[Albion] "Brighton are not doing as well under Potter as they were under Hughton" - oh yes we are!

[Stumpy Tim]

Only one of them didn't tip us for relegation! Sensational comments too.

It's amazing how so many of them thought Spurs squad was settled, rather than stale.

Brighton and Sheffield United picked by all pundits bar one each.

 

[*Gullsworth*]

Four games unbeaten in the Premier League takes some doing.

We've only managed it twice, both in 2017/18 and with a similar series of fixtures to the one we are facing now, ie against sides we are scrapping it out against:

15/10/17 Albion 1 - 1 Everton
20/10/17 West Ham 0 - 3 Albion
29/10/17 Albion 1 - 1 Southampton
4/11/17 Swansea 0 - 1 Albion
20/11/17 Albion 2 - 2 Stoke

31/1/18 Southampton 1 - 1 Albion
3/2/18 Albion 3 - 1 West Ham
10/2/18 Stoke 1 - 1 Albion
24/2/18 Albion 4 - 1 Swansea
4/3/18 Albion 2 - 1 Arsenal

All under the much maligned, by some, Chris Hughton. I think we can only judge Potter when he has completed his first season in this division. He is doing reasonably well with results playing attractive football. For me though it is work in progress and apart from Hughtons last six month's hasn't really achieved any more than Hughton. The promise of better times is evident but he will be a superb manager if he eliminates the overriding relegation fear.

 

[Thimble Keegan]

Some members of the media took the opportunity of the sacking of Chris Hughton to parade their liberal credentials and claim that it was a step back for black managers. And their infatuation with him is part of the same thing. That is, of course, patronising in the extreme. If black managers and coaches are to have the same chances of getting jobs as white rivals, then they must also be as liable to the sack if they play boring or unsuccessful football.

As a [black] Albion fan wisely said at the time, all the crap thrown in Albion's direction over CH's sacking will only make it harder for black coaches to get jobs, because owners will wonder if they really want all the extra aggravation they can expect if/when they have to sack a black manager.

These are also the sort of people who moan that there are not enough English managers/coaches in the Premier League...And we then replace Hughton with a young up-and-coming English manager.

Going back to the original point though, we have had Hughton with his (Premier League tenure) cautious approach and now Potter with his more progressive style and we are still in relatively the same league positions...So maybe it is not the managers that we should be discussing but instead pointing the finger at the players. Are they good enough to push us further up the table.

Oh and before everyone steams in, I know Potter has only been here a few months and changed our playing style dramatically and has done bloody well so far and hope he can move us forward in the Premier League.

Albion & England forever.

Thimble Keegan
Croydon BHA

 

[Not Andy Naylor]

These are also the sort of people who moan that there are not enough English managers/coaches in the Premier League...And we then replace Hughton with a young up-and-coming English manager.

Going back to the original point though, we have had Hughton with his (Premier League tenure) cautious approach and now Potter with his more progressive style and we are still in relatively the same league positions...So maybe it is not the managers that we should be discussing but instead pointing the finger at the players. Are they good enough to push us further up the table.

Oh and before everyone steams in, I know Potter has only been here a few months and changed our playing style dramatically and has done bloody well so far and hope he can move us forward in the Premier League.

Albion & England forever.

Thimble Keegan
Croydon BHA

Which comes down to recruitment, of course. While I doubt if TB is going to splash out much over £20m for a player, he has invested serious money for a club outside the top six and, I think, is entitled to a better return than he is getting from some players.

 

[Ernest]

Which comes down to recruitment, of course. While I doubt if TB is going to splash out much over £20m for a player, he has invested serious money for a club outside the top six and, I think, is entitled to a better return than he is getting from some players.

People talk about Bournemouth wasting money on players such as Solanke and Ibe, what about Locadia, Jahanbaksh and the likes of Andone ? We've spent a fortune on duds since we got to the PL

 

[WilburySeagull]

People talk about Bournemouth wasting money on players such as Solanke and Ibe, what about Locadia, Jahanbaksh and the likes of Andone ? We've spent a fortune on duds since we got to the PL

You need to delete AJ from duds list at least for now. I think most agree he has earned a place in the squad to prove his worth.

 

[Gritt23]

It's infinitely better football to watch under Potter than under CH. That'll do for me

Did you go to Everton on Saturday?

Overall, it's better football, yes, but let's keep a perspective. It's not infinitely better, as there are still performances in there that look exactly the same.

 

[Not Andy Naylor]

People talk about Bournemouth wasting money on players such as Solanke and Ibe, what about Locadia, Jahanbaksh and the likes of Andone ? We've spent a fortune on duds since we got to the PL

Andone was a slightly different case because of the relegation clause, but I think that even players who have been reasonably successful could give more. Trossard, for example. Don't get me wrong, he has contributed some great assists and goals, but am I wrong to think that two or three moments of magic per match is not necessarily all we should expect? He should be looking at Mooy's 90-minute commitment and be wondering whether he ought to be closer to matching it.

 

[Stat Brother]

Thanks for reminding me about the amazing 'insight' in this article: https://news.footballindex.co.uk/pr...etting-relegated-their-one-to-watch-and-more/

I'm looking forward to comparing predictions with reality at the end of the season...

