[Albion] Sleepwalking back to the Championship

[topbanana36]

Football has become too sanitised. Too much money now, either we move on or it passes us by. I preferred the days of the terraces, the smells, sights and sounds both on and off the pitch but those days have gone. The players now have to learn to adapt in the premiership quickly 14 games left, give the superstars zero respect on the field and take it too them. We have a chance to stay up, the players are hopefully professional to do the business come may UTA.

 

[Westdene Seagull]

You don't think star struck players with one eye on who's shirt they're gonna ask for has any impact on how they play. What does it say about they're 'inferiority complex' attitude, remind me again who Ezequiel chased for a shirt on Saturday. I only mention him as he embodies the couldn't give a $hit, never give up, passionate attitude that most fans want to see.

Despite what many think, our players are professionals, I don't believe for a minute they go on the pitch and hold back because they are 'star struck'. Sometimes they will have a mare, occasionally we'll have a duffer of a player who doesn't give a toss regardless, but that's all it is.

 

[shingle]

Agreed.
All I really hoped for was that we stayed up for a few seasons.
As long as we didn't go down with a new record lowest points tally I would have not been too bothered.A lot of our performances have shown that we can survive in this division and possibly do better than we have with a couple of additions.

This is exactly what I'm talking about ..... Does it really boil down to not doing a Derby and staying up for a few seasons, is that the limit of our ambitions, is that what the last 20 years have been about?

 

[chaileyjem]

It was bound to happen once we eventually made it into the PL.
The lost generation came back to support the Albion, along with the FIFA XBox/PS generation soaking up as much PL as possible.
I know of two young lads who as well as watching the Albion, because they're uncle supports them, mostly go to the big games, because the 'big time billy bollox' are playing.

Crowds , fans, replica shirts and overall supporters of the club have been rising for the last decade. Not just the last 6 months. They've been one of the highest outside the Prem for the last 5 years. Not true to say the lost generation / kids have only returned in last few months , although of course even more will have signed up tickets/waiting lists etc wanting to see Arsenal/Chelsea etc. Hardly a shock is it.

 

[GT49er]

I think it's a bit rich to call out players - who are doing their best in a league that was always going to be a struggle - for bad attitude and negativity when fans start threads like 'Sleepwalking back to the Championship'.
Negativity? No, not us mate, blame somebody else...................


You'd never think that the team, even though they're in a bad run at the moment, is still in there, and actually doing rather better than most people (including a lot of Brighton fans) expected.

 

[Sheebo]

I think it's a bit rich to call out players - who are doing their best in a league that was always going to be a struggle - for bad attitude and negativity when fans start threads like 'Sleepwalking back to the Championship'.
Negativity? No, not us mate, blame somebody else...................


You'd never think that the team, even though they're in a bad run at the moment, is still in there, and actually doing rather better than most people (including a lot of Brighton fans) expected.

Have to say I don’t agree with the title or negativity but the too much respect theme of the post I do...

But yes we need to get behind the lads now - if we go down c’est la vie...

 

[BBassic]

It's only football and I'll enjoy it whether we're in the Premier League or the National League.

 

[Westdene Seagull]

I think it's a bit rich to call out players - who are doing their best in a league that was always going to be a struggle - for bad attitude and negativity when fans start threads like 'Sleepwalking back to the Championship'.
Negativity? No, not us mate, blame somebody else...................


You'd never think that the team, even though they're in a bad run at the moment, is still in there, and actually doing rather better than most people (including a lot of Brighton fans) expected.

It's actually very disrespectful to our players !

 

[Thunder Bolt]

Thanks for clarifying Dazzer. I thought at the time it must be a Chelsea fan until others said they were in the home end.

This isn't aimed at you, shingle, but posters come on, start new threads without looking to see what has already been discussed for the last 48 hours.
We end with two or three duplicate threads with the same discussions, whereas, if people logging in on a Monday, read Nsc first, they'd find their answers.
As I said, it's not personal, but I've noticed it quite a lot.

 

[shingle]

Do you think none of our players from 79 grabbed a shirt or two off the likes of Trevor Brooking or Ossie Ardiles?

Edit: Brooking would not have crossed paths with us till 82, but you get my point.

