[Albion] Are We The Baddies?

[Thunder Bolt]

With a pretty solid group of defenders here, I wonder if Mr Jokanovic would get more out of this squad ? Wouldnt mind finding out + mitrovich may then become more likely!

We've no chance of Mitrovic, when Everton want him.

 

[GJN1]

don't even THINK about trotting out the customary BS about bouncing right back up again. Never going to happen. Other clubs want it far more, and are far better equipped to do so.

It's a valid point. People say CH is the ideal man to bring us up back up again but, if it does happen, then there's not a snowman's chance in hell that we're coming straight back up.

Does anybody really think we're better equipped to make an immediate return, given what we've got at our disposal?

Can't see it myself...

 

[el punal]

I really don’t care what other fans, pundits, armchair viewers think about us. It us our club, we know we have performed poorly throughout the second half of this season. We knew we had to put in a backs-to-wall performance last night, we have to to survive. Of course the mess is of our own making and therefore we have to get out of it or accept relegation. It’s not pretty trying to eke out any point that’s up for grabs and hope for salvation.

The thing that gets me is the sheer arrogance of those other fans, pundits and armchair viewers, who, if it was their club in a similar position would expect the same response from their team as us last night.

The time for recriminations, navel gazing, finger pointing, putting things right for the future, making plans for Nigel and so on is after 12th May. In the meantime we have to keep scrapping, and hoping, for every point. And those that criticise our resolve to remain a Premier League club can get stuffed.

 

[Meade's Ball]

Think we're in serious danger of becoming the new Stoke ie the club whose style of play epitomises the very worst of the PL

Mark Hughes ending up as our just desserts?

 

[Ernest]

Such a crying shame that our style and execution of play is so at odds with TB's stated aim of incremental improvement. He deserves far better. Expect some fairly brutal upheavals, carried out in a gentlemanly fashion, over the Summer.

Looking at the pictures on SS last night of Tony Bloom in the directors box I'd say he isn't a happy clapper right now, if he doesn't make some drastic upheavals whether we stay up or not the only way is downwards and definitely not a instant bounce back from the Championship with that squad and those tactics

 

[London Irish]

If we bored the arse off of every fecker I wouldn't give a toss if we were safely midtable. It's because we are teaching our players not to do football is why our second half of the season has unravelled, they are scared to do anything except wait for the opposition to do us

 

[The_Viper]

Last night was nothing like the Burnley game the night before and yet the hatred for us was overwhelming. This wasn't shithousery or dishonorable, shameful football, it was ultra-defensive, ultra-practical football and were any fans of these other clubs running their mouths in Brighton's shoes they would want them to do the exact same thing.

I think fans of top 6 teams and those in no danger of the drop (bmuff, wolves) can be a little arrogant and callous when they criticize teams in relegation struggles for being smart and playing for a result. If we could afford to buy players of Son's and Eriksen's caliber I'm sure we'd have played this differently. Maybe. I wouldn't worry about it anyway, if we beat Newcastle on Saturday we're likely safe and they have another year to look forward to hating us, if we don't win and we go down they can look forward to another Championship team playing backs to the wall football for 38 games.

 

[Joey Jo Jo Jr. Shabadoo]

7 pages and not one reference to Peep Show, sometimes NSC can really let you down.

 

[Easy 10]

If we could afford to buy players of Son's and Eriksen's caliber I'm sure we'd have played this differently.

I fear that Son would be deployed as an auxiliary fullback, and Eriksen wouldn't be allowed past the halfway line.

 

[Guinness Boy]

I think only centre-halves actually enjoy watching the Albion play these days. It's not a big group of people.

I played centre half and I HATE watching us at the moment

 

[BLOCK F]

In no small part a by-product of our tens of millions worth of playing staff up against Tottenham's 100s of millions worth of playing staff. Let's give the top six a squad of our value, we'll have theirs and then we'll see who plays the best football when we play each of them.

Well, if Hughton was in charge of these 'wonder squads' he'd probably turn them into really fine defensive units, unable to score goals!

