[Albion] Lose against Grimsby or lose in the semi?

[GT49er]

Wembley is a neutral stadium.

Yes - and it's the wrong one for semi-finals.

 

[Swansman]

To be honest I think we can beat either of them. We are certainly good enough and I think both teams are a bit scared of us too. This is a really good opportunity to win the first bit of decent silverware since 1910.

Should have a psychological advantage against United but Manchester City... would be lovely if they can be avoided. I know they've had some poor results this season but every time I watch them I get the feeling that "if they want to win this, they win it". They just can't be arsed breaking down 10 men defenses every game. I think they absolutely love playing against Brighton.

 

[kjgood]

Why shouldnt we dream as much as Grimsby? We havent ever won anything apart from leagues on the way up and the charity shield way back when before it became what it is today.

I want to go to Wembley and win something and display the triangle on our corner flags. So no, sod fixture congestion, beat Grimsby, beat whoever comes next (Bound to be City), and go for a win at Wembley.

 

[The Grockle]

I'd much rather we lost in the semi.

I still refuse to go to any Albion game at Wembley that isn't a final.

It might be I die without ever seeing us there but for me, a Wembley win without a trophy at the end is ridiculous.

 

[HCxUK]

Losing at home to a L2 team in the FA Cup quarter finals would not be a good thing under any circumstances.

 

[pure_white]

bizarre thinking get some CBT OP. I want us to win every single game so Im not thinking of losing any game!

 

[Swansman]

bizarre thinking get some CBT OP. I want us to win every single game so Im not thinking of losing any game!

I don't know if I find it particularly bizarre to imagine a possibility of Brighton losing a game every now and then despite wanting to win every single game.

 

[Hamilton]

I so wish the semi-final (if we get there) was not at Wembley.

But in answer to the question. Beat Grimsby, see who we get. What happens in the semi is immaterial right now.

 

[The Seagull]

Naturally the best option for Brighton would be to win the whole damn cup.

But if we pretend this is not a possibility: would you rather go out against Grimsby or against say City in the semi-final?

I'm thinking:

Grimsby
+ It would be very fun with a League Two team in a FA Cup semi
+ Would mean a game less, which could be pretty huge actually
+ Limited risk they will be in the same division as Brighton any time soon so wouldn't have to face their
- Humiliating
- Not very good for the self-confidence
- Its fecking Grimsby and would feel like a missed opportunity... big time

Manchester Something
+ There are certainly excuses and it is very easy to shrug after a loss against City
+ The whole thing about being in semi-final is perhaps not the biggest thing ever but looks quite nice on paper
+ Some young players will get a lot of experience from playing a game like that
- Fecking pointless with another game, especially with the fixture congestion
- It sure is a bit of a "false hope" situation
- Easy to think cups and whatnot are quite meaningless afterwards because these monsters always win it

In this very hypothetical scenario... I think losing to Grimsby would be preferable. I hate the games against Manchester City... just feels utterly pointless most of the time. Teams that take points from them generally defend with 11 players with the odd counter, and Brighton can't play that sort of football, so City go two or three goals up before half time and then just snooze out the second half. Its utterly shite.

Might be a difficult choice... Maybe just winning the whole shit is just the best solution to it.

You’ve got a lot of time on your hands haven’t you ?

 

[Swansman]

You’ve got a lot of time on your hands haven’t you ?

I think you might have asked me that from one of your other accounts.

I fully understand that writing 300 words would take a lot of time, energy and effort for some people - you included. For me it takes about five minutes. (to give you a hint of how long that is, go through the alphabet once).

But yeah I do have a lot of time on my hands. I generally prefer it above having a lot of hands on my time.

 

[Bodian]

Devils advocate here, say we beat Grimsby and Fulham beat United, would you rather play at Wembley or Tottenham in the semi?

Selhurst Park surely?

 

[Bodian]

But yeah I do have a lot of time on my hands. I generally prefer it above having a lot of hands on my time.

That's actually quite good - is it one of your own?

Reminds me of Orson Welles (I think) who was asked about drinking and said that he'd rather have a full bottle in front of me than a full frontal lobotomy.

 

[Dirty Dave]

Beat Grimsby and lose semi final no doubt what so ever.

