[Football] Not so under the radar anymore

[Silverhatch]

The (current) summary of predictions for the upcoming PL season sees the Albion narrative broadly being... If they [Brighton] can continue with their second-half season pandemic form then a strong mid-table finish and no dalliance with relegation should be achievable. Browsing various PL forums any poster that names Brighton as a relegation candidate is usually countered by several posters saying no way will Brighton be anywhere near relegation e.g. too good a side even though they can't hit a cow's arse with a banjo.

So we now appear to be occupying a different place in the PL subconscious i.e. a decent PL side, with an obvious weakness but clearly too good to be considered relegation material. This is the first time we've ever been thought of in these terms. Just 10-years after we left the Theatre of Trees - the PL radar has picked us up. Is that a new kind of pressure for the club, players and supporters?

 

[Perkino]

It is a different scenario for them to deal with especially after a public suggestion from TB that we would be aiming for top 10 this season. We look to be competitive across the park and have got plenty of decent results against decent footballing sides, if we learn to win ugly then we could really be in for a great year. Many predictions have us 10th - 12th and all these predictions without the obvious need for a striker not yet being addressed

 

[Acker79]

When the 'big club' discussion comes up, and what constitutes one, I tend to think a big part of how people see 'big clubs' or perhaps 'top clubs, that "belong" in the top division' is based on who were in the top division during their formative football years. For me, teams like QPR, Coventry, Norwich, were top division clubs during my formative years, so part of me sees them as teams that "belong" in the top division. If my theory holds water, there's a generation of fans growing up with Brighton as a top division team, and will forever feel like that's where Brighton should be.

 

[Sid in the Sharknado]

When the 'big club' discussion comes up, and what constitutes one, I tend to think a big part of how people see 'big clubs' or perhaps 'top clubs, that "belong" in the top division' is based on who were in the top division during their formative football years. For me, teams like QPR, Coventry, Norwich, were top division clubs during my formative years, so part of me sees them as teams that "belong" in the top division. If my theory holds water, there's a generation of fans growing up with Brighton as a top division team, and will forever feel like that's where Brighton should be.

If it helps your argument, I find the idea that those clubs belong in the top division highly amusing. Albeit more in a "well they'll be going straight back down" sort of way rather than "what the hell are they doing there".

I have a clear memory of being at home during school holidays (we're talking late 90s, early 00s) and the Brighton results being briefly read out at the end of the local news, just before Dover and Maidstone's results. From the arse end of Meridian News to Match of the Day every week, that's progress for you.

 

[Jim in the West]

My slight worry is that we're now in the same territory as Bournemouth, two years ago. At that time they had become reasonably established (four seasons in the EPL - some relegation battles, but some reasonable finishes, too). The Guardian predicted they'd finish 12th in their fifth Premier League season, but it all went pear-shaped...

Bournemouth: predicted 12th, finished 18th
What we said: “Eddie Howe has held on to his indispensable players – Ryan Fraser, Nathan Aké and Callum Wilson – as well as recruiting from the Football League to freshen up his squad. When Bournemouth are firing on all cylinders, they are a match for anyone but conceding too many goals is their frailty.”

What happened: Bournemouth started the season brilliantly. When they beat Manchester United in early November, they moved up to seventh in the table. But it was not to last. Their sloppy defence caught up with them and, after five years in the top flight, they are going back to the Championship.

 

[Russconha]

Bloom's model is in stark contrast to tinpot Bournemouth's. He got the infrastructure in place (The Amex, training complex) before the playing squad. Tinpot Bournemouth invested badly in transfers and wages and will struggle financially if they don't come back up before the parachute payments finish.

 

[Clive Walker]

Avoid relegation is still our main ambition. Dreams of mid table or top ten are a little way off. IMO

 

[Cowfold Seagull]

Avoid relegation is still our main ambition. Dreams of mid table or top ten are a little way off. IMO

Very much this. Too many posters are getting too far ahead of themesleves if they consider us to be a top ten team, (Tony Bloom included perhaps). Having ambition is one thing, but it needs to be tempered with reality too.

Yes we have come a long long way since our days at the Theatre of Trees, but as far as l'm concerned, simply avoiding relegation should be considered as success enough for now.

 

[GT49er]

The (current) summary of predictions for the upcoming PL season sees the Albion narrative broadly being... If they [Brighton] can continue with their second-half season pandemic form then a strong mid-table finish and no dalliance with relegation should be achievable. Browsing various PL forums any poster that names Brighton as a relegation candidate is usually countered by several posters saying no way will Brighton be anywhere near relegation e.g. too good a side even though they can't hit a cow's arse with a banjo.

So we now appear to be occupying a different place in the PL subconscious i.e. a decent PL side, with an obvious weakness but clearly too good to be considered relegation material. This is the first time we've ever been thought of in these terms. Just 10-years after we left the Theatre of Trees - the PL radar has picked us up. Is that a new kind of pressure for the club, players and supporters?

Good question - don't know the answer! Just hope it doesn't turn out as JITW has outlined in post #5 !

 

[A1X]

When the 'big club' discussion comes up, and what constitutes one, I tend to think a big part of how people see 'big clubs' or perhaps 'top clubs, that "belong" in the top division' is based on who were in the top division during their formative football years. For me, teams like QPR, Coventry, Norwich, were top division clubs during my formative years, so part of me sees them as teams that "belong" in the top division. If my theory holds water, there's a generation of fans growing up with Brighton as a top division team, and will forever feel like that's where Brighton should be.

It's the ultimate arbiter, I believe, of whether a pundit is actually worth listening to. If a pundit starts talking about teams belonging in the top division such as Forest, Massive etc. then they clearly haven't actually been paying attention to anything outside the PL (and realistically the top 7 or 8 teams in the PL) for years, else they'd know why they aren't there (usually, but not exclusively, because they're shite).

 

[Baldseagull]

We have an opening few fixtures against sides we would be hoping to get points from, but we have a habit of not taking points from sides we should, and nicking a couple of wins off the big boys. If we get out of the blocks well, it could build confidence and momentum. I think the start is going to be very important for us, not so much in staying up, but in making our way into the mid or top half of the table.