[Albion] We’re 12th!

[Bold Seagull]

Averaging a point a game usually gets you relegated. This season, it seems to get you mid table. It's unusual to have so many poor scoring (in terms of points) teams. I suspect there will be a regression to the mean over time so, if we don't improve, will be sucked into the drop.

Other than a point per game being safe other than 1 or 2 seasons in the last 20 years!

 

[Tesco in Disguise]

Don't be facetious. You get my point. (All 38 of them)

 

[Bold Seagull]

Don't be facetious. You get my point. (All 38 of them)

We’ll finish on 44 with our current ppg ratio. Don’t really know what your point is (44 of them?)

 

[Dolph Ins]

Reasons to be cheerful.

We have scored the same or more than any other team in the bottom 10.
We have let in less goals than all but 3 of the bottom 10.
Pascal is back.
Davy is back.
Andone looks like he can do a job.
Issy is still to find his form.
We have an English international centre back.
Summer signings look like they have (mostly) strengthened the squad.
We are 2 points ahead of tracker, which at 40 points is probably 5 more than we will need.
There isn't another rail replacement on match day (ignoring Boxing day) until Burnley in Feb.

OK so we are not playing like Barca but are some of you maybe being a little unrealistic?

 

[Wardy's twin]

We would have been jumping for joy had Gross's goal stood...... We would have been pretty pleased had Bamba's goal been ruled offside. Fine margins and nothing to do with the quality of football.

I think we need to recalibrate our thinking (mine included) we are in the first third of our second season in the PL having struggled in the lower leagues for many many years we are not going to be an instant success. Our manager has his strengths and his weaknesses but we are in the PL. Give it (and Houghton) time .

 

[Machiavelli]

I thought they gave us a marked transformation first half, Propper offered us a dynamic and forward probing that we’ve really missed, and Gross was playing some lovely passes into spaces, again not been happening in his absence. Perhaps I’m over the top defensive of the management team because I’m very aware of the limitations of the players. Our wingers in particular are struggling. Hughton has tried all our options out wide and they’re just not delivering. Bernado played higher than Bong normally does, but that still didn’t get the best from Izquierdo who we desperately need to find his best form.

I think there is more to reflect on positively than people are giving credit for. We spent £50m but that isn’t much in this league across 4 or 5 players. I’m not sure there is any reason we’d go into any Premier League expecting anything other than a tough game. I didn’t expect us to be this clear of trouble going into December either, and we should be hopeful there is better form to come.

I agree with all of this. What's been most disappointing this season is our wide players. He's probably the best of the lot, but Izquierdo was simultaneously our best and worst. He got in to numerous good positions, largely as a result of his own dribbling skills. His decision-making, selfishness and finishing were just plain awful yesterday.

 

[Machiavelli]

We are currently 12th in the table. For our second season in the premier league that is really good going. Yes I get that today was incredibly frustrating, 1 0 up against 10 men and we seemed to hand them the initiative. Yes, some of our recent wins have felt fortunate. But if we’re playing below what we’re capable of and are 12th in the league, think how well we’ll do once we click.

They often say say the sign of champions is to be able to win ugly. In a similar way I take it as a good sign that we can be below par and have a decent points tally.

Keep the faith!

Bah humbug. Away with you and your optimism.

 

[Cheshire Cat]

I prefer points in the bank to potential might haves.

 

[Spicy]

We are currently 12th in the table. For our second season in the premier league that is really good going. Yes I get that today was incredibly frustrating, 1 0 up against 10 men and we seemed to hand them the initiative. Yes, some of our recent wins have felt fortunate. But if we’re playing below what we’re capable of and are 12th in the league, think how well we’ll do once we click.

They often say say the sign of champions is to be able to win ugly. In a similar way I take it as a good sign that we can be below par and have a decent points tally.

Keep the faith!

Well said that man, woman, child.

