[Albion] Support recently has been a disgrace

[SUA Seagull]

If you’ve attended the last 5 matches you’ll have paid around £40 for each shot on target.

This is the bit that terrifies me. 1 shot on target against each of Southampton, Chelsea and Bournemouth and only 2 against Cardiff. 5 shots on target in 6 hours of PL football. That is an abject failure by the team and manager and it is abundantly clear for all to see that we are toothless up front. I can't see from where the next goal is coming, let alone next point.

We never drive through the middle (why has Kayal, with balls and determination and the ability to get forward/have a shot, been all but abandoned?). Everything comes so utterly predictably down the wings where we either get snuffed out or (limited) crosses fail to find their targets. Murray may have been out of sorts recently but he has had sod all service for months now. We don't have a plan B.

In his post-match quote CH said "My job is to lift spirits, give us a chance at the weekend." He's going to have to work a miracle then because in recent months we've had four (home defeat) bites at the survival cherry and, apart from showing a brief spell of attacking intent against Burnley (and some crap decisions against us), we capitulated without trace against Southampton, Bournemouth and Cardiff. All "six pointers". All forfeited and now we're up to our necks in a relegation battle.

That's 0 points out of 12 and a string of abysmal performances. Based on that alone, and in response to the OPs comment, I though the support was immense last night and that the fans gave it their all ...until their enthusiasm was finally sucked out of them by yet another limp Albion performance and, more worryingly, handing the initiative to a feisty and well drilled opponent yet again.

I never boo but at the end of the day fans are paying customers who in recent months have spent hard-earned cash to watch a PL horror show, masked by a plucky FA Cup run in which we limped past West Brom and Millwall. Critics of our fans should also remember that many are passionate supporters and are simply voicing their frustration, are not "having a go" for the sake of it. Sure, some fans get a bit OTT with their outbursts, but the vast majority don't and it's simply passion talking.

I will be at Wolves on Saturday to cheer on the Albion in the hope that we can somehow turn the corner and stop the rot. Most fans who'll be there will be doing exactly the same. The OP should focus on the fact that the Albion are still taking nigh on 3,000 fans away week in, week out , at great personal financial expense, despite the dross currently being served up on the pitch.

It's the Albion way!

 

[trueblue]

Spot on - how can anyone play when they are scared to make a mistake & get a lynching from the fans? There’s a time and place for making your feelings known but it’s not during a game - if you don’t like what you see, just leave!

It's amazing how many people on here have pinpointed (correctly I think) that the biggest problem right now is that the players are crumbling under the mental pressure - and yet don't seem to appreciate the biggest source of that pressure comes from a frustrated crowd, especially at home. Groans of disappointment are involuntary and inevitable - but berating individual players is a conscious decision.

 

[Moshe Gariani]

It's amazing how many people on here have pinpointed (correctly I think) that the biggest problem right now is that the players are crumbling under the mental pressure - and yet don't seem to appreciate the biggest source of that pressure comes from a frustrated crowd, especially at home. Groans of disappointment are involuntary and inevitable - but berating individual players is a conscious decision.

People have done and always will come at this from different angles. Very much like politics - what seems unarguable truth to one is nonsense to another and people don't change their mind much.

I agree 100% with you.

A supportive crowd would make a massive difference to our players. They are human beings. What effect would it have on you to have people moaning and groaning at you, and far worse, when trying to play your sport or do your job...?

And it isn't very hard to do...!!! Just keep your gob shut when something disappointing happens and cheer/clap loudly every time something remotely encouraging happens. #happyclapper

 

[timbha]

There was loud and encouraging support (from WSU) as the players left the pitch at HT. 5 minutes into 2nd half we were 2-0 down through sloppy marking.

 

[LamieRobertson]

I thought the support was excellent tonight... Considering

I agree...loved it when the boos turned to support at halftime

 

[aolstudios]

It's amazing how many people on here have pinpointed (correctly I think) that the biggest problem right now is that the players are crumbling under the mental pressure - and yet don't seem to appreciate the biggest source of that pressure comes from a frustrated crowd, especially at home. Groans of disappointment are involuntary and inevitable - but berating individual players is a conscious decision.

