[Albion] Excited but a bloody nervous..........

[Gazwag]

Its the next two games for me, I want to treat tomorrow as the usual free hit game, if we end up losing I want it to be because City were good not we played badly, but I just can't lose the feeling that its us playing a team that we can beat, so very unlike any other trip up there. I want Pep to be angry at 5pm, I want him to say Teams like Brighton, I want him to say City were crap, knowing it was down to us being good, I don't want his smug "best team we have played and we were lucky to get the win" bullshit.

Its the cup game though that I want us to win more than ever and if the players who stood on that pitch at Forest staring at us in the stand not knowing what to do cannot be fired up for that game then they have no right putting on the shirt. Same with us fans, we need to get that Sheff Wed feeling from the first minute.

 

[zeemeeuw]

I'm still pinching myself that this fixture is no longer a "free hit".

 

[SeagullsoverLondon]

As a matter of interest, and not trying to tempt fate, but I was wondering who was the last team to do the Double over both Manchester sides?

 

[Harry Wilson's tackle]

It's that time of year now where the run in for our beloved Brighton (and the potential for glory) is making me nervy but excited in equal measure. I'm 58 and football and our club is still always on my mind. City tomorrow and although I normally expect us to get beat I'm so hoping for a glorious win to keep momentum going. Is it just me or anyone else my age group getting nervy but hopeful in equal measure?
It's not even that it's last game and Europe depends on it, we've still got plenty of games after! We've had massive wins against Chelsea Bournemouth Newcastle Saints and Fulham yet this City game seems another level. 1 game at a time still with Villa Forest Palace to come after the break but getting something at City(even a point) will be huge for me

I'm 66 and entirely serene.

 

[Auckland seagull]

I'm 67, I now live 13,000 miles away, but I still live and breathe every minute of every game. I return to Sussex for the first time in 10 years next month and can't believe how much things have changed since I last saw the Albion.

 

[Brian Munich]

Same as...

It is twitchy bum time for sure, it could all go so right or so wrong....
For as long as I recall we have never done things the simple way, I could see us lose the next three games in a row, this place go into melt down and then go unbeaten and grab a last minute European place, that is the Albion way.

I am not going tomorrow and look at it as a free hit, so nervous I do not want to listen on the radio so me and the daughter I going to see Worthing for the first time for me since 1977, hopefully it will take my mind off things.....

UTA

This is a much-repeated myth that doesn't stand up to analysis. In most seasons when we acheive a season's goal - whether that is relegation avoidance, promotion or European qualification - we do it with games to spare. Recent examples:

Promotion in 2017: 3 games to spare
Safety in 2018 - 2021: at least 2 games to spare every season
Euro qualification in 2023: effectively 2 games to spare although mathematically 1 game to spare.

The last time I remember us acheiving something on the last day of the season was qualifying for the playoffs in 2014. I'm confident that we'll secure a European place before the last couple of fixtures. Could be an exciting last day to see who gets the Champions League positions though considering how close it is in the top 5.

 

[Hotchilidog]

Every game is a proverbial cup final now and it is very exciting. I think we have acquitted ourselves well on our previous visits to the Etihad, last season in particular. I am heading to this game entertaining the notion that we can get something from this game. We are playing well and Man City whilst still a very good side are no longer the all conquering behemoth they once were.

Also we have been fun to watch for a while now and I look forward to seeing us play regardless of the opponent. No easy games left this season, but all are very exciting prospects. It's all out there in front of us and our fate is in our own hands which is all we can ask for. Come on Albion!

 

[Napper]

The year we got to the semis and clinched 6th we had an amazing team. Every where we went you sort of fancied it.

This season , Our results against the better sides and the current momentum - that feeling has returned at the business end.

It's marvelous. Bring it on tomorrow

 

[Nobby Cybergoat]

It's that time of year now where the run in for our beloved Brighton (and the potential for glory) is making me nervy but excited in equal measure. I'm 58 and football and our club is still always on my mind. City tomorrow and although I normally expect us to get beat I'm so hoping for a glorious win to keep momentum going. Is it just me or anyone else my age group getting nervy but hopeful in equal measure?
It's not even that it's last game and Europe depends on it, we've still got plenty of games after! We've had massive wins against Chelsea Bournemouth Newcastle Saints and Fulham yet this City game seems another level. 1 game at a time still with Villa Forest Palace to come after the break but getting something at City(even a point) will be huge for me

Mate, I feel just like you feel.

