Is reaching the Playoffs enough?

[SeagullSongs]

It's enough for me.

 

[Mo Gosfield]

The Albion are a Championship side at the moment. Without an extra injection of cash for Prem quality players I think we should be content with where we are. Hopefully with our new training complex we will be able to produce our own Prem quality players in the future.

We should never be content with where we are. Other clubs aren't. We should be looking to improve season after season. In the Championship, we need to be improving by 8-10 points a season. Last season we got 66 points so this season the target is 74-76 points. Anything less would be disappointing. We are only talking 3 more wins. Most seasons that would guarantee a play-off spot and this season is a definite. The same rate of progress would guarantee automatic promotion the following season.
Thats how you monitor progress. League position is important but the true guide is your points total.
If we get in the play-offs with 69 points, are fans going to be doing cartwheels of joy that we have improved four places? Or are they going to be saying that it was a poorer division and a three point increase over the previous season doesn't represent enough improvement?
IMHO we had a chance this season to threaten the top two places. At the very least we should have been comfortable in the play-offs. At the moment we may not make the play-offs. We have a striker crisis that strangely has not been addressed and this inability to score goals could cost us.
We are limping towards the finishing line, just like last season. Not very encouraging.

 

[Brighton Mod]

I read all of that and came to the conclusion that you are bonkers.

Sets low standards and obviously fails to achieve them.

 

[Brighton Mod]

We should never be content with where we are. Other clubs aren't. We should be looking to improve season after season. In the Championship, we need to be improving by 8-10 points a season. Last season we got 66 points so this season the target is 74-76 points. Anything less would be disappointing. We are only talking 3 more wins. Most seasons that would guarantee a play-off spot and this season is a definite. The same rate of progress would guarantee automatic promotion the following season.
Thats how you monitor progress. League position is important but the true guide is your points total.
If we get in the play-offs with 69 points, are fans going to be doing cartwheels of joy that we have improved four places? Or are they going to be saying that it was a poorer division and a three point increase over the previous season doesn't represent enough improvement?
IMHO we had a chance this season to threaten the top two places. At the very least we should have been comfortable in the play-offs. At the moment we may not make the play-offs. We have a striker crisis that strangely has not been addressed and this inability to score goals could cost us.
We are limping towards the finishing line, just like last season. Not very encouraging.

Good post,agree with the .sentiment

 

[mejonaNO12 aka riskit]

Sets low standards and obviously fails to achieve them.

What ARE you talking about?

 

[Brighton Mod]

Surely if we were serious about promotion this season then we are close enough for TB to have gone the extra mile moneywise and get it funded. The fact that we have continued on the well publicised "small team wages" "punching above our weight" etc tells me that he is not ready yet and is still building the infrastructure. Maybe next year eh?

Our chairman is nothing if not a business man, promotion would bring extra funds, why would he want to wait around another season and take a chance again?

 

[Brighton Mod]

What ARE you talking about?

Can't see why anyone would think its acceptable to hang around another season in the Championship on lower returns, as for the Chairman not going the extra mile to get us up, why would he accept another season of CHampionship income when he could have more from the prem.If our club is run like a business then we have only one objective and to get to the prem as soon as possible. AS for our manager he needs to start producing some results to secure his own future as well as getting us into the prem.

 

[sydney]

agree with the above .....if we are serious about getting into the prem ,it is there for the taking this season........we played cardiff off the park a a few weeks back, we have the ability ,we just need the belief , perhaps now we aren't live on sky we will lift our game.....we just need to have a faaakin go .

 

[mejonaNO12 aka riskit]

Can't see why anyone would think its acceptable to hang around another season in the Championship on lower returns, as for the Chairman not going the extra mile to get us up, why would he accept another season of CHampionship income when he could have more from the prem.If our club is run like a business then we have only one objective and to get to the prem as soon as possible. AS for our manager he needs to start producing some results to secure his own future as well as getting us into the prem.

I never for one moment claimed we are aiming to stay in this division, so I'm not sure why you are quoting me. Of course you want to go up, but if we don't that's still not to say we've not had a good season. We have. Achieving the playoffs is clear progression.

There's a huge difference between settling for playoffs and aiming for them. Are you honestly saying you would want Gus gone if we didn't go up? Honestly?

 

[jameswestport]

 

[jameswestport]

yes

 

[Brighton Mod]

I never for one moment claimed we are aiming to stay in this division, so I'm not sure why you are quoting me. Of course you want to go up, but if we don't that's still not to say we've not had a good season. We have. Achieving the playoffs is clear progression.

There's a huge difference between settling for playoffs and aiming for them. Are you honestly saying you would want Gus gone if we didn't go up? Honestly?

Accepting a playoff position but not winning is the same as aiming to stay where we are. WE may gain more points than last year, that remains to be seen, so we can judge in terms of that, but surely you're not saying that recent performances are acceptable, did you go to Bristol? I do believe that our manager needs to bring more than he has recently done and keep his thoughts private and his mind on getting us to the prem. If what I have said is lost in someway
then I apologise but it is my opinion that I have only seen one team in the Championship better than us both home and away all season and that was Watford at home. Poyet has the tools, the support of a great chairman and hugely enthusiastic crowd, which includes me.
'There is a tide in the affairs of men, which taken at the flood can lead to great fortune'

 

[TWOCHOICEStom]

I think people get too easily worried. With our stadium, following and setup we will be in the Premiership in years to come. How many? No idea, but there's no doubt that the club will be there in the relatively near future.

 

[Mo Gosfield]

I think people get too easily worried. With our stadium, following and setup we will be in the Premiership in years to come. How many? No idea, but there's no doubt that the club will be there in the relatively near future.

