The difference between Southampton and Brighton...

[SaintBobby]

Brighton will probably win the division, but not in the bag at all. However, they'd have to screw up a lot to fail to get automatic promotion.

 

Saints are likely to come second, and if not, will be a good shout for the play offs. Still have a modest (15-20%?) chance of first.

 

I think I'd tip Charlton to be the third team - but at that stage, it's a lottery.

[Seagull]

We're brushing sides aside with ease at the moment, we just look a class above to be honest. I could be totally wrong, as I don't really get the opportunity to watch you guys, but from an outside perspective, you (and Huddersfield) appear to be a team of individuals. You've gone out and got all these excellent players and expect them to fit together and win matches just because they're the best players in the league. I could be wrong, fair enough if you disagree, it's just how it looks from the outside.

 

At Brighton I think we've got players who compliment each other much better and are suited perfectly to the system we choose to play. It's all very well saying that "random Saints player" is better than "random Brighton player" but your player might not suit our system. Craig Noone is an awesome talent for example and he's stuck on the bench for us we don't play with wingers at the moment. Fran Sandaza can't stop scoring from the bench but he's just a goalscorer and doesnt offer much else so cant get in. Then you've got someone like Ashley Barnes who I'm sure would get nowhere near your starting 11 but he's great for us because he plays so well as a deep striker linking up the midfield and attack.

[InvictaSaint]

Discounting the MK Dons away game, which he cannot be blamed for, Adkins' Saints have lost 4 league games.....exactly the same as Poyet's Brighton.

 

The real difference between Saints and Brighton is the 3 games where Dean Wilkins' influence was primary (Swindon, Rochdale, MK Dons) all of which we lost.

[StrangelyBrown]

I think the big difference is expectation

 

Spot on. I bet Brighton fans dont slit their wrists when they get a solitary point away from home.

[Alain Perrin]

Based on what I've seen of Brighton (which is limited to our game and a few I've watched on the Championship), I'd rather have Southampton's manager and style of play. Brighton are very effective but play to frustrate - that coupled by often encouraging the referee to card players (something I think is despicable).

 

It's Poyet's Latin American style where 'piola' - acts of cunning and minor offences to get advantage are often applauded (the hand of god is a great example).

 

However, no doubt it works - although in return fixtures it will be interesting to see if teams find a way to combat it - and they deserve to be where they are, but it's not the style of football that I like.

[GenevaSaint]

Discounting the MK Dons away game, which he cannot be blamed for, Adkins' Saints have lost 4 league games.....exactly the same as Poyet's Brighton.

 

The real difference between Saints and Brighton is the 3 games where Dean Wilkins' influence was primary (Swindon, Rochdale, MK Dons) all of which we lost.

 

Don't let FACTS get in the way Invicta, Brighton are awesome and we're ****.

 

Seagull has hit the nail on the head as well, they're a great unit, just as Blackpool were to get promoted to the premier league. The sum of the parts is greater than the whole. If this were not the case then Chelsea and Citeh would be running away with the Prem.

[hypochondriac]

Better manager IMO, still haven't been convinced by Adkins. We played better football in general under pardew.

[hypochondriac]

For me it has been our performances which have been most disappointing.

[lordswoodsaints]

We are like man city or Chelsea of l1,we have the best,most expensive and best paid squad in the league but are too inconsistent,couple this with a manager who IMO is under immense pressure from NC as well as us fans to get auto promotion and you get average stop/start results.

[NickG]

not much between us at all since Adkins has been here. Damage was done in the Pardew / Wilkins preparation and start.

[InvictaSaint]

Better manager IMO, still haven't been convinced by Adkins. We played better football in general under pardew.

 

Under whom we lost 2-1 at soon to be relegated Gillingham; 2-1 at Colchester; 2-3 at home to Brighton etc, etc. What does all this prove? That managers win games, draw games and occasionally lose games. Pardew was no Messiah, and lost many games which we 'should' have won. Adkins, as I have mentioned elsewhere, has lost only 4 league games if you discount MK Dons away - the same as Poyet.

