Is Wilkins under-estimating how poor we actually were?

[Napper]

Wilkins has made 2 good signings. I fear we are more than 2 players short of anything average though.
I hope and pray DW is the man. If we are struggling then he will have to go by Christmas. Last season will be forgiven by the fans but believe me it's won't be forgotten unless we are mid table or above this year

 

[Lokki 7]

I thought this was a board for Brighton SUPPORTERS. Even the palace lot on here are more supportive than some of you moaners.

 

[Dick Knights Mumm]

I thought this was a board for Brighton SUPPORTERS. Even the palace lot on here are more supportive than some of you moaners.

Amazing isn't it. We have a young manager, lots of potential, who loves our club - and he hasn't even had a full season.

 

[Lokki 7]

Amazing isn't it. We have a young manager, lots of potential, who loves our club - and he hasn't even had a full season.

I know, it's unbelievable. If DW were to get us to the Champions League final in 5 years time where we lose on penalties, you can be sure that the same people will be on here the next morning having a go at "clueless" Wilkins for not doing enough penalty taking practice.

 

[Braders]

as i've said before and said again

with this squad and management you see before you i really think we can get promoted , nothing in this league strikes me as difficult but we just started badly and went downhill when the team were in limbo after the McGhee exit

i believe Wilkins CAN do the job at this level , ok he will struggle no doubt when we get back to the Championship but if he gets us there he deserves a crack at it for definite

lets see which faces get bought in before the season starts before you lot get all doom and gloom yeah?

 

[the right footed denilson]

as i've said before and said again

with this squad and management you see before you i really think we can get promoted , nothing in this league strikes me as difficult but we just started badly and went downhill when the team were in limbo after the McGhee exit

i believe Wilkins CAN do the job at this level , ok he will struggle no doubt when we get back to the Championship but if he gets us there he deserves a crack at it for definite

lets see which faces get bought in before the season starts before you lot get all doom and gloom yeah?

Completely agree Braders. Losing Bertin is a big blow and i'd like him replaced BUT if we can keep keep players fit and our strikers keep scoring i can see us doing suprisingly well. Certainly we have more chance of getting a play-off place than being relegated. Too many people on here are reactive. They don't actually think about it just go 'uh, we struggled last year and we is shit and uh, Wilkins can't be a good manager because he hasnt doen it before and ugh Forster won't score because he is old and ugh Cox and Hammond arn't two of the best midfielders in the league and ugh Lynch isn't wanted by a host of better clubs...'

 

[Dave the OAP]

as i've said before and said again

with this squad and management you see before you i really think we can get promoted , nothing in this league strikes me as difficult but we just started badly and went downhill when the team were in limbo after the McGhee exit

i believe Wilkins CAN do the job at this level , ok he will struggle no doubt when we get back to the Championship but if he gets us there he deserves a crack at it for definite

lets see which faces get bought in before the season starts before you lot get all doom and gloom yeah?

NURSE!!!!

Seriously, I think we are three players short of being a team capable of winning the division, or at least getting to the play-offs.

A decent goalkeeper ( I am a Kuips fan, however for all his shot stopping ability, he is injury prone, sucessive managers have had their doubts I do not think he is the one)
A good creative midfielder. we have lost two reasonable players in Bertin ( although he was more a stopper) and Frutos. I am not convinced El Abd can do the role Bertin was capable of and in that case I think Reid and Hammond will struggle for space.

Forward/attacking winger. I am not convinced at all Robinson is a winger, perhaps against the likes of Worthing and Bognor, but NOT against the Likes of Leeds and Notts Forest. Elder is untried, gatting still young, Baz - well Baz is Baz - that leaves Revell and Forster as our attacking options. Hopefully Revell is now recovered from his injury as last season it was obvious he had not! and lets hope Forster can remain injury free. Cox is the difficult one...on his day he is brilliant, otherwise very ordinary. Lets hope he has many many "good days"

Personally, I would like to see a loan keeper, perhaps from the Championship, a young midfielder or two hopefully from the premiership and a young hungry to impress striker - perhaps someone from Arsenal or Chelsea.

Trouble is that applies to every club outside the Premiership!!!

I am not being negative at all, I just feel that the nucleus of the side that played so badly last year is still being touted as league winners and that is folly!!!!