Its not about getting worried too easily, its all about now. We all knew we needed to consolidate last season, which we did. We fell away after flirting with the play-off positions..disappointing but acceptable. Now, we have had a good look at the Championship and there ain't a lot to fear. There are a lot of teams all much of a muchness. All pretty similar in ability. We have beaten Hull and Watford, who are vying for automatic promotion and taken 4 points off Champions elect Cardiff.
We should be right up there now. Clubs in this division respect and fear Brighton. On our day, we can play any team in this division off the park. So why do we have to wait? Norwich and Soton didn't. They both brushed straight through without any bother. Forget any longer term plans, if the opportunity is there, grab it with both hands. They are now nicely ensconced in the PL and earning the big bucks.
Football isn't a waiting game. Its all about today, not tomorrow. All the time you are staying put, someone else is going past you.
I still believe we should have been threatening the top two this season not hovering on the fringes of the play-offs. How many times have we played away this season, dominated games for long spells and still only drawn or lost? How many teams have genuinely been better than us and dominated us over 90 mins? Blackpool away, Watford at home...thats about it.
Yes, luck comes into it and we've been unlucky with injuries ( particularly to strikers ) but other clubs suffer as well and make contingency plans.
This may be our best chance to go up this season, than in the next 2-3 years. Who is there to fear in the play-offs? Watford, yes, but we may miss them. Over two legs, we are capable of beating Hull, Forest, Leicester and Bolton and on our day, we can also win a one-off final.
I am not worried just concerned that we don't make the most of this opportunity. Tomorrow is another day.

 

[goldstone]

My Reading-supporting friend enjoyed the first of their two recent flirtations with the Premier League. Big clubs coming to the Madjeski; chance to watch his team at Anfield, Old Trafford, Stamford Bridge, The Emirates, White Hart Lane, etc. Getting beaten regularly was the only downer, followed of course by relegation.

This season however is different. The constant defeats are depressing; being bottom of the league is depressing; he would like to have 3pm Saturday games back; the ticket prices at some away stadiums are outrageous.

Asked the question, he said he would rather be competing at the top of the Championship (great league) than floundering in the Prem.

Just some reflections to think about.

 

[mejonaNO12 aka riskit]

he would like to have 3pm Saturday games back; .

That's lucky they are playing at 3pm on Saturday at home to Liverpool then...

 

[mune ni kamome]

Does anyone think we've been beaten by the long winter and cold spell? Given the usual mild winters and a half decent Spring, would the Spanish contingent have expressed themselves more danced and jinked their way to victory even up in the grim north.

 

[banjo]

It's better than last season so that's progress.

 

[Brighton Mod]

Its not about getting worried too easily, its all about now. We all knew we needed to consolidate last season, which we did. We fell away after flirting with the play-off positions..disappointing but acceptable. Now, we have had a good look at the Championship and there ain't a lot to fear. There are a lot of teams all much of a muchness. All pretty similar in ability. We have beaten Hull and Watford, who are vying for automatic promotion and taken 4 points off Champions elect Cardiff.
We should be right up there now. Clubs in this division respect and fear Brighton. On our day, we can play any team in this division off the park. So why do we have to wait? Norwich and Soton didn't. They both brushed straight through without any bother. Forget any longer term plans, if the opportunity is there, grab it with both hands. They are now nicely ensconced in the PL and earning the big bucks.
Football isn't a waiting game. Its all about today, not tomorrow. All the time you are staying put, someone else is going past you.
I still believe we should have been threatening the top two this season not hovering on the fringes of the play-offs. How many times have we played away this season, dominated games for long spells and still only drawn or lost? How many teams have genuinely been better than us and dominated us over 90 mins? Blackpool away, Watford at home...thats about it.
Yes, luck comes into it and we've been unlucky with injuries ( particularly to strikers ) but other clubs suffer as well and make contingency plans.
This may be our best chance to go up this season, than in the next 2-3 years. Who is there to fear in the play-offs? Watford, yes, but we may miss them. Over two legs, we are capable of beating Hull, Forest, Leicester and Bolton and on our day, we can also win a one-off final.
I am not worried just concerned that we don't make the most of this opportunity. Tomorrow is another day.

Very succinct, its just as you put it, even Shakespeare got it with his quote. To stay in Championship another year will actually cost the club more. We should go for it this season, otherwise whats the point of competing?

 

[marshy68]

I think we may be approaching a crossroads.

Miss out on promotion and I reckon it's goodbye to Gus and a few of our top players. Means a season of rebuilding next year.

Go up, and I don't think we'll survive (actually I think all three promoted teams this year will probably come down, whoever they are). Yes, we'll pocket a big parachute payment, but again it will mean the loss of our best players, including some of the new faces we'd have signed for the Premiership, as well as Gus if he's still here. Means a season of rebuilding the year after next.

There are positives as well as negatives to either outcome. But whatever happens next, I think we'll be seeing some big changes. I'm happy to enjoy the ride, but I really hope we don't take any decisions that jeopardise the financial health of the club.

I think you make a very important point. Obvioulsy a lot will depend on what happens during the summer - personally i would not be too dissappointed if we dont go up vial the play offs. However, assuming we are in the Champoinship next season it will be a pivitol summer if Poyet stays and we retain Spanish Dave, Bridge, maybe Upson and sign Dick Van Dyke and a combative midifielder - I would be very confident of us being close to a automatic promotion. I think the division will be weaker next season looking at who will probably be promoted/relegated into the champoinship. Having said that if poyet goes we could loose some key players as well.

However we will be a very attractive proposition to manage. Interesting times and but i am overal happy with the progress we are making.