 

If you could accuse Adkins of anything, it is that he hasn't yet turned us into the superforce many believe we should be. If he hadn't come to us 8 games or so into the season, and had been with us since last June, we might already have got to the level we aspire to.

[Window Cleaner]

not much between us at all since Adkins has been here. Damage was done in the Pardew / Wilkins preparation and start.

 

Yet Wilkins is still here, we really needed a clean sweep there.

[NickG]

don't know what role he plays but current set up is doing ok

[OldNick]

We're brushing sides aside with ease at the moment, we just look a class above to be honest. I could be totally wrong, as I don't really get the opportunity to watch you guys, but from an outside perspective, you (and Huddersfield) appear to be a team of individuals. You've gone out and got all these excellent players and expect them to fit together and win matches just because they're the best players in the league. I could be wrong, fair enough if you disagree, it's just how it looks from the outside.

 

At Brighton I think we've got players who compliment each other much better and are suited perfectly to the system we choose to play. It's all very well saying that "random Saints player" is better than "random Brighton player" but your player might not suit our system. Craig Noone is an awesome talent for example and he's stuck on the bench for us we don't play with wingers at the moment. Fran Sandaza can't stop scoring from the bench but he's just a goalscorer and doesnt offer much else so cant get in. Then you've got someone like Ashley Barnes who I'm sure would get nowhere near your starting 11 but he's great for us because he plays so well as a deep striker linking up the midfield and attack.

I agree for too long we have had the odd stand out player that papers over the cracks of the rest. Bournemouth and BHA have a TEAM we have players like OX AL RL who have to be on top form to pull the others through.The media attention on OX has not helped us concentrate on winning games and it is draining having all the speculation. Norwich went up with a team, not stand out players, we seem to need a fix of having a 'Star' when all i want is to have a team that plays consistantly well and gets us back up at least 1 division

[south]

Based on what I've seen of Brighton (which is limited to our game and a few I've watched on the Championship), I'd rather have Southampton's manager and style of play. Brighton are very effective but play to frustrate - that coupled by often encouraging the referee to card players (something I think is despicable).

 

It's Poyet's Latin American style where 'piola' - acts of cunning and minor offences to get advantage are often applauded (the hand of god is a great example).

 

However, no doubt it works - although in return fixtures it will be interesting to see if teams find a way to combat it - and they deserve to be where they are, but it's not the style of football that I like.

 

Oh dear, just read the reports and plaudits. They "frustrate" other teams but not letting them anywhere near the ball, simply better than anyone else.

[benjii]

Oh dear, just read the reports and plaudits. They "frustrate" other teams but not letting them anywhere near the ball, simply better than anyone else.

 

TBF they were ****e when we played them and we should've won.

[benjii]

I couldn't give a rat's arse to be honest.

 

Football is always littered with examples of teams overachieving. Blackpool are a notable recent example. Hull, when they got promoted.

 

Our form since Adkins came in has been consistently of top two level in terms of points gained. If that continues we will go up. Obviously there is a crucial game in the run in against Bournemouth but if we can draw that and maintain our form we should finish second. That'll do.

[Badger]

We're brushing sides aside with ease at the moment, we just look a class above to be honest. I could be totally wrong, as I don't really get the opportunity to watch you guys, but from an outside perspective, you (and Huddersfield) appear to be a team of individuals. You've gone out and got all these excellent players and expect them to fit together and win matches just because they're the best players in the league. I could be wrong, fair enough if you disagree, it's just how it looks from the outside.

 

Craig Noone is an awesome talent ... .

 

Results certainly support your view of BHA brushing teams aside. Credit to Poyet for installing a breed of confidence from results,whereas we win a couple handsomely then the engine stalls.

 

Your perception of us as a collection of individuals is spot on.

