[Albion] Premier League: your feelings after 3 years?

[Harry Wilson's tackle]

The Championship may well be exciting, but that's mainly because clubs are going hell for leather to try and reach the Premier League. We're already there, so prefer to look up rather than down. The likes of Burnley and Sheffield United have shown that #teamslikebrighton can have their day in the sun, however fleeting. How long before we're grumbling about playing teams we never heard of in the Europa League on a thursday night? Bring it on!

There are some sensible posts, like this, among the rather weird views, micro-obessions and imposter syndrome stances of some. To say that it was better in the Championship is like saying it's more fun to pick fights with weaker boys, and a lot safer to have an ugly and generally unpleasant girlfriend. **** me - where is the self respect? Where is the ambition? Well, fortunately some of us have it.

I have loved almost every minute of the PL era. The only bad bit was towards the end of last season when I felt that, with Hughton, we simply didn't have the bus fare and would be jettisoned from the vehicle sooner rather than later. The cup semi final - a great victory, we lost only 1-0 to Citeh. I was saddened by the whole day.

I would like to think we can strike the right balance between pragmatism and ruthlessness. The owner can certainly be both, as we have seen.

I feared that we would collapse in our first season like newborn foals in a strong wind. Now I feel like this:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YO_spdAYjPk

The City game showed us how much farther we need to go. No shame in it. But people should get up off their knees about it. We are Brighton, from the south.

 

[Harry Wilson's tackle]

After 30+ years as a season ticket holder including Gillingham, I am literally living the dream & loving every second of it. Yes, sure there are things you can moan about and I suppose asking the question after defeats to the elite teams may produce negative arguments. But who can really not enjoy beating Arsenal twice, Spurs, Man Utd (in previous seasons) and of course many special wins against Palace. Whoever prefers Championship football is off their trollies!!

 

[Withdean and I]

Now in my 43rd year of following the Albion through glory and gutter I can honestly say that now is amazing, the occasional win against a ‘big team’ etc....and of course I hope we push on and build and build on where we are now....but if we end up going down one day...there are still positives...easier to travel away etc....just enjoying the ride!


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[The Wizard]

Necessary evil.

 

[Beach Hut]

Feelings are the same as year 1, for the foreseeable future we will struggle but clearly not alone given every year so far three other teams have struggled more.

It isn't always good fun when you know you will be humiliated once in a while but the quality of football is miles better than the Championship. Mistakes cost goals whereas in the Championship not necessarily.

I would be very surprised if anyone thought we would progress, it isn't easy when you have to search world wide for affordable players.

Having said all that, the Potter era might actually reap benefits and I am really looking forward to seeing what type of team he rally can produce, if he gets it right, he could be here quite a while.

 

[Napper]

People just assume the championship would be us bossing it like those magical 2 years.

Its an awful place to be if you are not all that.

Everyone forgotten the Hypia year already.

There is no given we would be any good in there.

Stay in the top league , lord it where possible.

 

[BeHereNow]

Where on earth have you been?! No Premier League club values the cups anymore and only puts out the second string, including us.

All the more reason to give them a good go then.

Always up for the cup.

Winning the FA Cup would be a much bigger achievement than staying in the PL for another season.

 

[Shooting Star]

I used to be very pro-Championship and quite at ease with us getting relegated one day as life was more fun out of the PL. However, since listening to the Price of Football podcast, the Championship financially is beyond broken. I fear those pre-PL days are gone and life in the Championship wouldn't be as it was. Stoke, Hull and Huddersfield, to name but a few, are examples I fear we could become if we went down.

For that reason, I've become slightly more pro-PL in the last few months.

 

[Peter Grummit]

All we can aim to do is make progress. Last season was the first in a while we didn't do that, but providing we confirm safety then this one will have yielded a better return, more attractive football and a younger, more promising, more exciting team.

I really enjoy the milestones of progress. First ever win at Arsenal. First top flight point against Chelsea. Every PL game is an event.

Back in 82 under Bailey, many Albion fans had similar angst. Believe me, by the time we'd sunk to the depths that seemed ridiculous.

Sieze the day, enjoy the standard of play and staus of games in the PL. Every point is a good point. Be careful what you wish for.

And any other cliches.

PG

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[Weststander]

I second that, you can fast forward on TV but when you attend a match with one man up and our possession is mainly in our own half then you have to feel that for entertainment and attacking football then the Championship is a good option.

CP

 

[One Teddy Maybank]

You underestimate the attraction of being a team at the top of the table, occasionally handing out the type of football lessons we have just experienced. This is very likely doable if we get relegated.

I support the Albion and love football for the thrills and excitement it brings me. Sure we have had quite a few uplifting performances this season but how nice would it be to see us thumping rather than being thumped?

I am not a “win at all costs, however ugly” football fan. You need to chat with [MENTION=13272]Teddy Maybank[/MENTION] if you want to have that conversation

Get the name right Icy!!
After all there is only One Teddy Maybank....

As you say I’m very much in the ‘just win’ camp.


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[One Teddy Maybank]

I've compared this with our 4yr tenure in the old Div 1. First game at home to Arsenal hammered 4: 0. Standing on Hove station shell shocked but we survived for 4 seasons, when a trip to Wembley cost us dear. This time around I think we can stay for longer. Saturday was a lesson in how it should be done and I read somewhere basically what was the difference between us, was 200 million pounds worth of players. A very apt description I feel. So onwards and hopefully upwards and a more stable position.

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Interestingly we do seem to be following a similar trend again

Season 1 - survive relatively easy game or two to spare.
Season 2 - skin of the teeth stuff. Anyone remember the last minute winner at Sunderland in 81?
Season 3 - comfortable here’s hoping

Which means....... [emoji30]

At least we’ll get to the Cup Final....


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[Pavilionaire]

Tony Bloom is so passionate about this club and has done so much for us that I want the Premier League journey to continue as much for him as anything else.

The stadium, the training ground, the respect he has built for the club warrants 5 seasons plus in the Prem, but if we do go down it will have been nice to have played some quality football and picked up some notable scalps along the way.

There is still work to do - we still need to beat Chelsea, Sheff Utd and Burnley to have beaten every Prem side at least once (including our stint in the 80s), we still need to finish above Palace, be the south coast's top side, maybe reach a cheeky Wembley Final, maybe even finish in the Top 10.

If we achieve all of that then I won't mind so much if we get relegated in the future.

 

[The_Viper]

It's the dream isn't it? When I was a kid hoping we'd still be a club the following season to be able to say my team are one of the twenty best teams in the country I still sometimes have to pinch myself. I don't fear us doing a Stoke or Hull because they didn't have Tony Bloom. Will we stay up? I don't know. Will we push on? No idea. All I know is I am loving every minute of it, even if getting stuffed 5-0 at home to ****ing Bournemouth is part and parcel of playing in this league. Hopefully long may it continue.

 

[nickjhs]

One reason I really want us to stay up is I want to see how far the 'Potter experiment' can take us. I do think we are making progress, and will do better next season.

This.

Can a club with limited resources build and maintain a team partly using their own grown talent and by working intelligently with the squad, form them into a unit that is greater than the individual parts. And then hold their own in the PL and become a permanent fixture.

The answer to the above question is still very much debatable but provided we stay up I expect a few more wins and less "bad luck" than this season.