[Albion] Have Albion progressed this season?

[Sheebo]

I've never understood this, "need 3 woeful teams" for us to survive, theory.

All league tables have teams at the top, and teams at the bottom. How far adrift teams are partly depends on how poor they are, but also, how good the teams at the top are. If you get 2 or 3 breaking away at the top, you'll usually get 2 or 3 breaking away at the bottom, too.

If we finished on 30 points, and still managed to stay up, it would indicate that there are some very good teams in the league who have taken points off everyone. But it still means we were not one of the 3 worst teams.

And anyway, with 37 points, and 3 of our 4 remaining games being against teams who we have a very good PL record against, I can see us topping 41 points.

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Exactly. And it’s very easy to say the 3 at the bottom have been woeful because they clearly aren’t very good! Not as though they’re going to be good is it!? It’s a little offensive to our achievements to bleat out this comments every season and a bit anti Albion imo.

 

[BrickTamland]

You totally missed the nuance and in joke. Dunk has renegotiated his contract pretty much every summer using his agent to tell certain Brighton fans that he might be off - Chelsea and Fulham both specifically mentioned. But then you miss a lot because you're not one of us.



You're very good at bouncing threads because you're a stalker with nothing better to do. Where have I said Fulham will get 40 points? I said (in reply to [MENTION=24867]chaileyjem[/MENTION] ) that we could finish in 17th (which is safe) on 37 because that's still mathematically possible. Fulham won't get 40.



I've not said we are sleepwalking towards relegation recently but we've certainly flirted with it for much of the season. Let's face it, if we had a better home record, if we could beat some really, really poor teams below us and if we didn't have a squad stuffed full of players who couldn't finish a salad we'd probably be in the top ten.




So now you're measuring our improvement from January on based on points, wins and league positions. And you accuse me of relying purely on the results?

What a weird and pathetic thing to say.

 

[Guinness Boy]

Let us just imagine for a moment that this time next year we are in EXACTLY the same position.

Would you be calling for Potter to be sacked?

Now that's a good question.

The answer is "I'm not sure", which I get is deeply unsatisfying, but stay with me.

If we've had a season where we've been poor against opponents lower in the table, or those who set up defensively, where we introduce two new starlets and Connolly and Alzate move even further to the back of the queue, where we miss even more chances and do even more badly against xG then we'll have learned nothing and I probably would.

If other sides have progressed more than us based on bigger budgets but we've hit our xG and there's real competition for places then probably not.

The issue is people would claim a is b and b is a based on their agenda.

If we do progress up the table next year, there'll be people complaining that a different manager could have got us into the Europa League.

However, this is genuinely not me. Potter was brought in to get us to finish above our budget limits. Just a place or two above that is success. He may even do that this season, but he'll have done it the hard way.

 

[One Teddy Maybank]

Harsh, very harsh, bordering on bullying

I know I tend to agree with much of what Swanny posts on Potter and the Albion but imo he is a great NSC contributor and it’s sad that arguments like this are thrown at him imo. He has followed us for a couple of years now and who knows he may continue to have an interest after GP goes, the Albion gets under your skin. I arrived in Brighton in 1975 as a long time (long distance, glory hunter from my very young days) Spurs fan and started going to Albion games as a bit of fun. Look what fecking happened

You’re a Spurs fan, no wonder you like GP - you’ve been planning him to go there all the way along.


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[Guinness Boy]

What a weird and pathetic thing to say.

It's really not.

The bloke was doing homophobic jokes when he first joined, tried to tell Paul Barber how to improve the club and made a weird video about installing a sex dungeon. He's never watched us live, never sat in a pub with us, never gone to an away game, never spent a cent of his money.

This is a hobby and he'll **** off as soon as his hobby horse disappears into the sunset.

 

[Justice]

Yes most definitely.

We are a really impressive, solid side, just lacking a bit of a cutting edge. Very close to kicking on and breaking into the top 10. Every chance we’ll do that next season.

A few posters have mentioned this are you assuming a new shiny striker will be signed in the summer to have a chance of top ten? I’m not sure that’s going to happen so how we going to make top ten with this squad as I doubt a summer break will turn Maupay & Welbeck into prolific strikers

 

[Sheebo]

A few posters have mentioned this are you assuming a new shiny striker will be signed in the summer to have a chance of top ten? I’m not sure that’s going to happen so how we going to make top ten with this squad as I doubt a summer break will turn Maupay & Welbeck into prolific strikers

We’re top 10 in 2021 or second half of season I think, so definitely possible.

