[Albion] Is the Prem even worth staying in?

[Weststander]

One even won the league recently! Also look at Swansea's transformation, weren't they in Div3 in around1995 then less then about 5-6 years later in Europe? OK this season isn't going great for them, but its not over yet. They have pretty much become an established Premier League team really imo.

And Carlos's tactics of park the bus with everyone back for 90 minutes (he admitted this), then try and nick a winner strategy, is already working. CH uses the same, but our Championship experience defence has leaked goals for the last 3 months.

 

[el punal]

Doesn't matter what league you're in, losing and not scoring isn't much fun to watch every week. Looking forward to relegation and not becoming a Sunderland or Wigan.

Why do you actually bother supporting the club then? Or do you?

 

[Withdean]

And Carlos's park the bus with everyone back for 90 minutes (he admitted this) tactics, and try and nick a winner strategy, is already working. CH uses the same, but our Championship experience defence has leaked goals for the last 3 months.

The bigger problem is our lack of goals.
You only need one to win.

 

[Marshy]

Get a grip man. Stay up and improve gradually. Might get to the stage where we win as many as we lose.

 

[Bold Seagull]

To cross reference to another thread, it's not worth staying in if you're not going to give it a go. If you're going to welcome the players, management and fans of the opposition, request their shirts, stick their overflow in our end and generally treat them like Greek Gods then you have no belief. With no belief the best you're hoping for in this league is not getting battered and finishing 17th. Ten years of that will have me taking up crochet. The average crowd at that point will probably be about 15K and the half and half scarf sales people will have long disappeared back to their caravans.

Have a go. Don't die wondering. Ten more repeat seasons of this season will finish me off as a football fan. It might only take two or three. And that's exactly what the powers that be want.

Are you still bitter about one kid and his uncle from Saturday?

Home games for the most part have been really enjoyable games of football. Lots of chances, lots of goals, and mainly entertaining. We've not been able to finish chances, but we've been having a go at every team. Just happens every team is packed with quality across the park.

Wasn't it just the same through the 00s getting up from Div3 to Div2 only to struggle each time or cling on for survival. What is the difference? Just the same as any side going up a division and clinging on in that first season up.

I've been enjoying it. Enjoying seeing the world's best at the Amex, enjoying seeing us up against the best sides in the land. Some disappointing results, would have loved more goals, but that's football. Looking back over the last 30 years, can we honestly say this season is that bad? Seriously?

 

[8049]

I worded it wrongly for sure, as if we stay up it means we would have put in some decent performances and been entertaining. But just about surviving every year, or aiming to finish 12th doesn't fill me with much enjoyment. Maybe I've been treated to too much the last few seasons

I've thought about this a lot. I think enjoying football is bound up with two things: playing enjoyable, winning football is one, making progress up the ladder is the other. For clubs like us, we'll struggle to get both and in the Premier League we might get neither. There's still a bit further we can go in terms of progress - as seems generally accepted here we can realistically aim to match Southampton, Burnley, etc and target top 8. Alongside that we will can hope to play enjoyable football because the quality of player we can get in will be higher than we've had for 35 years. But we simply won't win as much.

Which would I prefer? I honestly don't know - gradual improvement in the Premier League is great as the quality of football and footballer I've seen from us this season is brilliant despite losing but I wouldn't be devastated if we have more seasons in the Championship as it's nice to win regularly.

It's a tricky one and proof that the PL isn't really the promised land - and the journey will probably be much more fun than the destination. You have to spend most of the extra money you get to try and stay there and unless you're top 6 there's no chance of any real progression once you're there.

 

[Guinness Boy]

Are you still bitter about one kid and his uncle from Saturday?

"Still"? I wrote that four days ago. But, yes, I don't want Chelsea fans in our end taking up tickets that Brighton fans could be using.

Home games for the most part have been really enjoyable games of football. Lots of chances, lots of goals, and mainly entertaining. We've not been able to finish chances, but we've been having a go at every team. Just happens every team is packed with quality across the park.

Wasn't it just the same through the 00s getting up from Div3 to Div2 only to struggle each time or cling on for survival. What is the difference? Just the same as any side going up a division and clinging on in that first season up.

I've been enjoying it. Enjoying seeing the world's best at the Amex, enjoying seeing us up against the best sides in the land. Some disappointing results, would have loved more goals, but that's football. Looking back over the last 30 years, can we honestly say this season is that bad? Seriously?

Again "this season" isn't that bad but repeat this season for another 10 years? I'm out.

