Relegation?

[One Teddy Maybank]

I have a lot of respect for Hyypia so I'm still not sure binning him is the underlying answer to our problems, though his inflexibility and idealism in persisting with a system virtually no one else plays looks like it could be part of the problem.

But regardless of that, I'm still sticking with the idea that it's the players who have to go. Bennett is a nice start but I'd like to see at least half a different team come January cos this current one is taking us down.

Bennett? Depends if you want a left back who can defend.

Agree with the rest of your post, particularly the inflexibility, that is what could put us in trouble, coupled with poor team selection.

If things haven't improved by the international break, then it will be time for a change.

 

[Rugrat]

If we go down (which seems likely) there is always next year. We've had 4 pretty decent seasons on the trot and if we then have 1 bad one we just have to get back on it next year. The ups and downs of being a fan I'm afraid.

Pre Amex days perhaps but relegation could spell financial disaster. The fixed overheads we are carrying are clearly enormous and I'd be surprised if reduced crowds and reduced prices covered them ... leads to big cuts in playing budgets = even crapper players.

Anyone who thinks we'll simply bounce back should talk to my Sheff Utd supporting mate

 

[Surf's Up]

Under FFP the clubs who are at an advantage in this league are the ones with parachute payments, the ones with foreign owners of multiple clubs, the ones with owners who don't give a f**k about FFP and are prepared to challenge it in the courts and the smaller clubs with much lower overheads i.e. we're f**ked. If you add to that a rookie manager with a rookie assistant who insists on playing a formation and tactic that his players are not good enough to implement and hey presto!! we're double f**ked

 

[trueblue]

Not sure about that, two of the goals yesterday were down to individual errors, as were plenty of the goals conceded this season.

The last people I'd point the finger at this season are Greer and Dunk. Both are definitely top half Championship standard. It's only a few weeks since Greer was excellent against Robert Lewandowski while Dunk is a top flight player in waiting. They're just ridiculously exposed a lot of the time and having to put in far more work in unusual areas than centre backs are used to.

 

[Dover]

I remember being at the Southampton pre season friendly, and said to anyone that would listen, playing that manner has relegation written all over it.

The current manager has not got a clue, and neither has his no2.

 

[joeinbrighton]

Brighton will not be relegated this season. There are certainly at least 3 teams worse in the division. Whether Hyypia will be around to oversee Brighton to safety however is another matter entirely.

 

[Commander]

To get relegated with the squad we have would take some absolutely atrocious management. Is Sami an atrocious manager? I hope not.

All the people saying 'Bloom will hold his nerve' etc- he'll only hold his nerve as long as he thinks Sami can turn it around. There's no way he can still have total faith in him at the moment, he must be wavering.

 

[El Turi]

It's been a really strange season as I have yet to see us outclassed and most games I've seen have been pretty even. However I kept thinking we'll turn the corner but we still haven't so I am struggling to see us picking enough wins to stay up.

I think we're paying the price for another disastrous post season and a ponderous transfer window. Our squads not the best but if they'd been in place a lot earlier in the summer, I think we'd be comfortable in mid-table now. If we do go down, which is a real possibility, let's just hope the board learn from the serious mistakes that have been made.

 

[portslade seagull]

I know I will be called a licker or whatever but I do have faith in Tony Bloom. The reason being is that he is far more intelligent than me and has far more money than me.
If I was in his position I would do exactly what he is doing. I would ignore the airheads on here hyperventilating on our league position and demanding that we sack the manager.
One year ago West Ham were demanding that Sam should go. Three weeks ago Newcastle fans were demanding that Pardew should go.
Yes, it's all good fun but I really don't think that Tony is about to sack a manager that he gave a three year contract to achieve the dream. He is not that fickle unlike some on here.

They have decent teams that can compete

 

[pasty]

I actually thought there was no chance of this even up to a couple of weeks ago but the classic sign of a relegation bound team is when it plays badly and loses, and then when it plays well, it still loses. Finding ways to lose in a huge variety of ways is a sign of a team in big, big trouble.

Said pretty similar yesterday. I don't think we played that bad, and certainly played better than a couple of recent matches, and even both our strikers scored! Unfortunately we were beaten by an og, a deflected goal and a penalty from a silly challenge by Dunk. There's the rub; when you're down the bottom of the league, things like that do seem to conspire against you sadly.

 

[Tom Hark Preston Park]

Who is going to bring in this new team? If it's the same people that have been doing it until now I don't see why the results would be better.

Would think that the board are sufficiently rattled now by the very real prospect of relegation that a couple of poor results this coming week will sting them into action, with a Pulis-like manager with plenty of experience of digging clubs out of holes in the second half of a season being put in place before the January transfer window.