This.
Times a million

 

[Papa Lazarou]

I agree...loved it when the boos turned to support at halftime

That roar after the scattered boos was VERY loud.

 

[timbha]

People have done and always will come at this from different angles. Very much like politics - what seems unarguable truth to one is nonsense to another and people don't change their mind much.

I agree 100% with you.

A supportive crowd would make a massive difference to our players. They are human beings. What effect would it have on you to have people moaning and groaning at you, and far worse, when trying to play your sport or do your job...?

And it isn't very hard to do...!!! Just keep your gob shut when something disappointing happens and cheer/clap loudly every time something remotely encouraging happens. #happyclapper

Fair enough but we are human beings with feelings, passion and opinions. Why can’t we let off steam. The Albion is a big part of our lives and we care. It hurts when we lose, play badly and when else do we get the chance to let management and players know what and how we feel? Write to the Argus? Post on NSC? Not renew our STs (doh! Too late)?

Snowflakes the lot of them!

Yes the players are fragile but they are paid well and should have the mental strength to cope with criticism. It’s not U9 football where caring parents can and should say “don’t worry Johnny, better luck next time”.

How patronising for a PL player to hear those types of platitudes.

Grow some balls, man up, give something back to the club and earn your money.

 

[trueblue]

Fair enough but we are human beings with feelings, passion and opinions. Why can’t we let off steam. The Albion is a big part of our lives and we care. It hurts when we lose, play badly and when else do we get the chance to let management and players know what and how we feel?

Personally, I think they're well aware how the fans feel and I'd say there are few, if any, players giving the impression they don't care what happens to the club and - justifiably as relevant to them - the future of their career, after a lot of hard work to play at this level.

I'm always interested to know how the most volatile negative fans would react if they bumped into them face to face away from the match day environment. Players are human beings like everyone else, helped by praise and encouragement when they're doubting themselves and hampered by people emphasising their faults. Money doesn't make a blind bit of difference to that... it just adds to the pressure.

 

[LamieRobertson]

Fair enough but we are human beings with feelings, passion and opinions. Why can’t we let off steam. The Albion is a big part of our lives and we care. It hurts when we lose, play badly and when else do we get the chance to let management and players know what and how we feel? Write to the Argus? Post on NSC? Not renew our STs (doh! Too late)?

Snowflakes the lot of them!

Yes the players are fragile but they are paid well and should have the mental strength to cope with criticism. It’s not U9 football where caring parents can and should say “don’t worry Johnny, better luck next time”.

How patronising for a PL player to hear those types of platitudes.

Grow some balls, man up, give something back to the club and earn your money.

Of course you can ..by all means stamp your feet ....personally I've never seen a situation where boos etc achieves something positive ..after all that's what we want isn't it?

 

[wellquickwoody]

I am honestly shocked at the toxicity of fans views right now. Yes,the players have let themselves down, yes the manager has lived up to his reputation of being honest, stoic but ultimately uninspiring, yes fans are entitled to let the club know when everything is not right.

We are NOT RELEGATED yet, we may avoid that ignomany yet, points ahead, game in hand, points to play for etc etc.. But what if we go down? We will be back to playing in the sixth best league in the world, competitive, a bit more grass roots than the sometimes sickeningly glamour of the Prem. We will still have a truly committed chairman, a stunning home and the opportunity to have fun whilst winning again if all goes well.

I have not yet seen the Albion in the Prem as I left the UK after our promotion. I am back in Blighty in September and will be taking in a couple of games whatever league we are in, and enjoying it and the company of those around me. I was lucky enough to see us in the ‘top’ division all those years ago so the Prem is not the be all and end all to me. But I have also seen the battles for existence of our club, I have seen us homeless, and I have seen us on the very brink of disappearing from the professional divisions.

But I tell you what I have not seen before. Brighton fans behaving like a petulant bunch of school kids because they think they are ENTITLED to expect Premier League football whatever. The attack on every level of club employee is nothing short of embaressing, the lifelong fan who is our chairman, one of the most professional CEOs in world sport, the manager who although flawed is universally admired as a gentlemen, players who were heroes at least publicly until a few days ago.

