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

[Diablo]

I feel good .... After Man city away where can`t realistically expect anything we will have played four of the top seven. Played seven with five points.Not great but ok, we then have a run of nine games including the bottom five teams and no one higher than 9th place. This is the period when I would expect us to get 13/15 points. lets go for 14. Played 16 points 20.

 

[Kalimantan Gull]

Don't you feel like it would be reasonable to expect the performances to have improved from last season? After every away game, bar two or three, last season the post-match press conference started the same way, "we weren't at the level required" or "we didn't start quickly enough". Well, another summer of vast investment later, the story remains the same and there's no reason for that. We should be getting better but instead we're playing last season's team.

Yes and no. This was posted earlier, and I think gets to the crux of the way we've started this season:

T........ 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. .

Hughton is faced with two dilemma's. One: He got the best out of the first XI last season, how does he keep them at that level in year 2, and Two: How do you integrate new players into a side where there is no obvious position that needs changing or no player that obviously needs replacing, and without damaging the team spirit. He can't just drop last years successful team en masse.

Last year the qualities of the first XI was boosted by the excitement, passion and desire that drove them to stay up 'against the odds'. Replicating that is hard. We didn't suffer key injuries last year, we've had a few already this. The new players need to come in, but where exactly do we fit them in? AJ is a right-winger but we can't shift Knocky; we do need more pace and movement up front to get more fluidity in our forward play, but Murray has made it hard to drop him, and where exactly is Bissouma's best position and is he suited to replace either of the injured Stephens or Gross?

So yes, reasonable to expect improvement, but also no, understandable that this will take CH and the team time, and 6 games is really nothing. Don't rush a change or you piss off the old guard. We will see teams and setups in the spring that probably look nothing like what we're seeing now.

 

[saafend_seagull]

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.

We’re not in the race realistically.

Need to start winning away for that to happen. Something which we haven’t done for almost 11 months in the league.


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[mejonaNO12 aka riskit]

.

As to the new players, I reckon £30 million to £50 million buys a good Premier League footballer. .

Or 10 to 16 Pascal Gross's

 

[blue-shifted]

The club and Chris in particular are also very clear that the goal is survival and that is how we’re setting up that is what the focus is on My guess is that the club employees individual financial bonuses are very much focussed on continued survival. Whereas the fans are now thinking, we’ve spent £60m, “lets kick on up the league”, lets have a pop at Spurs”. It’s creating a bit of tension.

As has been mentioned Huddersfield and Cardiff do look to be struggling, and to me it’s hard to see them finding the goals or the wins to get them over the 30 point mark. That means we only have to avoid finishing bottom of an 8 or 9 team mini league to avoid the drop. And at least 2 of those could be described as “basket case” or “implosions waiting to happen”

 

[Napper]

Yes and no. This was posted earlier, and I think gets to the crux of the way we've started this season:



Hughton is faced with two dilemma's. One: He got the best out of the first XI last season, how does he keep them at that level in year 2, and Two: How do you integrate new players into a side where there is no obvious position that needs changing or no player that obviously needs replacing, and without damaging the team spirit. He can't just drop last years successful team en masse.

Last year the qualities of the first XI was boosted by the excitement, passion and desire that drove them to stay up 'against the odds'. Replicating that is hard. We didn't suffer key injuries last year, we've had a few already this. The new players need to come in, but where exactly do we fit them in? AJ is a right-winger but we can't shift Knocky; we do need more pace and movement up front to get more fluidity in our forward play, but Murray has made it hard to drop him, and where exactly is Bissouma's best position and is he suited to replace either of the injured Stephens or Gross?

So yes, reasonable to expect improvement, but also no, understandable that this will take CH and the team time, and 6 games is really nothing. Don't rush a change or you piss off the old guard. We will see teams and setups in the spring that probably look nothing like what we're seeing now.

I agree with you. To add to this though , the new players need to take their chances. Which they haven't really done as yet. Apart from Balogun. He was brilliant and shouldn't of been dropped. Not sure what message that sends out to the other new players either.

 

[Surf's Up]

I agree with you. To add to this though , the new players need to take their chances. Which they haven't really done as yet. Apart from Balogun. He was brilliant and shouldn't of been dropped. Not sure what message that sends out to the other new players either.

I'm taking the "glass half full view" that CH is breaking the new players in carefully, trying to get the balance right between getting the new players used to the pace and physicality of the PL while still retaining faith with the players that did so well last year, keeping squad morale high and continuing to pick up the points necessary for survival. Rather him than me!!!

 

[Lifelong Supporter]

Or 10 to 16 Pascal Gross's

I cannot buy that. You mean that is what we would sell him for now ?. Surely we would expect more than £3 million. LOL

 

[LamieRobertson]

Yes and no. This was posted earlier, and I think gets to the crux of the way we've started this season:



Hughton is faced with two dilemma's. One: He got the best out of the first XI last season, how does he keep them at that level in year 2, and Two: How do you integrate new players into a side where there is no obvious position that needs changing or no player that obviously needs replacing, and without damaging the team spirit. He can't just drop last years successful team en masse.

Last year the qualities of the first XI was boosted by the excitement, passion and desire that drove them to stay up 'against the odds'. Replicating that is hard. We didn't suffer key injuries last year, we've had a few already this. The new players need to come in, but where exactly do we fit them in? AJ is a right-winger but we can't shift Knocky; we do need more pace and movement up front to get more fluidity in our forward play, but Murray has made it hard to drop him, and where exactly is Bissouma's best position and is he suited to replace either of the injured Stephens or Gross?

