Poyet "on the verge of quitting Brighton"

[drew]

Only one player? Have you been this season at all? How did we win the league last season without our one player? I would say it very clearly bears a relation. No obviously we are not as good as Barcelona. I blame Poyet, oh hang on, no I blame the FA, our budget, donkey's years of history, the climate and about 100 other things. We are not even as good as say Swansea, but we are playing the best if not the most effective football in the Championship or we are from my seat.

What we do not have is sufficient quality in key areas, we may or may not get that next season. We are a work in progress that is going rather well IMO...

Season ticket holder and have been for decades.

With regard to last season, we won because we were highly organised and disciplined in the way we played. We had a great goal creator in Bennett and two forwards on their game in Murray and Barnes. However, Vicente is head and shoulders above any of them (Bennett being the closest).

Did you go this year? In which third of the field do we make most of our passes? I would suggest it is in our defensive third between the centre backs, full backs and whoever is the holding midfielder, whereas Spain and Barcelona are playing the passes further up the pitch. And because we are playing that deep, invariably the ball goes back to the keeper who then hoofs it upfield. Maybe when you're at the games, you don't spend too much time looking in the direction of the pitch!!!!

As for your last sentence, exactly what do you classify as effective football? That has to be a joke surely. We only scored 52 goals and conceded exactly the same. We had 209 shots on target for the whole season and 200 off target. Only one team was worse than that, Doncaster. We play possession football but at the moment, you can hardly describe it as effective!

I'll state again, we are very much a work in progress.

 

[Bold Seagull]

No I am well aware that Barcelona won stuff prior to Iniesta and Xavi but surely you admit that the euphoria over the way they play now is considerably higher than the way they played before. As for their previous success, prior to the xavi/iniesta/messi years, they only won the European Cup/champions league once. Man Utd have won it 3 times and Liverpool 5. That doesn't mean they played better football than the current Barcelona team play. Also, must apologise as I didn't include Messi as one of the key players in my original quote although of course he only affects the way Barcelona play and not Spain.

As for the tournaments won by Spain, what is wrong with that statement. Germany have won a host of trophies and they don't play football the way Barcelona play, neither do Italy and Brazil. I stand by what I said in that Spains success is based the quality of Iniesta and Xavi. Maybe they have others in the pipeline and maybe they don't. Time will tell.

It feels like the euphoria is greater now simply because it's in the present. The world went mad for that Cruyff Barca team of '88 - '96. To say that Barca had only won the trophy once before 2006 is hardly great justification when so many other teams, including all those based in London have never done so. That you quote Liverpool with their 5 wins is poignant in the fact that they, as well as Forest's 2 wins, exemplified the passing game in this country. Both Liverpool and Forest passed teams off the park, and pressed when they didn't have it.

I thought your statement regarding Spain 'only' winning 2 tournaments in 40 years was funny, because frankly we don't look like winning any tournament for another decade which will make it 50 years since our solitary success. Brazil might not play the same style as Spain, however it's certainly not the getting it forward quickly football that gets promoted on here and in this thread. Their reliance is on brilliance and skill even more so than Spain. Germany also played possession football with Beckenbauer transforming how defenders can dictate play, the flow of the game and ultimately possession of the football.

 

[Thunder Bolt]

Season ticket holder and have been for decades.

With regard to last season, we won because we were highly organised and disciplined in the way we played. We had a great goal creator in Bennett and two forwards on their game in Murray and Barnes. However, Vicente is head and shoulders above any of them (Bennett being the closest).

Did you go this year? In which third of the field do we make most of our passes? I would suggest it is in our defensive third between the centre backs, full backs and whoever is the holding midfielder, whereas Spain and Barcelona are playing the passes further up the pitch. And because we are playing that deep, invariably the ball goes back to the keeper who then hoofs it upfield. Maybe when you're at the games, you don't spend too much time looking in the direction of the pitch!!!!

As for your last sentence, exactly what do you classify as effective football? That has to be a joke surely. We only scored 52 goals and conceded exactly the same. We had 209 shots on target for the whole season and 200 off target. Only one team was worse than that, Doncaster. We play possession football but at the moment, you can hardly describe it as effective!

I'll state again, we are very much a work in progress.

That's not down to the style of football as much as the quality of the players. Poyet gave the League 1 players in the team the chance to make it in the Championship and some of them weren't good enough.

 

[drew]

It feels like the euphoria is greater now simply because it's in the present. The world went mad for that Cruyff Barca team of '88 - '96. To say that Barca had only won the trophy once before 2006 is hardly great justification when so many other teams, including all those based in London have never done so. That you quote Liverpool with their 5 wins is poignant in the fact that they, as well as Forest's 2 wins, exemplified the passing game in this country. Both Liverpool and Forest passed teams off the park, and pressed when they didn't have it.

I thought your statement regarding Spain 'only' winning 2 tournaments in 40 years was funny, because frankly we don't look like winning any tournament for another decade which will make it 50 years since our solitary success. Brazil might not play the same style as Spain, however it's certainly not the getting it forward quickly football that gets promoted on here and in this thread. Their reliance is on brilliance and skill even more so than Spain. Germany also played possession football with Beckenbauer transforming how defenders can dictate play, the flow of the game and ultimately possession of the football.

But I'm not comparing Spain to England, just other successful international teams with them. Having said that, when you consider that it wasn't that long ago that Greece were the kings of the Euros, there's still some hope to cling to!!!!!

 

[Bold Seagull]

Season ticket holder and have been for decades.

With regard to last season, we won because we were highly organised and disciplined in the way we played. We had a great goal creator in Bennett and two forwards on their game in Murray and Barnes. However, Vicente is head and shoulders above any of them (Bennett being the closest).

