[Albion] Would you have been happy with this at the beginning of the season?

[Silverhatch]

Went into the season expecting us to really challenge the top 6 with a good chance of top 4. Still think we have an exceptional squad of technical footballers. The alchemy is off at the moment, but if we get that sorted we’re as good as anyone in this league. (PS. Been going since the 70s and hyperbole is not my bag).

 

[BNthree]

Keep seeing posters mention the £200m spend as though we bought a couple of top PL strikers that were going to bag us loads of goals. Instead we bought a load of youngsters the club hope to be able to sell on for profit.

 

[Moshe Gariani]

I expected, with around 80% probability, us to finish between 8th and 15th... likely within a place or two of Palace.

Enjoyed the short stay in Dreamland before the Southampton (H) game - back in Sussex now.

 

[OzMike]

I would have to go with option 1.
New playwrs, new head coach, was expecting mid table to be honest.
'13 points to safety', mode at present.

 

[Eeyore]

My feeling is that, whilst a capable Premier League squad, there is a tendency to over-rate the team we have. In the second half of last season the team showed relegation form (17th out of 20). Europe could hardly be blamed as there were only two matches in that period. Form has been much better in the first half of this season.

My uneducated opinion feels that the investment was needed to stop a worrying downturn. By and large it has. But what supporters sometimes forget is that other teams in the league have pretty good squads too.

I think we will finish between 10th and 14th this season. Not as we would like it, but hardly a drama. This is one of the toughest leagues in the world, after all.

 

[Han Solo]

Keep seeing posters mention the £200m spend as though we bought a couple of top PL strikers that were going to bag us loads of goals. Instead we bought a load of youngsters the club hope to be able to seek on for profit.

...and to be good for us in a little while, just not quite now.

 

[The Mole]

Before the Everton game, I had no idea what to expect - a new untried manager, a lot of new players. lots of players is great but you don’t know how long it takes them to work together. I always feel that our natural place is somewhere between the last two seasons so 10th is about right.
one caveat - I’m one of the supporters who always looks at securing 40 points first - I’ve been supporting this club for a long time!

 

[AZ Gull]

(Try to pretend you've not seen us throw points away.)

Before the season started, would you have been happy with this at the halfway point of the season...

- 12 points above relegation
- 7 points above Palace
- 5 points off (likely) Champions League
- 2 points off (likely) European qualification

I posted this back in June so the honest answer to your question is yes:-

In all honesty I'm expecting a transitional season in 2024-25, for many reasons. I can't see us being anywhere near qualifying for Europe. I'd be very pleasantly surprised if we finished top half.

However, given that we were 2nd in the table a mere 33 days ago it's a challenge to use the word "happy" to describe my feelings on our current position. I guess it just goes to show that it isn't only the final destination that is important, but also the route taken to get there.

 

[JetsetJimbo]

I'm getting a sense of deja vu this season. Before a ball was kicked, I would have been happy with a top-half finish, but our strong start made me believe we could achieve more. Exactly what happened last season.

Given the sheer number of new players we've got, plus a new manager, my pre-season assessment was probably the right one. I think next season is when it'll all come together. At least, I hope so.

 

[Flounce]

The answer from me is yes BUT

That was then, this is now and since the wins against City and Bournemouth, I am happy with a point against Villa, OK with the result against WHU, accepting of our annual defeat at Fulham. Angry with the defeat against Palace, and the draws with Wolves and Leicester and disappointed with the draw at Brentford

In the cold light of day the above is not really the horrendous run we have portrayed it as either, so although I was expecting us to be higher than we are given the start to the season I am disappointed but still happy.

We have had a ridiculous amount of injuries, signed young non PL ready players in the main, have a manager who is still pretty green and naive at times and imo not really had the rub of the green much lately.

I have felt unreasonably expectant since our start to the season though. Can’t shake that that off and I am now expecting a win against Arsenal, so setting myself up to be disappointed

I am doing quite well with my entitlement imo

 

[Greg Bobkin]

Understood, but if you asked people before the season started “would you be happy with beating Man City at home and losing to Palace at home?” you’d have a wide variety of answers.

The only variety would be 'yes' or 'no', Shirley?

 

[Han Solo]

I posted this back in June so the honest answer to your question is yes:-



However, given that we were 2nd in the table a mere 33 days ago it's a challenge to use the word "happy" to describe my feelings on our current position. I guess it just goes to show that it isn't only the final destination that is important, but also the route taken to get there.

Yup yup... and can imagine some players feel the same way. I'm guessing that the early success of this season has made it more difficult to end the current spell of results.

Hopefully it changes soon because if we lose distance to the Europa places it will be real challenge for Hurz to motivate the players. Its not like he point to the "seriousness of the situation" either because in the worst, worst of worlds for Brighton... nothing happens. And while I certainly agree that Europe was always very unlikely this season, it could be a very long and painful spring if its completely out of reach in a month or two.

 

[jcdenton08]

My position hasn’t changed, top ten and hopefully a cup run was my ambition before a ball has been kicked and we can still achieve that.

 

[boik]

With the inexperience of a lot of players AND the manager, I forecast lower mid table by half time, and hopefully squeaking top half by the end. I can't believe that after watching all of our previous signings take the best part of a season to bed in that anyone was expecting anything else.

The players might be inexperienced, but we fans have a lot of PL experience by now and should have learnt from it.

 

[Pliny the Gull]

Yes from me. Looking forward to 2nd half of season.
If I have a concern, it's I have this feeling of unease, that maybe the team spirit/focus may not be as cohesive as it was during GP/RDZ period's. Some individual player agendas afoot ?
Period of transition etc I suppose.
Glass half full though
UTA

 

[tronnogull]

I would have done. But I don't think that Tony Bloom would.

I was one of those who cosied up to royalty at the fan's event in Leicester. ( It is amazing how available TB and PB make themselves, especially TB who seems rather uncomfortable being thanked endlessly by Albion fans wherever he goes. ). I had my turn for a few words with Tony and commented how well we were doing given that this felt like a transition year with a new manager and young players. And that it would be a great base to build on next year if we miss out on Europe this year.

Now, as you all know, TB always replies in a balanced, respectful way to questions and comments even when they are obviously stupid. But I fear that I actually managed to annoy him with that comment. He replied with a pretty curt " Well, we don't want to wait till next season ", and moved away to talk to the next person.

All of which seems like a very healthy attitude from our Chairman.