 

[Stat Brother]

Again "this season" isn't that bad but repeat this season for another 10 years? I'm out.

In that time TB could have £10,000,000,000 passing through the club.

I'll hazard a guess we'll see some improvement, who knows we might even get a season ticket price freeze.

 

[Tom Hark Preston Park]

Back in August, in the space of a week, we had Atletico de Madrid and Manchester City rock up at the Amex. OK,I know one of those was a meaningless friendly, but if these are the kind of occasions you don't relish because we may in all likelihood get beat (we did, but we gave it a noble go in both matches) then maybe football isn't the game for you. There was much to enjoy in the Chelsea game, despite the result.

 

[Stat Brother]

Back in August, in the space of a week, we had Atletico de Madrid and Manchester City rock up at the Amex. If these are the kind of occasions you don't relish because you may in all likelihood get beat (we did, but we gave it a noble go in both matches) then maybe football isn't the game for you.

Ah the halcyon days of summer.

Back in the good old days we could legitimately write:-

'we'd have won if our 'keeper was normal sized'

 

[Bold Seagull]

"Still"? I wrote that four days ago. But, yes, I don't want Chelsea fans in our end taking up tickets that Brighton fans could be using.

Again "this season" isn't that bad but repeat this season for another 10 years? I'm out.

Where are these Brighton fans then that couldn't get tickets? I've been getting tickets for my Mum and Dad who are not Brighton fans, last minute in some cases and its not been sold out. You can go on the website now and get tickets for most home games. Whenever we've sold out it will be because lots of other people are attending. We were storming the Championship 2 seasons running, winning for fun and we could only sell out a handful of games. I don't think any Brighton fans are being prevented from going if they wanted to go.

This season isn't over yet... We could end up mid table, score a hatful of goals, careful what you wish for.

 

[Guinness Boy]

In that time TB could have £10,000,000,000 passing through the club.

I'll hazard a guess we'll see some improvement, who knows we might even get a season ticket price freeze.

I'm going to be uber cynical here but perhaps that reflects my less-than-sunny first impression of the Premier League.

However much Tony spends, Man City will spend more. However strong and stable our manager some oligarch or Middle Eastern country will get a better one. If our new striker really is the real deal he'll be off to the top six in two seasons max. However good our midfield becomes players like Coutinho and Hazard will make them look like mugs.

Meanwhile we'll be fleeced for every last penny just to keep up, our season tickets will continue to buy 19 games instead of 23, big away games will be impossible to get to, small away games will become increasingly abandoned, writers, photographers and video editors will be ruthlessly pursued and games could occur at almost any point between 7.45 Friday and 8.00 Monday.

A quarter of the season will still occur between August and the end of November and the next quarter between the end of November and New Year's Day. We'll still have sod all evening home games.

I miss Tuesday night football with my mates, I miss the non-stop rush of the Championship and the ability to very quickly get back on the horse and turn around a disappointment. I miss being able to plan to go to grounds like Craven Cottage. Most of all I miss winning at home in front of a proper, partisan Brighton crowd.

Where are these Brighton fans then that couldn't get tickets? I've been getting tickets for my Mum and Dad who are not Brighton fans, last minute in some cases and its not been sold out. You can go on the website now and get tickets for most home games. Whenever we've sold out it will be because lots of other people are attending. We were storming the Championship 2 seasons running, winning for fun and we could only sell out a handful of games. I don't think any Brighton fans are being prevented from going if they wanted to go.

This season isn't over yet... We could end up mid table, score a hatful of goals, careful what you wish for.

Partly see above. We'll only really know the answer to fans being able to get tickets if we had a proper working ticket exchange. As it is any Tom Dick or Harry can borrow them unless they're stupid enough to publicise it on here. A mate of mine "can" get tickets for Arsenal home games but missed their game with us as they were going for £120 due to being snapped up by Japanse tourists. We all know there weren't 56000 Arsenal fans at that game either and how silent they were yet they turn up at Cup Finals and make a bit of noise. Careful what you wish for too.

 

[Stat Brother]

I'm going to be uber cynical here but perhaps that reflects my less-than-sunny first impression of the Premier League.

However much Tony spends, Man City will spend more. However strong and stable our manager some oligarch or Middle Eastern country will get a better one. If our new striker really is the real deal he'll be off to the top six in two seasons max. However good our midfield becomes players like Coutinho and Hazard will make them look like mugs.