 

Craig Noone ? A good point that whilst you sign him,a player who might make a difference to you, we bring in N'Guessen and Fort who Adkins hopes might make us a better squad( (possibly a better team even).

[Simster]

I think the big difference is expectation, Brighton are perennial inhabitants of this league and rock up to their games against teams who just see them as Brighton. We are seen as Billy Big Bo//ocks, lots of money, big shiney stadium, good players, we are the Manchester United (for want of a better analogy) of this league: the team to beat. When you look at the Bournemouth fans celebrations at Burton Albion when they were promoted last season all they could sing about was coming to SMS. Look at the Notts County fans after the 0-0 the other week, at the final whistle you would have thought that they had won. Every game we play in is viewed by the opposition as a cup tie against a premiership side, if not the final.

 

As for NA he is not a bad coach by any stretch of the imagination, when you look at what he did at Scunny on more than one occasion without the means both in finance and playing staff as he has here He just has to work out how to get the players to unlock these pumped up teams early on in a game.

Expectation has got nothing to do with it. It's all about the players on the pitch, the coaching and the tactics.

 

...we will be in higher division in 3 years time

What on earth makes you think that? In three years time, we'll be similar sized clubs playing in similar sized stadiums (ours will probably be expanded to 30k by then) and right now you're playing catch up. We're going up, whereas you might go up.

 

I think the big difference is expectation

 

Spot on. I bet Brighton fans dont slit their wrists when they get a solitary point away from home.

I bet some of us do! I think you'll find there are as many morons on our site as there are on yours.

 

We're brushing sides aside with ease at the moment, we just look a class above to be honest. I could be totally wrong, as I don't really get the opportunity to watch you guys, but from an outside perspective, you (and Huddersfield) appear to be a team of individuals. You've gone out and got all these excellent players and expect them to fit together and win matches just because they're the best players in the league. I could be wrong, fair enough if you disagree, it's just how it looks from the outside.

 

At Brighton I think we've got players who compliment each other much better and are suited perfectly to the system we choose to play. It's all very well saying that "random Saints player" is better than "random Brighton player" but your player might not suit our system. Craig Noone is an awesome talent for example and he's stuck on the bench for us we don't play with wingers at the moment. Fran Sandaza can't stop scoring from the bench but he's just a goalscorer and doesnt offer much else so cant get in. Then you've got someone like Ashley Barnes who I'm sure would get nowhere near your starting 11 but he's great for us because he plays so well as a deep striker linking up the midfield and attack.

He's right you know. We're battering everyone in this division, we're not squeezing past Scottish teams down to ten men at home. But the real reason we're better than you is down to Gus. Not just his tactics and training methods, but the fact that unlike Atkins, he's been allowed to build his team from scratch, and he's bought very well. He's kept one or two players from the dark days that divided our fans beforehand and turned them into undisputably quality players (Adam El Abd, Glenn Murray) and the players he's brought in have been mostly hungry lower league players previously wrongly discarded and keen to join a club on the up. You won't have heard of most of our midfield until this season. Elliot Bennett has made a big name for himself, but there are other unsung players all over the pitch who have contributed massively.

 

The key to success has been our home form, where we've dropped 8 points all season. Of the four teams to draw, none of them even deserved a point. The only team who deserved anything from their Withdean trip have been Oldham who were quality. And your lot battered them 6-0 away! And therein lies the real difference between Brighton and literally everybody else: consistency. (I think I can say that without needing to know every team in the division as well as my own)

[south]

TBF they were ****e when we played them and we should've won.

 

TBF look at the league table....

[OldNick]

TBF they were ****e when we played them and we should've won.

South i think you will find is a Brighton fan

[Topcat]

Brighton travel better up the hershey highway..?

[NickG]

Expectation has got nothing to do with it. It's all about the players on the pitch, the coaching and the tactics.

 

What on earth makes you think that? In three years time, we'll be similar sized clubs playing in similar sized stadiums (ours will probably be expanded to 30k by then) and right now you're playing catch up. We're going up, whereas you might go up.

