[Albion] Friendly at Birmingham tomorrow

[NooBHA]

So, just tell me which teams will have looked at that and not thought, not much to bother us there? No? Short list is it?

Yes, I do know it was a friendly - strange as it may seem to you, I do understand that. "Time to try things out, test things, tinker around a bit" is how you put it, and I agree; except we didn't, did we? We played last year's team (with one new fullback who looked OK, but not obviously any improvement on what we had last year) with last year's formation and tactics. Not very well today, IMHO, and we'll need to be much better at Watford and, and 37 more times after that too! So, whether you think I should be or not, I was disappointed.

I wasn't in the slightest. I want to see the negatives and the complacency come to the forefront. I want to see them ironed out before we start dropping points as a result of them

 

[GT49er]

I wasn't in the slightest. I want to see the negatives and the complacency come to the forefront. I want to see them ironed out before we start dropping points as a result of them

I was. Lacklustre was the only fit description for today's performance. No, I didn't expect to see Barcelona in disguise, but I did hope for something more resembling progress than we saw today.

 

[persian_pooya]

Excuse if this question has already been answered, but why was Izquierdo not in the squad yesterday in the friendly against Birmingham?

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[Garry Nelson's Left Foot]

I actually knew he was only getting 20 mins today but from his Youtube he impressed me. I had heard how good he was so was desperate to see him. I know it was against Championship opposition in a friendly but in that 20 mins you could see this guy is absolute CLASS.

Doesn't fit our system of playing with 2 wingers but man does he fit the plan B if the two wingers isn't working. The lads a superstar and can go past defenders from a standing position.

Dunno what the fee was but if it was 30M its a bargain. Brilliant player.

This is excellent news as last year we didn't have the players for a realistic plan B. It's a big step towards survival this year. Last year we were lucky in that we had no serious injuries to key players. We can't expect that to happen again so a bit of squad depth and tactical versatility will stand us in good stead. I reckon we'll have another relatively comfortable season like last year.

 

[dingodan]

So, just tell me which teams will have looked at that and not thought, not much to bother us there? No? Short list is it?

Yes, I do know it was a friendly - strange as it may seem to you, I do understand that. "Time to try things out, test things, tinker around a bit" is how you put it, and I agree; except we didn't, did we? We played last year's team (with one new fullback who looked OK, but not obviously any improvement on what we had last year) with last year's formation and tactics. Not very well today, IMHO, and we'll need to be much better at Watford and, and 37 more times after that too! So, whether you think I should be or not, I was disappointed.

Come on man, it wasn't a great performance but it was a pre-season friendly.

A full-strength Chelsea side featuring John Terry, Fernando Torres and new signing Eden Hazard crashed to a pre-season defeat at Championship side Brighton on Saturday afternoon.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/fo...elsea-1-Pre-season-friendly-match-report.html

Chelsea finished 3rd that year.

 

[Ⓩ-Ⓐ-Ⓜ-Ⓞ-Ⓡ-Ⓐ]

Come on man, it wasn't a great performance but it was a pre-season friendly.



http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/fo...elsea-1-Pre-season-friendly-match-report.html

Chelsea finished 3rd that year.

So you're telling me we're going to be Champions League?

 

[Garry Nelson's Left Foot]

So you're telling me we're going to be Champions League?

I'm no genius but by my calculations we'll probably WIN the league. Chelsea finished third in the prem the year they LOST to us, a championship side. We DREW with Birmingham, another championship side, so that surely means we'll finish higher than third. There's not many places to go from there, so with a little luck...

CHAMPIONES!!!

 

[Guinness Boy]

Shane Duffy's old man has been on the Brighton and Hove Albion FB page talking perfect sense:

"Pre-season is not about winning some people just don’t understand. Pre-season is about each player getting sharp and ready. For the people crying on about results look at another league. The next 2 weeks is were things really step up. Believe me i have been here before. And everything is on course.!" (sic)

I think I'll take the word of someone who's been close to a few of these.

