[Albion] Happier?

[Triggaaar]

Trig - if you read the poll question more carefully it says “How do you feel AFTER the sacking of Chris Hughton and the appointment of Graham Potter” - so having answered this specific question I think my response is justified (and it is you who has mis-read the question) so those other managers I mentioned do come into it.

Well I commend you for having a go. The last thing I want is for people to feel that they can't at least have a go

So it's “How do you feel AFTER the sacking of Chris Hughton and the appointment of Graham Potter”, compared to BEFORE the sacking of Chris Hughton and the appointment of Graham Potter.

BEFORE the sacking of Chris, you weren't worried about ending up with the likes of Mark Hughes, Sam Allardyce, Tony Pulis etc were you.

 

[Kman]

ecstatic if I'm being honest.

 

[Tokyohands]

Why should we expect anything radically different unless there is a massive splurge in expensive SINGINGS?

It depends, I just thought that our strong holding of shape actually restricted us, so we'll have to see what the new manager does. He could unleash the hounds and give the team more confidence. I'm sure there will be new SINGINGS..

 

[OzMike]

Much happier and put $20 on to end up in top half of division at 11/2 odds.

 

[Albion my Albion]

Are you joining a Karaoke club?

What exactly is a Karaoke Club? Some kind of place where Japanese business men meet women and sing to Korean pop music ?

 

[Uh_huh_him]

Still not happy as such.
I appreciate every concern about the last 3 month's of CH's tenure, but the bloke delivered everything he said he would.
I can't help but feel he has been badly treated and that doesn't sit well with me.

Equally It's clear that something had to change.
I'm very glad that having made the call to sack Chris, the club have acted decisively and have set a clear direction for next season.
Tony Bloom is a gambler, but he is also an incredibly shrewd man.
There is a reasonably good chance that this will pay off.

In Bloom we trust!
Up the Albion!

 

[Cesar Chavez]

Overall I think it is a positive appointment, but not without risk - which I'm sure Tony has carefully considered. I don't think carrying on with CH was an option as I don't think we were likely to progress. So the first half of the equation, letting Chris go, was, I think, correctly managed.The second half, the replacement, is tougher. Potter seems to tick the boxes of progressive thinking, different tactics, keen to develop young players etc. Question is, does he have the experience for the Premier League, and can the bulk of the current squad, who he must work with adapt? I think he will be asking a lot of players who have been drilled by Chris to play a certain way, to adopt new tactics, which could be a big challenge. Will D & D's heroic defending/last ditch blocks be so effective if the team has pushed further up field, can Stephens adapt to a more expressive style? Or had Chris determined that his set up was the best style for the resources available?
Time, as they say, will tell.
I think Ashworth has been instrumental in this change, and is, arguably, the more significant appointment.
UTA.

 

[Blue Valkyrie]

Task 1 - get something positive out of Locadia, Jahanbakhsh and Andone
2 - Introduce some of the U23 squad into the first team so that TB hasn't wasted millions on the academy
3 - we already have 2 new signings in Argentina and Romania

If he can get that lot to work we have 7 or 8 'new' first team players at no cost

3 - That's Mac Allister and Baluta. Don't forget Jan Mlakar from Slovenia !

 

[Worried Man Blues]

Relieved, then anticipating signings, then a bright new season beckons, with what heaven knows..........

 

[BN9 BHA]

Really happy and now looking forward to the new season.

 

[Icy Gull]

Was it pre or post Bmuff?

After that match, you would’ve had an awful lot of NSC mates.

Bournemouth was certainly my trigger point to actually vote OUT, even though I had thought it before then.

I don’t do walking out of Albion games but when the third went in I was SO pissed off I just got up and left

 

[Bozza]

Bournemouth was certainly my trigger point to actually vote OUT, even though I had thought it before then.