 

[dazzer6666]

I thought they gave us a marked transformation first half, Propper offered us a dynamic and forward probing that we’ve really missed, and Gross was playing some lovely passes into spaces, again not been happening in his absence. Perhaps I’m over the top defensive of the management team because I’m very aware of the limitations of the players. Our wingers in particular are struggling. Hughton has tried all our options out wide and they’re just not delivering. Bernado played higher than Bong normally does, but that still didn’t get the best from Izquierdo who we desperately need to find his best form.

I think there is more to reflect on positively than people are giving credit for. We spent £50m but that isn’t much in this league across 4 or 5 players. I’m not sure there is any reason we’d go into any Premier League expecting anything other than a tough game. I didn’t expect us to be this clear of trouble going into December either, and we should be hopeful there is better form to come.

Reasons to be cheerful.

We have scored the same or more than any other team in the bottom 10.
We have let in less goals than all but 3 of the bottom 10.
Pascal is back.
Davy is back.
Andone looks like he can do a job.
Issy is still to find his form.
We have an English international centre back.
Summer signings look like they have (mostly) strengthened the squad.
We are 2 points ahead of tracker, which at 40 points is probably 5 more than we will need.
There isn't another rail replacement on match day (ignoring Boxing day) until Burnley in Feb.

OK so we are not playing like Barca but are some of you maybe being a little unrealistic?

We would have been jumping for joy had Gross's goal stood...... We would have been pretty pleased had Bamba's goal been ruled offside. Fine margins and nothing to do with the quality of football.

I think we need to recalibrate our thinking (mine included) we are in the first third of our second season in the PL having struggled in the lower leagues for many many years we are not going to be an instant success. Our manager has his strengths and his weaknesses but we are in the PL. Give it (and Houghton) time .

All of the above [emoji106][emoji106][emoji106]

 

[Cowfold Seagull]

We are currently 12th in the table. For our second season in the premier league that is really good going. Yes I get that today was incredibly frustrating, 1 0 up against 10 men and we seemed to hand them the initiative. Yes, some of our recent wins have felt fortunate. But if we’re playing below what we’re capable of and are 12th in the league, think how well we’ll do once we click.

They often say say the sign of champions is to be able to win ugly. In a similar way I take it as a good sign that we can be below par and have a decent points tally.

Keep the faith!

Well said, an excellent post, you are obviously very mch what your nicname suggests you to be! As a realist l think that for however long our current tenure in the Premier League lasts it will almost certainly be a constant fight against the dreaded drop, so 12th in the table is a brilliant place to be. Long may it stay that way.

 

[Guinness Boy]

In previous weeks where it's not gone well - post Everton and Cardiff particularly - I've been very much "team we'll be ok" based on the points tally and position we're in. We're still in an OK position and I still think Hughton is the man for the job long term but there is no doubt we're in a wobble at the moment.

Yesterday was my most frustrating game since Southampton away last season. There we dominated early, scored to go 1 up and then sat back and invited the inevitable. Yesterday? Guess what, same again. Both against opposition that could have been demoralised had a second gone in, which would have killed it off.

Quite laughable that Leicester fans were having a go at the referee when the big decisions in the game that the officials got wrong went against us. No doubt Leicester well fired up by Puel and did a great job of closing us down and hitting us with pace but they're Leicester, that's what they do. Immensely annoying that, regardless of what Hughton may or may not say, our default now is to sit on a lead, and we look awful when we're pressed.

Huddersfield and Palace will press us and, right now, I don't expect much out of either game but maybe we need to go one down rather than one up?

 

[Triggaaar]

Impressive points tally, going through a dip but with key players now back. We’ll be fine

We'll be fine if we improve. Not if we keep playing as we are though. Our recent performances have not been good enough.

 

[NooBHA]

Yes. Last reason we were newbies in the PL - every other team would have thought we were there for the taking, so we had to scrap for everything - and we did: very well. This season, after spending what? - £50M ish? - in the summer, not to mention what we paid for Locadia in January, we might have expected to see our team playing better than last season ................... but we haven't.
We might have got a better in depth squad (maybe) - but a better team?

