Match Day Thread Seagulls v Magpies

I think it's fair to say that my ability to predict scores could be challenged in a court of law( see bellend versus the knowledgeable ie 3-1 wins contravening all current antitrust protocol)
However I honestly believe we'll win the league by a comfortable margin ( see old baldhead's had a few beers)

I rest my case.

 

Our home is still crap and is the only reason the chasing pack have the slightest sniff. If Rafa would put his big boy pants on and stop being such a ****ing pussy, we would have steamrolled this division and probably broke every record going.

The standard has been terrible - much worse than expected.

 

And you would end up like Roy Munson

 

If we attacked teams at home we would win most games.

 

Might be a bit Champ Manager style, but would a 4-1-2-3 not work for us, with Shelvey as the "1" able to go where he wants, i.e. not be a DM? So we swtich from 4-1-2-3 to 4-3-3 to 4-2-1-3, but we keep Atsu and Ritchie high up the pitch either side of an actual striker, then Diame/Hayden partnering in the middle.

 

No doubt.

Of course, we are winning about 70% of home games at the moment.

 

"Sure we're first but we're not being first well enough."

 

Pretty much the case. We are making heavy weather of something we shouldn't be.

 

The home record is shocking.
Yes, the refs are almost as bad against us at SJP as away thats true (the Sheff Wed ref was atrocious) but form is awful for who we've played
Don't paper over that as if it's unimportant.
It IS VERY important and it could cost us dear STILL

 

Just no pleasing some is there...

Don't worry, be happy! We've just beaten the 2nd best team in the league, have the most inform team coming up this weekend after being battered by City. Not playing well but getting results after a massive over haul in the summer.

HTL #inrafawetrust

 

Being happy with underachievement just you are winning is the road to complacency and eventual disappointment. Particularly when its so easy to address and just requires what you are advocating anyway...a more positive attitude.

HTL #rafasafatnegativespanishwaiter

 

Rafa had a mandate for this season. Turn a £40 - £50 million profit in player sales and get us back up, preferably as league winners. He did the first. If we win on Saturday he will effectively have ensured promotion.

If you want to say that the way he has achieved that has not always been riveting, I will agree. If you want to say that an unchanged approach in the Prem would probably have bad results, I would again agree. If you wanted to say that you could not tell, on this season alone, whether or not Rafa was a more than averagely good manager, I might go along with that as well.

On the other hand, the man is fulfilling his mandate. How you can suggest he is doing a bad job, though, I really can't understand.

 

Top of the table approaching the first weekend in March. That is job done. Spectacularly? No. But if you'd asked any supporter at the start of the season if they would have taken that you would have got a massive yes. A win tomorrow and Tuesday night will effectively see us with one foot on the PL. The time to judge Rafa properly is if and when we get back there.

 

Exactly what I was trying to say.

 

I don't think I've suggested he is doing a bad job. I think I said he is underachieving with the money he was afforded and the opposition we face.

 

Not really. He could only get mostly average players in. You're kind of over-estimating what these players are capable of IMO.

 

Not really. Fairly average players granted but you have to consider the standard of the division. I honestly thought it would be higher than it is. The standard is terrible. Brighton are as good as it gets. Let's be honest they'd be bankers for relegation from the PL. there is some **** teams at foot of the PL so that is not good. Outside of the top 6 of this division the teams are terrible. Yet we have managed to contrive to lose loads of points at home to garbage sides. That is the cold hard truth on my opinion. Ignoring the away form which is stellar, we are getting it wrong at home and massively underachieving.

 

Many of those terrible teams have played very well at SJP though and bugs me how often you hear fans say we played **** without giving any credit to the opposition who have played a really good game. Teams fear a hiding when they come here or want to prove themselves so they raise their game. It's comparable to what Fergie used to say about how the opposition played against Man Utd, albeit in the minor leagues. I hear what you are saying and it would be lovely to have lost fewer home games but the real truth is teams come here and play a certain way, often above their usual standards, and we simply don't have players with the guile to break them down with any regularity. People can bang on about 4-4-2, 4-1-4-1, etc., and talk about bringing this player in and dropping that player but it would make little difference in my opinion because the players are still limited. They can do it, but they aren't good enough to be consistent and do it every game.

Have to also say that yes the standard is **** in this league. It's the Championship; teams are in this league for a reason. I said all through last season's relegation battle and the discussions about relegation how we would go straight back up because the standard is shocking, while most others said we'd stay down for a few seasons. That said the standard is without doubt better than in 09/10 so it's been harder this time around.

 

The chasing pack were winning games

 

I concur