 

[Greg Bobkin]

I was sat in the home end last night and even though Ryan was getting absolute pelters from the 'Kop' stand and a few others where I was in the stand next to it, there was a general acceptance (admiration is probably the wrong word, but 'understanding', maybe?) of the Albion's approach to the game. I'm guessing that a few teams go to places like WHL and park the bus – the difference being maybe that they score the odd goal here and there and make it a BIT less obvious.

But desperate times call for desperate measures and it very nearly worked last night. Looking at the bigger picture, the team is obviously playing completely differently to the beginning of the season, but there is no reason why they wouldn't revert to that next season, if we survive.

 

[Barham's tash]

Such a crying shame that our style and execution of play is so at odds with TB's stated aim of incremental improvement. He deserves far better. Expect some fairly brutal upheavals, carried out in a gentlemanly fashion, over the Summer.

Very much this.

I’ve been interested in the language of CHs pre and post match pressers more of late.

Notwithstanding the awful tactics and results I think his use of ‘teams of our level’ isn’t a Poyet style spending barb but is a reminder to TB that he has us broadly where we should be based on our spending level. I expect it’s designed to deflect the deficiencies of the performances and act as a forerunner to his end of season appraisal.

TB will leave no stone unturned to determine why we are where we are and I expect if ‘type of performance’ was questioned as part of last season’s evaluation that it be much more forensically evaluated this time around following expenditure on players supposed to enhance or improve our style.

Perhaps this is where Ashworth comes in, reviewing player acquisitions v team deployment and whether the tactics have enhanced or negatively impacted the player abilities/potential.

I expect we all know where we sit with regards to that and for my money it will be shifted more towards a spotlight on the management but depends on how far as to whether TB decides to act.

For example the most likely outcome for me is that DA/TB decide tactical evolution was hindered by injuries to the point that CH was hamstrung in the evolution and ended up having square pegs for round holes and had to revert to type to often/frequently despite a desire to be more expansive.

Some fans who just want shot of CH won’t like it but I expect a stay of execution and more hard work collectively on recruitment.

 

[lost in london]

Any team that has set up to play boring, negative football, ie, us, is never going to be popular with other fans, heck it is not even popular with the majority of our fans. We have, sadly become a bit of a laughing stock across the country now. 7 games without a goal is a total embarrassment. 3 wins 4 draws 13 defeats from the last 20 league games and 13 points from 60. This is solely Hughton's baby.

Has this ever happened in the history of bhafc before ? Any team that sets out to stiffle the beautiful game will be derided, even in Italy they would have tired of us by now. I feel most sorry for Ryan, Dunk and Duffy, where the hell would we be without them ?

They have to do triple shifts each game as the pressure is NEVER taken off by the midfield and attack. Those 3 will be gone like a shot to another premier league side if we go down, probably the only 3 to be honest.

I really felt for Locadia and Ali J last night, signed as strikers, find themselves as auxillary left and right backs then get crucified on here when they don't seem to be able to get forwards and score. What on earth must they be thinking?

 

[blue-shifted]

My thoughts…..

Teams parking the bus flows naturally from having colossal financial disparities. If there premier league, or any other football body want to improve their brand by having matches where teams are going toe to toe, then a more sensible distribution of income would be the obvious place to start.

The media have clearly turned on us, because of how bad we’ve been. This can be a positive. A bit of us v them siege mentality is something I don’t remember ever happening to us. Hughton needs to get out there and call Keown a ****.

I understand why we set up defensively and play for a draw, I’m not crazy about it, but I’ll accept it. I can’t stand us timewasting and feigning injury though, Personally I’d rather we lost and went down than got involved in that. That to me, makes us the baddies.

I don’t accept that because Fulham went down there is an inevitability that anything other than constant park the bus defending will lead to relegation. Wolves, Bournemouth, and others have attacked successfully.

 

[LamieRobertson]

My thoughts…..

Teams parking the bus flows naturally from having colossal financial disparities. If there premier league, or any other football body want to improve their brand by having matches where teams are going toe to toe, then a more sensible distribution of income would be the obvious place to start.

The media have clearly turned on us, because of how bad we’ve been. This can be a positive. A bit of us v them siege mentality is something I don’t remember ever happening to us. Hughton needs to get out there and call Keown a ****.

