[Albion] Crunch time

[attila]

Moving this on, if the club was sold to an oil billionaire who was prepared to pay £50m+ per player would you stop supporting us ?

That is something I hope will never happen: I know I won't ever stop supporting the club, that's for sure, but exactly how I'd react I can't predict in advance

 

[portlock seagull]

You've decided to put a tone on text. Sorry chap, it's not working out for you.

Take two eggs, half a pint of milk...

 

[zefarelly]

Well said . . . I've managed to get a ticket for tonight and want to see and hear the kind of passion we used to have at the Goldstone Ground, even when we were utter shyte, we sang and got loud and angry when we were crap and egged the team on, just to survive . . . . we need that tonight, and you don't hear it at the Amex in the same way. ( although I've never sat in the same place twice!) but with 30 000 people in there you bloody well should do.

I think lots of fans voicing their discontent, are just expressing fairly well-worn criticisms of Hughton at this level. Not necessarily desire for him to fail. But questioning whether he's reached his ceiling. He has often given teams too much respect and is often too rigid to plan A and as a result sets up not to lose, rather than win. The big question for me is can he find a system that is both moderately successful and entertaining to some degree. Last year we often got a bit of both. I'd suggest this year much less so. I'd be really happy to see BHA kick on further under CH, but I don't think it's going to happen.

And why shouldn't fans expect more from a squad that isn't cheaply assembled, has many underperforming players right now coupled with questionable tactics/positioning? Harking back to Goldstone era simply isn't relevant in this context and I don't think it's got anything to do with greed. I think many fans simply expect to see more fight to win games.

10 shots on target in last 5 league games is symptom of the problem.
Let's get behind the team again tonight, but come season end, I think it's right the club assess what their ambitions are, and how we think it's best to achieve that.

 

[Rich Suvner]

100% need a big atmosphere tonight. Huge game.

 

[Birdie Boy]

Let me start by saying that I do not think he will be sacked and nor do I want him to be.
IF we lose tonight and the board have decided to sack CH at the end of the season, would it not be wise to get rid now and hope for the bounce-ability of club's that sack their manager and then win their next two or three games? I doubt they would have decided to get rid at the end of the season but you never know...

 

[aolstudios]

If we lose, and the greatest ever manager in our history is sacked as so many seem to want, the ghastly fickledom of modern football will have done what Archer and Co never even began to do. Broken my Albion heart.

Greed and money are wrecking the game. As an Albion fan these days I feel like a goldfish owner absolutely devoted to his pet but loathing the water it is swimming about in.

Come on Chris, come on team. Show the doubters.

Spot on, John.
Let's all do our bit tonight too

 

[Cowfold Seagull]

Let me start by saying that I do not think he will be sacked and nor do I want him to be.
IF we lose tonight and the board have decided to sack CH at the end of the season, would it not be wise to get rid now and hope for the bounce-ability of club's that sack their manager and then win their next two or three games? I doubt they would have decided to get rid at the end of the season but you never know...

Tony Bloom will not sack Chris Hughton at the end of this season,or probably any other. Even if things get really bad there is more chance of him walking of his own violition, rather than being forced out by the board.

 

[Milano]

This whole rollercoaster is part of Barber’s commercial master plan, there is no way the Amex would have sold out tonight if we were already safe.....
He’ll be looking for a point tonight, nothing Saturday, then another sell out for a crappy 5.30pm live on TV the following weekend where we will beat Newcastle and stay up. Cer Ching.

 

[Birdie Boy]

Tony Bloom will not sack Chris Hughton at the end of this season,or probably any other. Even if things get really bad there is more chance of him walking of his own violition, rather than being forced out by the board.

I know but what IF?

 

[Nobby]

If we lose, and the greatest ever manager in our history is sacked as so many seem to want, the ghastly fickledom of modern football will have done what Archer and Co never even began to do. Broken my Albion heart.

Greed and money are wrecking the game. As an Albion fan these days I feel like a goldfish owner absolutely devoted to his pet but loathing the water it is swimming about in.

Come on Chris, come on team. Show the doubters.

Scared bloody stiff already. Still 8 hours to go
But my feelings too JB

 

[SollysLeftFoot]

Take two eggs, half a pint of milk...

You are literally the only person whose taken issue with it. So it hasn't worked for you at all.

 

[colonies man]

I hope and believe we will win tonight,and CH will retain his job.However if the unthinkable happens and we are relegated then CH will be gone and rightly so.

 

[portlock seagull]

You are literally the only person whose taken issue with it. So it hasn't worked for you at all.

Child.

 

[Dawn Korus]

I think lots of fans voicing their discontent, are just expressing fairly well-worn criticisms of Hughton at this level. Not necessarily desire for him to fail. But questioning whether he's reached his ceiling. He has often given teams too much respect and is often too rigid to plan A and as a result sets up not to lose, rather than win. The big question for me is can he find a system that is both moderately successful and entertaining to some degree. Last year we often got a bit of both. I'd suggest this year much less so. I'd be really happy to see BHA kick on further under CH, but I don't think it's going to happen.

