Am I alone in thinking we played alright last night?

[AmexRuislip]

The opposition know that Albion are an attacking winning side.
So when they come up against us (home or away), they're going to go out for their way to frustrate and catch us on the break.
Because we've a winning mentality (most times) and expect to win games, and then we don't it affects players and fans alike.
My point is that the season is not over by a long way, I didn't expect the 8 point gap to remain, as other teams will start to play better, so we can do this.

 

[Lifelong Supporter]

Yes we played alright but did not do enough to win. Ipswich were well organised, packed their area when need be and carved out some really good opportunities. After 9 successive home wins a draw should not be unexpected. It just did not quite happen for us. We put in plenty of effort and tried loads of forward options (three forwards off the bench and wingers changing sides)

The main concern is that the other teams at the top are on winning runs and we need to be at or near our peak but are not. Hopefully we will get a second wind soon.

I think Murray will start at Barnsley and I would also start Murphy in place of March. CH could spring a surprise and bench AK ahead of the home fixtures v Reading and Newcastle.

 

[Uh_huh_him]

I thought we played well, not our best, but we have certainly won many games this season playing no better than that.

The only issue is that we got a bit frantic about winning the game.
The long balls weren't working, but that became our preferred attack.

Running at them was causing all sorts of problems, when we did it. We just panicked into lumping it long.
They had 5 players on yellows and we didn't exploit that at all.
Solly, Murphy, Baldock, Akpom, Knocky....

We had the tools to get the job done.

 

[Icy Gull]

If we could stop giving away soft goals life would be so much easier. Ipswich were worth a draw last night and you have very thick Albion biased specs if you think otherwise, we were not unlucky and Ipswich chances were just as good as ours. A draw was all we deserved. Earlier in the season we had all the luck, now we're not getting much and we have not looked like a top two team for quite a while now imo but we were not unlucky last night.

 

[Not Andy Naylor]

This. Definitely can't win them all and a draw against Ipswich at home (them on the back of a good away win and with a key player, Tom Lawrence, in exceptional form...) is far from a disaster.

We pushed really hard for the win in the last 25 minutes or so, and The Amex crowd got behind the players with a good level of positive support, but it wasn't our night.

One thing frustrated me was that we didn't make more of getting all those defenders on early yellow cards. On another occasion it might have been open season for Knocky and Solly - but it wasn't until Jamie Murphy came on that there was much sign of us getting behind them more easily as a result.

That baffled me too. We generally showed a reluctance to run at players and take them on, which I think has been a problem in general recently. Since we went nine points clear or whatever it was, there's been a tendency to sit off teams, play safe passes and generally not do the things that we were doing earlier in the season. The extreme examples were the way we began so passively against both Huddersfield and Brentford but also Birmingham and Fulham. We need to get back to starting on the front foot and trying to beat teams.

 

[One Teddy Maybank]

If we could stop giving away soft goals life would be so much easier. Ipswich were worth a draw last night and you have very thick Albion biased specs if you think otherwise, we were not unlucky and Ipswich chances were just as good as ours. A draw was all we deserved. Earlier in the season we had all the luck, now we're not getting much and we have not looked like a top two team for quite a while now imo but we were not unlucky last night.

Exactly.

 

[Guy Fawkes]

I think the problem last night wasn't that we played badly but that there were times when players made too many simple mistakes. Simple passes that were easily intercepted or were under hit and didn't reach the intended recipient. It may well be the pressure of being where we are is starting to tell a little on the players minds, irrespective of what they say to the press. Both Baldock and Murray should have scored and that would have eased the pressure.

Player who was the focus of a sh#t-stirring thread on this site a day or so before the match claiming that his press conference answers show that he is clearly off in the summer (despite the actual video and answers he gave didn't show this) and then he had a poor (by his standard) game - coincidence?

Or as he made to feel a bit down, to question his future and possibly unsettle the squad who would suddenly start to think about what Stephens was doing and how committed he is when the thought wouldn't have even crossed their mind before that thread?

 

[Bold Seagull]

If we could stop giving away soft goals life would be so much easier. Ipswich were worth a draw last night and you have very thick Albion biased specs if you think otherwise, we were not unlucky and Ipswich chances were just as good as ours. A draw was all we deserved. Earlier in the season we had all the luck, now we're not getting much and we have not looked like a top two team for quite a while now imo but we were not unlucky last night.

What does a top 2 side look like then as it can't be Newcastle either as they've dropped as many points as us in the last 10 games?

By your reckoning, who are these top 2 sides, is it Huddersfield and Huddersfield?

 

[jcdenton08]

Whenever we draw at home to "an Ipswich" or similar I stop, take a breath and think. I consider how we are clear in the promotion places at the top of the Championship, fifteen games away from potentially playing in the Premier League, at our beautiful new stadium IN BRIGHTON, with an owner I trust and footballers who could easily play for any team in the division, rather than non league gambles and has-beens.

Then I think back to Michael Mahoney-Johnson's 45 minutes at "home" to Doncaster at Priestfield, with neither side having a shot on goal, 23rd against 24th in Division 3. I remember Mark "Free Headaaaaahhh" Walton walloping the ball against poor Paul Watson's back, then stumbling over backwards as he tried to prevent an embarrassing own goal, at Withdean, in the pouring rain, with no roof.

