pasty
A different kind of pasty
Slightly disappointing that although sitting 4th this morning we are guaranteed to drop at least to 5th and could even end up 7th today
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[Albion] How close is this squad to being top 4?
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- Jun 20, 2021
- 3,940
But given we should have stuffed them that day, we would be above them now.
However, to the question in hand, this is by far the strongest squad we have ever had, and I think it is better than Man U and Spurs.
Maybe it's giddiness from last night's results, but I actually think 4or 5th is a possibility this season
Mustafa II
Well-known member
I think if all players were fit then our strongest XI is top 4 quality, with a quality bench too.
Problem is we will lose key players from time to time, and a lot of our team is still in developmental stage and/or adapting to the Premier League.
We have four players who are currently top class IMO. Baleba (one of the best players in the Premier League so far this season IMO), van Hecke, Mitoma (although yet to find his top form this season) and Joao Pedro.
I think Georginio & Ferdi will be part of that list by the end of the season, but they're still in the 'adapting to the Premier League' stage.
Hinsh, Minteh and Ayari have been good, but they're still young and developing and we're probably still a season away from seeing how good they'll really become.
Too soon to say for O'Riley - but something tells me he'll take the Premier League by storm and join the list within a matter of games.
So to conclude, I think we have a solid foundation of a top 4 side, but it's probably too soon for many of our players to really push out top 4 quality performances week in week out.
Top 7 should be the target and I genuinely think we'll achieve that this season... but with a little bit of luck, then who knows how high we can finish.
Problem is we will lose key players from time to time, and a lot of our team is still in developmental stage and/or adapting to the Premier League.
We have four players who are currently top class IMO. Baleba (one of the best players in the Premier League so far this season IMO), van Hecke, Mitoma (although yet to find his top form this season) and Joao Pedro.
I think Georginio & Ferdi will be part of that list by the end of the season, but they're still in the 'adapting to the Premier League' stage.
Hinsh, Minteh and Ayari have been good, but they're still young and developing and we're probably still a season away from seeing how good they'll really become.
Too soon to say for O'Riley - but something tells me he'll take the Premier League by storm and join the list within a matter of games.
So to conclude, I think we have a solid foundation of a top 4 side, but it's probably too soon for many of our players to really push out top 4 quality performances week in week out.
Top 7 should be the target and I genuinely think we'll achieve that this season... but with a little bit of luck, then who knows how high we can finish.
The way we outplayed City in the second half yesterday, I can see why we'd get ahead of ourselves, but that just can't be right? I presume Villa, Spurs and Chelsea at their best are better than us. Not sure about Newcastle.
Honestly I sway between I would love the conference league to thinking if we had beaten Wolves and Liverpool (both games we should have won) we would now be genuinely challenging for the league!
8th is where the bookies have us finishing. 7 teams more likely to get top 6.
Kalimantan Gull
Well-known member
Actually we're not 'guaranteed' to drop to at least 5th....
You think our best 11 is better than Arsenal's? I'm sorry but that's just silly. No chance.
Although it's true we did struggle, we also had a manager who seemed to have given up, and we did recruit a lot over the summer, so we're in a better position to deal with injuries than we were last season.
Last edited:
- Jun 20, 2021
- 3,940
Well it would take both Chelsea and Arsenal to lose today for us to stay 4th, which I don't think is going to happen
Kalimantan Gull
Well-known member
I'm afraid you're not being creative enough. Have another look at the table and fixturesWell it would take both Chelsea and Arsenal to lose today for us to stay 4th, which I don't think is going to happen
Bit early in the morning to be wasted isn't it? We should have beaten Wolves, Ipswich and Forrest, but Liverpool? Maybe a draw would have been reasonable, but we weren't (clearly) the better side.
And no doubt Spurs should've beaten us, as should Arsenal (Rice shouldn't have been silly - yes he was silly, but if the point is what should have happened...)
severnside gull
Well-known member
You are forgetting Bart!
pasty
A different kind of pasty
Yes you’re right. I hadn’t accounted for the possibility of Forest going below us on gd.
In which case I'd say there was value on a Brighton league position spread bet, because I now think we will finish 6th or 7th. We're on a par with Villa in my eyes, behind Chelsea but ahead of Man Utd and Newcastle who were expected to compete with us before the season started.
Obviously we are still just behind Palace s fine European challenging squad which I'm sure @Dougie will be happy to brag about after they presumably smashed Fulham yesterday.
- Oct 12, 2022
- 2,784
I see Man City, Liverpool and Arsenal as currently having more established squads than us, with a greater ability to consistently win football matches.
However, I believe all the other teams in the division have good weeks and bad weeks, and aren’t as consistent. We have the greatest squad we’ve ever had, and I trust our head coach to continue to improve our players.
I see us as potentially being able to finish as high as fourth this season, though any European place has to be judged as a success. I’d be slightly disappointed if we finished in the lower half of the table, though don’t see us as being “finished article” enough to make linear progress. We’ll have some tough patches. It’s just a dream TBH. We’re competing with petro-states and sovereign wealth funds, and winning.
However, I believe all the other teams in the division have good weeks and bad weeks, and aren’t as consistent. We have the greatest squad we’ve ever had, and I trust our head coach to continue to improve our players.
I see us as potentially being able to finish as high as fourth this season, though any European place has to be judged as a success. I’d be slightly disappointed if we finished in the lower half of the table, though don’t see us as being “finished article” enough to make linear progress. We’ll have some tough patches. It’s just a dream TBH. We’re competing with petro-states and sovereign wealth funds, and winning.
Well it would take both Chelsea and Arsenal to lose today for us to stay 4th, which I don't think is going to happen
This was covered yesterday. If Forrest lose by 4, we go above them.
Mustafa II
Well-known member
I didn't forget Bart... jury is still out on him for me.
He's clearly a GOOD keeper. A very good shot stopper and his distribution is good and improving... but he's still some distance from being at the level of other top 4 keepers such as Alisson, Ederson and Raya.
...but he has time on his side.
4th - 6th - kind of dreamland but doable. Liverpool, City, Arsenal and Chelsea taking 4 places plus two others for top 6. Spurs inconsistent, Villa struggling with CL football, Smug not on top of his game, Forest likely to drop a bit…….game on imo. Also could be a CL place for 5th.