Meanwhile we'll be fleeced for every last penny just to keep up, our season tickets will continue to buy 19 games instead of 23, big away games will be impossible to get to, small away games will become increasingly abandoned, writers, photographers and video editors will be ruthlessly pursued and games could occur at almost any point between 7.45 Friday and 8.00 Monday.

A quarter of the season will still occur between August and the end of November and the next quarter between the end of November and New Year's Day. We'll still have sod all evening home games.

I miss Tuesday night football with my mates, I miss the non-stop rush of the Championship and the ability to very quickly get back on the horse and turn around a disappointment. I miss being able to plan to go to grounds like Craven Cottage. Most of all I miss winning at home in front of a proper, partisan Brighton crowd.



Partly see above. We'll only really know the answer to fans being able to get tickets if we had a proper working ticket exchange. As it is any Tom Dick or Harry can borrow them unless they're stupid enough to publicise it on here. A mate of mine "can" get tickets for Arsenal home games but missed their game with us as they were going for £120 due to being snapped up by Japanse tourists. We all know there weren't 56000 Arsenal fans at that game either and how silent they were yet they turn up at Cup Finals and make a bit of noise. Careful what you wish for too.

Then modern football and now The Albion have moved to a place no longer accessible to you.
That's ok there's a few on here you can join up with.

On a level I can see their (your) point of view, but unlike them I also remember the decades of mediocre shite I forced myself to watch with 5-10,000 other silent souls.

I am currently enjoying The Albion in the Premier League, and long my it continue.

 

[Invicta]

Journey very possibly better than the destination. But once you are there you have to want to stay up. Imagine the scenes at the last home game if we do - be like the game v Stockport at Withdean times ten !

 

[Bold Seagull]

Partly see above. We'll only really know the answer to fans being able to get tickets if we had a proper working ticket exchange. As it is any Tom Dick or Harry can borrow them unless they're stupid enough to publicise it on here. A mate of mine "can" get tickets for Arsenal home games but missed their game with us as they were going for £120 due to being snapped up by Japanse tourists. We all know there weren't 56000 Arsenal fans at that game either and how silent they were yet they turn up at Cup Finals and make a bit of noise. Careful what you wish for too.

The ticket exchange does work, I've got tickets through it, but it has not been needed until a week or so before most games as we haven't sold all our tickets on general sale. So currently, as long as you have a fan number, or paid to become a member, any Brighton fan can get tickets by purchasing from the club without borrowing STs of friends or family. Cup finals are surely like away games, the only fans getting tickets are mostly those with loyalty points, so you end up with your hardcore fans hopefully.

We're not a 30k die hard fan base club, never have been. Did you not think we are a proper partisan home crowd for the wins against West Brom, Newcastle and Watford?

 

[Guinness Boy]

Then modern football and now The Albion have moved to a place no longer accessible to you.
That's ok there's a few on here you can join up with.

On a level I can see their (your) point of view, but unlike them I also remember the decades of mediocre shite I forced myself to watch with 5-10,000 other silent souls.

I am currently enjoying The Albion in the Premier League, and long my it continue.

You've given a binary position to something that's far more complicated. If we went down I'd enjoy the Championship a lot more but it would partly be the adrenaline rush involved in being (hopefully) towards the top which of course would ultimately lead us back to......being in the Premier League with Championship players. I just want to be very clear that I go to Brighton games to watch Brighton play, not the opposition and sit with Brighton fans, not the opposition. If I want to fawn over world class players there's the telly or trips abroad.

 

[Stat Brother]

You've given a binary position to something that's far more complicated. If we went down I'd enjoy the Championship a lot more but it would partly be the adrenaline rush involved in being (hopefully) towards the top which of course would ultimately lead us back to......being in the Premier League with Championship players. I just want to be very clear that I go to Brighton games to watch Brighton play, not the opposition and sit with Brighton fans, not the opposition. If I want to fawn over world class players there's the telly or trips abroad.

But because of modern football being competitive in the Championship costs between £30-£40 million.

You can't have it both ways.
You hope to be a good Championship side and still have a football club x years down the line.

 

[Guinness Boy]

But because of modern football being competitive in the Championship costs between £30-£40 million.

You can't have it both ways.
You hope to be a good Championship side and still have a football club x years down the line.

And the last Championship side to go bust was.....?

 

[PoG]

Every game feels like a must win game, I'm enjoying it very much.

 

[Wozza]

A few wins and we'd all be feeling differently, especially when we start taking points off the top six (caveat: the latter might not be this season).