[Albion] Have We Turned The Corner?

[Cowfold Seagull]

As good as we were last night, it's all about consistency for me. We have had false dawns before, great away wins at Aston Villa and then Leeds, but we didn't press on from either. Let's hope that this long awaited home win leads to a good performance at Anfield.

 

[bluenitsuj]

I will let you know in a week

 

[Whitley Bayster]

Yes I think we have. Potter has settled on a preferred starting formation and line up (though always room for a little Pottering). The addition of Sanchez is key to the defensive improvement. He's take away the uncertainty. MacAllister has found his feet and is providing an extra dimension to our attacking play and that is rubbing off onto Trossard, Gross and Maupay. Bissouma provides the platform for the midfield as he has done all season. Early days but the promise shown in the first half of the season is beginning to show. We might just string a few results and climb away from danger

 

[Barrow Boy]

Like some I’ve been very frustrated watching us for most of this season.
I’ve thought that GP wasn’t the man for us and have had very little patience with him and Reed.
However since the introduction of Sanchez in goal it’s become evident to me that the 3 at the back
have grown in confidence. McA starting regularly has made things happen and generally we look very good.
I would like to say that after looking back since the start of the year that my ideas about GP were wrong,not just because of last nights results but our form since the great comeback against Wolves.I tend to let my frustrations cloud my judgement on what is actually happening.We have been very unlucky in a lot of games not to get more than we ended up with.
Souness made a very interesting comment last night he said,I’m paraphrasing,that anyone
who knew anything about the game would realise that if you kept playing like we do that eventually you would turn a corner. I think this has happened for us since the Wolves game.
I’m just going to try not to get frustrated and start judging players and the management like I have been
Your .... shouldn’t be starting him Potter type of attitude just isn’t how I want to be anymore
My dad took me to my first Albion game in 1968 and I’ve never supported any other club
I love the Albion and today I feel very proud to say that.
Also Graham if I could change my vote this morning on the many polls I’ve taken part in I would
So sorry Mr P keep up this momentum and I’ve no doubt we will be fine this season.
I’ve also realised I know very little so I’m gonna keep my big gob shut and let those paid to do the job do it without my two pennath worth
UTA GOSBTS

Well said Mr Clockend 1983 (I might have been standing near you at Highbury!)

 

[vagabond]

I keep on about halftime v Wolves - it was the crossroads. I’d lost a lot of faith with Potter and the team personally too - and as soon as I started to give up, they did the opposite. The Man City and Fulham performances weren’t just good, they weren’t ‘same old’ either - there was a spark to them. Our attacks seem a lot more purposeful & a lot less wishy washy / clueless. Our defence is looking settled and hard to break down. Our midfield the same - winning a lot of tackles and second balls more often than before.

Basically, I think we’ve turned a corner and the second half of the season will see more points than the first. It’ll never be plain sailing, there will no doubt be setbacks, but we have some nice momentum now.

Just please don’t tinker too much Potter - please!

I think you could be right about the Wolves game being pivotal.

It was a strange match, we were about even, no way deserved to be 3-1 down. At the end after we finished 3-3 I felt it was a really good marker of team spirit. If players want a manager out, or aren’t happy for various reasons. They had a perfect opportunity to down tools. But no, they fought for the team and for the manager and the reactions at that game said it all.

Since then we have been galvanised.

But at the same time, I genuinely feel we’ve played well in most games this season without getting what we deserve. Souness put it well last night i think “as a football man I look at what Brighton are doing and think sooner or later they’re going to turn the corner maybe tonight they have. The manager and coaching staff deserve huge credit for never deviating from the way they want to play”. Eventually our performances had to translate into points.

 

[Dave the OAP]

Personally I think one swallow doesn’t make a BJ, but seriously, good result yesterday and I tend to take the view that the next couple of weeks will see if we have turned it around. The Liverpool game may be a free hit, no one expecting anything really. But Burnley is a big one!

 

[vagabond]

Not sure about turned the corner, but the biggest difference imho is Sanchez effect of the defence.

And great point. Dropping Matty for Sanchez seems to have improved our defence 10 fold. Clean sheets speak for themselves.

