[Albion] Six Games In, how do you feel about our season so far?

[whosthedaddy]

Personally for me it's been a tale of two halves.

Having attended all six games so far I can honestly say I'm concerned about the dreadful first halves to at least three of the games.
In particular...
Watford We managed to totally let them have the game to themselves and we never got out of first gear.
Southampton Never turned up for the first half which was woefully inadequate considering the opposition, great comeback though.
Spurs Why oh why do we let the top teams off the hook by standing off of them to see how well they can play, again in this game the first half energy was absent.

After the Watford defeat it was evident from the players and manager post match that this lacklustre performance wasn't acceptable to anyone, consequently we put that right in the very next game by beating Man Utd. We upped the tempo considerably and took that approach into the Liverpool game where we performed well in both halves. Fulham at the Amex was a strange affair but the tempo wasn't lost and we pulled a draw out of the bag.

Then this Saturday against Spurs we were back to starting slowly, we let them play how they wanted and consequently didn't have a chance of any note on their goal whereas you felt that they would score at any given moment, (great save from Maty from almost point-blank). Again, as in some other matches, we played a high tempo and pressing game in the second half and matched them man for man.

I don't understand what is said in the dressing room for our team to enter the football arena without the will or spunk to have a go at the opposition. If a high tempo and challenging approach appears to work as it did against a quite good team such as Man Utd then why oh why do we change the way we play against subsequent opposition, namely Southampton and Spurs?

TV pundit Danny Murphy on Match of the Day on Saturday summed it up for me when he said he was disappointed with Brighton's first half approach, Spurs were vunerable after recent defeats and we should have tested them, we didn't which begs the question, Why not??

The next home game against Hammers will be massive, as will the two after that, I would suggest we play well in both halves if we want all three points, not just for forty-five minutes.

 

[perseus]

Personally for me it's been a tale of two halves.



TV pundit Danny Murphy on Match of the Day on Saturday summed it up for me when he said he was disappointed with Brighton's first half approach, Spurs were vunerable after recent defeats and we should have tested them, we didn't which begs the question, Why not??

The next home game against Hammers will be massive, as will the two after that, I would suggest we play well in both halves if we want all three points, not just for forty-five minutes.

Don't take notice of northern pundits that spout their first thoughts. Chasing shadows like Man United and we would have lost 0-3. An Emirates linesman and we would have won.

Overall impression is that we are undergoing a transition with players getting older and it is we do not drop too many points before we click.

 

[Insel affe]

I would suggest we play well in both halves if we want all three points, not just for forty-five minutes.

Oh that’s a good idea, maybe we should get you in as manager, I doubt Chris has even thought of that amazing idea....

Good call.

 

[BensGrandad]

I think that generally we offer our opponents too much respect rather than try to put them under pressure by what we do.

 

[Kosh]

I'm a bit, well, I don't know... kind of a bit, well... meh. Not just about us, but top level football in general. I still care about our club, deeply, but akin to a girl I had a crush on back in High School, the passion that burned my love upon a pyre of carnal desire... well it's more like a smouldering damp pile of leaves, unlikely to kindle much but a coughing fit and a smoke infused old knitted sweater. Sure I'm trying, yet alas, I know my effort will eventually turn to resignation and ultimately I'll go back indoors and shut the curtains. No amount of super slow mo high def dry ice tv bollocks can convince me that I have anything to be really excited about. The best we can hope for is a perennial struggle to serve the bread sticks and cheese nibbles at the top table... chock full of cash rich spectres, of whom I understand nor know very little... I can no longer relate easily to a game I played and loved more than life itself when I was young, I fear I'm drawing close to the edge of the evnt horizon and soon, very soon, I'm going to disintegrate into the black hole that looms before my waking eyes.

That's how I feel right now.

