[Albion] One point per game

[blue-shifted]

Talk about lowering standards and expectations!

It could well go to the last day and us praying for someone else to win/lose.

Man City and Arsenal last up.

The Fulham game is huge psychologically. Fulham have some wind in their sails but a few tough games coming up. Wee need something positive from our next 2 games. like a performance and a win maybe.

Biggest game of the season.

At this point, it looks like us or them are most likely for the third spot.

Fail to win, or lose, will be scarring, meaning we'll need to get some big results from somewhere

 

[blue-shifted]

Unlikely. The squad is getting stronger every year.

If we can stay up and keep hold of Potter, then next season could well be our best season ever.

It is, but other teams are improving as well (the effect of £100m+ prize money per season)

Whilst we continue to lack final ball and finish, we'll always be down near the bottom

 

[Bry Nylon]

...next season could well be our best season ever.

...is what every football supporter has been telling themself ever since the bloody game was invented!!

 

[Deleted member 2719]

Arsenal have had their turning point, so why can't we?

We have had a boost of coming back, get the win and more confidence will show. We would like to see that come from City, but we all know with the way they are playing, we will have to be world-beaters on that day.

 

[blue-shifted]

It's simple really, we either improve ( we need 1.2 for 40pts or 1.28 PPG for 41) or we'll likely as not go down

we've failed this season in respect of last season, with an improved squad. . . .looking up the table, making an improvement on last season looks easier than its ever been, Palace, Burnley and Newcastle all look poor. Leeds should be a target position.

We've always been shyte against clubs in the mire and generally flatter to deceive against the big boys without ever achieving anything.

Not winning the winnables is costiing us dearly.

You could say we merely need to carry on with what we're doing, given we're not in the relegation zone.

OK, I take the point that Fulham (or less likely) WBA might improve results, but not to the point we'd need to get into the 40s.

I'm not ruling out a Burnley, Newcastle, Palace or Leeds second half of the season plummet either

 

[Deleted member 2719]

...is what every football supporter has been telling themself ever since the bloody game was invented!!

True, but it's also why ever supporter loves football and it's expectation.
I have that hope mid-season as well as preseason, if you don't what's the point?

 

[Neville's Breakfast]

Unlikely. The squad is getting stronger every year.

If we can stay up and keep hold of Potter, then next season could well be our best season ever.

We said that last year

 

[fleet]

The problems are Big Sam parking the bus and getting 1-0 wins. Burnley investment pulling them away from us. A gap that is growing above us with hard games on the way. We have to hope Fulham and Shef U stay as they are and then we fight to avoid the remaining place.

 

[SAC]

It's a very strange season with most teams have looked very poor at times and occasionally looking very good. Anyone could be relegated but realistically it's likely to be Sheffield United plus two from from Dirty Leeds down to West Brom. One point a game will be ample not to be relegated.

My prediction is 41 points (again) but around 13th.

 

[vagabond]

Unlikely. The squad is getting stronger every year.

If we can stay up and keep hold of Potter, then next season could well be our best season ever.

[emoji123]

 

[Marshy]

I don't care how many more points we got under Hughton, it was bloody dire and I don't want that shit back at any cost.

We were lucky to get any points under Hughton at times, and have been more than unlucky under Potter in my opinion.

I love Chris for what he did/achieved with us, but if he came back in charge I would hand my season ticket in, I could not pay too watch that anymore.

 

[vagabond]

This is absolutely how I feel. If, and it is a big if at the moment, we stay up, I've got no doubt that things will get better under Potter.

I think the criticism from most, including myself, isn't that things look bad in the long term (if Potter can turn it around) but in the short term things look worrying. We have been in relegation form so far this season. We are currently on course for 31 points and the lowest anyone has ever stayed up with in the Premier League was West Brom with 34 points on 04/05. I am desperate for Potter to succeed but he is currently underperforming and needs to get at least a point per game from our last 21 if we are going to have any chance of remaining in the Premier League. We can't rely on there being three worse teams forever.

Exactly. This is why I feel GP has been let down by recruitment in the short term.

We’re getting everything else right. Certainly long term buys as well. But if two of his first team players can’t even play 90 mins and/or need to miss alternate games, no wonder the bloke has to make unforced changes. That Dia could have been the player, or Nunez, or another of that ilk.

Not saying that’s an easy job, god no. But we’ve had a long time to find a Murray replacement, this goes back to Hughton’s reign.

Long term, if we stay up, I have huge confidence we’ll go strength under this manager with this set up.

 

[drew]

Thanks for posting these stats, I was not aware that this was the case.

What I would say is that Hughton ‘nicked’ a number of games where we’d have a couple
of chances with Murray, Groß, Dunk n Duffy or Izquierdo grabbing a goal whilst the defence remained very strong and kept the opposition out.

Potter’s team does the opposite creating a host of chances that are not taken conceding to the opposition when ever they have a big chance.

Once Hughton’s team stopped creating (and taking) those couple of big chances, relegation was the only result (unless other teams were worse). At least with Potter, we know that if a few of our players find some goal scoring form allied to less horrific individual errors by our defenders, we’ll shoot up the table.