 

[Harry Wilson's tackle]

Like some I’ve been very frustrated watching us for most of this season.
I’ve thought that GP wasn’t the man for us and have had very little patience with him and Reed.
However since the introduction of Sanchez in goal it’s become evident to me that the 3 at the back
have grown in confidence. McA starting regularly has made things happen and generally we look very good.
I would like to say that after looking back since the start of the year that my ideas about GP were wrong,not just because of last nights results but our form since the great comeback against Wolves.I tend to let my frustrations cloud my judgement on what is actually happening.We have been very unlucky in a lot of games not to get more than we ended up with.
Souness made a very interesting comment last night he said,I’m paraphrasing,that anyone
who knew anything about the game would realise that if you kept playing like we do that eventually you would turn a corner. I think this has happened for us since the Wolves game.
I’m just going to try not to get frustrated and start judging players and the management like I have been
Your .... shouldn’t be starting him Potter type of attitude just isn’t how I want to be anymore
My dad took me to my first Albion game in 1968 and I’ve never supported any other club
I love the Albion and today I feel very proud to say that.
Also Graham if I could change my vote this morning on the many polls I’ve taken part in I would
So sorry Mr P keep up this momentum and I’ve no doubt we will be fine this season.
I’ve also realised I know very little so I’m gonna keep my big gob shut and let those paid to do the job do it without my two pennath worth
UTA GOSBTS

That's a very honest post

My view is that one change of personnel can trigger a transformation that affects the entire team performance - a step-function change rather than a corner turn. Fernandez at ManU. Sanchez at Brighton. Maybe. We shall see.

I felt we have been unlucky this season, but lucky against Spuds, so maybe the luck has changed. I am a subscriber to the Arnold Palmer dictum, however, when it comes to luck.

My view about the manager has been sanguine ever since Dick Knight got to grips with the club (and sacked Jeff Wood), and has become moreso since Tony Bloom took over. I will support a manager*, but I won't even blink if Tony replaces him.

That's a bit of a lie. I *may* have posted agreement with 'Hyppia OUT!!!' posts at the time. My bad

 

[Not Andy Naylor]

A point or two or three from the next two games will convince me, but I'm almost persuaded - two PL wins in January when we had never previously managed one and three clean sheets in succession are highly encouraging.

A number of factors are coming together. Ally Mac looks fit and healthy and is getting a run of games, and is looking a real player - hungry and aggressive. Webster has developed some of the old Shane Duffy 'they shall not pass' spirit and he and Dunk look like a big blue wall. Gross is back in favour and seems to have found his mojo again. Solly March has added some proper tackling skills to his undoubted attacking abilities. And (perhaps no coincidence), the team has a more settled look, so players have more understanding of where everyone else is going to be.

I'm looking forward to seeing how we perform at Anfield with them missing Van Dijk, rather than fearing a humiliation. No doubt if we lose 5-0 I might revise my opinions ...

 

[clockend1983]

Well said Mr Clockend 1983 (I might have been standing near you at Highbury!)

What a day that was

 

[Simster]

As good as we were last night, it's all about consistency for me. We have had false dawns before, great away wins at Aston Villa and then Leeds, but we didn't press on from either. Let's hope that this long awaited home win leads to a good performance at Anfield.

Eh? We have pressed on since Leeds.

Including that game, we've won 3 and drawn 1 in the 4 games - conceding one well worked goal to Blackpool in those entire 360 minutes. I'm not sure how much more consistent we could be really.

 

[elwheelio]

It's hard to gauge. We were superb last night but we were great away to Newcastle and then only picked up 3pts from our next 6 games. Again, we got a good win at Villa and then picked up only 5pts from 9 games. We need to be able to win even when we're not at our best and to be smart enough to adapt our game when needed. Fingers crossed that this is the start of a more enjoyable second half of the season.

 

[dazzer6666]

Things seem to be finally clicking into place, and HT v Wolves seems to have been the defining moment.

Better keeper + settled defence = more clean sheets and now much harder to break down
Clearly worked on set pieces
March and Veltman both excellent
Bissouma imperious, Gross on fire, Ali Mac getting to grips with strength and pace of EPL
Strikers working very hard (more goals needed though)
Potter tinkering less but a couple of tactical masterclasses recently, outwitting Bielsa and Mourinho
Great bench options
Looks like a great team spirit in in place. Potter clearly hasn't remotely lost the dressing room.