 

[One Teddy Maybank]

Shane Duffy's old man has been on the Brighton and Hove Albion FB page talking perfect sense:

"Pre-season is not about winning some people just don’t understand. Pre-season is about each player getting sharp and ready. For the people crying on about results look at another league. The next 2 weeks is were things really step up. Believe me i have been here before. And everything is on course.!" (sic)

I think I'll take the word of someone who's been close to a few of these.

Yes and his son needs to really sharpen up, as personally I wouldn’t start him at the minute.

As Hughton says it is also about trying different things as well.

Results are immaterial, but effort and application are not.


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[One Teddy Maybank]

I actually knew he was only getting 20 mins today but from his Youtube he impressed me. I had heard how good he was so was desperate to see him. I know it was against Championship opposition in a friendly but in that 20 mins you could see this guy is absolute CLASS.

Doesn't fit our system of playing with 2 wingers but man does he fit the plan B if the two wingers isn't working. The lads a superstar and can go past defenders from a standing position.

Dunno what the fee was but if it was 30M its a bargain. Brilliant player.

He could fit into our system if you leave out Propper and get him and Gross to rotate, but they would have to be disciplined.

Really exciting looking player.

My only concern now is the numbers we are getting in the box to support Murray.


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[Kosh]

Did you say the same about CH in the Championship? Where we played brilliant counter attacking football in numbers, scoring goals for fun, had countless victories and dished out some famous thrashings.

Last season with an incomplete PL squad, CH was a pragmatist and it worked.

You're quite right; I didn't say that under Chris in the Championship. I think reading the replies re my points herein it would seem people are leaping to conclusions re my opinion of CH as our manger long term. I can see no one more capable than Chris, no one better - really! I love his work, but I do have certain reservations about one or two of his tactical traits. I love my wife too, but I'm not afraid to admit that things are never a bed of roses.

Last season, i felt the flag went up against certain opponents from the first whistle - damage limitation... fair enough when we had a top level championship team operating in a higher division. This season, however, we surely need to evolve and play these players who are now costing 10s of millions. This may come at the expense of certain fan favourites, ahem, but only after easing them out and proving their respective quality. Someone said I was all about "ousting" players from the off - well I didn't say that nor would I condone it, I just want to see progress, albeit on an incremental level.

We've spent considerably this summer, and the pressure will be increased on Chris this time around. I would, however, never call for his head just for a slight change of policy or ploy on his behalf here and there.

If that's too much to wish for, then heck - it's only a game.

 

[Kosh]

He started at Man City last season with 5 new faces, half way through the year dropped his captain and his player of the season, and has literally spent millions on rivals or replacements this summer to those stalwarts - Bong, Stephens, Murray etc and no reason to suggest they won’t start if they’re good enough.

As for being too nice then he has had no qualms this close season getting rid of Sidwell, Rosenior, Baldock and Goldson .

As for tactics and shape - it’s 4-4-1-1 or 4-4-2 that’s the unorthodox formation in the Prem League these days and it’s served the club well. 40 points and 15th in the first season was a miracle. Ask Pardew, Moyes, Clement, Pulis, and the rest who failed at clubs last season with more ££ and players with more experience.

Yep. It’s not a goalfest but not sure what you’re expecting or what you’d get with anyone else with our budget/squad.

When people say Hughton is too defensive, they really mean he’ll save you points, when they say he won’t throw caution to the wind, it means he’s coached the team to keep their shape and work hard and when they say he’s too nice, what they really mean is they don’t know him or they can’t really see what a class act he really is. He’s a clinical and brutal as a manager in his position has to be.

We will struggle thus season at some point and criticism of Hughton will surface ever louder. But Be really really careful what you wish for...

I for one will not be calling for his head, so I guess you know me less well than you think - or certainly less well that you appear (or claim) to understand our manager and his way of thinking.

You write a critique of my post, almost decrying my arrogance for suggesting things might need tweaking here and there and for daring for hoping to see a progressive non-emotive approach with our new arrivals.