Better squad = Better team.

I think last year we may have struggled a bit more with the injuries and suspensions we have had this season. We have actually coped well with the loss of Gross and Propper and now Stephens and in the early part of the season Izquierdo. We have decent cover in most positions now

 

[Icy Gull]

Better squad = Better team.

I think last year we may have struggled a bit more with the injuries and suspensions we have had this season. We have actually coped well with the loss of Gross and Propper and now Stephens and in the early part of the season Izquierdo. We have decent cover in most positions now

NONE of our signings since January are first choice players though and when you consider what the first choice cost and what the new reserves cost we haven’t done great business. Has to be said that CH does not appear to trust any of the newbies over last year’s first choice. Maybe our summer business was a a bit shit?

We are standing still on the pitch, maybe even going backwards, but we do have more strength in depth. The pressing game CH said we’d be using this season has not happened. Interesting stats the other day that only two teams have covered less ground than us this season, hardly a pressing game then.

 

[NooBHA]

NONE of our signings since January are first choice players though and when you consider what the first choice cost and what the new reserves cost we haven’t done great business. Has to be said that CH does not appear to trust any of the newbies over last year’s first choice. Maybe our summer business was a a bit shit?

We are standing still on the pitch, maybe even going backwards, but we do have more strength in depth. The pressing game CH said we’d be using this season has not happened. Interesting stats the other day that only two teams have covered less ground than us this season, hardly a pressing game then.

You can't really replace Murray when he is scoring at the same rate as Aguero, Kane, Sala etc

Jhanbaksh, is a first team starter when he is fit now, so that leaves only leaves Bissouma who is only 21 and he will be a starter by the end of the season, I am virtually sue of that. He is a great player but he has got caught in possession a few times which has been costly. So he is a ''work in progress''

The strikers will at some point replace Murray but you cant drop him when he is hitting the back of the net at the rate he is.

 

[Icy Gull]

You can't really replace Murray when he is scoring at the same rate as Aguero, Kane, Sala etc

Jhanbaksh, is a first team starter when he is fit now, so that leaves only leaves Bissouma who is only 21 and he will be a starter by the end of the season, I am virtually sue of that. He is a great player but he has got caught in possession a few times which has been costly. So he is a ''work in progress''

The strikers will at some point replace Murray but you cant drop him when he is hitting the back of the net at the rate he is.

True re Murray especially as we only have one other striker who may be able to play like him. Locadia is on a hiding to nothing as we won’t adjust to suit him, no idea why we bought him as it is clear we only play one way at this level.

We could of course sub Murray earlier. Maybe this will start to happen now Andone is fit

Jury is out on AJ as he does not look to be at the same level as AK imo

 

[NooBHA]

True re Murray especially as we only have one other striker who may be able to play like him. Locadia is on a hiding to nothing as we won’t adjust to suit him, no idea why we bought him as it is clear we only play one way at this level.

We could of course sub Murray earlier. Maybe this will start to happen now Andone is fit

Jury is out on AJ as he does not look to be at the same level as AK imo

Great player. Absolutely superb player apparently but he is still adjusting as well but he will come good coz he has an end product to him. We are only 12 games into his tenure at the Amex and he wasn't even fit for a lot of the games

 

[Icy Gull]

Great player. Absolutely superb player apparently but he is still adjusting as well but he will come good coz he has an end product to him. We are only 12 games into his tenure at the Amex and he wasn't even fit for a lot of the games

Look forward to him showing it

 

[Harry Wilson's tackle]

I wonder just how many teams, since the PL started, have looked at the table at around Christmas time and thought, 'Yeh, we're alright.' Double figures, I wouldn't be surprised.

Double figures every season. And nearly all of them will be spot on. Only three teams are relegated each season. It is very rare for one of the top twelve at Christmas to be one of them. I haven't done any research on this, but it is fact. Fact.