 

[Kalimantan Gull]

I'm a bit, well, I don't know... kind of a bit, well... meh. Not just about us, but top level football in general. I still care about our club, deeply, but akin to a girl I had a crush on back in High School, the passion that burned my love upon a pyre of carnal desire... well it's more like a smouldering damp pile of leaves, unlikely to kindle much but a coughing fit and a smoke infused old knitted sweater. Sure I'm trying, yet alas, I know my effort will eventually turn to resignation and ultimately I'll go back indoors and shut the curtains. No amount of super slow mo high def dry ice tv bollocks can convince me that I have anything to be really excited about. The best we can hope for is a perennial struggle to serve the bread sticks and cheese nibbles at the top table... chock full of cash rich spectres, of whom I understand nor know very little... I can no longer relate easily to a game I played and loved more than life itself when I was young, I fear I'm drawing close to the edge of the evnt horizon and soon, very soon, I'm going to disintegrate into the black hole that looms before my waking eyes.

That's how I feel right now.

put you on the fence then?

 

[the right footed denilson]

I'm a bit, well, I don't know... kind of a bit, well... meh. Not just about us, but top level football in general. I still care about our club, deeply, but akin to a girl I had a crush on back in High School, the passion that burned my love upon a pyre of carnal desire... well it's more like a smouldering damp pile of leaves, unlikely to kindle much but a coughing fit and a smoke infused old knitted sweater. Sure I'm trying, yet alas, I know my effort will eventually turn to resignation and ultimately I'll go back indoors and shut the curtains. No amount of super slow mo high def dry ice tv bollocks can convince me that I have anything to be really excited about. The best we can hope for is a perennial struggle to serve the bread sticks and cheese nibbles at the top table... chock full of cash rich spectres, of whom I understand nor know very little... I can no longer relate easily to a game I played and loved more than life itself when I was young, I fear I'm drawing close to the edge of the evnt horizon and soon, very soon, I'm going to disintegrate into the black hole that looms before my waking eyes.

That's how I feel right now.

I feel it too babes.

 

[Arkwright]

Heard so much about the pressing game but either we are going to play it or not. Man Utd home we pressed the whole pitch and gained a brilliant win, even pressed Liverpool well. However yesterday we looked a bit confused at times pressed three up and yet more often than not only committed two in the press and made it so easy for Spurs. Room for improvement.
Also a bit concerned about the lack of support for Murray, he wins so much first ball but is isolated and we lose the second phase, we now have so much pace in the team we need to get closer to the front one.
In general we have improved from last year and I feel will continue to improve with a bit more collective belief.

 

[Algernon]

It's going pretty much as I expected.

 

[GT49er]

Me? Just a tiny bit disappointed. Not angry, not upset, not even dissatisfied, let alone very disappointed - just a tiny little bit disappointed. If someone had told me a few years ago -even 5 or 6 years ago - that we'd spend over £50M on players in 2018 I 'd have humoured them whilst calling for the men in white coats; well, we have, so I should be over the moon - but I'm not. Maybe it's just because the big money buys are in many cases (for various reasons, including injuries I admit) are struggling to get in the team. The day will surely come - if it hasn't already - that our bench costs more than the entire team on the pitch!
I think my disappointment is probably because we don't appear - not yet any way - to have improved on last season; still seems very much the same. No, I didn't expect us to be challenging for Europe and thrashing other PL sides, but I think I just thought we'd see, I don't know - a bit more confident team this time round, perhaps?
Oh well, a few good wins, and I expect my football mojo will bounce back.............it's just having a bit of a rest at the moment.

 

[studio150]

Then this Saturday against Spurs we were back to starting slowly, we let them play how they wanted and consequently didn't have a chance of any note on their goal whereas you felt that they would score at any given moment, (great save from Maty from almost point-blank). .

What

Were you even watching the same game, I didn't at any point feel like Spurs would score at any given moment. Yes Ryan made one good save, but what else did he do in the 1st half until we conceded the penalty, nothing of any real note.

Yes Spurs had a lot of the ball, but this wasn't resulting in save and save from Ryan, there wasn't a need to throw bodies at numerous shots, or shots hitting the woodwork or easy changes being missed.