 

I think the big difference is expectationI bet some of us do! I think you'll find there are as many morons on our site as there are on yours.

 

He's right you know. We're battering everyone in this division, we're not squeezing past Scottish teams down to ten men at home. But the real reason we're better than you is down to Gus. Not just his tactics and training methods, but the fact that unlike Atkins, he's been allowed to build his team from scratch, and he's bought very well. He's kept one or two players from the dark days that divided our fans beforehand and turned them into undisputably quality players (Adam El Abd, Glenn Murray) and the players he's brought in have been mostly hungry lower league players previously wrongly discarded and keen to join a club on the up. You won't have heard of most of our midfield until this season. Elliot Bennett has made a big name for himself, but there are other unsung players all over the pitch who have contributed massively.

 

The key to success has been our home form, where we've dropped 8 points all season. Of the four teams to draw, none of them even deserved a point. The only team who deserved anything from their Withdean trip have been Oldham who were quality. And your lot battered them 6-0 away! And therein lies the real difference between Brighton and literally everybody else: consistency. (I think I can say that without needing to know every team in the division as well as my own)

 

You are top of the league - not by luck.

 

You are a better side.

 

It will be amazing if you don't win this league, although with 1/3 of season to go stranger things have happened.

 

You are a much smaller club who I personally see as one who it not on a long term revival. Its all about Poyet.

 

He will leave and you will be a lower CCC / top league 1 side again - IMHO.

Edited 23 February, 2011 by NickG

[Simster]

TBF they were ****e when we played them and we should've won.

That's ONE game, and there was only one team going to win it once we approached the last 20 mins at 0-0, and then we missed a penalty ourselves.

 

It does make me chuckle when players of supposed bigger clubs puff their chests out and put on a show for a one off game against the league leaders as if to say "look at us, ignore the league table, we're the best team in this division, not little Brighton". And their fans seem to lap it up.

 

Great. You could have beaten us in that game when we were a bit average by our standards - big deal. Now look at the league table and you'll see what everyone else sees. And perhaps you should expect that level of performance EVERY game rather than just against the league leaders and undisputed best team in the division!

[wild-saint]

They also have a fans forum that doesnt crash automatically from 90 minutes before kick off until 5 minutes after. I guess we are league one and have a league one forum.

[Simster]

You are top of the league - not by luck.

 

You are a better side.

 

It will be amazing if you don't win this league, although with 1/3 of season to go stranger things have happened.

 

You are a much smaller club who I personally see as one who it not on a long term revival. Its all about Poyet.

 

He will leave and you will be a lower CCC / top league 1 side again - IMHO.

We are a smaller club, or at least have been. But lets be honest, it's all about the ground isn't it? You're arguably bigger than Sheffield Wednesday these days because of your stadium, but you forget that pre-St Marys, you were very much small fry. Premiership gates of 13,000 under Branfoot anyone?

 

Our catchment area is similar to yours, and in the past when playing at similar levels, our attendances have been about the same (although that is going a long way back now). When we have a 30k stadium with no debt to service because the chairman has more or less given it to us, what will be the difference between you and us? Oh and finally, next season we will probably have more season ticket holders than you. The club is expecting to sell 17,000 STHs and have sold 10,000 already including the 2,400 corporate seats, and they haven't even finished selling to existing STHs yet, never mind putting them on general sale.

 

I've posted 3 times now, so please don't think I'm being rude by not responding. :-)

[hypochondriac]

We are a smaller club, or at least have been. But lets be honest, it's all about the ground isn't it? You're arguably bigger than Sheffield Wednesday these days because of your stadium, but you forget that pre-St Marys, you were very much small fry. Premiership gates of 13,000 under Branfoot anyone?

