[Albion] Would you have taken 15th, 3 points clear of the bottom 3 in mid-Jan on the 1st September?

[BensGrandad]

We're 4 points off 9th, that's hardly deep deep trouble. Just depends on which way you're looking, but if you keep looking over your shoulder you will trip up.

Try telling the players and CH that. I am extremely disappointed that TB has allowed this to happen with him being a staunch supporter. I expected him to do something to stop the rot. PB I am not sure about as we are just a job to him he does not have the passion of TB.

 

[Mo Gosfield]

No. The fall of fixtures always suggested that we needed 26-27 points at this stage.
I thought yesterday was the pivotal point. Win and the confidence to survive would have been sky high. The first nail would have been put in the WBA coffin and both them and Swansea would have been unlikely to catch us. We would have at least maintained our 12th position. A draw would have maintained a seven point gap over the bottom two. To lose that game, to an ordinary side, was extremely damaging.
One win in 11 games. 8 points out of the last 36. Goalless in 9 out of 12 away games and in the last six played. Defensive mistakes increasing. A complete inability to defend set-pieces and a formulaic style of management that is not working at this level, suggests we are going backwards. We are going to need to win 5 of our next 10 games and on the evidence of yesterday, that is going to be extremely unlikely.
The balance in the division has changed. Sides below us for so long have now gone above us and will stay there. It is going to be three from Swansea, WBA, Stoke, Saints, BHA, Newcastle and Huddersfield. Recent results suggest Huddersfield and us have been found out and will find it very difficult to stay out of the bottom 3.

 

[Johnny RoastBeef]

Try telling the players and CH that. I am extremely disappointed that TB has allowed this to happen with him being a staunch supporter. I expected him to do something to stop the rot. PB I am not sure about as we are just a job to him he does not have the passion of TB.

To even think that the club is just sitting on their hands is daft, we are obviously trying to sign players but other than holding a gun to their head and forcing them to sign, what can they do. We have been scuppered by failed injuries and clubs withdrawing our targets at the last minute.

If the worst should happen and we go down then we are stronger than ever, wealthier than ever and can enjoy watching our team win again on a regular basis. That's hardly the end of the world is it?

Some of you lot sound like you don't appreciate just how much TB has done for this club, so to question his commitment is pretty shitty. Maybe the plan was always to do so much and if we fall short this time, we regroup and try again next season without putting the club at risk chasing dreams.

 

[Perkino]

Yes! On 1st September having not scored any goals even against a 10 man Watford and not signing at least 1 striker I had genuine fears that we would give Derby a run for their record of 11 points.

Fast forward to end of October and we were sitting pretty in 8th and I couldn't believe how easy everything seemed. Surely we were on for a top half finish!

A handful of games where we have been the better side but not scored enough goals and a real feeling that we can compete in this division, even giving Man Utd their most difficult game. There are plenty of points up for grabs and we could easily get another 17 points providing we score from our good chances and learn to defend set pieces.

 

[Invicta]

Yes. But do need to start getting some goals and points soon

 

[Deadly Danson]

Of course and I'm not sure I really believe anyone who says otherwise especially as, at that time, a lot were predicting the lowest PL points total. Is it enough - given the start and some wasted points then most certainly not and we really need to get a couple of wins sharpish but on the 1st September I don't think anyone thought we wouldn't be in a relegation battle and here we are.

 

[Acker79]

No. Where we are in mid January doesn't mean a damn thing. If someone offered it to me I'd laugh in their face about how ridiculous an offer it is.

 

[Giraffe]

Yes definitely. However I would also have expected us to sign a striker in early January. The fact we haven’t means we are in the same position as we were in August. No one can seriously believe that we will stay up if we don’t strengthen up front before the end of January. We just aren’t good enough in attack.

 

[Mackenzie]

I'm loving this season and think that we've competed well in most of the games. We've hit a bit of a flat spot recently, but nothing a couple of wins can't fix.

Yeah I'd have taken what we've got just now.

 

[GT49er]

The question was, would we have settled for this position if it was offered to us on 1st. September - many contributors to this thread seem to have been unable to read/understand that bit! Then - as of 1st. September - I'd have been quite happy about it. Now, because we've got to that stage on a downward spiral since, say, the end of November, I'm less happy with our current position.

 

[Weststander]

Voted yes.

But momentum in sport means so much. We have none now, whilst others have gained vital wins.

 

[Bigtomfu]

Yes I would have taken both the position and the points.

But am I casting ever increasing nervous glances towards the bottom? Yes.

Time will tell but yet again Huddersfield have got two fresh faces in early in the window, whether we would want either is to me a moot point, their arrival (not yesterday granted) may give them renewed impetus going into the business end of the season whereas any signings we may make will have three less games with the squad to get to know the players and the system etc. I just hope that isn't the difference between staying up and going down.

We will definitely rue the missed opportunities at home to Everton, Burnley, Stoke, Southampton and Bournemouth - all games where I feel we should have taken the extra two points from. If we had we would have been safe by now practically. Such a crying shame but as we all know having been Brighton fans for so long we never do things the easy way.

 

[Harry Wilson's tackle]

Oh goody, another poll.

It isn't quite so much about where we are, it is about what direction we are travelling.

It's down, isn't it.

 

[Blackadder]

Absolutely I would have taken it.

If we had started poorly and were now improving, I would be very happy indeed.

The concern is that we appear to be going backwards.

As already mentioned, if the worst does happen, it won't affect my attendance at the Amex next season.

Whenever it is pelting down with wind and rain, we still refer to it as "Withdean Weather"

 

[Weststander]

Oh goody, another poll.

It isn't quite so much about where we are, it is about what direction we are travelling.

It's down, isn't it.

Momentum, not history.

 

[papajaff]

Nope

 

[A1X]

On 1st September, yes.
On 1st November, no.

 

[Stat Brother]

Loving how 15th is the new 12th.

 

[Insel affe]

On the 1st of September, yes. After the run of games that saw us break into the top 10 I would’ve hoped for more. Not a lot more mind you. Turning, say two of our draws into wins would see us in 10th (the home games against Everton and Bournemouth spring to mind).

You forgot the Burnley home game, that was a massive 2 point s dropped.

 

[Uh_huh_him]

Yes on September the 1st I would be happy with where we are now.

But knowing that we would be in sight of safety, but for our inability to defend set pieces, is beginning to grate.