Then I have a pint, thank God I'm an Albion fan in 2017 and go to bed.

 

[clippedgull]

Player who was the focus of a sh#t-stirring thread on this site a day or so before the match claiming that his press conference answers show that he is clearly off in the summer (despite the actual video and answers he gave didn't show this) and then he had a poor (by his standard) game - coincidence?

Or as he made to feel a bit down, to question his future and possibly unsettle the squad who would suddenly start to think about what Stephens was doing and how committed he is when the thought wouldn't have even crossed their mind before that thread?

If Stephens or other members of the squad actually read this site and get mentally affected by what is written by supporters then maybe they should not read it! Bouquets and Brickbats will always be part of a professional footballers privileged life.

 

[One Love]

Player who was the focus of a sh#t-stirring thread on this site a day or so before the match claiming that his press conference answers show that he is clearly off in the summer (despite the actual video and answers he gave didn't show this) and then he had a poor (by his standard) game - coincidence?

Or as he made to feel a bit down, to question his future and possibly unsettle the squad who would suddenly start to think about what Stephens was doing and how committed he is when the thought wouldn't have even crossed their mind before that thread?

Are you suggesting a thread on here had an impact last night?

 

[DavidRyder]

I had Valentine's duties last night so couldn't go, but encouraged by anyone saying we played well last night.

That said, after last nights Hudds and Reading results, I really want to stand up in my office and shout 'BUTTOCKS!!' at the top of my voice...

 

[Gazwag]

Indeed. We had more shots (17 vs 8) and more shots on target (5 vs 4) last night, as well as more of the possession. We created more and better chances, and could easily have won the game. Were it not for conceding too easily from the free kick we would have won.

With early bookings on both the left and right of their defence we should have exploited this and could have easily been playing against 10 or 9 men by half time

 

[One Love]

What does a top 2 side look like then as it can't be Newcastle either as they've dropped as many points as us in the last 10 games?

10 games is a bit selective. the first three of those we won. Our dodgy run started after the Fulham great escape where we were completely passive and outplayed for 75% of the game yet still won.

Last 7 games has got us 11pts, at least 3 pts less than the rest of them.

 

[halbpro]

With early bookings on both the left and right of their defence we should have exploited this and could have easily been playing against 10 or 9 men by half time

I was genuinely surprised they managed to end with 11 men. I think that was one area we should have tried to exploit more than we did, try and draw a few more fouls against those players who were making stupid decisions and they could have been off. It's not the nicest way to play football, but given the number of bookings Ipswich received they weren't exactly playing nicely either.

 

[Medwayseagull]

With early bookings on both the left and right of their defence we should have exploited this and could have easily been playing against 10 or 9 men by half time

I doubt it with the ref bottling one decision in the second half which should have led to a sending off.

 

[Hotchilidog]

Going to confess I am succumbing to the nerves a little now after being confident since before christmas. I woudn't say we played particularly well last night, there were too many unforced errors. Some of the passing was extremely sloppy, and decision making was not up to scratch either.

What I cannot fault though was the effort and desire in the performance. The tempo was good and if we continue to play at pace I'd like to think we will again start causing teams real problems.

Time to put this game behind us, be thankful for the four point cushion and get on with the next game.

 

[Icy Gull]

What does a top 2 side look like then as it can't be Newcastle either as they've dropped as many points as us in the last 10 games?

By your reckoning, who are these top 2 sides, is it Huddersfield and Huddersfield?

I don't want to dent your enthusiasm if you really think we haven't struggled in just about every game for the last few weeks, Burton aside. We look a very ordinary side at the moment and I will not be surprised if we are back in a playoff position by month's end. This is itself is no bad thing if you think we have any chance at all of winning the playoffs

 

[Bold Seagull]

10 games is a bit selective. the first three of those we won. Our dodgy run started after the Fulham great escape where we were completely passive and outplayed for 75% of the game yet still won.

Last 7 games has got us 11pts, at least 3 pts less than the rest of them.

Why is 10 selective when someone is suggesting we're not a top 2 side, when we're second, 4 points above 3rd, 1 point above top after 31 games?

How is 10 selective, but 7 okay? Do we have to have better form than everyone else for every block of 5 or 7 games throughout an entire season?

Does everyone else dominant and play brilliantly when they win, only us who gets lucky, scrambles draws etc. or did I miss Huddersfield's last minute goals last night and against Leeds? Is everyone else watching all 90mins of all the other teams games so know they are dominant and winning every game with consummate ease?

How lucky we must have been to have scored 10 more goals than Huddersfield and everyone else below us in the top 6, and conceding 10 goals less. Luckiest side in football!

 

[Kalimantan Gull]

Watch the highlights. They have more chances than us and much better ones. If anyone should have won it was them.

Yeah well we were really going for it, had the full backs stationed in the Ipswich half almost the entire game, we got caught on the break a couple of times sure and Stockdale had to save us. But that was the way we were set up. God knows there have been enough posts on here criticising us for sitting deep at and putting solidity over attacking, well you certainly couldn't say that about last night.

To the original poster, no you're not the only one.

In our end of season run last year, we won 9 and didn't win 7 of our last 16. Too many people expect us to win every game and won't be content unless we get promotion with 105 points and a 20 point gap. But finishing with a run like that where we win every other game will be just fine thanks.