It's going to be costly too, bringing in quality players in January

Relegation will be a whole lot costlier. With a clear focus in January on addressing exactly where the critical weaknesses lie e.g. chronically under-performing midget strikers, lack of strong leadership in midfield etc then a couple of key signings will need to be made to try and save the season. League One would be a financial disaster for the club.


Not too late to turn things round, but the current league position should serve as the clearest of wake-up calls to the board.

 

[durrington gull]

2 back to back home games coming up - we need 4pts but can't see it, if we lose on Tuesday vs Wigan I think sammi will be gone

 

[Barnham Seagull]

Teams that get relegated/struggle concede soft goals and consistently make poor decisions.

That's us.

Add to that we play a totally ineffective system with many sub standard players = likely relegation.

 

[twickers]

He was sacked from BL for not having a plan B according to the commentator today. Exactly the same issue we are seeing now.

A new manager will bring new ideas and give everyone a lift. That is what's needed and soon.

You will be surprised what a bit of confidence does to a player or team.

That's a comprehensive strategy there. Yes a new manager with new ideas giving everyone a lift and a bit of confidence. We should have done that before over the decades bringing in new managers with new ideas, giving everyone a lift and a bit of confidence. Can't beat giving everyone a bit of a lift and bit of confidence to make players great. Perhaps a nice milky brew at half time will see them bagging goals for fun?

 

[London Irish]

Brighton will not be relegated this season. There are certainly at least 3 teams worse in the division.

And this was certainly my view until very recently but the way the other teams are preforming is scaring the life out of me now. Who are these 3 teams?

I think there is much less margin for error this season than in many before.

Blackpool and Lee Clark I thought would fill two of the relegation spots, unfortunately just the one certain one now.

If Rowett does manage to get Brum functioning, then our task becomes much harder.

The other teams with the weakest squads like Rotherham, Millwall and Brentford are all scrapping hard and are pretty much on course with their objectives of midtable. This is putting incredible pressure on the "big names" - and we look among the most vulnerable of those falling giants.

It's true nothing is decided in the first third of the season but Sami has to show the board he can conjure the 3-pointers from somewhere - regardless of the performance. I think Sami knows his football but an idealist like him is struggling to come to terms with the fact that our FFP austerity is driving our football right now, can he bend or adapt to that?

 

[The Grockle]

Sadly I think we'll end up going down this season, just has that feel about it for me. Sami does not feel like the man for a team in our position and I fear Bloom will act to late in sacking and replacing him.

I'm not a bedwetter by the way just followed football and the Albion long enough to pick up on that doomed feeling.

 

[Brighton Mod]

We need only two new midfielders to sort us out, Baldock and Colunga can score, just give then the ball. Last night JFC and even more so Gardner, were invisible. Two players will sort us out, that's all, lets hope Bennet is one of them!

 

[southstandandy]

And this was certainly my view until very recently but the way the other teams are preforming is scaring the life out of me now. Who are these 3 teams?

I think there is much less margin for error this season than in many before.

Blackpool and Lee Clark I thought would fill two of the relegation spots, unfortunately just the one certain one now.

If Rowett does manage to get Brum functioning, then our task becomes much harder.

The other teams with the weakest squads like Rotherham, Millwall and Brentford are all scrapping hard and are pretty much on course with their objectives of midtable. This is putting incredible pressure on the "big names" - and we look among the most vulnerable of those falling giants.

It's true nothing is decided in the first third of the season but Sami has to show the board he can conjure the 3-pointers from somewhere - regardless of the performance. I think Sami knows his football but an idealist like him is struggling to come to terms with the fact that our FFP austerity is driving our football right now, can he bend or adapt to that?

I tend to agree - only Blackpool in my view look odds on so we have a real battle to stay ahead of the other sides struggling. I don't believe in the view that so many people seem to have that 'we're too good to go down' - 2 wins in 15 tells you all you need to know. Yes, there is time to turn it around but I like many am struggling to see where a win is going to come from. We haven't been that bad this season but even when we have played well (in parts yesterday) and against Cardiff for example we still can't win. I'm not resigned to relegation as it's still too early in the season but I honestly think we will be doing well to finish 17th or 18th the way things are going.

Whatever happens the club must learn from it's mistakes this season in appointments and player recruitment after all I can barely name one player who we signed this summer who has had a real lasting positive impact on the side. McCourt, Tex, and Bennett on occasions but that's about it. Let's hope they can get at least 1 win from the next 2 home games before the international break.

 

[pacebos]

He was sacked from BL for not having a plan B according to the commentator today. Exactly the same issue we are seeing now.

A new manager will bring new ideas and give everyone a lift. That is what's needed and soon.

You will be surprised what a bit of confidence does to a player or team.

So true! Last week Brum got smashed 0-8 and yesterday, with a new man in charge, they gained a credible draw against a very good Wolves team.

Hyypia needs to be moved out so that a new manager can assess his squad and decide what needs strengthening in January.