I think we’ll finish 8th - 12th next season, but I did also think that this season.

 

[AZ Gull]

Now that's a good question.

The answer is "I'm not sure", which I get is deeply unsatisfying, but stay with me.

If we've had a season where we've been poor against opponents lower in the table, or those who set up defensively, where we introduce two new starlets and Connolly and Alzate move even further to the back of the queue, where we miss even more chances and do even more badly against xG then we'll have learned nothing and I probably would.

If other sides have progressed more than us based on bigger budgets but we've hit our xG and there's real competition for places then probably not.

The issue is people would claim a is b and b is a based on their agenda.



However, this is genuinely not me. Potter was brought in to get us to finish above our budget limits. Just a place or two above that is success. He may even do that this season, but he'll have done it the hard way.

We are currently 14th in the top division, and if we stay there it would be our second highest finishing position EVER in our entire history.

And yet potentially if we were in exactly the same position next season you'd want the manager sacked?

Goodness me.

 

[Guinness Boy]

We’re top 10 in 2021 or second half of season I think, so definitely possible.

I think we’ll finish 8th - 12th next season, but I did also think that this season.

I think we're about 7th in 2021. But that comes on the back of a 2020 where we literally won one game at home in a calendar year.

If we can maintain that uptick in form then, yes, 8-12 is very achievable. But seasons comprise of 2 games against 19 other sides over two calendar years.

Maybe the question on the poll should have been have we progressed this year as we probably have on every metric. This season? Maybe not so much.

 

[Icy Gull]

Bloom’s target is the top 10, the top six clubs target is winning the league.

We haven’t made the top ten this season so let’s throw the baby (GP) out with the bath water.

I can only speak for myself but I bloody love what is happening at this club at the moment. I never expected anything other than a relegation battle, and said this pre season. If we don’t sign a genuine top 10 striker in the summer (I don’t think we will) we’ll have another relegation struggle next season. I am happy with that, I love the ambition, the football and the way the club is run. A few expect much more, their prerogative, but we can expect lots more “not good enough” comments next season in all likelihood. We all have our expectations, fair enough, mine are lower than some of you and that’s just the way it is.

Top ten is currently a dream imo, but if you can’t dream and expect it to happen, it may be better to switch allegiance to a bigger and better funded club..

 

[Icy Gull]

You’re a Spurs fan, no wonder you like GP - you’ve been planning him to go there all the way along.


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Rumbled, 45 years a sleeper, waiting for Potter to rock up at Spurs. Graham Potter’s Lilywhite army

 

[Guinness Boy]

We are currently 14th in the top division, and if we stay there it would be our second highest finishing position EVER in our entire history.

And yet potentially if we were in exactly the same position next season you'd want the manager sacked?

Goodness me.

You've twisted my words, either deliberately or accidentally. I said if we were having exactly the same CONVERSATION to which you replied

Let us just imagine for a moment that this time next year we are in EXACTLY the same position.

Would you be calling for Potter to be sacked?

I took that to mean exactly the same position in terms of conversation. We haven't finished 14th yet.

And, yes, if we're still talking about whether performance or points is what decides progress then we'll have made no progress, and if we're still saying that because lessons have not been learned, then the coach will probably have taken us as far as he can.

I'm finding it hard to keep up here. When I mention our underperforming league position for most of the season I'm told it's not important, then when I switch the conversation back to other measures I'm told to look at the league position.

 

[Motogull]

Top ten is currently a dream imo, but if you can’t dream and expect it to happen, it may be better to switch allegiance to a bigger and better funded club..

Oh no, you've done it now. The wankpuffins will be lining up to comment on our debt.

 

[Justice]

Bloom’s target is the top 10, the top six clubs target is winning the league.

We haven’t made the top ten this season so let’s throw the baby (GP) out with the bath water.

I can only speak for myself but I bloody love what is happening at this club at the moment. I never expected anything other than a relegation battle, and said this pre season. If we don’t sign a genuine top 10 striker in the summer (I don’t think we will) we’ll have another relegation struggle next season. I am happy with that, I love the ambition, the football and the way the club is run. A few expect much more, their prerogative, but we can expect lots more “not good enough” comments next season in all likelihood. We all have our expectations, fair enough, mine are lower than some of you and that’s just the way it is.