West Brom & Sheff Utd won’t catch us so it’s between us and Fulham (who really aren’t great at scoring) and possibly a smaller team like Palace for the final relegation spot. I think 2021 will be much better in terms of luck for us.

Tend to agree with this. I think the subtle difference between the two is that Hughton was playing for a point whereas Potter is playing for the win.

 

[Tim Over Whelmed]

We will beat Man City on Wednesday. That will calm things down a bit.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Followed by .......

If we can beat City we didn't we beat etc etc

 

[Justice]

Unlikely. The squad is getting stronger every year.

If we can stay up and keep hold of Potter, then next season could well be our best season ever.

That massive 20% win rate should keep the big boys at bay for now

 

[BNthree]

From today's Athletic:

Brighton are the draw specialists of the Premier League. Eight out of 17 games this season is the most of any club, 14 last season was the joint highest with Wolves and Arsenal.

 

[zefarelly]

You could say we merely need to carry on with what we're doing, given we're not in the relegation zone.

OK, I take the point that Fulham (or less likely) WBA might improve results, but not to the point we'd need to get into the 40s.

I'm not ruling out a Burnley, Newcastle, Palace or Leeds second half of the season plummet either

I've always been of the opinion you set your own pace and bank on a position accordingly, so a good position would be 41+, maybe 14th/15th, acceptable 39-40 points 16-17th anything less is running the risk of 18th or lower and financially not a bankable position.

we know in reality it varies, but only Shef Utd look doomed. we shouldn't be relying on others for survival.

 

[Super Steve Earle]

The problems are Big Sam parking the bus and getting 1-0 wins. Burnley investment pulling them away from us. A gap that is growing above us with hard games on the way. We have to hope Fulham and Shef U stay as they are and then we fight to avoid the remaining place.

I'm an optimist. I'm minded to think that it's already a four horse race to avoid relegation, but we are clear odds on favourites to do so. Big Sam has no bus to park and has already realised the size of his challenge. Sheffield Utd need to win four games just to catch us where we are now. Fulham are the tricky ones who look like their tails are up, but so should ours be too after the Wolves game. It may be significant how Fulham react to their enforced Covid break. They might burst out of the traps or be seriously off the pace. We tend to have goal difference on our side and seem to be just as likely to pick up a point against a bottom team as a top team. I remain positive.

 

[Beanstalk]

Exactly. This is why I feel GP has been let down by recruitment in the short term.

We’re getting everything else right. Certainly long term buys as well. But if two of his first team players can’t even play 90 mins and/or need to miss alternate games, no wonder the bloke has to make unforced changes. That Dia could have been the player, or Nunez, or another of that ilk.

Not saying that’s an easy job, god no. But we’ve had a long time to find a Murray replacement, this goes back to Hughton’s reign.

Long term, if we stay up, I have huge confidence we’ll go strength under this manager with this set up.

Well Potter and Winstanley were clearly keen on Nunez but the club couldn't compete (presumably financially - Jorge Jesus has recently been quoted saying that when he is sold he'll go for more than Felix at €126m) with Benfica. It'll be interesting to see if we finally land Dia with the collapse of the French TV deal. It is well reported that we couldn't agree with a fee with Reims and the state that Ligue 1 is currently in could work in our favour this time around. Personally, I think Maupay has done a great job so far and just needs someone to match him up top, especially if we are going to play 2 out and out strikers.

The tactical issue that no one seems to be talking about though is that we rarely put together a complete performance. We've conceded 1 or less goals in more than half of our games so far (9/17) but only 2 of those have resulted in victories (Newcastle and Villa). We are therefore capable of defending well. At the same time we are the 13th top scorers in the league so far, above Arsenal and Wolves. However, in the 6 games we have scored 2 or more we've only yielded those 2 victories and conceded 13. Ultimately, we can both score and defend, just rarely at the same time. If Potter can sort that out, and I believe he can, we'll be flying, but for me, that's where the criticism lies, not with recruitment.

I think that, in our current set up (Ashworth), Potter is the only option at the moment. I think he can turn it around but frankly, the issue is tactical. He's got a squad of 28 players (not counting Izquierdo and Andone) of which he has used 23 of so far this season, Tau and Moder will bring that up to 30. He's got enough in this squad to be staying up this year.

 

[fleet]

I'm an optimist. I'm minded to think that it's already a four horse race to avoid relegation, but we are clear odds on favourites to do so. Big Sam has no bus to park and has already realised the size of his challenge. Sheffield Utd need to win four games just to catch us where we are now. Fulham are the tricky ones who look like their tails are up, but so should ours be too after the Wolves game. It may be significant how Fulham react to their enforced Covid break. They might burst out of the traps or be seriously off the pace. We tend to have goal difference on our side and seem to be just as likely to pick up a point against a bottom team as a top team. I remain positive.

I agree that I have no different level of expectation based on the team we play - just as likely to get a good or bad result against any of them. It’s so annoying that everyone seems to hit form just before we play them though - City looked back to their best yesterday.