[Albion] Are we on the cusp of a cusp?

[The Clamp]

A couple of wins and Potter will be hailed a saviour. It’s the NSC way. I used to be invested in our standing/fortunes during the Withdean yearsI think I’ve always seen us as the underdog and that’s kind how I support us, if that makes sense.
As long as we stay in the PL or even the championship, I’ll not fret too much. I have a very “wait and see” attitude to BHA of late, I have done for a few years now actually.

 

[Iggle Piggle]

It's all fine margins. Dunk has gone from everyone wondering why he never made England to a shadow of that form since injury, Webster injured, Bissouma our of sorts (or mentally checked out take your pick) and all of a sudden we start to look like a bottom six side rather than one challenging for the top 6. We will pick up again I am sure but in all honesty, I can't see where our next points are coming from when I look at the fixture list. Put it his way, if GP went tomorrow, Who would be better, realistic replacement? I can't really think of one.

My biggest annoyance is when I see Cucurella playing as the 3rd centre half. He is totally wasted there (Chelsea game is a fair cop as a counter argument) and I wish we didn't persist with it. Burn selling I understand from a £13 million for a 29 year old point of view but I don't get the no plan B when we have 3 out on loan on the Championship or Italy who could potentially play there when he went. With Webster injured it unbalances the team massively to have him play there and our defence is nowhere near the 2021 levels at the minute for all the talk about our lack of chances and goals.

 

[Hoad Gull]

Clear out your garage, darn your socks....it's always the hope that kills you.

 

[albionalex]

i don't understand why Caciedo hasn't been given a run ....good enough to play against Brazil and Argentina but not good enough to play against Villa or Burnley ......really.

i think we may be on the verge of a cusp BTW

By that logic, we should sign players from San Marino as they were good enough to play against England.

 

[Rookie]

Couple of weeks back some were questioning whether Europe was a possibility and now after 2 poor performances people are reacting like we are in the bottom 3. Who said football fans were reactionary

 

[GT49er]

I do wonder if we’ve been found out a bit, teams know if they press us high and get men behind the ball we’ll struggle to do much more than pass it around the back four and then will give it away somewhere dangerous.

That's pretty much what Gerrard said he and Villa had based their game plan on, although as he was speaking in Scouse, some on here obviously would have had difficulty understanding him!

 

[One Love]

By that logic, we should sign players from San Marino as they were good enough to play against England.

Apart from the fact that Ecuador have actually been giving Brazil a game which bears no relation to San Marino.

A commentator after the last game said Brighton fans are in for a treat.

Well we're not if he doesn't get played.

 

[sydney]

By that logic, we should sign players from San Marino as they were good enough to play against England.

that's pretty flawed logic there sausage.

 

[GT49er]

As long as we're seven points clear of 18th. with three games to go we'll be fin ..............................






Oh ...............

 

[albionalex]

that's pretty flawed logic there sausage.

Is it? I don't see how being good enough to start for Ecuador is relevant to playing for Brighton, unless the Ecuador midfield is stocked with top-level players (which it isn't).

 

[Deleted member 2719]

Plenty more football to be played yet, and plenty more 'aren't we great moments' too.

As Albion fans has anyone had so many 'aren't we great moments' ever?

It's no surprise but Graham and his team created those moments with this set of players.

Anyone sharpening the knives really should take a step back and remember these wonder days/ nights of football with the Albion.

They don't come around often, unless you are in the big 6.

#Trust in Potter

 

[sydney]

Is it? I don't see how being good enough to start for Ecuador is relevant to playing for Brighton, unless the Ecuador midfield is stocked with top-level players (which it isn't).

because he is playing in a team that is competing against the best players on the planet and making a decent fist of it , at the moment they are qualifying for the wc and most likely will be there .........why the feck wouldn't you give him a go for 15 /20 minutes ffs.....or are you just here for an argument..?

 

[Ravids]

I think it would be a missed opportunity this season if we didn't finish the top half, but otherwise, it should still go down as an amazing season.

We looked set to get into that 8th-10th region not long ago so it would be disappointing if we collapsed down to 13th/14th etc, but the main goal of this season was to not be in the relegation fight, and that has been achieved. So it will have to go down as one of our most successful seasons ever, top 3 probably of all time in my eyes.

We are basically pushing close up to against our glass ceiling this season, I don't think (barring a freak once in a life time season) we can possibly get more than 55 points in the PL, if lets say we get something like 46 points this season, that's pretty much only a few points off what I believe to be our physical limit as a club in the PL. Perspective is needed from some of our fanbase.

 

[albionalex]

because he is playing in a team that is competing against the best players on the planet and making a decent fist of it , at the moment they are qualifying for the wc and most likely will be there .........why the feck wouldn't you give him a go for 15 /20 minutes ffs.....or are you just here for an argument..?

I'm not against giving him some game time.

But I think you are placing too much importance on a couple of international matches, rather than his domestic experience.