 

[withdeanwombat]

"After a disastrous start to the season and last night's home debacle against Bristol Rovers,Albion manager Dean Wilkins has been relieved of his duties.In a remarkable coincidence,Mark McGhee lost the job after a game at Bristol City last season.Chairman Dick Knight said today that Wilkins was an honest man who had been found wanting at this level.An experienced manager had been approached and promised a generous transfer fund in the expectation that the Albion could catch the teams above them and remain in this division.

Crowds at the Withdean have fallen to a miserly average of 2764,and the lack of either home wins or home goals has depressed support despite the Falmer boost.

Ironically,Motherwell are currently third in the Scottish premiership,enjoying a brilliant start under Mark McGhee."

BBC News/sport.7/10/07.

 

[byf]

Anyone who thinks we are going to set this league alight is very much mistaken....where is the quality in the side..?

We dont have a jermaine Beckford or Billy sharp...like scunny did!

If we can get lets say a fit bowditch and a centre mid from a prem side...then lets start talking playoff's...but with this currant crop and wilkins in charge its a mid-table.....dissapointing 14th-15th

 

[Seagullible]

NURSE!!!!

Seriously, I think we are three players short of being a team capable of winning the division, or at least getting to the play-offs.

A decent goalkeeper ( I am a Kuips fan, however for all his shot stopping ability, he is injury prone, sucessive managers have had their doubts I do not think he is the one)
A good creative midfielder. we have lost two reasonable players in Bertin ( although he was more a stopper) and Frutos. I am not convinced El Abd can do the role Bertin was capable of and in that case I think Reid and Hammond will struggle for space.

Forward/attacking winger. I am not convinced at all Robinson is a winger, perhaps against the likes of Worthing and Bognor, but NOT against the Likes of Leeds and Notts Forest. Elder is untried, gatting still young, Baz - well Baz is Baz - that leaves Revell and Forster as our attacking options. Hopefully Revell is now recovered from his injury as last season it was obvious he had not! and lets hope Forster can remain injury free. Cox is the difficult one...on his day he is brilliant, otherwise very ordinary. Lets hope he has many many "good days"

Personally, I would like to see a loan keeper, perhaps from the Championship, a young midfielder or two hopefully from the premiership and a young hungry to impress striker - perhaps someone from Arsenal or Chelsea.

Trouble is that applies to every club outside the Premiership!!!

I am not being negative at all, I just feel that the nucleus of the side that played so badly last year is still being touted as league winners and that is folly!!!!

fair comments though don't think another striker is needed and I doubt anyone would come on loan to be an understudy to Kuipers, would prefer to see us look at signing a youngish keeper on his way up

 

[Seagullible]

Anyone who thinks we are going to set this league alight is very much mistaken....where is the quality in the side..?

We dont have a jermaine Beckford or Billy sharp...like scunny did!

If we can get lets say a fit bowditch and a centre mid from a prem side...then lets start talking playoff's...but with this currant crop and wilkins in charge its a mid-table.....dissapointing 14th-15th

been watching football long enough to know that what you have said can be ignored. I know we do have quality in the side and if we work as a team and play our part as SUPPORTES we will do well

 

[byf]

been watching football long enough to know that what you have said can be ignored. I know we do have quality in the side and if we work as a team and play our part as SUPPORTES we will do well

I'm glad you've been watching football long enough...

That means you will know it takes a good squad/side to get out of this division..and a good manager to lead them.

You watched us last season did you....? You see how AWFUL we were did you?

How tactically inept wilkins looked at times.....

I'm not all doom and gloom and very much pray that the boys do well and we can have a successful season and my feeling will change a lot if we can bring in a couple more decent faces that can make a big impact...but if not wilkins will be gone by oct/nov....just my opinion!

I hope I'm wrong

 

[The Large One]

The knockers on here are working on the assumption that there is going to be no improvement in the first team's application, determination, skills and desire this coming season.

This is Dean's first opportunity to take a good run really at bedding in all of his ideas and making them work with the squad at his disposal - a squad, incidentally he is busting his bollocks to try and improve by further acquisitions.

He knows that last season's home performances were a disgrace and he is no going to accept that sort of thing this season. However, he is mindful that we had a much better away record and is often keen to stress just how important support on the road is.