Top ten is currently a dream imo, but if you can’t dream and expect it to happen, it may be better to switch allegiance to a bigger and better funded club..

From the poster who apparently has switched allegiances already

 

[Guinness Boy]

Top ten is currently a dream imo, but if you can’t dream and expect it to happen, it may be better to switch allegiance to a bigger and better funded club..

Well, no. Why should we know our place? I know I keep banging on about Leicester but do you think any of their top brass thought, in their miracle season, "hang on, we're only Leicester, we can't win this".

It's the lack of ambition I find the most frustrating. I've spent my life watching and playing sport, I want to win at it, no matter what the odds.

It should not be a dream. It should be a target. Not because we're "entitled", not because we're a big club now, not because we're dreaming too big, but because, if we can compete with the big teams in terms of performance, why on earth should we not compete with them in terms of results and table position?

 

[albionalex]

Bloom’s target is the top 10, the top six clubs target is winning the league.

We haven’t made the top ten this season so let’s throw the baby (GP) out with the bath water.

I can only speak for myself but I bloody love what is happening at this club at the moment. I never expected anything other than a relegation battle, and said this pre season. If we don’t sign a genuine top 10 striker in the summer (I don’t think we will) we’ll have another relegation struggle next season. I am happy with that, I love the ambition, the football and the way the club is run. A few expect much more, their prerogative, but we can expect lots more “not good enough” comments next season in all likelihood. We all have our expectations, fair enough, mine are lower than some of you and that’s just the way it is.

Top ten is currently a dream imo, but if you can’t dream and expect it to happen, it may be better to switch allegiance to a bigger and better funded club..

Burnley have finished in the top ten 2 of the last 4 seasons...

 

[Icy Gull]

Well, no. Why should we know our place? I know I keep banging on about Leicester but do you think any of their top brass thought, in their miracle season, "hang on, we're only Leicester, we can't win this".

It's the lack of ambition I find the most frustrating. I've spent my life watching and playing sport, I want to win at it, no matter what the odds.

It should not be a dream. It should be a target. Not because we're "entitled", not because we're a big club now, not because we're dreaming too big, but because, if we can compete with the big teams in terms of performance, why on earth should we not compete with them in terms of results and table position?

Where have I said it’s not what I want? Of course I do but with the situation over the last year and presumably the hit to TB I do not EXPECT us to do anything more than stay in the PL. I have no doubts that with the set up in place and the manager we have that we will eventually attain more than we have in our history. I expect to be in a relegation battle but very much doubt TB, DA, PB and GP do. Strikes me that you are actually demanding it, we both want the same thing but one of us is happy to be patient and not get all angsty when we hit bumps along the way.

Under CH I expected eventual relegation and although there is no doubt that he has achieved far more in his career than Potter I really do believe that GP will surpass CH’s achievements. I can only go on what my eyes tell me. I could be wrong and GP will have to go before we reach the heights we want, I like to think we’ll do it with GP and for that reason I am still fully behind him

None of us know what the future holds

 

[Icy Gull]

Burnley have finished in the top ten 2 of the last 4 seasons...

I don’t imagine they demanded or expected it, but it happened. Are you saying it won’t for us? How long has Dyche been at Burnley? Were fans calling for his head like some of ours are after two seasons?

It’s the entitlement that does my head in

 

[Guinness Boy]

I'm quoting here but cutting as well. You can tell me if I've cut out of context but...

I never expected anything other than a relegation battle, and said this pre season.
Top ten is currently a dream imo,

This reads like you don't think we CAN or SHOULD do any better, I do - especially if we are mixing it in terms of tactics and possession with the big boys. However.....

I love the ambition,

....to be fair this suggests you do think we can aim for the stars,

Which is it?

 

[Icy Gull]

I'm quoting here but cutting as well. You can tell me if I've cut out of context but...



This reads like you don't think we CAN or SHOULD do any better, I do - especially if we are mixing it in terms of tactics and possession with the big boys. However.....



....to be fair this suggests you do think we can aim for the stars,

Which is it?

I would love it, I don’t demand or expect it. It’s a Project it’ll take more than two seasons. Maybe it will happen next season but I can wait longer without demanding a change of manager.