I don’t do walking out of Albion games but when the third went in I was SO pissed off I just got up and left

I know a lot of people who either walked out of games and/or didn't bother going to games towards the end of last season - the enjoyment had largely gone. I didn't know that [MENTION=616]Guinness Boy[/MENTION] had swerved a game until I read his excellent article last night, but I did the same.

Edit: But I know Chris Hughton's job was not to keep me entertained. At least, that was not his primary objective.

 

[Goldstone1976]

Task 1 - get something positive out of Locadia, Jahanbakhsh and Andone
2 - Introduce some of the U23 squad into the first team so that TB hasn't wasted millions on the academy
3 - we already have 2 new signings in Argentina and Romania

If he can get that lot to work we have 7 or 8 'new' first team players at no cost

Yep. And if he achieves that, and gets us to say 12th, he’ll have performed brilliantly.

 

[Bozza]

Task 1 - get something positive out of Locadia, Jahanbakhsh and Andone
2 - Introduce some of the U23 squad into the first team so that TB hasn't wasted millions on the academy
3 - we already have 2 new signings in Argentina and Romania

If he can get that lot to work we have 7 or 8 'new' first team players at no cost

I genuinely wouldn't be surprised if the club's positive outcome for Andone is moving him along this Summer.

 

[Driver8]

I genuinely wouldn't be surprised if the club's positive outcome for Andone is moving him along this Summer.

I’d rather keep Andone than Murray tbh. I think his race is run in the PL, especially if we are going to attack with pace.

 

[oneillco]

Why should we expect anything radically different unless there is a massive splurge in expensive SINGINGS?

Errr...because Potter has built his reputation on working with and improving the squad he has rather than big money transfers. The presumption is that some of our disappointing signings could come good with a different coach/system. And I presume he will be allowed to spend on a couple of new recruits.

 

[Johnny RoastBeef]

Very happy. I reached the end of the season with my Albion mojo at a low point. The Premier League has largely been what I expected with a massive difference between the haves and the have nots. However I thought we would compete well with the bottom half because of our greater spirit. First season this happened but something got lost this season and I can only put that down to the manager and the new recruits and perhaps the way Hughton tried to give them a go.

Anyway he just got more and more negative the worse the results got. The run we had in January was always going to be difficult and I expected that but then we hit the “easy” games at home and we just didn’t turn up. Still don’t know why, but I suspect it’s because Hughton or the players under Hughton found it difficult to shift back to a positive approach after several games of being told to defend all the time.

Either way he just didn’t deliver the brand of football I want to watch and therefore I agree with the change. I also like the fact that Bloom wants to progress. He clearly isn’t happy to tread water - just staying up every season until we eventually go down. He wants better than that however hard that may be.

I think we are still on a journey of progression, how far can we go? We certainly have the people at the top to take us a long way that’s for sure.

Ditto. I'd love to know what Bloom tells potential new managers, what his vision is for the club. What his realistic ultimate ambition is for us.

We all pressume survival is the goal, but that no longer seems correct. 17th is not enough anymore.

So what are we aiming for?

Forget the top 6 teams, and aim to win at home and draw away against the other 13 clubs and that gives a maximum of 52 points. Enough for at least top 10 in each of the last 10 seasons.

Doable?

 

[Bold Seagull]

PRETTY MUCH THE SAME

I think for Potter to transform the side is a huge ask. I'll be delighted if he picks up some wins, even if the football isn't a dramatic improvement - it is the players that take the field afterall.

Like a player settling in, Potter may need some time, I think our expectations for his first season need to be tempered, and that survival is still our primary goal, our spending and wage budget suggest this has to be the case.

Anything above this will be a huge success for me. I hope unreasonable expectations don't put too much pressure on him too early.

 

[sussex_guy2k2]

In the "very happy" crowd. In may go tits up, but I needed something other than dire, attritional football to look forward to. And what's better than hope?

 

[hart's shirt]

I was 9/10 on the Albion mojo thread posted when CH went.