And why shouldn't fans expect more from a squad that isn't cheaply assembled, has many underperforming players right now coupled with questionable tactics/positioning? Harking back to Goldstone era simply isn't relevant in this context and I don't think it's got anything to do with greed. I think many fans simply expect to see more fight to win games.

10 shots on target in last 5 league games is symptom of the problem.
Let's get behind the team again tonight, but come season end, I think it's right the club assess what their ambitions are, and how we think it's best to achieve that.

This perfectly sums up my feelings

 

[CHAPPERS]

And why shouldn't fans expect more from a squad that isn't cheaply assembled, has many underperforming players right now coupled with questionable tactics/positioning?

.

I think El Presidente might be able to explain that our squad and playing budget is not exactly up there with the biggest spenders. How much did Fulham spend last year to get relegated?

 

[SollysLeftFoot]

Child.

"Shut up"

 

[portlock seagull]

"Shut up"

As I said...Child. Point proven, thanks for that!

 

[SollysLeftFoot]

As I said...Child. Point proven, thanks for that!

Point proven? You're not good at this at all - I was quoting you. You've not proven anything, chap.

 

[NooBHA]

This is our second season in the Prem. It really IMO needs to be regarded as a season of consolidation. We have to work for what we get in this division, against teams with heavy investments and a lot more experience at this level than us.

CH and TB are doing an amazing job with the club I love. A bad run isn't going to change my view. Yes, we didn't want things to get this hair raising with the potential that tonight's game could bring. But this season, like last, is all about finishing in the top 17.

If we do so, and with steady investment and steady strengthening, I'm sure we can attain the stability and move upwards.

This is the most balanced thread on the '' In v Out '' discussions and this is a very interesting post. One you wouldn't expect me to disagree ever so slightly on the point un bold above


You would all expect me to say this anyhow but the Managerial Position shouldn't even be in question. Brighton will not go down under CH - I have said it before and I stick to that claim. Not through blind loyalty but because I know his capabilities better than most.


The chairman dreamed of taking Brighton into the PL and he put in his own Millions to get them there. The Managers before CH, gave him no Return on his Financial Stake. CH has started to show him a financial return on his investment. Why would he put that at risk ?

The PL isn't easy and I shall now address the point in bold above



Look at the last January Transfer window. There was no further investment in player recruitment. If the Club had been in Relegation Trouble in December then I guarantee there would have been further investments. I don't know that with any certainty but one would guess that this was the case. The latest slumb in form has shown that to move on, then maybe the squad does need to be upgraded and the lack of goals scored and conceded must have highlighted this.

So as much as no one wanted it to be so ''hair raising'' as you mention. It must for sure show that to keep pace with teams around you then constant investment is necessary. What wasn't spent in January can now be spent in the summer.


You only have to read all the Rumours and Gossip on the BBC and Transfer websites. Just look at the transfer fees being quoted. You need to be spending Multi Millions just to ''tread water'' in the PL - Tony Bloom and Brighton can't do what other clubs can. The wealth of the bigger clubs simply isn't there yet. Once you are a Global Club and larger Marketing Investment arrives from overseas, then more finances come with that but it will only come by staying in the PL for more years. He deserves to get a Return on his vast investment over the last 10 years for all the Goodwill and Finance he has ploughed into the club.

The fans owe that to him to respect that. He continues to fund the Club to an enormous extent and to do that he has to continue to be in the PL - CH will keep Brighton there and he probably has faith in that. He is getting a Return on his investment now to a slight degree and his Club is playing in the best League in the world but ''Expectations'' need to stay in check because if you start to over-reach. As sure as ''eggs are eggs'', you can easily fall off the ladder, flat on your face.

 

[portlock seagull]

I think lots of fans voicing their discontent, are just expressing fairly well-worn criticisms of Hughton at this level. Not necessarily desire for him to fail. But questioning whether he's reached his ceiling. He has often given teams too much respect and is often too rigid to plan A and as a result sets up not to lose, rather than win. The big question for me is can he find a system that is both moderately successful and entertaining to some degree. Last year we often got a bit of both. I'd suggest this year much less so. I'd be really happy to see BHA kick on further under CH, but I don't think it's going to happen.

And why shouldn't fans expect more from a squad that isn't cheaply assembled, has many underperforming players right now coupled with questionable tactics/positioning? Harking back to Goldstone era simply isn't relevant in this context and I don't think it's got anything to do with greed. I think many fans simply expect to see more fight to win games.

10 shots on target in last 5 league games is symptom of the problem.
Let's get behind the team again tonight, but come season end, I think it's right the club assess what their ambitions are, and how we think it's best to achieve that.

Other barren spells have long haunted the Albion even when doing well. I’d love to see us introduce some sort of assessment that includes shooting say 100 times at goal from different initiatives. Anything less than 80% or whatever stat and we don’t sign em! I remember watching a warm up in the Championshop when we had CMS, Barnes etc and it was awful. I counted 13 attempts by various players in rotation with Casper in goal and it was astonishing how many shot wide, over or straight at. Professional footballers should be able to kick a ball under pressure that at least tests a keeper IMO