[Albion] Potter

[Sarisbury Seagull]

This...and Potter countered it with Stephens and then Duffy. A second goal would have made it totally comfortable, but always felt like we were in control, without getting out of third gear. Tactically a very competent performance IMO.

Exactly this.

 

[Harry Wilson's tackle]

It’s interesting how we tend to view a striker who does little all game but then conjures up a single piece of magic to win a game versus a team which does the same. The striker is lauded with quotes like “that’s why he’s world class” etc. Teams get “lousy performance but we managed to hang on for a win”.

This isn’t a criticism of your post btw, I do exactly as I have just stated. I’m just musing.

I have posted on this before. It's to do with our pattern recognition and unconscious bias. Giving excessive credit to a goal scorer who otherwise does nothing is confirmation bias. When the results aren't going well we imagine we can see why, and confidently declare 'Stephens isn't premier league' etc. This is seeing patterns that don't actually exist. We all do it. I think it has survival advantage; if we think we have learned something it makes us confident. Knowledge, influence, power......we are a terrible bunch of tarts in reality.

 

[Stat Brother]

Very worried about fan expectations reading the above !! People are expecting us to brush Norwich aside. A team who only got beaten 1-0 by Liverpool recently and beat Leicester at home only a few games ago.

We are about where we should in line with how much we have spent and how good our squad is, I'm still not convinced our squad is any better than west ham or Bmuff for instance.

We've played great stuff at times but unfortunately in a lot of those games we've come away with nothing. Potter is finding out it almost pays to play more defensive football in this league, so we are probably more likely to see more rather than less of this next season.

I hope we don't turn into Stoke fans and accept only free flowing champagne football going forward because it will punish us in the long run.



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Yet to me our comments read very similar.

Norwich were woeful yesterday, they were relegated before the walked onto the pitch.
With our team/squad, which is the best it's ever been, losing to them would have disastrous.

GPott went pragmatic for the full 96 minutes, I wasn't expecting that.
Perhaps if someone had nipped in with a second we may well would have got free flowing champagne football, just like the win against Spurs.

Just because our squad isn't better than those of the basketcase clubs doesn't make it a bad squad, if anything that makes it even better.

As said I think the hard yards are done, the mentality now needs to be forwards and upwards, this squad shouldn't be looking over it's shoulder, next season, esp if a decent striker arrives.

 

[One Teddy Maybank]

I was very disappointed when Hughton was sacked, as I’m in the don’t care how you win/succeed just as long as you do. Bottom 3 budget, 4th from bottom is overachieving.

I think there have been some really poor displays this season as well that matched some of Hughton’s towards the end.

However,

for me other than not scoring the Leicester game was nearly perfect, dominated possession against a top 4, excellent defensive structure, comfortable in possession. That first half was brilliant.

Tactically, excellent. GP quickly realises any formation/selection errors and adjusts. His use of substitutions is excellent.

I’m pleased he’s brought the younger players through, which is another strength.

Yesterday was a bit meh for me, but as I said don’t care how we win, just as long as we do.

I think GP has used the break well and adjusted us defensively and we look more balanced. Webster is finally beginning to look like a top league player.

I honestly think we could be a top 12/top 10 team, with a few signings - the future feels rosier than at any other point since promotion to the PL.

I’m quite excited for the remaining games to see if any other formation adjustments are trialled. Would like to see Cochrane and Jenks given a game


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[Sheebo]

Sounds like most posters who are grounded are all in agreement here and appreciate the good job done and have fair expectations.

The few who don’t, perhaps have lived a life where they always got the best, most expensive new toy for Xmas as a kid...?

 

[Bold Seagull]

I was very disappointed when Hughton was sacked, as I’m in the don’t care how you win/succeed just as long as you do. Bottom 3 budget, 4th from bottom is overachieving.

I think there have been some really poor displays this season as well that matched some of Hughton’s towards the end.

However,

for me other than not scoring the Leicester game was nearly perfect, dominated possession against a top 4, excellent defensive structure, comfortable in possession. That first half was brilliant.

Tactically, excellent. GP quickly realises any formation/selection errors and adjusts. His use of substitutions is excellent.

I’m pleased he’s brought the younger players through, which is another strength.

Yesterday was a bit meh for me, but as I said don’t care how we win, just as long as we do.

I think GP has used the break well and adjusted us defensively and we look more balanced. Webster is finally beginning to look like a top league player.

I honestly think we could be a top 12/top 10 team, with a few signings - the future feels rosier than at any other point since promotion to the PL.

I’m quite excited for the remaining games to see if any other formation adjustments are trialled. Would like to see Cochrane and Jenks given a game


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I think Potter gave them enough tactical freedom to have got a second, especially the ‘3rd quarter’ of the game, but through a bit of poor use of the ball, tension in a few players, as the game went on think you could see keeping a clean sheet was a more likely outcome than scoring a second, and so like any good card player, judged his hand accordingly. Had we just made a few better decisions around their box we could/should have been out of sight. Hard to appreciate the pressure in this type of game though.