A lower league team going far in the Cup is what it's all about. But not at our expense thank you very much.

It would just feel like a hugely missed opportunity and what might have been...

If Grimsby were to beat us then I'll have no interest in the rest of the competition. Well maybe a little if they reach the final and I've stopped sulking by then

 

[dangull]

Should have a psychological advantage against United but Manchester City... would be lovely if they can be avoided. I know they've had some poor results this season but every time I watch them I get the feeling that "if they want to win this, they win it". They just can't be arsed breaking down 10 men defenses every game. I think they absolutely love playing against Brighton.

Brighton gave them a good game earlier in the season at their ground. A bit unlucky not get a draw. 50% possession if I remember rightly as well.

 

[portslade seagull]

If the semi-finals and final are not played on Wembley, the most likely option would be putting it in Saudi Arabia or something. Be careful what you wish for.

I bet that scenario has crossed the power that be minds. Hawk the games to the highest bidder. A bit like American crap football games played at Wembley.

 

[RM-Taylor]

As I have relatives who are not just avid Lincoln City fans but entwined with the history of the club I have to pick beating Grimsby. They are world class grudge holders in the fens and their rivalry will last until the heat death of the universe.

It’s a strange one as 3 different clubs see Grimsby as their main rivals. Having lived there when growing up and now the other side of the Humber, I have a slight understanding but think Poojah would be best to confirm.

Scunthorpe are Grimsby’s main hatred, always violence and fights before their games which Grimsby lads tend to claim to win.

Lincoln were a heated rival back when both were non-league but this died off a lot when Lincoln magically gained 5000 extra "fans" attending their games at Sincil Bank, I remember the days of them only getting 2000 or less at home

Hull fans seem to hate Grimsby, but Grimsby couldn’t care in the slightest about Hull, even though of the 3 teams mentioned they are (I think) geographically closest

 

[studio150]

Going out to Charlton was bad enough I don't want even to consider losing to Grimsby.
If we don't win the SF so be it, but it's starting to feel like it's our season

 

[Hove Lagoonery]

......

beat Grimsby, beat whoever comes next (Bound to be City), and go for a win at Wembley.

The chances of the winners of our match drawing City in the semis are less than 1 in 3.

How many 4th tier clubs have actually reached the quarter finals?
I can only remember Bradford City doing so (Lincoln were 5th tier )
I think Wrexham were 3rd tier when they narrowly knocked out Blyth Spartans in the 5th round.

 

[Shooting Star]

As much as I agree with those arguing that the final shouldn't be at Wembley, I find it hard to believe that anyone who went four years ago wouldn't want to go again. It was a magical day, despite the loss.

 

[Poojah]

It’s a strange one as 3 different clubs see Grimsby as their main rivals. Having lived there when growing up and now the other side of the Humber, I have a slight understanding but think Poojah would be best to confirm.

Scunthorpe are Grimsby’s main hatred, always violence and fights before their games which Grimsby lads tend to claim to win.

Lincoln were a heated rival back when both were non-league but this died off a lot when Lincoln magically gained 5000 extra "fans" attending their games at Sincil Bank, I remember the days of them only getting 2000 or less at home

Hull fans seem to hate Grimsby, but Grimsby couldn’t care in the slightest about Hull, even though of the 3 teams mentioned they are (I think) geographically closest

Yeah, we’re a funny one, rival-wise. I think it depends on when you were born, for the most part. Hull was historically quite a big one, but I’ve been following Grimsby since the early 90s and I can only recall us playing them once, in the Auto Windscreens in 97.

Lincoln wasn’t that big historically, however we’ve spent a fair bit of time in the same division since the mid noughties, and that’s stoked the fire a little bit. They definitely dislike us more than we do them though, as highlighted by their “Nuke Grimsby” banner that makes a regular appearance at derby games. If anything, I think that says more about their gap in understanding about how thermonuclear weapons work that anything else.

For most Town fans I’d have said it was mostly about Scunny. There have been some pretty heated derby games. Still, most Town fans are actually pretty sympathetic to their current plight; having been screwed over by their former owner they are almost certain to be playing regional league football next year. If anything, that sympathy only seems to make them hate us even more.

In short, lots of people don’t like us, we don’t really care.