[Albion] Article - Patience is Needed with Potter's work in Progress

[BensGrandad]

Given the number of times you've admitted on here that you were wrong, that's priceless.

On Amazon the pundits unanimously said we were the better side in the first half. These pundits were Glenn "Spurs" Hoddle, Jermain "Spurs" Jenas and "Dancing" Alan "Palace" Pardew.

We'll see anyway when I bounce this after we've stayed up.

Did I not say that we were Ok first half but when they upped their game in the 2nd we didnt compete so at half time would have agreed with the pundits.

 

[Guinness Boy]

Did I not say that we were Ok first half but when they upped their game in the 2nd we didnt compete so at half time would have agreed with the pundits.

I've highlighted the pertinant bits for you.....

It is not the fact we lost away to Tottenham but the manner in which we did it. I do not believe, unlike many on here, that we played well perhaps the first half we were ok but in the 2nd they upped their game and we didn't compete to the same extent. We didn't bring on any game changers to help this. Coupled with the dismal performance against Sheff Utd and the manner that we let Palace back into the game the signs are from good. It will take something special to get another 20 points in the 2nd half of the season.

 

[Icy Gull]

Good analysis by the OP.

Sad that so many are already worrying, but each to their own. As long as I am enjoying and looking forward to going I am not that worried about which division we are in. However I think we have enough about us to stay up, but quite possibly uncomfortably. Just like the last two seasons in fact but I hope without the despair of the last few home games of last season.

 

[tronnogull]

It may well be an uncomfortable battle to stay out of the bottom three this season but it will be much more enjoyable than the same thing last season. Arguably our performances have warranted a few more points than we have achieved and we haven't quite had the rub of the green. However, we have to make our own luck by avoiding the sometimes sloppy mistakes or loss of concentration and by creating and taking more clear cut chances. We could have been out of sight in a few games where a bit of bad luck eventually cost us points.

It may be hard to grow this way this season if we are so dragged in to the relegation fight that we are unable to play with confidence.

But.....if Potter can keep us up this season ( and I think he will ) then next season might well become a lot more comfortable. We'll play great football, pick up the points we almost deserved so far this season and a few more beside. Comfortable mid table security which will allow us to play with increasing freedom and confidence....a virtuous circle.

 

[BensGrandad]

Guinness Boy I sincerely hope that you can repost that at the end of the season, when we have stayed up.

 

[Couldn't Be Hyypia]

I’m all for Potter and his far better brand of football. I just wish that defensively we were able to shut out opponents.

Not picking on you because I know you have a balanced POV, but using your comment to illustrate something some fans seem to be missing. Our new approach involves our backs contributing in attack. This will inevitably mean that we are sometimes caught at the back. It's a consequence of the ore attacking approach. I thought this was obvious, but seemingly not. We're not a worse defence, we don't need new defenders (any position could of course be improved), we need to be more precise when transitioning - and that will come when we've played this system for more than 20 games.

The other thing people grumble about is the passing at the back. I thought it was clear to most that this is designed to draw the opposition forward, creating gaps that we then exploit. And yet we get NSC posters saying "why all this tippy tappy at the back, it just leads to mistakes and we give goals away". Of course there can be mistakes and goals conceded - but it's also the primary reason we're so much more successful going forward. You can't have one without the other in this approach.

That felt like mansplaining, but many on NSC still don;t seem to have grasped this.

 

[banjo]

I’m happy to stay patient watching this style of football.

 

[Harry Wilson's tackle]

I'm really not sure what you're getting at here. We've got 20 points from the first half of the season and 40 should be enough to keep us up. The whole point of the article is that I expect things to pick up from here as Potter gets more time and his kind of players. So 40 is the minimum I expect us to pick up - with patience.

Frankly it's embarassing how many people on here lose their shit when we lose away at a big six club. Spurs were in the Champions League final in May.

I think he means that until we get more than 20 points we have only 20 points.

And in other news, a bear was spotted earlier, shitting in a wood.

 

[dazzer6666]

Not picking on you because I know you have a balanced POV, but using your comment to illustrate something some fans seem to be missing. Our new approach involves our backs contributing in attack. This will inevitably mean that we are sometimes caught at the back. It's a consequence of the ore attacking approach. I thought this was obvious, but seemingly not. We're not a worse defence, we don't need new defenders (any position could of course be improved), we need to be more precise when transitioning - and that will come when we've played this system for more than 20 games.

The other thing people grumble about is the passing at the back. I thought it was clear to most that this is designed to draw the opposition forward, creating gaps that we then exploit. And yet we get NSC posters saying "why all this tippy tappy at the back, it just leads to mistakes and we give goals away". Of course there can be mistakes and goals conceded - but it's also the primary reason we're so much more successful going forward. You can't have one without the other in this approach.

That felt like mansplaining, but many on NSC still don;t seem to have grasped this.

Half of the WSL don’t seem to have grasped it either.

‘FFS stop fannying about with it at the back’
‘Lump it forward’
‘Nooooooo Dunk, don’t pass it sideways’
‘WTF is Ryan doing’
‘hit it long FFS’

Etc. Think they’d have seen enough games to realise we’re okaying differently now, but seemingly not.......

