From our rivals perspective....

[Cowfold Seagull]

Exactly.
Last season we only got 15 points from the 14 games against the rest of the top eight.

I wonder if it will be this big improvement, that proves the difference and edges us over the line to automatic promotion this year?

 

[Triggaaar]

It's fair comment. We're just slightly better than the rest, which is all we need to be. Same as Reading in 2011, Bournemouth in 2015, Burnley in 2016 and so on. You don't need to play everyone else off the park, just get the job done. I think most fans realise this too.

I disagree (difficult to believe I know ). We only need to be slightly better than the teams that finish in the playoffs - we need to be quite a lot better than the teams that finish mid table and below.

I disagree with the suggestion that we're not all that. We're much better than we were 5 years ago, and we're much better than most teams in the division.

 

[deslynhamsmoustache1]

Paging [MENTION=34942]Dr. No[/MENTION]

“The trouble with most of us is that we would rather be ruined by praise than saved by criticism”

 

[Triggaaar]

So effectively most teams would be happy to cement a play off place and are not even contemplating overhauling us or Newcastle. If we can win our next couple of matches I think this view would certainly be the case, I know it's stating the obvious but must keep the gap between us and 3rd and keep our rivals thought process along these lines!

I know it's already been said that that is what the fans think, not what the teams think, but I do feel it's an important point. Obviously teams try to win every game, but they don't go all out attack, and if they're hoping for a playoff place, they'll often settle for a point near the end of a game, rather than push for a win. That kind of attitude probably cost us a couple of points mid season last year. It's not an attitude we appear to have at the moment.

 

[OzMike]

We must guard against complacency, as it could be our undoing.
Thinking that the job is almost done with the current points difference.
Got to be up for every single game until promotion is sealed.
Prize money for 1st place is more than for 2nd, and it's another trophy for the cabinet.

 

[Triggaaar]

We must guard against complacency, as it could be our undoing.
Thinking that the job is almost done with the current points difference.

There's no way the team would be complacent. They're all well aware that we can lose any game.

 

[put_that_board_down]

I think an important point that nobody has touched on is the psychology behind it too. If other team's fans are looking at the top two and writing their chances off, what about the players of those teams - will they be looking at us before they play us and mentally writing the game off before a ball is kicked? Having seen most of the games at the theatre of pies this season, a lot of teams start brightly against us for the first 10-15 minutes and then if they go a goal down, just go flat and mentally 'give in'..........Norwich being the best example. Do we have a fear factor on teams just from being top two?

Of course having been an Albion fan for a long time - I am still some way off believing we can do it!

 

[dazzer6666]

I think an important point that nobody has touched on is the pyschology behind it too. If other team's fans are looking at the top two and writing their chances off, what about the players of those teams - will they be looking at us before they play us and mentally writing the game off before a ball is kicked? Having seen most of the games at the theatre of pies this season, a lot of teams start brightly against us for the first 10-15 minutes and then if they go a goal down, just go flat and mentally 'give in'..........Norwich being the best example. Do we have a fear factor on teams just from being top two?

Of course having been an Albion fan for a long time - I am still some way off believing we can do it!

Think maybe our defence has created a fear factor more so than being top two - if we score, teams immediately think '****, how are we going to score against this lot, they hardly ever concede ?'

 

[Moshe Gariani]

I know it's already been said that that is what the fans think, not what the teams think, but I do feel it's an important point. Obviously teams try to win every game, but they don't go all out attack, and if they're hoping for a playoff place, they'll often settle for a point near the end of a game, rather than push for a win. That kind of attitude probably cost us a couple of points mid season last year. It's not an attitude we appear to have at the moment.

This and the other points made about "psychology" above are extremely significant.

Confidence affects so much in sport but "playing to win" is a key factor.

The way we approached the last few minutes at Birmingham was remarkable. Out of sorts for 70+ minutes away from home we score a get out of jail equaliser. What "should" happen next is that the home team storm forward again - trying to regain their lead as we desperately hold on to our scantly deserved point. Not this season.

 

[Seagull Mags]

This and the other points made about "psychology" above are extremely significant.

Confidence affects so much in sport but "playing to win" is a key factor.

The way we approached the last few minutes at Birmingham was remarkable. Out of sorts for 70+ minutes away from home we score a get out of jail equaliser. What "should" happen next is that the home team storm forward again - trying to regain their lead as we desperately hold on to our scantly deserved point. Not this season.

THIS! I couldn't believe the way we put Brum to the sword after snatching the equaliser...9 times out of 10 the away team would be happy to secure a point especially after the first 70 mins, but the attitude of the team is so different this year we are playing full of confidence and belief. (either that or CH may have said they can only have the lads night out if they win )

 

[hans kraay fan club]

This and the other points made about "psychology" above are extremely significant.

Confidence affects so much in sport but "playing to win" is a key factor.

The way we approached the last few minutes at Birmingham was remarkable. Out of sorts for 70+ minutes away from home we score a get out of jail equaliser. What "should" happen next is that the home team storm forward again - trying to regain their lead as we desperately hold on to our scantly deserved point. Not this season.

The will to win was very heartening indeed.

This is perhaps a daft example to use, as ultimately they went up, and we didn't, but look, as a contrast, at the 2-2 draw with Burnley last season. 2-1 down, they pressed for an equalizer, and were knocking on the door for a good few minutes (including the was it over the line non-goal) before Keane's injury time goal. The Albion were utterly on the ropes at that moment, yet as soon as Burnley had their leveller, they parked 11 men behind the ball and made sure they played out their draw.

 

[LlcoolJ]

This and the other points made about "psychology" above are extremely significant.

Confidence affects so much in sport but "playing to win" is a key factor.

Yeah it's like how the reverse happened to Man United when Fergie retired. They didn't suddenly become a shit team under Moyes, Fergie bailed at that time because he knew the squad was the poorest for years and was gonna require major surgery.

But while he was still in charge, teams went to Old Trafford already on the back foot because of his aura (and the likelihood that even if they were winning / drawing with five minutes to go, Man U were still probably going to score from a dodgy penalty and/or in Fergie time). Once that aura was gone and they lost a couple of games, everyone went there with their tails up, knowing they could turn them over. It was pretty much the same team but they were suddenly beatable.

As you say, the psychology in sport can't be underestimated.

 

[DataPoint]

Indeed, could easily extract this instead:

Brighton are not as good as most would believe.

Brighton are the biggest frauds of the football league.

They always tend to do well against the smaller teams which keeps them up there with the big boys but when it comes down to playing the bigger teams and the play offs. They bottle it and capitulate.

Brighton - 2016 record against top 10 teams.

.................. P... Pts
Leeds.........2.....6
S.Wed........2.... 4
Reading......2.....4
Birm............2.....6
Fulham.......2.....6
Derby..........2.....2
Hudder........2.....6
Norwich......1.....3
Hull.............1.....1...(Last Season - Promoted)
Burn............1.....1..(Last Season - Promoted)
Middles.......1.....1...(Last Season - Promoted)
N'castle......1.....0


..P......W....D....L ......F.... A ......GD......Pts......PPG
.19.....11....7....1......34...13.......21......40...... 2.105

That's more PPG in 2016 than any other team in the top 4 divisions in all their matches.
Scunthorpe are 2nd with 2.045 (We are top with 2.114).

Our rivals average 0.895 PPG against us putting them 88th in the 2016 table - just 3 positions above Crystal Palace who are off course easily bottom on 0.722

 

[OzMike]

There's no way the team would be complacent. They're all well aware that we can lose any game.

Time will tell.