If you really felt Spurs were going to score at any moment, I wouldn't be surprised if you believe that City have scored 5 in the pre match warm up.

 

[dangull]

The new players like AJ, Andone, Bernardo and the injured Izquirdo will probably make a big difference going forward. Bissouma I think will get better with the more games he plays.


Is 10th -16th more exciting than the race for promotion in the championship ? Not sure we could hope for much more while we are in this league.

 

[Albion my Albion]

What the 'ell happened in the first half?

 

[OzMike]

Where were we 6 games in last season ?

 

[Arvin]

The only truly disappointing result was the 2-2 draw against Fulham at home. A point away (albeit against a weak side of Southampton) is forgivable, losing to spurs and liverpool is forgivable, beating United needs no description, watford loss is forgivable as they've started very strong.

My quarrel though is that the standard 11 doesn't look like the kind of side that can evolve much. Any ounce of potential has already been milked from this group, and there's no excuse with regards to their fitness/acclimation/tactical understanding etc; this is the BEST we will get out of them. Which going off of that point, isn't horrible. It's the sort of material that will keep Brighton out of relegation.

But, it leaves a lot to be wanted given the potential the CLUB has after ambitious summer spending. Players like AJ, Bissouma, Andone, Balogun, they're hungry and their full potential hasn't nearly been unlocked. The problem is Hughton's stubbornness in taking chances and making ambitious lineup changes, in having the players perform like they want to make a name for themselves, rather than play under the shadow of their more illustrious opponents. It was more than clear against Spurs that this small mentality is far too much of a hindrance. I respect his character, and his tactics have turned Brighton into an impressively disciplined side. But, football of the highest quality shouldn't be a static affair.

 

[Peteinblack]

Me? Just a tiny bit disappointed. Not angry, not upset, not even dissatisfied, let alone very disappointed - just a tiny little bit disappointed. If someone had told me a few years ago -even 5 or 6 years ago - that we'd spend over £50M on players in 2018 I 'd have humoured them whilst calling for the men in white coats; well, we have, so I should be over the moon - but I'm not. Maybe it's just because the big money buys are in many cases (for various reasons, including injuries I admit) are struggling to get in the team. The day will surely come - if it hasn't already - that our bench costs more than the entire team on the pitch!
I think my disappointment is probably because we don't appear - not yet any way - to have improved on last season; still seems very much the same. No, I didn't expect us to be challenging for Europe and thrashing other PL sides, but I think I just thought we'd see, I don't know - a bit more confident team this time round, perhaps?
Oh well, a few good wins, and I expect my football mojo will bounce back.............it's just having a bit of a rest at the moment.

^ This.

 

[upthealbion1970]

Also a little concerned that on 3 occasions we’ve lost a player to injury around 20 mins out of 6 games so far.

Bruno at Watford
Dunk at home v Man Utd
Stephens at home v Spurs

 

[Icy Gull]

A little disappointed that we haven’t given AJ a full game yet and that Andone still hasn’t been able to challenge Murray but overall pretty much what I expected. An additional win along the line would have been good, but I am impressed by the character shown in coming back from going behind. That’s a big improvement on last year.

Maybe Danny Murphy should sign up to NSC and contribute his thoughts as another wannabe manager who knows better than CH. He’d fit in well on here too

 

[Tom Hark Preston Park]

Satisfied with the team performances overall, defence and midfield remain solid, if not particularly adventurous, with new boys Montoya and Bissouma slotting right in. Alarm bells ringing though on the horrible over-reliance on Murray for goals. Not seen anything to suggest that Locadia is going to be troubling defences anytime soon, hopefully Andone will have more of an impact.

 

[Couldn't Be Hyypia]

Positives: scoring more goals, and not just the strikers. Montoya. Character to come back from behind.

Negatives: big signings not contributing yet. Conceding more goals. Still too respectful of Big 6.

Overall: which is the real Albion this year? The never say die pressing team that did so well at Liverpool and can claw back results from two goals down or the defensive, too deferential team that played spurs? Too soon to say.