[Albion] Some people seem to think we could do with NOT qualifying for Europe this year.

[Uh_huh_him]

not until we have sorted out our serious injury period which stretches back 18-24 months

How do we assess whether the injury period is "sorted out" and how do we assess that it won't return?

The article in the Athletic back in March indicated that there was no pattern to the injuries and this season'shigh level of injuries, was a smuch down to bad luck as it was to training methods or playing style.


LONGEST ABSENCES

Player	Position ▲	Injury	Month	Games out
Igor Julio	defender	hamstring	January	21
Adam Webster	defender	hamstring	October	12
Lewis Dunk	defender	ribs	February	5
Evan Ferguson	forward	ankle	December	6
Joao Pedro	forward	ankle	September	5
Danny Welbeck	forward	ankle	December	5
Ferdi Kadioglu	full-back	toe	November	19
Jason Steele	goalkeeper	shoulder	January	6
James Milner	midfield	hamstring	August	26
Jack Hinshelwood	midfield	knee	November	11
Matt O'Riley	midfield	ankle	August	8
Mats Wieffer	midfield	leg	December	7
Solly March	winger	knee	October 2023	17
Jankuba Minteh	winger	muscular	September	5

 

[tjg]

What could be wrong about winning a European competition that's been won by Roma, West Ham, Olympiacos and (almost certainly) Chelsea. Plus free entry to the Europa the next season... it would be great!

 

[Eeyore]

Gimme 8th and the conference league, yes bloody please.

It certainly wont be an easier when Spurs and Man U finally sort there shit out, be lucky to finish top 10 when that happens

These are a good point.

If some of the teams below us get their act together next season we may find ourselves in the wilderness West Ham have been this year. If one of the promoted teams backs their manager...

We, and indeed others, are not as safe as folk think in this league.

Leicester City fans will confirm...

 

[A1X]

I find the “don’t want to be in Europe, actually” mindset as mad as the “we MUST be in Europe else we’ve failed hideously” mindset.

I’d love to be in Europe again, but I won’t be devastated if we miss out on it like some seem they would be.

 

[Washie]

I find the “don’t want to be in Europe, actually” mindset as mad as the “we MUST be in Europe else we’ve failed hideously” mindset.

I’d love to be in Europe again, but I won’t be devastated if we miss out on it like some seem they would be.

I would love to be in europe too, but can also understand the trepidation.

 

[All Four Grounds]

Players already play too many games to the detriment of the game (more injuries and diminishing intensity as the season progresses) so if we’re going to play even more I’d like it be for a competition which attracts better players, more money and some kudos. That isn’t ECL which should never have been created.

 

[jamie-oh]

I like the Conference league. There, i said it. I'm out and proud!

i think the 'champions league is the be-all and end-all' types are tiresome pricks to be honest. Admittedly there isnt many among the Brighton fans, but there's reams of em elsewhere - but i think european football is great, a more winnable trophy is brilliant, and anyone who turns up their nose at either is a twonk. Brighton havnt won a trophy, and have had precisely one season in europe, ever.
So achieve things before you get tired of them and demand more ffs!
Europa league and Conference league are two trophies (and brilliant looking actual trophies, too) which promise cool away days, and a significantly more winnable thing than the champs league, which is the sole property of arsehole clubs.

I think that covers everything

 

[Mellor 3 Ward 4]

Players already play too many games to the detriment of the game (more injuries and diminishing intensity as the season progresses) so if we’re going to play even more I’d like it be for a competition which attracts better players, more money and some kudos. That isn’t ECL which should never have been created.

I guess you didn't have an unbelievably amazing time at our four Euuppean games last season then?

 

[All Four Grounds]

I guess you didn't have an unbelievably amazing time at our four Euuppean games last season then?

I guess you just skipped through my post before answering! Different competition: the European Conference League has none of the kudos of the Europa League and none of the financial benefit.

 

[Washie]

I guess you didn't have an unbelievably amazing time at our four Euuppean games last season then?

Marseille was depressing an scary after final whistle.

 

[Bozza]

I guess you just skipped through my post before answering! Different competition: the European Conference League has none of the kudos of the Europa League and none of the financial benefit.

When I went to Marseille, Athens and Rome I didn't do so because of kudos nor did I give consideration as to the finances of the club.

It was about watching the club I'd followed for c45 years on foreign soil with mates and a load of like-minded individuals.

It was an adventure.

The obscure nature of most of those in the Conference League would only add to that sense of adventure. Like going to Rotherham away on a Tuesday night in December, and not getting home until 3am.

 

[Guy Fawkes]

Small club mentality if you don’t want to play in Europe. Time to bury, ”I was at Hereford, Gillingham and Withdean” so am just glad to be in the PL mentality

I didn’t hear any of this when the Italian man/child had us fighting for Europe.

