[Albion] So, 3 PL games in, are we a real threat?

[DavidRyder]

It's a great start but i'll still be delighted if we finish 7th.
Top 10 and above Palace (who i think will also have a good season) would be my minimum requirement!

 

[Insel affe]

Nah defeat to Ipswich, knocked out of the cup against Wolves and another home defeat by a poor Nottingham Forest side will see us back to normal.

 

[Change at Barnham]

We need to keep Dunk and JPvH fit.
I wish we could have got in one of Boscagli, Hummels or similar as additional cover.
Hopefully Webdini can step back in when needed and look as impressive as in his recent appearances.

 

[ConfusedGloryHunter]

We are competing against the likes of Villa and West Ham who've had equally impressive transfer windows for my money.

Why did you give your money for Villa and West Ham transfers?

 

[7dialssouthpaw]

can we get top 5? I think that is our target and we've carpe diem-ed in the transfer market with that aim.

So, can we do a Leicester? Depends on rivals getting beaten/drawn and us hitting a rhythm/gameplan like their squad did that season.
So, will rivals drop lots of points? The new Euro formats might make a difference - the games will be more do-or-die possibly...
So, can we hit a game rhythm and become a well-oiled machine, grinding out the 1-0 and 2-0s on a weekly basis?

 

[ConfusedGloryHunter]

can we get top 5? I think that is our target and we've carpe diem-ed in the transfer market with that aim.

So, can we do a Leicester? Depends on rivals getting beaten/drawn and us hitting a rhythm/gameplan like their squad did that season.
So, will rivals drop lots of points? The new Euro formats might make a difference - the games will be more do-or-die possibly...
So, can we hit a game rhythm and become a well-oiled machine, grinding out the 1-0 and 2-0s on a weekly basis?

No

 

[A1X]

People are getting way ahead of themselves given we haven’t yet seen nailed on European qualifiers and potential title challengers Crystal Palace hit their stride yet, whereupon we will be left spluttering in their dust

 

[hans kraay fan club]

Can't say at the moment.

We've looked decent but also had a healthy dollop of good fortune in our first three matches (not complaining). Minteh aside, we've no real idea how quickly the new signings will bed in.

We'll maybe have a better idea after we've played Ipswich and Forest

Given that he's had one great half at Everton, one massively underwhelming performance against United, and one hard-working effort at Arsenal, I'd say we don't actually have much of a definitive assessment of Minteh yet, either.

 

[Nobby Cybergoat]

I think we need to be careful with forgetting some details.

The two Everton sitters were actually offside (assuming you mean Dwight Mcneill’s misses?

Odegaard missed a huge chance but Trossard was clearly offside before he crossed so it would have been disallowed.

I am still not sure how anyone can make a case for Veltman getting a Red. On a different day Arsenal might not have got the jammiest assist you could wish to see.

I suspect that with our high line we will see numerous goals disallowed for offside but also lots of chances missed that count as chances but would have been chalked off by VAR.

I agree.

I think the luck thing has been largely pedalled by a big club fixated media and social media. Totally agree about Havertz goal involving a VERY favourable bounce of the ball

If you look at the games in their entirety, Everton and Man U we definitely deserved to win, Arsenal we deserved to draw. 7 points feels right

There's every reason to think that when we incorporate our new signings, there's a strong chance of them having a positive impact. We will be less reliant on a 38 year of midfielder and one half his age plonked at left back.

The questions marks against us are ....

• Can we break down teams playing deep for a draw (or counter attack goal). = We'll find out soon enough, I think Ipswich will attack us, maybe not Forest or Wolves
• Will the new manager be found out? = I'm not sure there's anything radical in there. Full backs finding themselves in centre mid quite a bit, but that was largely predicted anyway. I'm not sure this will be a factor
• Can we cope with an injury crisis? = We're coping well without our first choice midfield, if one or two more go down, I reckon we'll struggle though!

 

[Couldn't Be Hyypia]

Edit...** A general threat to the established order of things as far as normal PL outcomes are concerned **

We are playing some slick footy and sitting in a comfy position after three decent results, better than most of us might have expected before the season started I'm sure.....however.... I wonder, probably controversially if I know this board, if we have been helped by the rub of the green a bit here.... as welcome as that 'rub' is of course.

1) Everton - At least two laughable misses by the opposition and a penalty that could easily have gone either way.

2) Man U - Marginal disallowed goals and some inexplicable defending at the end.

3) Arse - Saka and Odegaard uncharacteristic misses of virtual tap-ins plus the welcome but again marginal red that on another day could have seen Veltman off.

I do of course refuse to look into the mouths of these particular gift horses.... it's all looking good so far.

TLR: Football is a game of fine margins.

 

[Nobby Cybergoat]

Given that he's had one great half at Everton, one massively underwhelming performance against United, and one hard-working effort at Arsenal, I'd say we don't actually have much of a definitive assessment of Minteh yet, either.

My assessment is "highly promising young player displaying the energetic but inconsistent performances you'd expect from a highly promising young player"

 

[hans kraay fan club]

I agree.

If you look at the games in their entirety, Everton and Man U we definitely deserved to win, Arsenal we deserved to draw. 7 points feels right

Indeed. For example, I can't see how anyone could seriously list Saka missing a big chance, as evidence of 'luck' earning us a point, in a game where Georgino Rutter missed just as big a chance to win the game

 

[Nobby Cybergoat]

Indeed. For example, I can't see how anyone could seriously list Saka missing a big chance, as evidence of 'luck' earning us a point, in a game where Georgino Rutter missed just as big a chance to win the game

I guess you could be doing it if you were only paying attention to your own teams chances, which presumably you're doing because you have a big 6 centric view where all other clubs, aren't really their own entities, more just patsies who line up to give you 6 points per season

 

[Pavilionaire]

We have two big advantages in the first half of the season:

1. No European football.
2. A new manager with unknown tactics and some unknown players.

Teams will double up on Mitoma as they normally do, but if this means the likes of Minteh, Rutter and Gruda get opportunities and they turn out to be the real deal they could cause havoc.

In the second half of the season managers will have played us once and so know what to expect. It then falls down to the timing of when you play certain teams, injuries and suspension.

We certainly have a better squad than last season, but the early indications are we will also suffer a lot of wear and tear injuries because of Hurzeler's high press, high energy style.

 

[Shaktarman]

Is the laughable Everton misses the one when he was 3 yards offside and they failed to mention that on the tv highlights?

 

[Comrade Sam]

I don't think we're even close to hitting our stride yet. The new signings need to be integrated and Hurzeler's style has yet to be developed by the squad. Happy days brothers and sisters.

 

[Justice]

It’s where we end not where we start. We need to start playing from the first whistle and not be crap for the first 15 minutes.

 

[heathgate]

Is the laughable Everton misses the one when he was 3 yards offside and they failed to mention that on the tv highlights?

No

 

[Gabbiano]

Will we do a Leicester? Obviously not. The amount of things that had to fall in place that season to happen will not be repeated for another 50 years or more.

Could we get European football? Absolutely, based on what we've seen so far we would be in a group of teams competing for this with Spurs, Man U, Chelsea, Villa and Newcastle.

Could we get Champions League? Small outside chance helped if there were to be 5 spots available for English teams this year.

But it's all a bit premature really. We were in this position last season too and we know how that ended.

 

[hans kraay fan club]

I guess you could be doing it if you were only paying attention to your own teams chances, which presumably you're doing because you have a big 6 centric view where all other clubs, aren't really their own entities, more just patsies who line up to give you 6 points per season

I agree - but we have BRIGHTON fans, in this very thread, citing Saka's miss as an example of our luck.