Yes we are in the shit, yes we do not look that promising right now but FFS, we should still be able to keep a little perspective.

 

[timbha]

Reply to TrueBlue

I’m sure most people would be civil and polite if they bumped into a footballer in the street. They wouldn’t hurl abuse, nor would they mob him as they might after he had scored the winner.

What would you say to Ali J if you found yourself stuck in a lift with him this morning? How would you get his confidence back? Do you think he would take a blind bit of notice of what you thought about his performance?

 

[zefarelly]

Support has been fantastic . . . . 30,226 turned up last night, even after the worst performance this century last Saturday and the worst home result in 45 years. . . . attendance dropped below 5000 when we played this badly in the 90's

some of us bust a gut, spent money we don't have and used precious time to get any shit seat we could just to be there and cheer on last night. . . again rewarded with nothing.

As has been said 10 000 times on here already this year, if that doesn't help, something is seriously wrong within the club.

 

[trueblue]

Of course you can ..by all means stamp your feet ....personally I've never seen a situation where boos etc achieves something positive ..after all that's what we want isn't it?

It's what most of us want. But there do seem to be some people who see football as a safe bubble for letting out frustration generally. Happy they can enjoy abusing players with no fear of a) getting arrested or b) the well-deserved smack in the mush they'd get if they said the same things to someone in the street. I suppose it's always been the same. If a player reacts, it's 'shock-horror' headlines all round so mostly they just soak it up, accept being a human punchbag is part of the job and try not to let their form turn to shit as a consequence. I suppose some DO eventually stop caring as a result and look forward to the day they can sit and count the money they're constantly reminded they don't really deserve.

 

[trueblue]

Reply to TrueBlue

I’m sure most people would be civil and polite if they bumped into a footballer in the street. They wouldn’t hurl abuse, nor would they mob him as they might after he had scored the winner.

What would you say to Ali J if you found yourself stuck in a lift with him this morning? How would you get his confidence back? Do you think he would take a blind bit of notice of what you thought about his performance?

So, in other words, they'd treat him like a human being - so it's probably not so hard to extend that approach to matches.

If I saw Ali J in a lift, what I'd say is, "Keep your chin up mate, just keep plugging away. It'll come good. People just want you to do well so ignore the haters". If that turns out to be wrong, so what? If he gives his absolute best but isn't good enough, it's our mistake for signing him. I doubt he'd take much notice, no, but he'd probably be happier than if I called him a ****. And if he met another 20,000 people saying the same thing, yeh, that probably would be good for his spirits.

What I wouldn't say if I saw Ali J in a lift is, "Going down?".

 

[timbha]

What I wouldn't say if I saw Ali J in a lift is, "Going down?".

I should think not. You’ve only just met him!!

 

[Nixonator]

Staggering that anyone would criticise our collective support.

Yes there will be the boo boys and harsh critics, but they are a minority as evidenced last night by the comparitive positive/negative noise.

Fact is, there is no other club that would, administratively or collectively as a fan base, have put up with this for as long as it has been going on.

There are similarities at Norwich but if memory serves it got seriously and collectively toxic there way before they pulled the trigger.

 

[Marshy]

I thought the support was also pretty goods last night, it is also down to the 11 on the pitch to give us something to shout about also...

 

[amexer]

Its not in my nature to boo and never will. However as well as supporting our side we want to be entertained and what is been served up is utter dross. I am sorry but all those 3 games we won on trot with just a bit of luck to other side could have gone same way. I was surprised how good crowd was but anybody who vented there feelings were entitled to. It is looking a certainty we wont score 2 goals in any remaining games so only hope is we have a couple of 0-0s with Man City type performances and Cardiff dont win 2 games

 

[Pavilionaire]

It is often the people that boo the loudest also cheer and sing the loudest when the team does something positive.

I think our support has been very good, i.e the 'Albion' chant as the players trudged down the tunnel for half-time last night. The crowd isn't the problem - the problem is the players are shot.