I understand why we set up defensively and play for a draw, I’m not crazy about it, but I’ll accept it. I can’t stand us timewasting and feigning injury though, Personally I’d rather we lost and went down than got involved in that. That to me, makes us the baddies.

I don’t accept that because Fulham went down there is an inevitability that anything other than constant park the bus defending will lead to relegation. Wolves, Bournemouth, and others have attacked successfully.

Nicely put ....and re going down feigning injuries..time wasting ...that’s all what Burnley were doing Monday night ....indeed some gobshite Wolves supporter rang in to Talkshite after last nights game moaning about us .....he was referred to how they had played away at Chelsea ...’’oh but they are a big club’’ ..hmm remind me who is in the semi finals of the Champions League

 

[peterward]

Very much this.

I’ve been interested in the language of CHs pre and post match pressers more of late.

Notwithstanding the awful tactics and results I think his use of ‘teams of our level’ isn’t a Poyet style spending barb but is a reminder to TB that he has us broadly where we should be based on our spending level. I expect it’s designed to deflect the deficiencies of the performances and act as a forerunner to his end of season appraisal.

TB will leave no stone unturned to determine why we are where we are and I expect if ‘type of performance’ was questioned as part of last season’s evaluation that it be much more forensically evaluated this time around following expenditure on players supposed to enhance or improve our style.

Perhaps this is where Ashworth comes in, reviewing player acquisitions v team deployment and whether the tactics have enhanced or negatively impacted the player abilities/potential.

I expect we all know where we sit with regards to that and for my money it will be shifted more towards a spotlight on the management but depends on how far as to whether TB decides to act.

For example the most likely outcome for me is that DA/TB decide tactical evolution was hindered by injuries to the point that CH was hamstrung in the evolution and ended up having square pegs for round holes and had to revert to type to often/frequently despite a desire to be more expansive.

Some fans who just want shot of CH won’t like it but I expect a stay of execution and more hard work collectively on recruitment.

We all want what we think is best for the club, but TB's idea of what's best will prevail.

I accept there's a high chance you're exactly right, as much as I'd personally prefer an alternative.

So far since TB has been chairman, he's shown remarkable loyalty to Hyypia and Hughton where others would've binned them long since.

He did look genuinely concerned on sky last night. I trust that he will make the right calls.... He has millions resting on it.

 

[Cozzy]

I really dont know what people expect , we dont have the same level of backers as say Wolves & we certainly have not had their connections with a certain agent. We dont have endlessly deep pockets for TB to bring out a hundred million every season but everyone knows being in the prem is the dream ticket if you can stay there for a few seasons building up the finances & following trying to build a stronger squad season upon season.

There is what the pundits call 'second season syndrome' to contend with as well so the odds have always been stacked against any team coming up to the prem to survive with ease for one season let alone several. In the end its what as fans you prefer , defensive solidity & being hard to beat in the prem or the same in the championship but with more chances against lesser quality teams which is after all what we had just two seasons ago.

Do you want pragmatic displays against Liverpool , Man City , Arsenal & others in the prem or games against Leeds , Sheff Wed , Rotherham , Millwall , Birmingham & others.

Being solid at the back is the starting point for any good team , its the foundation onto which better things are built , it takes time but as always fans have expectations way beyond the capabilities of the club.

I am not defending CH , I am pointing out the realities of where the club is , so be careful what you wish for as I think Fulham fans might have preferred to be more pragmatic now than the naive gung ho approach & spending £100 million for the resulting relegation they have ended up with.

 

[fosters headband]

We have been. Loads of people on here were on the beach regarding relegation over the new year. They got far too cocky.

Can we include Barber as one of those, his comments on talksport about how we did not need to strengthen in the January window as we did all our great business in the summer. A real egg on face comment now if I have ever heard one.

 

[Se20]

Had some interesting chats with various club fans at work today, and the opinion of them all was how awful you are.
In your situation, it’s all about not losing, but when you have 11 men in your own half, the chances are that you will concede a goal at some point.
I still think you’ll stay up.