Unfortunately I'm old enough to have been there in 79. Players changed shirts at the end of the game with the player nearest to them as a sign of respect, it was all low key. However, I do remember Bobby Moore searching out Pele in 1970, only because it was so unusual.

 

[Cowfold Seagull]

Attitude is everything. Show no respect for the big teams or their big players, just like Ezequiel did on Saturday.

Dads - Stop getting your kids to hold up signs asking for opposition players shirts no matter how good said player is. I know this has been covered in other threads, but this is only gonna get worse when Spurs, Man Utd, Arsenal etc come to town. Expect not one, but dozens of cringe worthy signs, just change Hazard for Kane, Sanchez, Pogba, Ozil, Lukaku etc.

All of this comes hot on the heels of the nauseating sight of Duffy and Kayal getting Mo Salah to sign a shirt and Tomer FFS on his Instagram feed, standing there like a lemon holding the shirt of Ibrahimovic.

I am prepared for a roasting by the 'take the tribalism out of football', 'its just a game', 'its just 22 men kicking around a bag of leather' brigade. I don't care anymore, unless attitudes of some fans and some players change we're back in the championship to the chant of 'Fleetwood, on a Tuesday night'

There is an awful lot to what you say. I have been thinking much the same to an increasing degree over the last few weeks. So many examples of this, from the early away game at Arsenal, and our players wandering around the pitch taking selfies as if they couldn't believe they were actually getting to play at the Emirates, many of our players clouring to swap shirts with their so called superstar opponents after games, and of course during games, where we seem to be in total awe of the opposition, stand off them, allow them to play, and of course we get punished for it, as happened on Saturday.

Don't get me wrong, l have no problem with returning to the Championship, but all l ask, if it has to happen, is that we have done everything we absoluitely could to stay there, A few more things l think we could have done, (maybe still could?), includes buying a player or two with Premier League experience, someone who has been there, seen it, and done it, and will have his feet firmly on the ground. Robert Snodgrass anyone? There would be nothing worse, if come the end of the season we are relegated, knowing that we hadn't done everything we possibly could to avoid it..

.

 

[Knotty]

Attitude is everything. Show no respect for the big teams or their big players, just like Ezequiel did on Saturday.

Dads - Stop getting your kids to hold up signs asking for opposition players shirts no matter how good said player is. I know this has been covered in other threads, but this is only gonna get worse when Spurs, Man Utd, Arsenal etc come to town. Expect not one, but dozens of cringe worthy signs, just change Hazard for Kane, Sanchez, Pogba, Ozil, Lukaku etc.

All of this comes hot on the heels of the nauseating sight of Duffy and Kayal getting Mo Salah to sign a shirt and Tomer FFS on his Instagram feed, standing there like a lemon holding the shirt of Ibrahimovic.

I am prepared for a roasting by the 'take the tribalism out of football', 'its just a game', 'its just 22 men kicking around a bag of leather' brigade. I don't care anymore, unless attitudes of some fans and some players change we're back in the championship to the chant of 'Fleetwood, on a Tuesday night'

Sorry, don’t agree with any of this. You might WANT it to, but none of it makes the slightest difference to what happens on the pitch. That’s all that matters to me. I don’t pay to look at what other fans are wearing or doing, and couldn’t care less if players swap shirts.

I’m amazed by the trivial things some people get upset about! Do what you think is right; ignore all the unimportant peripheral stuff that others do.

 

[chaileyjem]

There is an awful lot to what you say. I have been thinking much the same to an increasing degree over the last few weeks. So many examples of this, from the early away game at Arsenal, and our players wandering around the pitch taking selfies as if they couldn't believe they were actually getting to play at the Emirates, many of our players clouring to swap shirts with their so called superstar opponents after games, and of course during games, where we seem to be in total awe of the opposition, stand off them, allow them to play, and of course we get punished for it, as happened on Saturday.

Don't get me wrong, l have no problem with returning to the Championship, but all l ask, if it has to happen, is that we have done everything we absoluitely could to stay there, A few more things l think we could have done, (maybe still could?), includes buying a player or two with Premier League experience, someone who has been there, seen it, and done it, and will have his feet firmly on the ground. Robert Snodgrass anyone? There would be nothing worse, if come the end of the season we are relegated, knowing that we hadn't done everything we possibly could to avoid it..