Did we have the fans writing off players and the manager after the poor results we had under RDZ like we've had this season ? and making the environment more toxic ?

We lost 6-1 to Aston Villa and 4-0 to Luton last season under RDZ, yet that gets largely ignored, yet this season when we suffer similar results and no one in the team is deemed to be good enough any more. We took until January last season to keep a clean sheet, (and only 6 all season) yet it's this season that our defence is suddenly deemed to be too weak and the players need to be moved on (conveniently ignoring injuries and the fact we haven't had a specialist RB available for how long now?

 

[Uh_huh_him]

I like the Conference league. There, i said it. I'm out and proud!

i think the 'champions league is the be-all and end-all' types are tiresome pricks to be honest. Admittedly there isnt many among the Brighton fans, but there's reams of em elsewhere - but i think european football is great, a more winnable trophy is brilliant, and anyone who turns up their nose at either is a twonk. Brighton havnt won a trophy, and have had precisely one season in europe, ever.
So achieve things before you get tired of them and demand more ffs!
Europa league and Conference league are two trophies (and brilliant looking actual trophies, too) which promise cool away days, and a significantly more winnable thing than the champs league, which is the sole property of arsehole clubs.

I think that covers everything

Yeah this.

Happy to be competing at the lower levels in Europe and see the club make progress tbh.

I would only like to be competing in the CL, when we are at a stage where we feel we belong there.
Conference league would be an ideal opportunity to develop some of our prospects, rather than shipping them out for minutes at other Premier League clubs.

 

[Mellor 3 Ward 4]

I guess you just skipped through my post before answering! Different competition: the European Conference League has none of the kudos of the Europa League and none of the financial benefit.

No, I didn't skip through your post at all.

TBH, it wouldn't matter where or who we were playing, for me the more obscure the better.

Astana on a Thursday night - yes please.

 

[Bob!]

I want Europe every season please.
I'm sure Fab, TB etc. will build next season's squad based on which competitions we are in, so a few more players kept, not loaned, if we are in a European competition.

The downside, for me, of the Conference League would be that it tends to be smaller grounds so as a Tier 2 I'd be less likely to get tickets

 

[brighton_tom]

I find the “don’t want to be in Europe, actually” mindset as mad as the “we MUST be in Europe else we’ve failed hideously” mindset.

I’d love to be in Europe again, but I won’t be devastated if we miss out on it like some seem they would be.

Spot on.

 

[Uh_huh_him]

I want Europe every season please.
I'm sure Fab, TB etc. will build next season's squad based on which competitions we are in, so a few more players kept, not loaned, if we are in a European competition.

The downside, for me, of the Conference League would be that it tends to be smaller grounds so as a Tier 2 I'd be less likely to get tickets

Yeah I'm T1 for most Prem games, but I doubt I'd have enough points to get a ticket to FC Noah away.
But there are enough decent sized stadia to give the opportunity for at least 1 trip.

 

[Uh_huh_him]

I find the “don’t want to be in Europe, actually” mindset as mad as the “we MUST be in Europe else we’ve failed hideously” mindset.

I’d love to be in Europe again, but I won’t be devastated if we miss out on it like some seem they would be.

Yeah agreed with this.
It's just the "Don't mind finishing below Palace" crazies, that I can't be tolerating.

 

[Garry Nelson's Left Foot]

I'd bloody love to be in Europe again.

This came up in another thread and it surprised me that some people didn't want to qualify. I'll say here what I said there:

Football is cyclical. The vast majority of us have seen us at the lowest turn of the wheel. We're currently at, or close to, the top of the circle. I am absolutely desperate for us to maximise our time here. That means glory. Europe is glory. Winning trophies is glory.

Give me the conference league. Give me a shot at a trophy. Give me the memories Europe will create.

When we are on the downturn, slumming it in the arse end of the championship or league 1 it's the memories of these days, our golden days, that will sustain us. I want as much as possible from them. I'll take an 8th place followed by a season in Europe and a 12th place finish the next year. I'll take the chance that we win the conference and qualify for europe the following season that way anyway. I'll take the league cup, I'll take the f.a cup, I'll take it all.

And our squad is f***ing huge. We've had the most injuries of any club, lost the most days/games to injuries, have a manager who may or may not know what he's doing, and we are STILL top 10 with a decentish chance of qualifying for Europe. Don't let squad size worry you.

 

[oldboyroy]

That logic seems to be:

I don't want us to qualify for Europe this season...

...so we have a better chance of qualifying for Europe next season.

Which will surely be harder to do than this season as half the expected top 6 have had a poor season?