Well done Brighton

[ghostrider]

It's no mystery. Brighton and Bournemouth have invested more heavily than you lot and therefore now, in my opinion, have better squads. That's why they're doing better than you at the moment.

Seriously mate, with the greatest of respect, I just don't think you realise how poor your squad is at the moment. Rafa is the reason you're not rock bottom.

No they haven't invested more heavily at all.

[ghostrider]

Well, they really don't know how lucky they are then. You'd be screwed without him. He's working miracles with that squad.

No he's not working miracles at all. He's going to relegate us because his tactics are generally pathetic.

[Jammy89]

No they haven't invested more heavily at all.

Even just a quick google shows that they have:

Two we came up with
Brighton: £57.7 Million
Huddersfield: £50.7 Million

Because they are mentioned
Bournemouth: £31.8 Million

Us:£39.6 Million

So i'll grant you that Bournemouth, this season haven't invested more heavily than us but they were already a premier league side who needed tweaking rather than overhaul. Hence them spending £20 million on Ake.

I'd also point out that both Brighton and Huddersfield spent over £15 million on buying strikers.

[ghostrider]

Even just a quick google shows that they have:

Two we came up with
Brighton: £57.7 Million
Huddersfield: £50.7 Million

Because they are mentioned
Bournemouth: £31.8 Million

Us:£39.6 Million

So i'll grant you that Bournemouth, this season haven't invested more heavily than us but they were already a premier league side who needed tweaking rather than overhaul. Hence them spending £20 million on Ake.

I'd also point out that both Brighton and Huddersfield spent over £15 million on buying strikers.

Brighton have a 34 year old supposed championship striker as their top scorer.
We have scored 1 goal less than Brighton and conceded 2 more than them.
This with a genius 6 million a year manager against Hughton who is likely on a 10th of it.

But Hughton takes the game to the opposition. He gets a few hidings but as we can see, his goal difference is better than ours and his outlay hasn't been on big name players.
Arguably our players are better in most cases but they are not set up to perform. Seriously they aren't.

I firmly believe if Hughton had this team/squad he'd use it and train them for the abilities, because he understands the need to play football and have a go.

Brightons fans are getting entertained more often than not and get value for money. We don't.

I could go on about the other teams but the situation is pretty clear. Rafa is seriously under using the potential of this squad.
That's my 100% honest opinion from what I see, not what I think on a whim.

I'm my humble opinion I think fans are being brainwashed into a belief that Rafa is something special because pundits are singing his praises and using Ashley and co as the usual villains of the peace.

All I hear is " Rafa sets his defence up to be hard to beat."
So what.
Any manager can set up a defence to be hard to beat if they train that mentality into their team...but for every action there is an equal and opposite reaction. Ours is to lose any real effect offensively to generally change the outcome of a game and is why we are in this position when we clearly should not be.

It's frustrating because I tried to be positive after the Man Utd game, yet he goes and destroys it all in the last two games.

If we get out of this it'll be because 3 teams below us totally implode. If they don't, we are down and whether people like what I say or not....Rafa will be solely to blame for it.

[Redcustard]

No they haven't invested more heavily at all.

Compared to you lot, yes they have.

[Redcustard]

No he's not working miracles at all. He's going to relegate us because his tactics are generally pathetic.

If you get relegate it's because your squad is championship quality.

[Redcustard]

You've got to be a bit sad to have multiple accounts on the same forum by the way.

[Jammy89]

If we get out of this it'll be because 3 teams below us totally implode. If they don't, we are down and whether people like what I say or not....Rafa will be solely to blame for it.

No, no he won't.

Had he been allowed the players he wanted in the summer, the ones he gave on a list in plenty of time, the ones he thought he was getting and we were still in this position. I'd agree to an extent it is his fault.

But he wasn't given what he wanted, and what he got in Jan was very late in the day. It's like asking someone to build you a house, they ask for bricks and mortar, you give them wood and nails.

We go down again much more blame lies with Ashley and his chronic under investment of the squad over the last decade.

[ghostrider]

You've got to be a bit sad to have multiple accounts on the same forum by the way.

I agree mate but seeing as this isn't the case then you really don't need to follow suit of those that accuse. It shows you up as being a weakling.

[ghostrider]

No, no he won't.

Had he been allowed the players he wanted in the summer, the ones he gave on a list in plenty of time, the ones he thought he was getting and we were still in this position. I'd agree to an extent it is his fault.

But he wasn't given what he wanted, and what he got in Jan was very late in the day. It's like asking someone to build you a house, they ask for bricks and mortar, you give them wood and nails.

We go down again much more blame lies with Ashley and his chronic under investment of the squad over the last decade.

Can you honestly tell me who he was after and what his targets were worth in transfer fees and wages on offer?