[Albion] There goes Europe

[oldboyroy]

Has the relaxed revolving door policy finally bit us on the arse? I haven’t seen a team out there fighting for each other for weeks. Individuals trying to hit the headlines with a wonder shot when better options on the pitch have been available I see plenty of those.
We have become sloppy the manager wants a bigger club, players want to play for a bigger club no wonder we are suffering.
The club got complacent thinking we had enough to cruise through another season. To be fair to RDZ he kept telling them they didn’t.

You could be right here with some points. Roberto wanting a bigger club maybe yes. Players wanting to play for bigger clubs? Only Mitoma and Pedro are good enough at present to warrant a bigger club, the rest haven't exactly put themselves in the shop window yet. I look back at Adam Lalanas interview after the heavy defeat in was it Roma /Fulham or whatever when he gave interview which many of us thought strange! It felt then that things were not right in the dressing room?
Nothing has changed since then.
Not qualifying for Europe this season will lower the attractiveness of players joining us to a point.

 

[Seasider78]

It’s not a huge injury list at the moment though. It just has two key players on it: Solly March and Kauro Mitoma.

Of the others on the list, Milner is a back up player as is Hinshelwood. Ferguson has only just joined the list and Billy Gilmour will be back soon.

But we really have suffered, and i didn’t realise how much until I saw this.

Every Premier League side ranked by how much they have suffered from injuries in 23/24

It's no surprise Chelsea, Newcastle and Man United have all struggled this season 🤕

www.givemesport.com

Third in the injury league table with nearly 1,100 days lost to injury. And that was at the start of March.

Agreed it’s the stream of injury’s that has not only stopped us having our best players at our disposal but killed any chance of consistency or rhythm.

 

[Nicks]

Arsenal played both the low block and the high press. They were one of the fittest teams I’ve seen at the Amex (and I don’t mean looks!)

Our fitness levels are maybe not there. Poor Pascal is never going to get box to box that fast, but others could. Perhaps then our transition play might improve.

Totally agree with this.
There tactics were spot on.
Get the first goal then press high from our goal kicks etc and then low block out of possession and wait for us to make the mistakes. ( Van Hecke for the second goal and Gross for the third goal )

 

[A1X]

On reflection, and as many of us said at the time, the failure to bring in a winger in January has totally hamstrung our campaign

 

[Is it PotG?]

On reflection, and as many of us said at the time, the failure to bring in a winger in January has totally hamstrung our campaign

January signings, in general, tend to be a flop. Aside from a few exceptions, they're on sale in January for a reason.

 

[Stat Brother]

Shirley our failure to qualify for Europe is down to the opposition not playing in the one specific style of play that will generate an Albion win?


That's what I heard anyway.

 

[tedebear]

I'm not a fan of European football, so whilst it was nice this year, we have had a tough year with injury and so I'm kind of glad. We need to limp to the end of this season, get everyone well and playing again, and on we go.

 

[Perfidious Albion]

It is still too early to write off Europe next year. But even if we don’t, just consider who we are and how far we have come. From bumping along the bottom of the Prem just a few years back we are now among the best.
Are we not getting a little “ entitled “? We did the Europa League for the first time and now people expect it all the time.
I will not be sorry if we finish top half but below the Europa League places. Next year with our best players back we can concentrate on domestic competitions and maybe bring some overdue silverware to the Amex.

 

[oldboyroy]

I'm not a fan of European football, so whilst it was nice this year, we have had a tough year with injury and so I'm kind of glad. We need to limp to the end of this season, get everyone well and playing again, and on we go.

I loved that we were in Europe as it was history for us, little old Brighton! Even this season despite the injures, we ain't that far away. Unless we go on a run of 6 wins from last 8 we won't be in it next season. The ceiling was probably reached last season for us but if we finish 8th 9th hopefully, we'll have done OK all said and done.

 

[A1X]

January signings, in general, tend to be a flop. Aside from a few exceptions, they're on sale in January for a reason.

Caicedo, MacAllister, Buonanotte, Lamptey…

You’re right, at clubs which don’t do their research and panic buy they usually do flop. We’re not one of those clubs.