Dean IS a very good manager and coach, and comparisons with McGhee are completely pointless, as are last season's results. That was then - this is now. The players are very much enjoying training, and a champing at the bit to get the season started. There is genuine optimism in the squad founded on their own sense of self-belief.

I kind of agree with DtG, but I would argue that the spine of the team is not too bad. Kuipers in goal, Butters/Lynch in defence, Hammond in midfield and Forster up front, is pretty reasonable. Everyone else has to now has to prove it.

 

[byf]

Quick question..mr large one.

How have you come across the basis that Dean Wilkins is a 'VERY GOOD MANAGER'....

How are you coming to this conclusion?

 

[Dave the OAP]

fair comments though don't think another striker is needed and I doubt anyone would come on loan to be an understudy to Kuipers, would prefer to see us look at signing a youngish keeper on his way up

not to be understudy, but to replace him!

 

[Seagullible]

not to be understudy, but to replace him!

eventually yes, Kuipers is gettign on, but I'd like to see someone come in as number 2 to put pressure on and take no1 just avoiding the hissy fits la Henderson

 

[The Large One]

Quick question..mr large one.

How have you come across the basis that Dean Wilkins is a 'VERY GOOD MANAGER'....

How are you coming to this conclusion?

Without wishing to be too indiscrete, there have been certain individuals - at least one that I hear apocryphal tales of - who needed to be settled and calmed down, lest he get into more trouble. He has the entire squad facing in the same direction (that's a similie) and the players are enjoying themselves. He is offloading players who don't want to step up to the plate (Frutos, Henderson), and managing to acquire some players previously might have been unobtainable. Making Dean Hammond captain last season was a masterstroke, especially after the season he'd had before. There are other examples.

I suspect you more wanted to ask how I think he is a very good coach.

There were times last season where we looked a pretty decent side. People tend to dismiss away performances and away wins, and only judge Dean on home performances. That is wrong to do so. Of course we were diabolical at home, you can't escape that, but judging on some away performances we have the makings of a very fine side. Why we couldn't do that at home - who knows? There's probably a whole fleet of reasons. That's for Dean to sort out.

He did, however, preside over a very handsome 8-0 win. It may have only been a Conference side (only two divisions below us), but I don't recall any other manager doing that for 40-odd years.

But to automatically ASSUME that Dean won't be able to work this out, and that we are relegation fodder is pure folly, and no more based on any sense of knowing as to accurately predict where we'll finish in the league.

 

[cannedheat]

Somebody has still not got over the sacking of lardy.

 

[Dick Knights Mumm]

I know, it's unbelievable. If DW were to get us to the Champions League final in 5 years time where we lose on penalties, you can be sure that the same people will be on here the next morning having a go at "clueless" Wilkins for not doing enough penalty taking practice.

As my Gran used to say "Empty vessels .............".

She could never remember the rest of it.

 

[Yorkie]

Without wishing to be too indiscrete, there have been certain individuals - at least one that I hear apocryphal tales of - who needed to be settled and calmed down, lest he get into more trouble. He has the entire squad facing in the same direction (that's a similie) and the players are enjoying themselves. He is offloading players who don't want to step up to the plate (Frutos, Henderson), and managing to acquire some players previously might have been unobtainable. Making Dean Hammond captain last season was a masterstroke, especially after the season he'd had before. There are other examples.

I suspect you more wanted to ask how I think he is a very good coach.

There were times last season where we looked a pretty decent side. People tend to dismiss away performances and away wins, and only judge Dean on home performances. That is wrong to do so. Of course we were diabolical at home, you can't escape that, but judging on some away performances we have the makings of a very fine side. Why we couldn't do that at home - who knows? There's probably a whole fleet of reasons. That's for Dean to sort out.

He did, however, preside over a very handsome 8-0 win. It may have only been a Conference side (only two divisions below us), but I don't recall any other manager doing that for 40-odd years.

But to automatically ASSUME that Dean won't be able to work this out, and that we are relegation fodder is pure folly, and no more based on any sense of knowing as to accurately predict where we'll finish in the league.

All good fair points. I agree Deano is a good coach but whether that translates to being a good manager is to be seen.
I definitely don't think we are relegation fodder but then again I can't see us getting promoted. 10-12th place is my reckoning.