Man City) of the last 9 games and are generally looking tough to beat. Have had our first player called up for England in god knows how long and are playing in the best league in the world.
What's not to love?

 

[Bozza]

I've got absolutely no beef with Chris Hughton nor our supposed style of play.

The fact is you will always meet sides who are either better than you, or just happen to be better than you on the day you meet. When this happens, particularly the latter, your style of play is not by design but by necessity and may be all but unavoidable. Throw in poor form and/or key injuries and it becomes a case of just trying to battle through with some kind of positive result.

Hughton has to play the game, and the game is "finish the season outside the bottom three". It's a shit game, but it's the one we're playing, and one that 72 other clubs would love to be involved in.

 

[Knocky's Nose]

My Mojometer is at 5/10. Right in the middle... I am neither excited nor bored.

I totally agree with the sentiments of the journey being better than the destination though. It's like the moment you get off the biggest rollercoaster in the theme park, walk through the exits and go 'Well that was incredible. Which ride next?'.. You know that no other rides are like it, and going on it again and again will never be the same as the first time.

We're stuck in the purgatory of the Premier League. A league clubs dream of being in. How crazy is that?

We can't expect to win the Premier League, the FA Cup, or play in the Champions League. So, what do we have to aim for, realistically? Answer : Entertaining football.

 

[Bozza]

This thread needed a poll.

It now has a poll.

 

[Bwian]

If you can't enjoy where we are as a club right now then see a Doctor (a good one )

Sorry but that is nonsense. We can enjoy where we are and still be pissed off when we play such shit football almost every week.

I can't go to the Leicester game so my seat has gone on the club's ticket exchange. Prime seat, West Stand Lower, Halfway Line, almost perfect elevation. Still up for grabs. I think our style of play will deter the 'floating supporters'.

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[Bwian]

Nothing wrong with calling out what our style is: dull, negative and turgidly boring to watch. I hope and expect us to do much better, nothing wrong with saying that either!

Sums it up very well for me.

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[Sheebo]

I think we are doing ok good points tally despite not playing well with plenty to improve on but my mojo is mainly a bit bored with the premier league where our aim every season will be to not be as crap as 3 other teams.

I think many share that sentiment. The journey was better than the destination. I want us to stay up always of course but the championship is more fun for sure.

 

[Icy Gull]

Fair enough, do you think this is a case of it's better to travel than to arrive, and that we would be better off in the Championship? Having seen the likes of Southampton, Burnley, Huddersfield, Cardiff, Newcastle and so on, I've not come away thinking they are any more adventurous or entertaining than the Albion, the only clubs where that could be the case are Fulham (but they get punished for it) Bournemouth, and as much as I hate to say it, Palace when Zaha is in the team.

The Premier League isn't exciting.

On your first point I sincerely doubt we’ll ever feel the euphoria of post Wigan again, even if we stay up with the last kick of the last game this season.

 

[spanish flair]

With the exception of the Southern League I have supported the Albion in every division and without a doubt my most enjoyable season was winning the old fourth division. Scoring over 100 goals and crowds up to 32k great season. I do find the premier league very un-entertaining

 

[Guinness Boy]

Welcome to the Premier League. First season is exciting seeing big names, clubs and MOTD highlights. But the reality slowly creeps in that you can’t compete with a third of the clubs and survival is such a be all and end all it promotes nervy, negative football.

In many ways I think it would be preferable to have 4/5 years in the top league to balance the books coupled with 1 or 2 successful seasons in the Championship.

As a fan I get much better value in the Championship. Yes the standard isn’t as good but you see competitive matches week in week out where all 3 results are possible. In contrast you don’t go away from home as a 20/1 outsider having to put ten men behind the ball for 90 minutes with 20% possession and take a 2-0 defeat as a positive ivo goal difference.

Exactly. Watched in the pub with my Cardiff mate yesterday and both of us agreed that since we were watching a sub-Championship quality game anyway that neither of us would actually mind going back to 23 home games, exciting competitive matches, evening matches and the chance to turn form round in a few days. It doesn’t balance the books though.


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[GT49er]

Points-wise and position-wise we're doing alright, even though we're not playing well.

What drags my mojo down is the fact that I was looking for an improvement this season over last. We've spent a lot of money in 2018. OK, some have spent more, but £50M+ is still a lot of money. That may]/B] have 'strengthened the squad', but when we beat the club's transfer record to buy a player, I expect to get someone who is better than the players we've already got in the first team, who will take the place of one of last season's regulars, not warm the bench or get the occasional run out with the U23s.
As most of the time we're playing with mostly last year's team, it seems to me we haven't improved the team, and that is a disappointment.

 

[spanish flair]

Points-wise and position-wise we're doing alright, even though we're not playing well.

What drags my mojo down is the fact that I was looking for an improvement this season over last. We've spent a lot of money in 2018. OK, some have spent more, but £50M+ is still a lot of money. That may]/B] have 'strengthened the squad', but when we beat the club's transfer record to buy a player, I expect to get someone who is better than the players we've already got in the first team, who will take the place of one of last season's regulars, not warm the bench or get the occasional run out with the U23s.
As most of the time we're playing with mostly last year's team, it seems to me we haven't improved the team, and that is a disappointment.

You do have to question buying players to strengthen the team but they can't dislodge players who played in the Championship
Makes the recruitment team look a bit poor

 

[banjo]

Think we’ve dropped 5 points so far this season. 3 yesterday, and 2 against Fulham. Gained 3 against Man U. So about we’re we should be. Happy.

 

[GT49er]

You do have to question buying players to strengthen the team but they can't dislodge players who played in the Championship
Makes the recruitment team look a bit poor

Exactly. Last year we bought Gross and Propper and put them in the 1st. team right from the start (not that we had much choice, due to injuries!) and they played themselves into form, got up to speed and held their places for the rest of the season. Significantly, the FBs we bought (Schelotto and Suttner) failed to displace our Championship full backs - a trend which this year's big buys seem to be following. Murray is still in charge up front (no problem with that) but when Gross is out, we replace him with last season's third choice winger rather than any of the expensive new buys. Worrying.

 

[Bwian]

We dropped three points yesterday.

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