 

Our catchment area is similar to yours, and in the past when playing at similar levels, our attendances have been about the same (although that is going a long way back now). When we have a 30k stadium with no debt to service because the chairman has more or less given it to us, what will be the difference between you and us? Oh and finally, next season we will probably have more season ticket holders than you. The club is expecting to sell 17,000 STHs and have sold 10,000 already including the 2,400 corporate seats, and they haven't even finished selling to existing STHs yet, never mind putting them on general sale.

 

I've posted 3 times now, so please don't think I'm being rude by not responding. :-)

 

I'm sorry but you simply are not a bigger club than us and won't be for a very long time if at all. We have a larger fan base, can outbid you on players and your season ticket numbers are because you have the novelty of a new ground. Even if we have similar sized grounds I cannot see you consistently achieving better attendance figures than us.

[NickG]

Not offended that easily!

 

Sorry, just think you will struggle to sustain both form and progress.

[hypochondriac]

Fair play though your team is better than ours and Poyet is a better manager than Adkins.

[hypochondriac]

Under whom we lost 2-1 at soon to be relegated Gillingham; 2-1 at Colchester; 2-3 at home to Brighton etc, etc. What does all this prove? That managers win games, draw games and occasionally lose games.

 

What is your point? Where in my comment did I mention results? It was Adkins who spoke about a 'Southampton style.' With the squad we have I expect us to dominate teams as Brighton are doing, even with the majority of our wins we have squeaked through and been lucky to get the victory. Only so many times in a season you can play badly and get away with a win. I haven't been impressed with how our team plays in general under Adkins and it would be a disgrace if Adkins does not get us promoted considering everything when he came in.

 

Pardew was no Messiah, and lost many games which we 'should' have won. Adkins, as I have mentioned elsewhere, has lost only 4 league games if you discount MK Dons away - the same as Poyet.

 

I agree but I never disputed any of that.

 

If you could accuse Adkins of anything, it is that he hasn't yet turned us into the superforce many believe we should be. If he hadn't come to us 8 games or so into the season, and had been with us since last June, we might already have got to the level we aspire to.

 

With the money and players we have at a minimum I would have expected us to be clear in second place with a few points cushion regardless of games in hand and the poor start. Possibly my expectations are unrealistically high but I think it is justified when you compare us to other teams in this league.

[Thimble]

Ok, being an Albion fan I thought I would wade into this thread. I am not sure what the difference between the 2 teams are but we are clearly head and shoulders above any other team in this division. The style we play is phenomenal as we mix a slow build-up with incisive passing football which is an absolute joy to watch...The way we just cut teams to ribbons is something else. The football we play is probably the best the bottom 2 divisions have ever seen and will likely to see for a while...

 

Poyet has developed an awesome blend where we have excellent individuals plus everyone works well in the team unit and the spirit is excellent. The spine of the team is key and you can see why we bullied Swindon into them selling us Gordon Greer as he can not only defend but is the best ball-playing centre-back I have seen....Liam Bridcutt appears to be a great find and has been brilliant in the holding midfield role...Then there is Gary Dicker who must be the classiest midfielder in this division...Up-front Glenn Murray who has always shown touches of quality but is now doing it on a consistent basis. Poyet has playing in his "Brighton style" and never change it whoever we are playing and it is left to the opposition to try and stop us and combat the way we play...This has lead to plenty of teams "parking the bus" even when they are at home!

 

As for the arguement of what players would get into our respective teams, it is a hard one to call because I do not know enough about Saints. I guess with all the reports and valuation of Chamberlain he must be quality so would probably get into our side...With your fire-power upfront normally I would suggest your strikers could get in but recently they have been scoring for fun so I am not so sure. When you beat Oldham 6-0 that wiped out our goal difference advantage we had over yourselves but now look at it!...We have also scored 4 in our last 3 games.

 

We have always been a decent sized club and have only fleetingly realised any sort of potential but now all that is about to change. The club is almost re-growing both on and off the pitch and yes, whilst you are currently still a bigger club than us given time and all things being equal there will not be much difference between us for the long-term. One thing we can safely say though is that we will both be bigger than Portsmouth.