Yet reading your post, I see arrogance writ large. You sir, believe your own hype WAY too much - you're a decent contributor herein, but your opinion is not worth more than mine... so please refrain from blowing so hard all of the sodding time... Look; trying too hard to prove your quality so often is rather irksome.

Give it a rest.

 

[Kosh]

Yes but he dressed it up in a stupid but creative way so it must be a great point.

Stupidly creative? Brilliant... Spinal Tap fan are we?

I'd rather make one stupidly creative point than risk everything to make three. Perhaps I have more in common with Chris than I realise... lol.

As regards my first post, don't take it to heart, it's only an opinion... really, that's all it is.

 

[chaileyjem]

Yet reading your post, I see arrogance writ large. You sir, believe your own hype WAY too much - you're a decent contributor herein, but your opinion is not worth more than mine... so please refrain from blowing so hard all of the sodding time... Look; trying too hard to prove your quality so often is rather irksome.

Give it a rest.

Sounds like a team talk you don’t think Hughton would give.


Yes. I think it’s wrong to characterise him as nice, cautious or defensive. It’s a bit of a myth and tbf your post(s) was far more nuanced than that.

So yep. My reply was a bit over the top in reaction to your points. Apologies.

 

[Kosh]

Sounds like a team talk you don’t think Hughton would give.


Yes. I think it’s wrong to characterise him as nice, cautious or defensive. It’s a bit of a myth and tbf your post(s) was far more nuanced than that.

So yep. My reply was a bit over the top in reaction to your points. Apologies.

As I get older, i'm mellowing and for years I tried way too hard to be a total clever arse on this site. I've come to accept I'm just another nobody 'out there...' yet at home, I'm a father, a husband, heck; a great lover... at the end of the day, nothing else matters.

As I say; you're a more than decent contributor herein, and you deal in the facts as you see them and I respect that - just reign in the lesson doling and I guess we'll get along fine.

As I said elsewhere, we're just putting our opinion out there: right or wrong (in the beholders gaze) they're no less valid.

Time to put the kettle on and get on with real life.

Have a grand Sunday and keep on with the good stuff that you are capable of.

 

[Kalimantan Gull]

I can’t help but feel the coming season is going one of two ways. For me, this needs to be a transitional season, easing former championship and ageing PL (1st season) legends out of the starting XI. Bruno, Bong, Murray and even Duffy and (surely not!) Stephens (oh yes) are only likely to see us tread water or fall further into a very real relegation battle. The rub remains; Chris. He’s a tried and tested disciple, and thus we’re unlikely to see many fresh faces early enough. He’ll want to reward last season’s players for their efforts and they will probably all start at Watford.

Hughton will never throw caution anywhere, God forbid the wind. Thus he’ll continue with his tried and tested formula, restricting attacking intent, flair and non system approved moves wherever he finds them.

Sure it worked last season, but I have a series of nagging doubt’s re this campaign.

Man! that reads back awfully neagatively, and perhaps I should therefore emphasise my love for CH... it’s just making those hard transitional decisions, those emotive moments... is he that kind of manager, or just too gosh darn nice?

You don't think CH makes hard transitional decisions to phase long-serving players out? The whole point of our recruitment and selection style is incremental improvements in every position. Our club captain Greer was dumped half way through a season for a youngster in Goldson, who after impressing was then dumped for Duffy. Kayal was player of the season 3 years ago but has never won his place back since. Stockdale and Baldock starred in our promotion season but were immediately replaced. Another club captain in Bruno was phased out before Christmas (but being who he is fought his way back).

I don't think we'll see Duffy in the starting lineup. What to do with Stephens, Propper and Bissouma is an interesting one but I don't think it will be Stephens that misses out of those three, and for good reason.

As for 'Sure it worked last season' you could also add... and the season before that... and the one before that....and the one before that

 

[Guinness Boy]

Yes and his son needs to really sharpen up, as personally I wouldn’t start him at the minute.

As Hughton says it is also about trying different things as well.

Results are immaterial, but effort and application are not.


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He's just back from a groin op. Both Duffys would probably agree but he's not going to sharpen up without a bit of match practice.