 

[Cheshire Cat]

A win is a win, but it was a very dreary win.

 

[Tom Hark Preston Park]

A win is a win, but it was a very dreary win.

Yup. Wonder how many of this type of threads we'd have had if Norwich had equalised

 

[Icy Gull]

Yup. Wonder how many of this type of threads we'd have had if Norwich had equalised

Good old fashioned NSC meltdown, thin margins. Thanks goal post

 

[Worried Man Blues]

Some people will always be positive and some will always find a negative

 

[Swansman]

I’m quite excited for the remaining games to see if any other formation adjustments are trialled. Would like to see Cochrane and Jenks given a game

While I agree that would be exciting, it wont happen until relegation is mathematically impossible.

 

[One Teddy Maybank]

While I agree that would be exciting, it wont happen until relegation is mathematically impossible.

That’s understandable, though the bench should be considered.


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[One Teddy Maybank]

I think Potter gave them enough tactical freedom to have got a second, especially the ‘3rd quarter’ of the game, but through a bit of poor use of the ball, tension in a few players, as the game went on think you could see keeping a clean sheet was a more likely outcome than scoring a second, and so like any good card player, judged his hand accordingly. Had we just made a few better decisions around their box we could/should have been out of sight. Hard to appreciate the pressure in this type of game though.

I think the pressure would have been on Norwich a lot more, I think you nailed it with poor decisions.


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[Swansman]

That’s understandable, though the bench should be considered.


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Yup. Wouldnt be surprised to see one or two kiddos on the in the nextcoming games against Pool & City.

 

[Acker79]

I think we also need to note that there are some fans who view anything other than unending positivity as 'moaning'. People who hear even an observation as benign as 'ooh, close, but it would have taken something special to beat the keeper from there, perhaps he should have pulled it back for a teammate in a better position' as "moaning". I once noted to someone, without any real venom, that a run of championship performances under Hughton was not as good as a previous run of performances under Hughton and was accused of wanting rid of him and bringing back Hyypia.

I think that is why some people are quick to not that some criticism is valid, and point to similarities everywhere, when people go on about moaning fans.

The problem is that line between 'valid criticism' and 'crushing negativity/moaning' is different for every body. I also suspect there is an element of the negativity bias being at play (an recognised psychological tendency in humans to remember negative events/things more readily than positive ones) - people reading a message board of mixed opinions will come away remembering more of the negative ones and have a warped view of how negative the general view is.

 

[The Maharajah of Sydney]

For all the changes GP has made to our style, our tactical flexibility etc.

It’s notable that we’ve had clean sheets under him. Hughton would have been proud of that result and performance today.

He was.
On the 'live' feed beamed into Australia on Optus Sport he was one of the studio pundits alonside Owen Hargreaves.
Tipped us to win and was very complimentary towards us - mind you he never seems to have a bad word for anyone.

 

[amexer]

We are staying up so Potter is beyond criticism. However observation is that great style of play is a little overplayed. It looks to me that many games ago he was aware good looking football was not producing enough points. Apart from playing it about in first third, possession football went out the window and reverted to Hughton method of staying in game. Not pretty to watch but did the trick. Hopefully will play with more freedom in remaining games

 

[Machiavelli]

I was thinking that. Many thought Fulham would storm the prem relative to most promoted teams. Many thought villa would too. Many people will automatically think Leeds will too. And as for West brom, they were bang average/poor in the prem for quite a while before finally falling through the trap door...

Yes, and don't forget Leeds not only have to return one of their two best players (to us, of all places) and only have one forward in their squad: step forward, Patrick Bamford. Also chuck in that their creative player is 35 or 36.

 

[Machiavelli]

Agree with this.

That goal was a classic case of slow, slow, slow, quick. It was incisive and designed that way. Like the winner against Arsenal, it was a lovely goal. Not a GOTM contender but something I will enjoy for.a while; similar to Murray’s flick against Man Utd.

Also, we’re not yet at the level where we can put teams away 2-0, 3-0 or 4-0 but we’re already doing the nil away from home and we have a team with real skill to build the goals. This is by far and away the best combination of manager and players we have had in the PL, and possibly ever.

I think it’s fair to say GP has improved almost all of our squad. The football system is evolving and he’s teaching the players to adapt and make their own decisions going forward (encouraging counter attacks like he did at Swansea) whilst being very disciplined defensively.

There is nothing I don’t like about the way Brighton are evolving. It’s the best trajectory I can remember although I was only 5 in 1979.

Long live GP!

Top post. You've earned yourself a shandy, H. Don't go overboard with it, though.

 

[Machiavelli]

His plan was to bring the best players on vs a tired Brighton as we had been in previous matches. But we are fitter now and Potter knew that was his plan.

What makes you think that Potter knew what Farke's plan would be? Both teams are released simultaneously an hour before kick off.