 

With regards to 'expectations' no one expected us to be where we are at the start of the season but after seeing us click into gear during the early part of September it is easy to see why we are in first position...We hit top spot on the 25th September and have not been removed since. We have even had a pretty big wobble where we were pretty average during November and December but we have come through that and are where we are. Now whilst promotion has to be the aim I see anything other than winning the league as a disappointment as from what I have seen we are quite simply the best team.

 

There is still a fair way to go and you never know we might blow-up and have a nose dive...I do expect us to slip up occasionally in the remaining games but so long as we just concentrate on ourselves and hold it together and keep playing the 'Brighton style' we will be fine. We play the best football in this division and quite rightly sit on top of the pile.

[Minty]

There are many differences between Southampton and Brighton and making direct comparisons is, IMO, completely pointless. There are so many variables in football, every scenario is different. We've seen that with managers who do well at one club but not another, players who play well at one but not another, clubs who follow up good seasons with bad, yet with few changes to staff...

 

We simply need to concern ourselves with what we have, and what we need to do.

 

The only thing I would say is that Poyet has been at Brighton roughly a year longer than Adkins has been here. Brighton finished 13th last season and he probably learnt what he needed to do during that period, to set things up for this season. He has done a brilliant job and I think Seagull's post above about the specifics of their side is spot on. There are too many variables to compare us with them, and like it or not, spending money guarantees nothing.

 

We're not as consistent as I would like us to be, but I believe we're doing fine and still have things in our own hands. In a years time, I will expect Adkins to have moulded the team much more and for us to be performing more consistently, but he hasn't had that time yet and I think has done a good job in the time he has been here. I'll save full judgement for the end of the season because a lot can happen between now and then.

[benjii]

That's ONE game, and there was only one team going to win it once we approached the last 20 mins at 0-0, and then we missed a penalty ourselves.

 

It does make me chuckle when players of supposed bigger clubs puff their chests out and put on a show for a one off game against the league leaders as if to say "look at us, ignore the league table, we're the best team in this division, not little Brighton". And their fans seem to lap it up.

 

Great. You could have beaten us in that game when we were a bit average by our standards - big deal. Now look at the league table and you'll see what everyone else sees. And perhaps you should expect that level of performance EVERY game rather than just against the league leaders and undisputed best team in the division!

 

I didn't say any of that, just pointed out that you weren't very impressive at all when you played us.

 

And I am fully aware that you are top and are doing well. Good for you. I hope Brighton, Saints and Bournemouth get promoted.

 

And by the way "supposed bigger club" - don't make yourself look silly.

[NickG]

Ok, being an Albion fan I thought I would wade into this thread. I am not sure what the difference between the 2 teams are but we are clearly head and shoulders above any other team in this division. The style we play is phenomenal as we mix a slow build-up with incisive passing football which is an absolute joy to watch...The way we just cut teams to ribbons is something else. The football we play is probably the best the bottom 2 divisions have ever seen and will likely to see for a while...

 

Poyet has developed an awesome blend where we have excellent individuals plus everyone works well in the team unit and the spirit is excellent. The spine of the team is key and you can see why we bullied Swindon into them selling us Gordon Greer as he can not only defend but is the best ball-playing centre-back I have seen....Liam Bridcutt appears to be a great find and has been brilliant in the holding midfield role...Then there is Gary Dicker who must be the classiest midfielder in this division...Up-front Glenn Murray who has always shown touches of quality but is now doing it on a consistent basis. Poyet has playing in his "Brighton style" and never change it whoever we are playing and it is left to the opposition to try and stop us and combat the way we play...This has lead to plenty of teams "parking the bus" even when they are at home!

 

As for the arguement of what players would get into our respective teams, it is a hard one to call because I do not know enough about Saints. I guess with all the reports and valuation of Chamberlain he must be quality so would probably get into our side...With your fire-power upfront normally I would suggest your strikers could get in but recently they have been scoring for fun so I am not so sure. When you beat Oldham 6-0 that wiped out our goal difference advantage we had over yourselves but now look at it!...We have also scored 4 in our last 3 games.