So yes, reasonable to expect improvement, but also no, understandable that this will take CH and the team time, and 6 games is really nothing. Don't rush a change or you piss off the old guard. We will see teams and setups in the spring that probably look nothing like what we're seeing now.

 

[perseus]

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.

Lots of different styles of pressing. Arguably we may only need two on one when pressing out wide. Or pressing and covering space. There are drawbacks to pressing if it doesn't work.

 

[Kalimantan Gull]

I agree with you. To add to this though , the new players need to take their chances. Which they haven't really done as yet. Apart from Balogun. He was brilliant and shouldn't of been dropped. Not sure what message that sends out to the other new players either.

I suppose the Balogun message is, 'If you become our best central defender, an ever-present for four seasons and last-years player's player of the season, we aren't going to drop you after you miss one game with a niggly injury, however well the replacement player played'

 

[Surf's Up]

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.

I thought the pre-season training had been particularly arduous this year to get their fitness up to unprecedented levels in order to facilitate a 96 minute gengenpress all over the pitch?

 

[Finally Falmer]

Frustrating, is the simple word that sums it up for me. We're not boring to watch, but as others have said, our lack of attacking intent or rather, our reluctance to go on the attack and really take the game to the opposition, is frustrating.
I'm not sure whether that's due to paying the opposition too much respect, Chris Hughton's tactics, or poor recruitment. Possibly a bit of all 3. I'll admit, I see teams such as Wolves and feel a bit envious, they're new to the league, yet show no fear & play in a brilliant attacking style,& really take the game to the opposition. Yes they have money, but their squad has actually cost less than ours to assemble.

 

[perseus]

Top of the table clash for the stiffs: https://www.brightonandhovealbion.com/matches/u23-fixturesresults/

 

[The_Viper]

I'm feeling pretty good about it. After 7 games we'll have played 4 of the top 6 and came away with 5 points minimum. Our squad at the start of this season was weaker than the end of last in my opinion.

Izquierdo out
Andone out
Alireza not fit
Bissouma not PL ready at the time
Bernardo not PL ready

We've lost Dunk, Bruno, Gross and Dale now all within the first 6 games, something we never had last year.

Our strongest starting 11 this season without injuries is undoubtedly stronger than last year, we've just been worse off this year so far compared to last year. Let's get through City away and wait and see. We've got a long long way to go before I start panicking, and I certainly won't be when we've had 4 of our first 7 against the big boys. Come back to me in January.

 

[NooBHA]

Frustrating, is the simple word that sums it up for me. We're not boring to watch, but as others have said, our lack of attacking intent or rather, our reluctance to go on the attack and really take the game to the opposition, is frustrating.
I'm not sure whether that's due to paying the opposition too much respect, Chris Hughton's tactics, or poor recruitment. Possibly a bit of all 3. I'll admit, I see teams such as Wolves and feel a bit envious, they're new to the league, yet show no fear & play in a brilliant attacking style,& really take the game to the opposition. Yes they have money, but their squad has actually cost less than ours to assemble.

I am not really getting why you are envious of Wolves - I think if our opening fixtures had been similar to Wolves then we may well have 9 points as well and played more openly - Last year Huddersfield had more than 9 points at this stage in the season and their expansiveness was exploited as the season wore on. Wait till we get the middling to lower table teams down at the Amex. I think we will be just as expansive as Wolves are. After all we were open and attacking when Fulham came down there and got caught out for being so open.

 

[LlcoolJ]

I am not really getting why you are envious of Wolves - I think if our opening fixtures had been similar to Wolves then we may well have 9 points as well and played more openly - Last year Huddersfield had more than 9 points at this stage in the season and their expansiveness was exploited as the season wore on. Wait till we get the middling to lower table teams down at the Amex. I think we will be just as expansive as Wolves are. After all we were open and attacking when Fulham came down there and got caught out for being so open.

We were also open and attacking against Man United and smashed them but this seems to have been completely forgotten.

 

[NooBHA]

We were also open and attacking against Man United and smashed them but this seems to have been completely forgotten.

How dare you let the truth get in the way of a good old whinge by those other posters

 

[One Teddy Maybank]

After all we were open and attacking when Fulham came down there and got caught out for being so open.

It was an individual error by Dunk nothing to do with being open.

Their first goal was clever movement and poor tracking.


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[southstandandy]

A bit disappointed ultimately so far, but more so in the lack of impact pretty much all the new signings have made, Only Montoya seems to be staking a regular place in the side at the moment although I am really hopefull that Bissouma will be a great signing in time.

It's funny that the 'we're not boring to watch' comment has been mentioned by Naylor and others but having been to 2 of the 3 away games as well as all 3 at home, I do feel we are boring to watch for large parts of most matches. Yes, we can't be Man City like in our approach all game but I am getting increasingly tired of of first half performances bar the United game. I'm sure CH doesn't say to the lads 'sit deep and soak up the pressure for as long as you can, then we'll hit them on the break in the last period of the game' like in a boxing match, but it sure feels like it. 5 points is ok at this juncture but I like most people was hoping that games like Southampton, Watford, and Fulham were all potentially winnable in our scheme of things and from those we only got 2 points from a possible 9.