This is quite startling too :

https://twitter.com/AlbionAnalytics/status/1356217055415050242?s=20

Albion Analytics
[MENTION=23140]Albion[/MENTION]Analytics
·
1h
Robert Sánchez has now saved 13 of the last 14 shots he has faced.

Over his 10 appearances he has prevented 2.8 additional goals (7th most in the Premier League).

 

[Icy Gull]

Not getting carried away, there may be a road block before we get around the corner. We are still in the relegation mix as things stand imo, but I am loving Potterball and will take whatever comes. I’m enthused to watch us every game, can’t ask for more (except a top 10 finish )

 

[Uh_huh_him]

Just because I have a different opinion to you on things doesn't make you a better fan than me. I should remind you that bar a last minute incredible block by Dunk we would have lost that Fulham game.

Forgive me if I'm not getting all happy clappy yet.

Oh come off it.

Taking Fulham's only threatening moment as an indicator we nearly lost, is a pathetic argument.
Easily countered by If Areola hadn't made 3 great saves we would have won.
Or If Maupay had some composure we would have won.

The last 4 performances have been top notch.
I appreciate you aren't going to get happy clappy about it.
But plenty of us will.

 

[Icy Gull]

Oh come off it.

Taking Fulham's only threatening moment as an indicator we nearly lost, is a pathetic argument.
Easily countered by If Areola hadn't made 3 great saves we would have won.
Or If Maupay had some composure we would have won.

The last 4 performances have been top notch.
I appreciate you aren't going to get happy clappy about it.
But plenty of us will.

Get over it, there is a small minority who will always look for the negatives, even in the good times.

I notice that quite a few of them haven’t even bothered to post since last night but I 100% guarantee they will be back immediately after the next blip.

 

[A1X]

Easily countered by If Areola hadn't made 3 great saves we would have won.

Pretty sure those saves weren't in the last minute at 0-0 though...

 

[Uh_huh_him]

Pretty sure those saves weren't in the last minute at 0-0 though...

Pretty Sure scoring 3 goals against Fulham secures the points..

 

[Dick Knights Mumm]

I think if we were in Fulham/WBA shoes there would be a lot of our fellow faithful now thinking we might be down. It would be hard to see who would drop and take our slot - even if we were able to win any games in hand:

• Albion: building form. Probably most likely to drop. But already two (plus) wins ahead. Four years premier league relegation fighting experience.
• Burnley. Unlikely to drop to bottom three. Scoring and winning on occasional basis. Established premier league.
• Newcastle. Possible. But have a goal-scorer. Four years premier league experience.
• Wolves. Interesting one. But surely too much quality. No recent experience of a relegation scrap.

I think our recent run where we have tightened at the back, and scored a couple of goals means we have turned the corner - and I suspect the teams in the bottom three will be thinking the same. And that makes their task even harder.

 

[blue-shifted]

I think if we were in Fulham/WBA shoes there would be a lot of our fellow faithful now thinking we might be down. It would be hard to see who would drop and take our slot - even if we were able to win any games in hand:

• Albion: building form. Probably most likely to drop. But already two (plus) wins ahead. Four years premier league relegation fighting experience.
• Burnley. Unlikely to drop to bottom three. Scoring and winning on occasional basis. Established premier league.
• Newcastle. Possible. But have a goal-scorer. Four years premier league experience.
• Wolves. Interesting one. But surely too much quality. No recent experience of a relegation scrap.

I think our recent run where we have tightened at the back, and scored a couple of goals means we have turned the corner - and I suspect the teams in the bottom three will be thinking the same. And that makes their task even harder.

Yes, the Fulham and West Brom boards must be like a funeral this morning. More so if any of them watched last nights game.

If I was supporting them, i'd be looking at Burnley as the most likely to get sucked in, the Newcastle, then us, then Wolves. I think the bookies broadly agree with this.

Either way Fulham or West Brom are going to need some serious form to get up into the mid 30's, which they would probably need. I can't see it and if they lose a couple more games, I expect to see heads starting to drop and getting relegated by a long way