[Albion] Personally

[albionfan37]

I think people are being incredibly hard on more than decent pros. We are going to come across a lot worse than Liverpool and Man Utd over the next few weeks to be only -2 gd against two very inform sides is a credit to a weakened side. Personally I think we are playing really well at the moment

 

[Icy Gull]

Only minus 3 over the four games against United and Liverpool too, not too shabby AND we have three points to show.

 

[Driver8]

Only minus 3 over the four games against United and Liverpool too, not too shabby AND we have three points to show.

-2.

 

[Bodian]

-2.

And 3 of the 6 goals we conceded were [soft] penalties.

 

[Cheshire Cat]

But we must WIN EVERYTHING NOW [emoji2959][emoji2959][emoji2959]. Everybody and everything OUT!!!!!!!!!!

 

[Beach Hut]

It is an expectation issue, those that thought the Premier League would be similar to the season we were promoted from the Championship will be very disappointed.

 

[Giraffe]

I love threads titled like this, really love them.

 

[albionfan37]

I love threads titled like this, really love them.

Great aren’t they

 

[dingodan]

One goal conceded in open play in the last two games, against an in form Man United and an on fire Liverpool, is a very good sign.

 

[Dolph Ins]

Personally I think the vast majority of posters on here have been very positive.

 

[Sheebo]

Another promising result at Old ****ing Trafford. Have to pinch myself still to see us on MOTD at OT while all you can hear is GOSBTS ringing round the ground. Such a good squad now. Love it.

 

[Westdene Seagull]

I think some people have very short memories ..... consider that opening day shambles against Watford .... now we're giving the likes of Man U and Liverpool tough games.

 

[Garry Nelson's Left Foot]

I think some people have very short memories ..... consider that opening day shambles against Watford .... now we're giving the likes of Man U and Liverpool tough games.

Very much this. And not only the opening day shambles. There's the away game against man city where we struggled to get out of our box let alone our half, the dire performances, tactics and results against Cardiff and Leicester, the frankly poor performances but lucky wins against Newcastle and Huddersfield and a number of other games where we were poor for at least a half.

Then consider we played yesterday with six of the championship team with our second choice keeper and gave Utd a decent game. It took two moments of quality (I've not seen much credit given to Pogba for his fantastic first touch that basically won the penalty) to beat us and at two down and with United in full flow at the start of the second half it would have been very easy to get swamped and come away with a real hiding. That didn't happen. We showed real character to hold it together and fight our way back into the game.

To me we've started to show genuine promise and improvement since early December. We haven't always got the results that we might like but the teams performances are clearly (to me at least...) improving. I think we're going to finish the season strongly. Next year we're going to be a decent side.*









* for all those of a nervous disposition: provided we stay up.

 

[maltaseagull]

Very much this. And not only the opening day shambles. There's the away game against man city where we struggled to get out of our box let alone our half, the dire performances, tactics and results against Cardiff and Leicester, the frankly poor performances but lucky wins against Newcastle and Huddersfield and a number of other games where we were poor for at least a half.

Then consider we played yesterday with six of the championship team with our second choice keeper and gave Utd a decent game. It took two moments of quality (I've not seen much credit given to Pogba for his fantastic first touch that basically won the penalty) to beat us and at two down and with United in full flow at the start of the second half it would have been very easy to get swamped and come away with a real hiding. That didn't happen. We showed real character to hold it together and fight our way back into the game.

To me we've started to show genuine promise and improvement since early December. We haven't always got the results that we might like but the teams performances are clearly (to me at least...) improving. I think we're going to finish the season strongly. Next year we're going to be a decent side.*









* for all those of a nervous disposition: provided we stay up.

We are going to need a striker and a no10

 

[Garry Nelson's Left Foot]

We are going to need a striker and a no10

I've got faith in the recruitment department to get us the right players whichever position Hughton wants to strengthen. They've done a great job all the time he's been here. We're going to be starting from a decent base next season so whoever we do sign will be an added bit of quality rather than an absolute necessity.

 

[BadFish]

Exciting times. Especially when bigger clubs are unlikely to be trying to poach Hughton as he has a reputation for defensive and boring football and is getting on a touch.

 

[Wilko]

We are playing well at the moment, sooner or latter we are going to give someone a BATTERING. Play like today against the teams around and below us and we will be all good.

 

[LVGull]

I think people are being incredibly hard on more than decent pros. We are going to come across a lot worse than Liverpool and Man Utd over the next few weeks to be only -2 gd against two very inform sides is a credit to a weakened side. Personally I think we are playing really well at the moment

It's the same every time we lose. Watch when we are safe the negative ones will have hard ons and will be whoo yooing like yanks

 

[Sorrel]

CH is very good on goal difference; he really never wants his sides to to lose by many if they have to lose. I just hope that we improve our goal difference a lot the other way in one or two of the next few league games.

It's not likely to happen very often in this division, but we are owed a decent tonking of another team at some point - the 3-0 up at half time with ten men against Palace being the nicest recently.

 

[Guy Fawkes]

After missing out on promotion by 2 goals, i can't see Hughton wanting to play open football against top quality players who can take advantage of the space and score, we could end up like a Fulham and be struggling , fighting to get out of the bottom three (but the football would be deemed more entertaining but those who want to only watch cavalier, high risk football)

If we ruin our goal difference in this league, we could find that it could be the difference between surviving and relegation, plus getting thrashed can have a demotivating effect if you find you are regularly not in games.

We are in most matches until the final whistle and when drawing or losing by one with minutes to go, there is always the chance to improve the result. Play gung ho football and end up 3 or 4 down, then there is no chance

You have to play to the strengths of the players you have. If you have a player who isn't going to dribble around several players and into the box from out wide, it's pointless instructing him to keep trying it. If the same player gets into advanced positions out wide and is ready to cross the ball, but there is no one up with play, rather than waste possession by hitting it into the area, they try to retain possession by passing it backwards, then it is the right thing to do. Some fans view this as poor play and criticise the player but it completely the opposite and best for the team at that point and it's the fans with their own unrealistic expectations which are the issue, not the players and what they did in that instance