It's all hard to accept on reflection this morning

[Spinal Wheels]

I find it all hard to accept what happen yesterday when you look back & reflect on our performance over the entire 46 games this season, that we should have missed out on automatic promotion be just two bloody goals.

To start the season going 21 games unbeaten, & to finish the season losing only 1 of the last 20 games. It does seem that the fatal period of the season was between mid December & mid January when in a run of just 5 games we only achived 1 draw & 4 defeats, gaining just 1 point from a possible 15.
Combine all this with the fact that we surenderd somewhere in the region of 10 points from winning positions very very late on in at least 5 games.

It does seem to have been a season of record breaking unbeaten runs, but to be the first team in over 19 years to achieve a points total of 89 & not gain automatic promotion is doulbley hard to take.

But we must now forget all this & move on to the lottery of the Play Offs, & win them. Then all the above will disappear from memory very quickly. We have to prove if there is any justification in this world of ours, that we don't fail to gain what should surely be our rightful place in the Premiership. COME ON YOU SEAGULLS

 

[Icy Gull]

I can take the pain of not winning yesterday, we were lucky not to be three down at half time. What I am still struggling with is that once we got back into the game the ref cheated us of our chance to win the game by sending off Stephens within five minutes, when it wasn't even a foul. The 10 men were magnificent it has to be said.

I think yesterday was our best chance, hopefully I am wrong.

 

[Hugo Rune]

I'm devastated about 2 things.
1. The Mike Dean show yesterday. 2. No Stephens for the play-offs (Pending appeal)

 

[West Upper Seagull]

The 2 things that remain stuck in my throat when reflecting, is that 2 p*$$ poor and inconsistent referees have cost us:

Dean yesterday - never a red in a million years.

Pawson vs Burnley - how did he not send off Barton for his repeated foul & dangerous play at the Amex. Burnley wouldn't have got back into that game if they were down to 10.

If Stephens was deemed a red then how the hell did Barton get away with the stamp on Kayal ? Did there have to be more blood involved !

 

[trueblue]

I can take the pain of not winning yesterday, we were lucky not to be three down at half time. What I am still struggling with is that once we got back into the game the ref cheated us of our chance to win the game by sending off Stephens within five minutes, when it wasn't even a foul. The 10 men were magnificent it has to be said.

I think yesterday was our best chance, hopefully I am wrong.

I'm with you on most of that but really don't buy into the 'we could have been 3 down so it's fair' argument. In every big game, against every good team, there are bound to be scares. Up to the goal, we were doing ok without looking much of a threat. They score with their first real chance and then we wobbled badly for a while - hardly surprising. It's up to the attacking team to take their chances - as we've known to our cost all too often and if they don't, anything that happens beyond that is all that counts.

 

[trueblue]

The 2 things that remain stuck in my throat when reflecting, is that 2 p*$$ poor and inconsistent referees have cost us:

Dean yesterday - never a red in a million years.

Pawson vs Burnley - how did he not send off Barton for his repeated foul & dangerous play at the Amex. Burnley wouldn't have got back into that game if they were down to 10.

If Stephens was deemed a red then how the hell did Barton get away with the stamp on Kayal ? Did there have to be more blood involved !

I'd add to that the joke last-ditch penalty at Derby.

 

[BensGrandad]

I find it all hard to accept what happen yesterday when you look back & reflect on our performance over the entire 46 games this season, that we should have missed out on automatic promotion be just two bloody goals.

To start the season going 21 games unbeaten, & to finish the season losing only 1 of the last 20 games. It does seem that the fatal period of the season was between mid December & mid January when in a run of just 5 games we only achived 1 draw & 4 defeats, gaining just 1 point from a possible 15.
Combine all this with the fact that we surenderd somewhere in the region of 10 points from winning positions very very late on in at least 5 games.

It does seem to have been a season of record breaking unbeaten runs, but to be the first team in over 19 years to achieve a points total of 89 & not gain automatic promotion is doulbley hard to take.

But we must now forget all this & move on to the lottery of the Play Offs, & win them. Then all the above will disappear from memory very quickly. We have to prove if there is any justification in this world of ours, that we don't fail to gain what should surely be our rightful place in the Premiership. COME ON YOU SEAGULLS

To finish up in the play off lottery is a huge disappointment after such a brilliant start and finish but the bad run in December /early January was 9 games with a possible 27 points of which we got 6. We will all have our own ideas of where the problem lied and at whose hands but mine is not a popular choice although well known. I do not think that it can be disputed. I am obviously hopeful for the coming games but feel that we shall not be in the position we were yesterday pre kick off for a few years. I shall still be cheering us on that is what being a supporter is all about. So onwards and upwards for hopefully 3 more games this season.

 

[Bozza]

I'm with you on most of that but really don't buy into the 'we could have been 3 down so it's fair' argument. In every big game, against every good team, there are bound to be scares. Up to the goal, we were doing ok without looking much of a threat. They score with their first real chance and then we wobbled badly for a while - hardly surprising. It's up to the attacking team to take their chances - as we've known to our cost all too often and if they don't, anything that happens beyond that is all that counts.

Agreed. The reason you equip yourself with a top 'keeper is so that you stay in games when under the cosh, and that's what Stocko did superbly.

 

[LamieRobertson]

The 2 things that remain stuck in my throat when reflecting, is that 2 p*$$ poor and inconsistent referees have cost us:

Dean yesterday - never a red in a million years.

Pawson vs Burnley - how did he not send off Barton for his repeated foul & dangerous play at the Amex. Burnley wouldn't have got back into that game if they were down to 10.

