[Albion] Have you ENJOYED this season?

[Seasider78]

Not really for so many reasons it has been a really disjointed and frustrating season that is now very much heading to the just end it now territory.

 

[Super Sub]

I’m personally on the Meh fence. It’s been really up and down this season… Some real moments of quality and good football but in equal measures, we’ve seen some real tripe too.
I wonder with the benefit of hindsight (a wonderful thing) if we may have been wiser to buy a few less but more tested players last summer. Same spend but quality over quantity.

 

[chickens]

Overall I have enjoyed this season, but my patience is being tested a bit by our insistence on playing this high line with our current personnel.

For me, having centre-backs whose strength is their positioning, playing the high line prevents them from showing their best qualities, and simply highlights their lack of pace.

While I’ve no intention of writing him off, Cashin also becomes a baffling purchase if this is how we intend to play.

It feels to me as though there’s a disconnect between our recruitment and what the coach would need to succeed. That worries me.

We have to give the coach time, he deserves our patience, but I’ve been a bit concerned by the way in which we don’t seem to be learning the obvious lessons. I feel atm that Fab is dogmatically trying to hammer the square pegs of our central defenders into the round holes of a high-line game plan. We either ask Uncle Tony to get his chequebook out again, or change the game plan.

I’m sure I’m not alone in thinking that replacing our entire defensive line would be bold and expensive, and that perhaps Fab needs to look again at how we set up. We’ve had shit luck with injuries, every deflection off our defenders bounces into the net, and Bart’s been guilty of one too many lapses in concentration, to the extent I’d personally rather he had a rest and a chance to reset.

Other than that, everything’s brilliant. I will feel much more positive after a win.

 

[maltaseagull]

What has ground sharing got to do with this season?

Apparently it's part of a really clever whoosh post. Not convinced myself.

 

[Mustafa II]

Yeah, I enjoy pretty much every season... but this has been pretty enjoyable compared to some.

We've had lots of wins, not that many defeats, and a few good winning streaks.

There have been lots of world class goals to enjoy. Pretty much every game, even our worst performances, have some top drawer passages of play and skills by the team and its individuals.

Frustrating/disappointing? Yes. Enjoyable? Also yes.

 

[SkirlieWirlie]

I was expecting an up and down season based on the squad changes and new inexperienced manager, so not surprised how the season has panned out, but haven't enjoyed it recent weeks and looking forward to a fresh start next season already

Edit: I was also expecting performances to improve over time. They haven't. And I realise this is for many different reasons, but still...

 

[Super Sub]

Overall I have enjoyed this season, but my patience is being tested a bit by our insistence on playing this high line with our current personnel.

For me, having centre-backs whose strength is their positioning, playing the high line prevents them from showing their best qualities, and simply highlights their lack of pace.

While I’ve no intention of writing him off, Cashin also becomes a baffling purchase if this is how we intend to play.

It feels to me as though there’s a disconnect between our recruitment and what the coach would need to succeed. That worries me.

We have to give the coach time, he deserves our patience, but I’ve been a bit concerned by the way in which we don’t seem to be learning the obvious lessons. I feel atm that Fab is dogmatically trying to hammer the square pegs of our central defenders into the round holes of a high-line game plan. We either ask Uncle Tony to get his chequebook out again, or change the game plan.

I’m sure I’m not alone in thinking that replacing our entire defensive line would be bold and expensive, and that perhaps Fab needs to look again at how we set up. We’ve had shit luck with injuries, every deflection off our defenders bounces into the net, and Bart’s been guilty of one too many lapses in concentration, to the extent I’d personally rather he had a rest and a chance to reset.

Other than that, everything’s brilliant. I will feel much more positive after a win.

Great post… I couldn’t agree more

 

[wehatepalace]

Gillingham was 28 years ago.
Can we possibly just move on and stop being grateful and humble and instead hope for progression and have ambition without being constantly reminded how far we have come?
Bournemouth and Brentford were in the bottom division not long ago.