We have to remember this guy was playing in the Ecuadorian league last year and needs to adjust to European (and more specifically Premier League) football. I'm sure if he was doing well in training, he would be getting some minutes.

 

[The_Viper]

That's pretty much what Gerrard said he and Villa had based their game plan on, although as he was speaking in Scouse, some on here obviously would have had difficulty understanding him!

If we had offensive talent that were midtable PL quality we'd have been in at HT 2-0 or 2-1 up though and it's a different game, so while you can think Stevie G out tactic'd us, I'd argue its the same old story, Brighton beat themselves. We create loads of good chances that players like Watkins/Antonio/Raphina/Bowen/Gallagher etc. are capable of converting at a better rate. Our offensive options are bottom 6 quality (which makes sense when our wage budget is also bottom 6) and so the tactic isn't "press high and make them squirm and we win" it's "let them miss a bunch of chances and make sure we're pressing for that second ball, hit them on the break and take our chances". Our inability to convert is our biggest enemy when we look at how much we ourselves let in, IMO.

 

[chaileyjem]

If we had offensive talent that were midtable PL quality we'd have been in at HT 2-0 or 2-1 up though and it's a different game, so while you can think Stevie G out tactic'd us, I'd argue its the same old story, Brighton beat themselves. We create loads of good chances that players like Watkins/Antonio/Raphina/Bowen/Gallagher etc. are capable of converting at a better rate. Our offensive options are bottom 6 quality (which makes sense when our wage budget is also bottom 6) and so the tactic isn't "press high and make them squirm and we win" it's "let them miss a bunch of chances and make sure we're pressing for that second ball, hit them on the break and take our chances". Our inability to convert is our biggest enemy when we look at how much we ourselves let in, IMO.

Neal Maupay (Brighton player last time I looked) has scored more or the same PL goals this season than Watkins/Antonio/Gallagher/ and Bowen etc

 

[Frankworthington]

Neal Maupay (Brighton player last time I looked) has scored more or the same PL goals this season than Watkins/Antonio/Gallagher/ and Bowen etc

This totally

Why people drone on about Watkins is beyond me.£33 M and £80 grand a week? Their having a laugh!

We dodged a bullet.

 

[sydney]

I'm not against giving him some game time.

But I think you are placing too much importance on a couple of international matches, rather than his domestic experience.

We have to remember this guy was playing in the Ecuadorian league last year and needs to adjust to European (and more specifically Premier League) football. I'm sure if he was doing well in training, he would be getting some minutes.

our transfer activity is paradoxical , i'm on the board of our local meccano , lego and sticklebrick construction society , 816 members across the globe ,a blue belt at jenga, a commercial barista and qualified flower arranger to level 8 .... also a reasonably intelligent 84 year old lumberjack in my spare time .....i'm ****ed if i know what is going on.

 

[The_Viper]

Neal Maupay (Brighton player last time I looked) has scored more or the same PL goals this season than Watkins/Antonio/Gallagher/ and Bowen etc

It's not just Neal though, and relying on him to do everything is insanely naïve. We've had 8 different goalscorers this season, Villa have 13 and West Ham 15. Villa have scored 8 more goals than us this season so far, West Ham 21 more. Brighton have got a total of ZERO goals combined from: Lallana, March, Gross, Moder, Dunk, Cucurella, Lamptey, Connolly, Veltman, Alzate and Bissouma. Between them they have a total of 9.6 xG and NO goals to show for it. None of those currently have the quality to finish good chances and we're left relying on 2-3 players to get us goals. It's unsustainable and these poor runs of forms expose it massively.

 

[Jeremiah]

It's an interesting thread.

I've yet to work out my own feelings towards Potter and the team. The current points situation would indicate that I should be happy with life as an Albion fan yet there is something which nags away. I find Potter hard to like , it may be the boring post match interviews - you couldn't tell if his team had won or lost - it's the same drone. Personally I would like a Poyet style character in that respect - someone who looks like they actually care. I did NOT appreciate his sarcastic comments recently about "needing a history lesson" when some booed the players off. His mask slipped and he let himself down.

In respect of the team, I'm not sure if we've gone backwards - the point tally is better at this stage than previous seasons under GP( but in our remaining 12 games 9 are against sides above us - so we could struggle to surpass 41 points) . However, the football is worse - remember when we were creating chances and shots galore against the likes of Palace , Villa etc - well that has gone. The side to side passing along the halfway line has returned - is that all because Webster is out & Dunk back ? Is the squad better this season ?

The blindspot of not addressing our striking options is also bizarre. It's been going on now for nearly 3 seasons. If Maupay was injured we would be relying on Welbeck and ? I'm also not sure if this is Potters fault or the Club's , GP has said he doesn't feel we need another striker in the squad at present - really !

All in all I have had to think very hard about renewing my season ticket for next season - I have but I am not sure if I have done the right thing and it doesn't excite me. Small petty measures, well covered on NSC, introduced by the Club take away from the matchday experience.

If we are on the cusp of something I wish it would hurry along and arrive.