.

Beyond sacking Hughton or seeing how the season might have played out if a striker had been signed, not sure what else could be tried.
You could hardly accuse Bloom of not coughing up for players - over £50m transfer fees so far with more to come. And blimey . Still 14 games to get a few wins. Not sure where the club was supposed to be in mid January.
But the idea that the club, the players, the manager aren't that bothered is ridiculous and the likes of Duffy, Bruno, Knockaert, Murray, Tomer, Scheletto, Ryan etc aren't that fussed even more so.

 

[Chicken Run]

I’m with you - bang on. Just shows how shite the prem is on some respects that even fellow pros seem starstruck of some colleagues. All money money money....

As for the Chelsea fan in East - bit annoying really... but at least it wasn’t a BHA fan...

No but the back to fronts clapping Hazzard adjacent were!!!

 

[Kalimantan Gull]

You don't think star struck players with one eye on who's shirt they're gonna ask for has any impact on how they play. What does it say about they're 'inferiority complex' attitude, remind me again who Ezequiel chased for a shirt on Saturday. I only mention him as he embodies the couldn't give a $hit, never give up, passionate attitude that most fans want to see.

I don't know what field you work in, but in my line of work I have heroes and I've asked them to sign their books for me, and when I work with them or in their line of sight I pull out all the stops to do the best job I can. I don't know why footballers should be any different

 

[rippleman]

No roasting, kind of get where you're coming from but the kid asking for Hazard's shirt was a Chelsea fan, as was his uncle who took him to the game.

Somewhat disconcerting that the club seems to be allowing away fans to buy tickets anywhere in the ground.

Outside the North on Saturday the stand manager was telling a group of women, who had NS tickets, that if he let them in they weren't to cheer or applaud when Chelsea scored. The women looked astonished to be told that.

So why are away fans apparently finding it so easy to buy tickets other than in the areas designated for away fans? And WTF was the NS manager doing ever contemplating letting Chelsea fans in the North Stand?

 

[shingle]

I don't know what field you work in, but in my line of work I have heroes and I've asked them to sign their books for me, and when I work with them or in their line of sight I pull out all the stops to do the best job I can. I don't know why footballers should be any different

I'm a photographer.

Of course there are other photographers whos work I admire and whos books Ive bought but If I ever met them I would never ask them to sign said book as i believe it would reflect badly on me, make me out to be a bit tinpot. Doesn't stop me still admiring them though.

 

[dazzer6666]

Somewhat disconcerting that the club seems to be allowing away fans to buy tickets anywhere in the ground.

Outside the North on Saturday the stand manager was telling a group of women, who had NS tickets, that if he let them in they weren't to cheer or applaud when Chelsea scored. The women looked astonished to be told that.

So why are away fans apparently finding it so easy to buy tickets other than in the areas designated for away fans? And WTF was the NS manager doing ever contemplating letting Chelsea fans in the North Stand?

Wow. A few getting in without colours and keeping schtum is always going to happen and we know we've got loads of fans that have 'two clubs' so there will be plenty with a purchase history/membership that can get tickets, but stewards knowingly letting obvious away fans into the NS Surprised there wasn't an incident.

Meanwhile, the club bans a STH for trying to pass his ST to another fan.

 

[maltaseagull]

This is exactly what I'm talking about ..... Does it really boil down to not doing a Derby and staying up for a few seasons, is that the limit of our ambitions, is that what the last 20 years have been about?

I would say pretty much.
What are your expectations for the next 10 years?
The likes of Liverpool have been in the top division since the 60s and most of the current top 6 since the 70s at least.
We are decades behind them.

In my view I would like to see us compete in this division but at the same time would rather see us in the top 6 of the championship than bottom 6 of the premier league year on year.
Trouble is the financials don't work in the Championship.

 

[Kalimantan Gull]

I'm a photographer.

Of course there are other photographers whos work I admire and whos books Ive bought but If I ever met them I would never ask them to sign said book as i believe it would reflect badly on me, make me out to be a bit tinpot. Doesn't stop me still admiring them though.

Oh. Maybe Jane Goodall thinks I'm tinpot