 

[Weststander]

Not picking on you because I know you have a balanced POV, but using your comment to illustrate something some fans seem to be missing. Our new approach involves our backs contributing in attack. This will inevitably mean that we are sometimes caught at the back. It's a consequence of the ore attacking approach. I thought this was obvious, but seemingly not. We're not a worse defence, we don't need new defenders (any position could of course be improved), we need to be more precise when transitioning - and that will come when we've played this system for more than 20 games.

The other thing people grumble about is the passing at the back. I thought it was clear to most that this is designed to draw the opposition forward, creating gaps that we then exploit. And yet we get NSC posters saying "why all this tippy tappy at the back, it just leads to mistakes and we give goals away". Of course there can be mistakes and goals conceded - but it's also the primary reason we're so much more successful going forward. You can't have one without the other in this approach.

That felt like mansplaining, but many on NSC still don;t seem to have grasped this.

I do grasp the two new concepts. Being more offensive means we aren’t as tight defensively but the gains allegedly exceed the downsides, and possession at the back draws teams on to us giving us space for the counter attack or attack. Plus passing well tires opponents, Zaha admitted they were knackered throughout at Smellhurst after we’d run them ragged.

I don’t hanker for the CH ten man Alamo performances.

Just a happy medium with an insurance blanket at the back. It was painful to watch the two Mc’s for the Blades outpace and outpower our wide apart CB’s, with acres of space for them to run into. From the very beginning it was so obvious, we never adapted, it was madness.

Potter is a pro, I’m just a punter. But in 45 years of watching football, even in the modern era, imho all successful teams always have cover of a mobile DM, and pacey defenders to cover all eventualities. That still leaves up to 7 players attacking in Potterball.

I have a hunch, I hope I’m right, that GP will adapt the defence-attack balance over a short time span.

 

[Seasidesage]

We did 5 years playing a rigid defensive based system relying on set pieces and crosses for goals and defensive rigidity for points. We have changed all of that to a possession based attacking team playing fast interpassing in tight areas and trying to play though the middle and people are complaining we only have the same points as last season? I think it shows how well we have started that we are in such a decent position so soon! This will get better as the players get more used to it and Potter identifies and replaces those who cannot play in the way he wants to.

 

[big nuts]

Good write up, hard to argue with that. 20 points at halfway seems a little harsh based on our play but to an extent a combination of naivety, poor discipline and lack of killer instinct have all contributed to this.

If we continue to play in the same manner I'd say we are extremely likely to exceed 20 points in the second half of the season, meaning we stay up reasonably comfortably.

My only slight worry is that if we get dragged into a relegation battle in the final half dozen games our style probably isn't conducive to picking up points. Fear really won't be helpful to us and the way we play. Let's hope we've pretty much secured our status by April.

Longer term if we can keep hold of Potter and improve the squad we really are on the cusp of something great.

 

[DavePage]

What are you on about, the "article" wasn't negative, unlike your comment... Did you even bother to read it?

Didn’t say I was referring to the article, I was posting in agreement to the original posters comments
and his need to start the thread because of the negativity elsewhere.If you had hovered over the thumbs up you would have seen that I had liked his comment and post.
Sadly you had to come and attack with an angry response.

 

[darkwolf666]

Didn’t say I was referring to the article, I was posting in agreement to the original posters comments
and his need to start the thread because of the negativity elsewhere.If you had hovered over the thumbs up you would have seen that I had liked his comment and post.
Sadly you had to come and attack with an angry response.

Fantastic bit of back peddling... you gave it a thumbs up, good for you, you obviously realised your mistake and left it too late to edit your original facile comment!

 

[DavePage]

Fantastic bit of back peddling... you gave it a thumbs up, good for you, you obviously realised your mistake and left it too late to edit your original facile comment!

Saddens me to see the lowlife that follows the boys nowadays, at least I don’t hide behind a Dark Wolf scary name
Howls with laughter

btw I don’t make mistakes on here, I stand by what I say (when sober) sometimes people just don’t get it (which is fine), I just truly hate anything negative about the club. It’s really not necessary, cleaver or needed.
Funny to the masked boys up the road, maybe but they are not worth my thought. (apologies to the long standing decent fans up there).

You are, assuming that you are a Brighton fan, in a privileged position of being relatively able to go to the Amex or Selhurts for that matter, so be grateful for what you have and give you matching thick little fingers a rest.

Happy New Year to you whoever you follow

 

[darkwolf666]

Saddens me to see the lowlife that follows the boys nowadays, at least I don’t hide behind a Dark Wolf scary name
Howls with laughter

It’s an HWT for you then...

 

[DavePage]

It’s an HWT for you then...

Thank you anyway, but I don’t need a Hotel with a toilet

 

[oldboyroy]

I remember Tony Bloom was ready to sack Chris Hughton after losing to Cardiff as he said in his own words he was expecting a reaction after the Bournemouth drubbing and there was none. People who say that potter's job is under threat couldn't be further from reality.

 

[Weststander]

Boils down to results at the end of the day.

Win against Bmuff, we’re sitting pretty, with a huge confidence boost.

Lose one of our last home 6 pointers, and we’re in a mess.

 

[Dolph Ins]

We are 5 points from mid table which I think everyone on here agrees we deserve after the matches we have played and how we have played them. As others have pointed out Potter and this squad have only played 19 times together. I'm always a glass half full type but at the moment my glass is brimming over.