I'm probably in the minority, but I don't get the fuss about the 'teams like Brighton' comment. On it's own it's clearly innocent, it's just a grouping of similar teams, in most instances of it's current use it means teams that have barely any premier league experience (comparatively speaking), have a small wage bill (comparatively speaking), will be looking over their shoulder with a main aim of surviving. An entirely reasonable categorising of us as a team.
When put in the context of established premier league teams, there is admittedly a degree of arrogance to it, but the 'should be beating...' aspect is still entirely reasonable. Take Everton as the recent example. When we played them at their place we were outplayed and well beaten. Most neutrals, and some of the more pragmatic members of our fanbase took the loss as expected. They are Everton, they are generally one of the better mid-table teams in the division, one of the few clubs to have broken into the top four that isn't one of the big six. Their tenure in the premier league has made sure they are a tough side and their wage bill is twice that of ours (or their average wage is). We can't expect to be beating Everton. Given that, shouldn't they be beating teams like us?
Taking it away from Everton... At the start of the season, we look at the fixtures and we identify the games we need to win to survive. A lot of the games that we will view as winnable will be the games against 'teams like Brighton' - namely Huddersfield, Wolves, Cardiff, Fulham etc. Teams expected to be in the bottom third. If we want to stay up this year, we're not going to get a lot of points v the big six, so we're realistically looking to get our points from the bottom eight. Teams like Brighton.
I'm probably in the minority, but I don't get the fuss about the 'teams like Brighton' comment. On it's own it's clearly innocent, it's just a grouping of similar teams, in most instances of it's current use it means teams that have barely any premier league experience (comparatively speaking), have a small wage bill (comparatively speaking), will be looking over their shoulder with a main aim of surviving. An entirely reasonable categorising of us as a team.
When put in the context of established premier league teams, there is admittedly a degree of arrogance to it, but the 'should be beating...' aspect is still entirely reasonable. Take Everton as the recent example. When we played them at their place we were outplayed and well beaten. Most neutrals, and some of the more pragmatic members of our fanbase took the loss as expected. They are Everton, they are generally one of the better mid-table teams in the division, one of the few clubs to have broken into the top four that isn't one of the big six. Their tenure in the premier league has made sure they are a tough side and their wage bill is twice that of ours (or their average wage is). We can't expect to be beating Everton. Given that, shouldn't they be beating teams like us?
Taking it away from Everton... At the start of the season, we look at the fixtures and we identify the games we need to win to survive. A lot of the games that we will view as winnable will be the games against 'teams like Brighton' - namely Huddersfield, Wolves, Cardiff, Fulham etc. Teams expected to be in the bottom third. If we want to stay up this year, we're not going to get a lot of points v the big six, so we're realistically looking to get our points from the bottom eight. We need to be beating... teams like Brighton.
I'm probably in the minority, but I don't get the fuss about the 'teams like Brighton' comment. On it's own it's clearly innocent, it's just a grouping of similar teams, in most instances of it's current use it means teams that have barely any premier league experience (comparatively speaking), have a small wage bill (comparatively speaking), will be looking over their shoulder with a main aim of surviving. An entirely reasonable categorising of us as a team.
When put in the context of established premier league teams, there is admittedly a degree of arrogance to it, but the 'should be beating...' aspect is still entirely reasonable. Take Everton as the recent example. When we played them at their place we were outplayed and well beaten. Most neutrals, and some of the more pragmatic members of our fanbase took the loss as expected. They are Everton, they are generally one of the better mid-table teams in the division, one of the few clubs to have broken into the top four that isn't one of the big six. Their tenure in the premier league has made sure they are a tough side and their wage bill is twice that of ours (or their average wage is). We can't expect to be beating Everton. Given that, shouldn't they be beating teams like us?
Taking it away from Everton... At the start of the season, we look at the fixtures and we identify the games we need to win to survive. A lot of the games that we will view as winnable will be the games against 'teams like Brighton' - namely Huddersfield, Wolves, Cardiff, Fulham etc. Teams expected to be in the bottom third. If we want to stay up this year, we're not going to get a lot of points v the big six, so we're realistically looking to get our points from the bottom eight. We need to be beating... teams like Brighton.
Nice bit of playing devil's advocate, but... no team in this division should be confident of a result at the amex. I think it's that opposition fans arrogance coupled with their presumed ignorance of our home form that makes #teamslikebrighton such a good thing : )
I think it's the comment that they "should be beating" #teamslikebrighton that causes offence and hints at arrogance.
To become an established premier league club we "need to consistently be beating" #teamslikecardiff / huddersfield / Southampton/ fulham / Newcastle/ Burnley/ Everton / Watford
Some Wolves bellend used the phrase “we should be beating teams like...” on 606 the other night. * can’t remember who they’d played. Obviously I launched a tirade at the radio.
For me it shows an ignorance of how the football order is changing.
#TeamsLike are generally those who are not supposed to be in the Premier League based on perceived history and if they are a "big club" or not. Thus #TeamsLike Arsenal and Everton should always beat #TeamsLike Bournemouth, Fulham, Brighton, Burnley and Huddersfield, irrespective of the reality.
The reality is that well run, well coached teams who are prepared to spend a few quid can find themselves in the PL easier than some of the giants who now find themselves Championship regulars - see Derby, Forest, Massive, Leeds, Villa et al. Leeds will probably come up this season but there's no way that all in that list can. Many of the teams who I grew up as thinking of established / successful are now in the Championship. When I first went to football, though, Bournemouth were minnows who had a miraculous Cup win over Man U.
In short it shows an entitled ignorance of the changing face of football. Long may they continue to quote it. Not only great bantz on Twitter but it means we're getting results against established PL clubs.