Did you go this year? In which third of the field do we make most of our passes? I would suggest it is in our defensive third between the centre backs, full backs and whoever is the holding midfielder, whereas Spain and Barcelona are playing the passes further up the pitch. And because we are playing that deep, invariably the ball goes back to the keeper who then hoofs it upfield. Maybe when you're at the games, you don't spend too much time looking in the direction of the pitch!!!!

As for your last sentence, exactly what do you classify as effective football? That has to be a joke surely. We only scored 52 goals and conceded exactly the same. We had 209 shots on target for the whole season and 200 off target. Only one team was worse than that, Doncaster. We play possession football but at the moment, you can hardly describe it as effective!

I'll state again, we are very much a work in progress.

Is anyone denying that we're not a work in progress? Has even the most staunch defender of Gus and the team said that they thought it's the finished article? Is your scale of success for Brighton and Hove Albion based on their comparison to Spain and Barcelona!?

Only one team was worse than an arbitrary statistic of how many shots a team had? Christ, have you seen some of the attempts that get classed as a shot!? Meaningless.

The flip side of your argument is that we play possession football with a side that predominantly has stepped up a level collectively. If 10th, and being in the play-off spots with 4 games to go is not effective, then I'm not entirely sure where your expectations were.

I can whole heartedly agree with you that we are very much a work in progress, but the rest of your points are meaningless. Your point about our keeper hoofing a ridiculous exaggeration, and I only missed 2 home games!

 

[LamieRobertson]

Blimey this still going....how long til first match ? zzzzzz

 

[Bold Seagull]

Blimey this still going....how long til first match ? zzzzzz

Too f***ing long!!!

 

[LamieRobertson]

That's not down to the style of football as much as the quality of the players. Poyet gave the League 1 players in the team the chance to make it in the Championship and some of them weren't good enough.

simples

 

[LamieRobertson]

too f***ing long!!!

this!!!

 

[drew]

Is anyone denying that we're not a work in progress? Has even the most staunch defender of Gus and the team said that they thought it's the finished article? Is your scale of success for Brighton and Hove Albion based on their comparison to Spain and Barcelona!?seasideage described us as playing the most effective football in the championship! I am also not expecting us to be better than Spain or Barca but the style of football is what we aspire to and no doubt that, is what Gus is striving for. We are of course limited by the ability of the players we have and those we can afford.

Only one team was worse than an arbitrary statistic of how many shots a team had? Christ, have you seen some of the attempts that get classed as a shot!? Meaningless.Not sure how you can describe it as arbitary. Surely you were at games last year when we hardly got a shot on goal. Yes there probably are some dubious shots but overall it no doubt evens itself out over the course of a season for all teams.

The flip side of your argument is that we play possession football with a side that predominantly has stepped up a level collectively. If 10th, and being in the play-off spots with 4 games to go is not effective, then I'm not entirely sure where your expectations were.

I can whole heartedly agree with you that we are very much a work in progress, but the rest of your points are meaningless. Your point about our keeper hoofing a ridiculous exaggeration, and I only missed 2 home games!

You obviously weren't watching the games you were at. Ankergren in particular would kick the ball upfield on numerous occassions when the ball had been played back to him losing possession.

 

[leigull]

Wolves will be announcing the old FC Koln guy as their new manager early next week.

1 down 2 to go

 

[LamieRobertson]

You obviously weren't watching the games you were at. Ankergren in particular would kick the ball upfield on numerous occassions when the ball had been played back to him losing possession.

Hmmm..I missed one home game all season...can't agree with that statement ...maybe he did it in the away games...only got to a few of those

 

[porkypie]

New wolves manager being announced tomorrow, don't worry its not our Gus.

 

[Paskman]

Stale Solbakken

 

[Ninja Elephant]

Tell that to Roman Abromovic.

Villa's debt is only to the owner and thier wage bill isn't that bad. Villa could be a top 6 side with the right guidance. West Brom have reached thier potential - A mid table finish with the odd cup run thrown in.

Different context. We deffinitely don't agree on the potential of Aston Villa, they peaked under Martin O'Neill's extravagent spending and now that they've had a couple of below average seasons, the owner is losing interest and the squad has become a bit of a mess. It's a good job for somebody, but I don't think it would be for Gus.

 

[GT49er]

Wolves? Just relegated, in a mess. Are they more likely to get promotion than we are next season? Don't think so........so No, then.
West Brom.........hmmmmm......maybe , just maybe.
Villa - big enough to be a temptation - but what sort of a mess are they in? Did McLeish have funds to bring in superstasrs, or were their best players sold? Bit worried about the threat of an advance from Villa, but not quite sweating bricks...........

 

[Albion Dan]

Wolves? Just relegated, in a mess. Are they more likely to get promotion than we are next season? Don't think so........so No, then.
West Brom.........hmmmmm......maybe , just maybe.
Villa - big enough to be a temptation - but what sort of a mess are they in? Did McLeish have funds to bring in superstasrs, or were their best players sold? Bit worried about the threat of an advance from Villa, but not quite sweating bricks...........

Wolves. Debt free. 20m parachute payments. Squad of prek players. Awful option.

 

[catfish]

Stale Solbakken

That's an anagram of Ken Stale Bollaks.

 

[Barrel of Fun]

I moving ever closer to the stage where I hope Gus goes. So much hysteria, press coverage and diabolical mathematics when a vacancy pops up.

 

[Mellotron]

I moving ever closer to the stage where I hope Gus goes. So much hysteria, press coverage and diabolical mathematics when a vacancy pops up.

It's called success. Get used to it. Would you rather we were back in the lower leagues where no one talks about us? Any good manager taking us places is goin to stir up endless rumours.

Gus will go on to be our best manager ever. I'm very confident of that.