If Stephens was deemed a red then how the hell did Barton get away with the stamp on Kayal ? Did there have to be more blood involved !

How about the 'Greer' penalty at Derby

 

[BrianWade4]

I can take the pain of not winning yesterday, we were lucky not to be three down at half time. What I am still struggling with is that once we got back into the game the ref cheated us of our chance to win the game by sending off Stephens within five minutes, when it wasn't even a foul. The 10 men were magnificent it has to be said.

I think yesterday was our best chance, hopefully I am wrong.

My thoughts exactly

 

[BensGrandad]

Agreed. The reason you equip yourself with a top 'keeper is so that you stay in games when under the cosh, and that's what Stocko did superbly.

I remember sayin g once to MA about some FDM saves being remarkable and his answer was that is why he is in the team if he didnt make them he wouldnt be. The same applioes to DS who has performed well all season after a horrendous up and down start with us.

 

[Beach Hut]

If, buts and maybes - shit happens we just need to get over all of this now and get prepared for the play-offs

 

[Maldini]

The players now have to get themselves up for a potential 3 games.It's not easy having to get yourself up to go through it
all again for the play-offs but they have to be professional about it.

Wednesday have the mental advantage but hopefully come Friday I would have expected our players to have
got over yesterday.

We were superb when down to 10 men and need to play with that spirit.

Am a little bored now of the media hysteria since Boro got promoted.
If I hear another mention about how Boro needed this to lift the town,no jobs,
it's grim up north chuck and all that I'll go spare.

Brighton deserved and needed to go up just as much as anyone else.
Excuse us if in the south we have more of a life,more jobs,more money,no cloth caps
or trouble at mill but that's life.Get over it.

 

[Bozza]

The players now have to get themselves up for a potential 3 games.It's not easy having to get yourself up to go through it
all again for the play-offs but they have to be professional about it.

Wednesday have the mental advantage but hopefully come Friday I would have expected our players to have
got over yesterday.

We were superb when down to 10 men and need to play with that spirit.

Am a little bored now of the media hysteria since Boro got promoted.
If I hear another mention about how Boro needed this to lift the town,no jobs,
it's grim up north chuck and all that I'll go spare.

Brighton deserved and needed to go up just as much as anyone else.
Excuse us if in the south we have more of a life,more jobs,more money,no cloth caps
or trouble at mill but that's life.Get over it.

I have no doubt they could raise themselves for Wembley should we get there.

My fear is they won't be able to get into shape for the play-off semis and, given how I feel this morning, I couldn't blame them.

 

[trueblue]

Agreed. The reason you equip yourself with a top 'keeper is so that you stay in games when under the cosh, and that's what Stocko did superbly.

Serious question.. For all this talk about how much under the cosh we were, did he actually have to make a save? The one in the second half was a blinder but wouldn't have counted anyway as the flag was up (although Dean probably would have over-ruled that). In the first half, I can only think of the Goldson clearance of a goal-bound effort and that's it. Otherwise they looked the more likely to score first half and had a couple of threatening opportunities but just made a hash of them. Maybe I've forgotten some though..

 

[Maldini]

I have no doubt they could raise themselves for Wembley should we get there.

My fear is they won't be able to get into shape for the play-off semis and, given how I feel this morning, I couldn't blame them.

The beauty of playing Wednesday is not only that we are better than them but we don't go into the game behind.
We have been behind Boro and Burnley the last few weeks always playing catch-up.We were behind Boro yesterday.
On Friday we will be on equal terms.

 

[LamieRobertson]

If, buts and maybes - shit happens we just need to get over all of this now and get prepared for the play-offs

Give it until Monday/Tuesday

 

[Not Andy Naylor]

There are so many key moments you can point to - losing the lead at Bolton, Hemed's penalty at Wolves, Ince's backpass at Derby, Dunk's red card at QPR - but also MK's penalty miss, Sidwell's late winner at Forest, Bobby Z at Leeds. Would we have won if Stephens had stayed on? Who knows?

We knew the rules at the beginning of the season - finish in the top two or it's the play-offs. That's where we are, so let's go again. I was gutted at 2.30 yesterday and would almost have preferred the season to end there. But now I feel much more positive about the play-offs, and I imagine the players will be the same. There'll never be a better time to get our first win at Hillsborough.

 

[Tom Hark Preston Park]

I can take the pain of not winning yesterday, we were lucky not to be three down at half time.

Ain't THAT the truth. Luckily Boro were piss poor at delivering the final ball to a player standing square on goal in acres of unmarked space. The score flattered us bigtime.

 

[Tricky Dicky]

I find it all hard to accept what happen yesterday when you look back & reflect on our performance over the entire 46 games this season, that we should have missed out on automatic promotion be just two bloody goals.

To start the season going 21 games unbeaten, & to finish the season losing only 1 of the last 20 games. It does seem that the fatal period of the season was between mid December & mid January when in a run of just 5 games we only achived 1 draw & 4 defeats, gaining just 1 point from a possible 15.
Combine all this with the fact that we surenderd somewhere in the region of 10 points from winning positions very very late on in at least 5 games.

It does seem to have been a season of record breaking unbeaten runs, but to be the first team in over 19 years to achieve a points total of 89 & not gain automatic promotion is doulbley hard to take.

But we must now forget all this & move on to the lottery of the Play Offs, & win them. Then all the above will disappear from memory very quickly. We have to prove if there is any justification in this world of ours, that we don't fail to gain what should surely be our rightful place in the Premiership. COME ON YOU SEAGULLS

Two teams are ahead of us in the table. Get over it.