Thank you !
This it what I’ve been saying, I’m sick of people saying “be grateful, look at where we’ve come from”
Instead how about look at where we are and look where we could be.
As much as history is important, we really need to be making some, we’re an established premier league club now, but we’ve won f*** all……ever !

 

[trueblue]

Meh for me. Frustrating year. A lot of injuries but I think we should look more organised. Can’t fathom what we are trying to do other than expect one of a decent squad to come up with something special.

 

[Peacehaven Wild Kids]

Some great trips with the boy. Gone in to April with something to play for. A few points off the scum would have been nice but hey, I’m happy

 

[Lawros Lip]

Maybe expecting to enjoy the actual watching football part of the day is unrealistic most of the time .

 

[London Irish]

I’ve actually really enjoyed this season - way more than I enjoy trying to type sentences on NSC with a mobile phone, that’s been very aggravating. Can’t blame Barber or Fab for that

 

[Harry Wilson's tackle]

Yeah. Footballs just all year panto. Not to be taken seriously. Winning? Lovely. Losing? Watch people lose their minds.

Always fun

Yes. That.

I have trained myself to extract maximum joy from wins and just shrug of the defeats.
The training was arduous but the effort has paid off.
I may feel a bit different after we have won a few trophies.
Won a trophy.
A trophy.
Trophy.

But I am still unable to do what @Guinness Boy apparently finds to be straightforward: disregard 120 years of unremitting m'eh at best,
nearly going out of the league, being a joke club, and (more recently) experience being Andy Johnsoned,
not being in the top flight, or anywhere near it, ever (apart from 4 iffy years, back when I was young and very very sexy indeed),
and dismiss it all as pre-history, focusing instead on why we should be top ten every year and winning trophies. Or something.
Maybe I am simply not very competitive. Merely agreeable. Accommodating. Optimistic. Cognizant that it is....only a game*.

No, I will never do much more than raise an eyebrow at a defeat for the foreseeable.

When Tony Bloom hands the club on, and if it all turns to actual bollocks, it will be a different story.
I'll be waving my Zimmer frame and losing my geriatric shit on NSC in a crazy fuzzball of dentures, Phyllosan and Hot Air.
In the meantime I am enjoying the long game, and the long game still looks good to me.

*Legal notice: some of the above is deliberate and obvious nonsense, added for purposes of low comedy.

 

[philgull25]

North Stand Chat has always been a bit of a binfest. But nonetheless, when did so many of our fans become such whingy cry babies?

 

[portlock seagull]

Most of our fanbase will be happy because they’re not winners. Our mindset is all wrong IMO.

 

[Deadly Danson]

The downs have been pretty bad this season, the highs have been OK but, like early Potter, this side to side football is my least favourite - I find it soul destroying. We make a simple game incredibly complicated.

 

[birthofanorange]

Most of our fanbase will be happy because they’re not winners. Our mindset is all wrong IMO.

You never fail to to please. Kudos.

 

[Change at Barnham]

No shitshow on and off the field

I agree with Hangleton Gull that it hasn’t been a shitshow on or off the field.

 

[Steve in Japan]

I think the Club has lost it's way a bit, if I'm honest. You see it in our recruitment, our loan business and above all in the strangely random team selections. You certainly see it in match performances.

We are still punching above our weight, but not to the extent we were under peak Potter and RDZ. We have gone off the boil.

Compare and contrast with Villa today, not just the performance and result, but the players' visible excitement and bond with the crowd. We'd like to be finishing the season like that, wouldn't we?

 

[mothy]

Nearly 80% of you are miserable twats. 8 years in a row in the premier league. On course for a 3rd top 10 finish in a row. If this year is bad - I'm surprised you haven't topped yourselves over the rest of our history.

Cheer up you miserable lot. (I only want the keeper gone & then I'll be happy)