 

[el punal]

I can’t help but feel the coming season is going one of two ways. For me, this needs to be a transitional season, easing former championship and ageing PL (1st season) legends out of the starting XI. Bruno, Bong, Murray and even Duffy and (surely not!) Stephens (oh yes) are only likely to see us tread water or fall further into a very real relegation battle. The rub remains; Chris. He’s a tried and tested disciple, and thus we’re unlikely to see many fresh faces early enough. He’ll want to reward last season’s players for their efforts and they will probably all start at Watford.

Hughton will never throw caution anywhere, God forbid the wind. Thus he’ll continue with his tried and tested formula, restricting attacking intent, flair and non system approved moves wherever he finds them.

Sure it worked last season, but I have a series of nagging doubt’s re this campaign.

Man! that reads back awfully neagatively, and perhaps I should therefore emphasise my love for CH... it’s just making those hard transitional decisions, those emotive moments... is he that kind of manager, or just too gosh darn nice?

Although your posts sounds as if it’s on the negative side I can see there’s a certain amount of nervous anticipation there too. To a degree we all feel that too. We desperately want the club to move onwards and upwards with the raft of new players coming in, we desperately want them to succeed too.

With regard to your comment about the ‘old guard’ being replaced I sense that you might be right. Having said that, and if it does happen, I reckon it will be a gradual process of integration - the tried and tested Chrissie way!

There is no doubt that last season we got out of jail with the players at our disposal. That is not a criticism by the way, but a reflection how bloody brilliantly we played as a team with so little back up in personnel or resources. A case in point, when we played Arsenal away with no available strikers and Izquierdo up front, and that throughout the season we had no major injury worries.

As for this coming season? Well, I hope we, the fans, are patient. We have gone from being a very good Championship side into Premier League ‘newbies’ and succeeded in surviving our first term. This time around, now the honeymoon period is over, most of us will be viewing the team more critically and will be less sympathetic should things go wrong. I sincerely hope that we all trust Chris and the boys to come good whatever the circumstances and still give them the 100% backing - we’re rather good at that as it happens!

 

[Kosh]

Although your posts sounds as if it’s on the negative side I can see there’s a certain amount of nervous anticipation there too. To a degree we all feel that too. We desperately want the club to move onwards and upwards with the raft of new players coming in, we desperately want them to succeed too.

With regard to your comment about the ‘old guard’ being replaced I sense that you might be right. Having said that, and if it does happen, I reckon it will be a gradual process of integration - the tried and tested Chrissie way!

There is no doubt that last season we got out of jail with the players at our disposal. That is not a criticism by the way, but a reflection how bloody brilliantly we played as a team with so little back up in personnel or resources. A case in point, when we played Arsenal away with no available strikers and Izquierdo up front, and that throughout the season we had no major injury worries.

As for this coming season? Well, I hope we, the fans, are patient. We have gone from being a very good Championship side into Premier League ‘newbies’ and succeeded in surviving our first term. This time around, now the honeymoon period is over, most of us will be viewing the team more critically and will be less sympathetic should things go wrong. I sincerely hope that we all trust Chris and the boys to come good whatever the circumstances and still give them the 100% backing - we’re rather good at that as it happens!

Top post. Nothing else to add.

 

[Kosh]

You don't think CH makes hard transitional decisions to phase long-serving players out? The whole point of our recruitment and selection style is incremental improvements in every position. Our club captain Greer was dumped half way through a season for a youngster in Goldson, who after impressing was then dumped for Duffy. Kayal was player of the season 3 years ago but has never won his place back since. Stockdale and Baldock starred in our promotion season but were immediately replaced. Another club captain in Bruno was phased out before Christmas (but being who he is fought his way back).

I don't think we'll see Duffy in the starting lineup. What to do with Stephens, Propper and Bissouma is an interesting one but I don't think it will be Stephens that misses out of those three, and for good reason.

As for 'Sure it worked last season' you could also add... and the season before that... and the one before that....and the one before that

Fair enough.

Right, let's move on...