Great read I'm looking forward to you looking forward to the end of the season.

 

[Ninja Elephant]

Andone was a slightly different case because of the relegation clause, but I think that even players who have been reasonably successful could give more. Trossard, for example. Don't get me wrong, he has contributed some great assists and goals, but am I wrong to think that two or three moments of magic per match is not necessarily all we should expect? He should be looking at Mooy's 90-minute commitment and be wondering whether he ought to be closer to matching it.

For all the love being shown to Aaron Mooy, he hasn't really done all that much to justify it. Surely everyone agrees that we're not good enough in the final third, and Mooy has to cop some flack for that along with the other regulars like Stephens and Pröpper who aren't contributing enough. We're very close to being a very good team, but we're short of a real threat. We should have beaten Burnley, but couldn't find a second goal. We should have beaten Palace but had the same problem and the most obvious example is Newcastle, they were there to be comfortably beaten but we really struggled to test Dubravka (with the exception of the Connolly lob which was brilliant cleared off the line).

 

[Tom Hark Preston Park]

Overall, it's better football, yes, but let's keep a perspective. It's not infinitely better, as there are still performances in there that look exactly the same.

Well I guess we all see different things. For sure, Stephens still always prefers to play the ball sideways or backwards. That's a given. But Mooy has largely counteracted that negativity. Dan Burn gallops forward in ways Shane Duffy never could. To name but two. And Ali J, despite two miracle goals in as many matches, still looks slightly frustrating. But there's no more Connolly eternally warming the bench when he was patently capable of making a much larger contribution. And GP has thrown in Alzate to boot, patently feels that the player has the wherewithall to progress his trade by plying it at at the highest level. Overall, keeping things in perspective, it's a stunning transformation. IMHO, like.

 

[Jolly Red Giant]

Seriously - is it really necessary to have ANOTHER thread with the same sh*te?

 

[schmunk]

People talk about Bournemouth wasting money on players such as Solanke and Ibe, what about Locadia, Jahanbaksh and the likes of Andone ? We've spent a fortune on duds since we got to the PL

Locadia scored 4 goals and 1 assist in 1,730 minutes played last season, and 4 goals and 1 assist in 666 minutes played so far this season (admittedly all in the Bundesliga) - he cost about £14M.

Andone scored 5 goals in 1,234 minutes played last season, and 1 PL goal in 72 minutes this season (plus some in the Super Lig) - he only cost about £5M, due to the contact buy-out.

Jahanbakhsh scored THAT GOAL only a couple of matches ago. He's exempt from criticism for now.



Solanke has scored 1 goal and 1 assist in 1,624 minutes played for Bournemouth so far (I'm not including his two PL2 goals last season!) - he cost about £19M, i.e. as much as Locadia and Andone together.

Jordon Ibe has scored 5 goals and 9 assists in 4,844 minutes for Bournemouth since joining - he cost about £15M

 

[father_and_son]

Did you go to Everton on Saturday?

Overall, it's better football, yes, but let's keep a perspective. It's not infinitely better, as there are still performances in there that look exactly the same.

For me this entire debate can be crystallised to the following...

"Are we still sh1t*? Yes. But at least it's better to watch."

(*. By Premier League standards we are still relegation fodder, even with all the improvements - just because no one is standing still)

 

[Seasider78]

For all the love being shown to Aaron Mooy, he hasn't really done all that much to justify it. Surely everyone agrees that we're not good enough in the final third, and Mooy has to cop some flack for that along with the other regulars like Stephens and Pröpper who aren't contributing enough.

Really what games have you been watching??!!

 

[Mackenzie]

For me this entire debate can be crystallised to the following...

"Are we still sh1t*? Yes. But at least it's better to watch."

(*. By Premier League standards we are still relegation fodder, even with all the improvements - just because no one is standing still)

All correct but I’d add that I’m more optimistic about future seasons under GP than I was, in the end, with Hughton.

 

[Ernest]

Great read I'm looking forward to you looking forward to the end of the season.

I’m looking forward to you looking forward

 

[Thunder Bolt]

Seriously - is it really necessary to have ANOTHER thread with the same sh*te?

The thread was started by the owner of the board. He is entitled to post what he likes here, seeing as he runs it.

 

[Bladders]

Did you go to Everton on Saturday?

Overall, it's better football, yes, but let's keep a perspective. It's not infinitely better, as there are still performances in there that look exactly the same.

There's been a few disappointing performances, that's to be expected, but look exactly the same?

No chance. I've not seen us set up any where near as negatively as last season.

 

[Gritt23]

For me this entire debate can be crystallised to the following...

"Are we still sh1t*? Yes. But at least it's better to watch."

(*. By Premier League standards we are still relegation fodder, even with all the improvements - just because no one is standing still)

But not always. Saturday was absolutely no better to watch whatsoever! We stank, but hung in there, hoping to only stay a goal down. Miraculously we did stay just 1 goal down, and hoped to nick a point in teh last 15 mins, which we failed to do. We can pretend it was better to watch, but we would be kidding ourselves.

Overall, yes it's better, but let's not kid ourselves that it's "infinitely better". How about Chelsea away, anyone leave there thinking anything other than "ooh, that was all a bit familiar.