Are we realistically only chasing 6th place?

[Baron Pepperpot]

Table this time last year. Little difference

http://www.statto.com/football/teams/brighton-and-hove-albion/2012-2013/table/2013-02-02

 

[bristolseagull]

I'd rather we won the cup....

 

[seagullsovergrimsby]

I still believe in Oscar's philosophy , take each game at a time because once you start worrying about other team's results , planning ahead and setting targets for the next 4 or 5 games it can very easily take away the focus of the job in hand.

 

[stripeyshark]

Table this time last year. Little difference

http://www.statto.com/football/teams/brighton-and-hove-albion/2012-2013/table/2013-02-02

The top 5 then made the playoffs at least.

 

[GingerBeerMan]

Table this time last year. Little difference

http://www.statto.com/football/teams...ble/2013-02-02.

Good point. Palace 9 points ahead and we finish above them, still enough games to go for a lot to change although TCB is right about having to win our home games.

 

[kevo]

Lua Lua- promises so much but delivers so little. His final delivery is so poor and frustrating. Just doesn't do enough for me. Sell him to Huddersfield.

Unbelievable. I've read some nonsense on here in my time, but my god. You want to SELL our most dangerous and exciting player, the one player in our squad who terrifies defenders, and the only player we have who can strike the ball from distance. To HUDDERSFIELD. Really, REALLY? Mental.

 

[Icy Gull]

I think the best we can hope for is 6th, anything better and I will be very happy. There are too many teams in the mix this season, although looking at that table from last year Bolton looked dead and buried at this stage and I think they only missed out on the last day?? Anything is possible but I'm not convinced we can overhaul enough teams to get above 6th. If we get a proven quality goal scorer in today I might change my mind.

 

[Goldstone1976]

We need 75 points for a sporting chance.

Leicester
QPR
--------------
Forest
Derby
Burnley


and one out of Ipswich, Brighton, Middlesbro, Reading, Wigan.

9/1 to go up.

I agree with this analysis, except that I think that 75 points would pretty much guarantee a play-off spot. 72 would give us a sporting chance, IMO.

 

[kevo]

I think the best we can hope for is 6th, anything better and I will be very happy. There are too many teams in the mix this season, although looking at that table from last year Bolton looked dead and buried at this stage and I think they only missed out on the last day?? Anything is possible but I'm not convinced we can overhaul enough teams to get above 6th. If we get a proven quality goal scorer in today I might change my mind.

I agree - I think the top five is going to be very difficult, particularly now a bit of a gap has opened up. Trouble is, there's going to be about eight teams competing for that one place.

 

[Machiavelli]

Agree the squad needs a complete overhaul. If I was in OG shoes based on what I've seen this season I would be letting a number of first teamers move on in the summer:

Greer- great servant but Dunk can adequately step up alongside Upson

Spanish Dave- not been impressed at all this season

Andrews- Ok a loanee but I wouldn't be seeking further services come what may

Orlandi- whilst I rate him I really feel that it's time to evolve our style to include some more pace particularly in midfield. We are so slow and predictable going forward it's painful. Okay maybe I've been a tad harsh, could still do a job from the bench I suppose.

Lua Lua- promises so much but delivers so little. His final delivery is so poor and frustrating. Just doesn't do enough for me. Sell him to Huddersfield.

Hoskins- we've not had him as a player for the past two and a half years so won't be missed

I think we would be foolish to not sign Stephen Ward. Big shoes to fill when he signed and he's been more than up to it.

I could go on to be honest but you get the point. The squad seems massively disjointed (ok not helped by injuries) and I definitely feel like we need a big over haul in the summer. If I'm honest,and perhaps I'm being harsh again, but I've just found this season a little bit boring if truth be told.

Agree with just about all of this, except perhaps Orlandi and you qualified your assessment of him quite heavily. As Kevo has pointed out, selling LuaLua to Huddersfield is not the smartest thing you've said, but let us not forget: how many goals has LuaLua scored this season?; beyond that one against Millwall, how many of his crosses have led to a goal? I do appreciate that he's been extremely unlucky with his efforts on or near goal this season: the amount of near misses, times he's hit the 'woodwork', and quite brilliant saves his induced is quite something. My key point is that we need goals to win games. LuaLua is yet to deliver on that front, and Buckley has contributed a grand total of one so far this season. Things need to change on that front if we're going to make it into the top six.

 

[Machiavelli]

We need 75 points for a sporting chance.

Leicester
QPR
--------------
Forest
Derby
Burnley


and one out of Ipswich, Brighton, Middlesbro, Reading, Wigan.

9/1 to go up.

Up until now, I've thought QPR are a nails on certainty for an automatic spot. Not so sure now, as they've struggled all season to score goals, and Austin is now out with an injury for a 'prolonged' period. This will no doubt prompt Flash 'Arry into overdrive, and no doubt he'll squeeze some more wonga out of his increasingly petrified owner, but really is he going to get anyone nearly as good as Austin in a hurry?

 

[glasfryn]

simple answer to the OP's question is



yes



but that will do as when we get to the play-offs it could be anyone going up ...........and that could well be the ALBION

 

[Rugrat]

I agree - I think the top five is going to be very difficult, particularly now a bit of a gap has opened up. Trouble is, there's going to be about eight teams competing for that one place.

Most recent effort ... I can see Burnley dropping away but I think the top 4 slots are pretty well booked. Then agree that there are 8 (these plus Boro and Blackburn) fighting for 2. This chart doesn't take in any upsets of which there will be a few but I think we'll need to be aiming for 75

 

[kevo]

how many goals has LuaLua scored this season?; beyond that one against Millwall, how many of his crosses have led to a goal? I do appreciate that he's been extremely unlucky with his efforts on or near goal this season: the amount of near misses, times he's hit the 'woodwork', and quite brilliant saves his induced is quite something.

As you point out, he has been extremely unlucky not to score - and what goals they would have been, too. Not sure how many times he's hit the post or bar, of how often the keeper's made a great save, but he is definitely 'due one'. Hopefully on Sunday...

 

[Machiavelli]

As you point out, he has been extremely unlucky not to score - and what goals they would have been, too. Not sure how many times he's hit the post or bar, of how often the keeper's made a great save, but he is definitely 'due one'. Hopefully on Sunday...

... Can't disagree with any of this and, especially, the last two -- and not the last three -- words.

 

[RowleyBirkinQ.C(deceased)]

A top 2 spot is out of reach but if we get a fit team and momentum behind us, there's no reason why we can't aim higher than sixth.
Go on a run like we did last season, keep that confidence high going into the play offs, and I feel it could be our year