I'm never quite sure what it is that makes me spend so much of my thought time and emotional energy on watching eleven blokes who i've never met kicking a ball around.

But like you, it's too late to stop now eh?

 

[Brian Munich]

Every game is a proverbial cup final now and it is very exciting. I think we have acquitted ourselves well on our previous visits to the Etihad, last season in particular. I am heading to this game entertaining the notion that we can get something from this game. We are playing well and Man City whilst still a very good side are no longer the all conquering behemoth they once were.

Also we have been fun to watch for a while now and I look forward to seeing us play regardless of the opponent. No easy games left this season, but all are very exciting prospects. It's all out there in front of us and our fate is in our own hands which is all we can ask for. Come on Albion!

I hope we do better than last year at the Etihad. We made the last 20 mins interesting and a bit nervy for them with Fati pulling one back, but really they should've been out of sight by then. We were particularly awful in the first half and lucky to only be 2-0 down.

 

[Was not Was]

I'm the same age as the OP, so this got me wondering how much age has to do with how I feel about the Albion's situation. I reckon that, as I've got older, it's easier to get football in perspective ... but, on the other hand, this team is obvs the best I've seen in 45 years of following the club. I think these two things cancel each other out. So yes I'll feel like a kid if Mitoma scores with a bit of magic on Saturday, but deep down I know that way fewer games are 'must win' or 'season defining' than most fans will tell you.

 

[Hotchilidog]

I hope we do better than last year at the Etihad. We made the last 20 mins interesting and a bit nervy for them with Fati pulling one back, but really they should've been out of sight by then. We were particularly awful in the first half and lucky to only be 2-0 down.

I agree the first half was bad, but that was really the Milner/Doku match up. Once we sorted that out in the second half we had them on the rack. I really enjoyed that game, and even though we lost I left the game feeling surprisingly upbeat.

 

[Hudson Hawk]

It’s the hope that kills you

But sometimes, just sometimes hope can turn into unbridled joy and make every second of pain all but disappear.

 

[Thunder Bolt]

Every game is a proverbial cup final now and it is very exciting. I think we have acquitted ourselves well on our previous visits to the Etihad, last season in particular. I am heading to this game entertaining the notion that we can get something from this game. We are playing well and Man City whilst still a very good side are no longer the all conquering behemoth they once were.

Also we have been fun to watch for a while now and I look forward to seeing us play regardless of the opponent. No easy games left this season, but all are very exciting prospects. It's all out there in front of us and our fate is in our own hands which is all we can ask for. Come on Albion!

I really hope it is, and not in the hands of a controversial official whether on the field or in Stockley.

 

[pasty]

As a matter of interest, and not trying to tempt fate, but I was wondering who was the last team to do the Double over both Manchester sides?

Done a bit of digging and all I can come up with is that since Pep took over at City, doing the double over both has not been achieved by any side.

Only 5 have done the double over a Pep City side, Chelsea, Wolves, Utd, Spuds & Brentford

I checked their results for the season they did double over City and none of them did the double over Utd that same season.

 

[oldboyroy]

Mate, I feel just like you feel.

I'm never quite sure what it is that makes me spend so much of my thought time and emotional energy on watching eleven blokes who i've never met kicking a ball around.

But like you, it's too late to stop now eh?

Far to late mate! I didn't agree with Cundy and O'hara on TS the other night going on about the Premier league is a bit meh/boring this season. The title and relegation is over maybe, and I think they don't like it as much because a. Chelsea ain't in title race and b. Spurs have been shite! Nothing about teams like Forest Bournemouth, Fulham and us improving making it harder for the big 6 to challenge as usual. That was my take on them pair saying the Premier league is worse now

 

[Mancgull]

I’m 59, been supporting the Albion for 50 years and still get excited at games.
At the Newcastle cup game I looked at my Fitbit with two mins to go and my heart rate was 130.
Not much gets my adrenaline going like that these days!

 

[lochlan]

On our day we can beat anyone in the premiere league. Likewise we can also lose to anyone. Go back a few years and no one would have predicted that we would be where we are. No matter what happens from now on we should be proud of our history and never forget where we came from. SEAGULLS.

 

[schmunk]

Two Semi's in recent times

Exciting times indeed.