 

[Is it PotG?]

Caicedo, MacAllister, Buonanotte, Lamptey…

You’re right, at clubs which don’t do their research and panic buy they usually do flop. We’re not one of those clubs.

Can't have been one available then.

 

[Blues Guitarist]

13th would represent the 3rd best season we've ever had in the Premier League.

When first Potter then De Zerbi changed our playing style, few teams initially changed the way they played against us, so both managers achived some success. Now many teams (including Arsenal yesterday when 2-0 up) defend on the edge of their box, and we struggle to break them down.

A season without European games will give us time to learn to be faster and more direct against the low block, and develop a plan B.

Yes, we struggle against teams we feel we should be beating, but we've beaten Roma, AEK Athens and Ajax (twice), and drawn in Marseille.

What a time to be a Seagul!

 

[Hotchilidog]

I’ve enjoyed this season. The European adventure was amazing, De Zerbi has been frustrating at time but as a club we have raised our sights now and he has been a factor in that. I personally feel caceido’s departure upset the plan for this year and we have been playing catch up ever since. Add in the loss of March, Mitoma, Pedro, and now Gilmour for a significant amount of time things were always going to be tough. I disagree with those who say we have given up, we’ve given it our best shot. We have just not reached the high standards last years team set, I do not have a problem with that.

We now seem set at GK, Baleba is now getting into stride, we have Barco in the wings and are in a good position to strengthen in the summer. There is a lot to look forward to still, including a season finale which includes Chelsea, Villa, City and United at home, if you can’t get excited about that, then quite frankly you are wasting your time watching this team.

 

[willalbion]

It could have been

Dropping points at home to Sheff Utd/Fulham etc scuppered us I think

 

[Beach Hut]

Last season left the door open for others to qualify for Europe simply because Chelsea and Spurs were so poor.

Rarely happens however we took advantage

 

[macbeth]

It was never realistically on.

it absolutely was, it is most likely going down all the way to 8th this season in the first time forever and we have been there or higher pretty much all season.

the simple fact of the matter is that right now, the teams around us also competing for europe have multiple £50M, £60M players, match winners, available and we don’t

the problem now is that it’s going to be very difficult to attract the players needed to improve the squad in the summer window when we’re most likely competing with teams who have qualified for europe, and are going to pay the higher wages (which was already the case). exactly why we should’ve made more of our position last summer imo.

 

[Harry Wilson's tackle]

2016 all over again

f*** me. I hadn't realised we were relegated back into the championship at the end of last season!

Was it a points deduction for being so smug over all the money we'd vacuumed out of Chelsea?

I really need to keep up with events.

Of only there were some sort of football forum I could browse....

 

[Rambo]

Strengthen from a position of strength was what Barbs was always spouting. So I am baffled why we didn’t significantly strengthen this season having qualified for Europe. Was it not expected? Were we ahead of plan? I don’t know but it does seem strange as now it will be harder to attract top player to achieve the ‘big target’

 

[Springal]

Strengthen from a position of strength was what Barbs was always spouting. So I am baffled why we didn’t significantly strengthen this season having qualified for Europe. Was it not expected? Were we ahead of plan? I don’t know but it does seem strange as now it will be harder to attract top player to achieve the ‘big target’

We signed a £30M striker, a £27M young CDM - we got experience with Dahoud & Milner. Gilmour had got over his off the pitch issues

On paper it looked like decent recruitment.

I think players like Moder, Lamptey, Veltman will be / should be moved on for better fit / experience Assuming RDZ stays

 

[portlock seagull]

it absolutely was, it is most likely going down all the way to 8th this season in the first time forever and we have been there or higher pretty much all season.

the simple fact of the matter is that right now, the teams around us also competing for europe have multiple £50M, £60M players, match winners, available and we don’t

the problem now is that it’s going to be very difficult to attract the players needed to improve the squad in the summer window when we’re most likely competing with teams who have qualified for europe, and are going to pay the higher wages (which was already the case). exactly why we should’ve made more of our position last summer imo.

“It absolutely was…”, “the simple fact…”

Exactly. Hence why it was never realistically on!! Doh.