 

We have always been a decent sized club and have only fleetingly realised any sort of potential but now all that is about to change. The club is almost re-growing both on and off the pitch and yes, whilst you are currently still a bigger club than us given time and all things being equal there will not be much difference between us for the long-term. One thing we can safely say though is that we will both be bigger than Portsmouth.

 

With regards to 'expectations' no one expected us to be where we are at the start of the season but after seeing us click into gear during the early part of September it is easy to see why we are in first position...We hit top spot on the 25th September and have not been removed since. We have even had a pretty big wobble where we were pretty average during November and December but we have come through that and are where we are. Now whilst promotion has to be the aim I see anything other than winning the league as a disappointment as from what I have seen we are quite simply the best team.

 

There is still a fair way to go and you never know we might blow-up and have a nose dive...I do expect us to slip up occasionally in the remaining games but so long as we just concentrate on ourselves and hold it together and keep playing the 'Brighton style' we will be fine. We play the best football in this division and quite rightly sit on top of the pile.

 

there speaks a unbiased fan!

[um pahars]

One thing we can safely say though is that we will both be bigger than Portsmouth.

 

Have to take exception to this part of your post (liked the rest though).

 

As much as I don't like Portsmuff, I have to say in my pecking order you are comfortably third in that race. Of course it's all subjective and influenced by a multitude of things (not least to say there aren't any agreed checklists by which club size is assessed), but whilst I would accept there isn't much between us and Portsmuff, you guys are safely down in third spot (with Bournemuff comfortably in fourth).

 

Not saying that's how things will stay, after all Portsmuff seem to be treading water, if not going backwards, whilst you're on the up (after suffering a number of years in the back waters).

 

Portsmuff have got far more ooomph behind them than you guys at the moment for you to be claiming second spot above them.

[Seagull]

Based on what I've seen of Brighton (which is limited to our game and a few I've watched on the Championship), I'd rather have Southampton's manager and style of play. Brighton are very effective but play to frustrate - that coupled by often encouraging the referee to card players (something I think is despicable).

 

It's Poyet's Latin American style where 'piola' - acts of cunning and minor offences to get advantage are often applauded (the hand of god is a great example).

 

However, no doubt it works - although in return fixtures it will be interesting to see if teams find a way to combat it - and they deserve to be where they are, but it's not the style of football that I like.

 

Our style is very different to anything I've ever seen before so it's no suprise opposition fans don't get it. I think for most Albion fans it's actually been an education in football. We don't play to frustrate but we play very controlling football and dictate the tempo of the game. Rather than chucking players forward and trying to attack in the traditional style we make the pitch big and we pass it about at the back to draw teams onto us. It's a bit like a chess game really, as soon as the opposition make one false move, 3/4 passes and we're in.

 

You are a much smaller club who I personally see as one who it not on a long term revival. Its all about Poyet.

 

He will leave and you will be a lower CCC / top league 1 side again - IMHO.

 

You may be right only time will tell. From our perspective though, since we almost got back into the top flight in 91, we've been on a downward spiral as the mid-90's turned into a nightmare with the crooked directors and the sale of the Goldstone. We haven't had the means to push forward ever since.

 

Now we're moving into a brand new ground, we're building a brand new top class academy/training ground. We're laying all of the foundations behind the scenes with excellent set-ups behind the scenes and terms of the medical dept, the analysits, the youth and so on.

 

So when Poyet does go, it'll be an easier job for the new man as he'll have a great set up behind him. Poyet is doing a great job but it's not all about him. Its all about Bloom.

[BHA]

You Might have bigger fan base but that does not breed success.

So We have a smaller fan base but we are breeding success..............

[Seagull]

Please don't let this turn into a club size ***** fest. It's been a fairly decent thread so far. Club size discussions are really, really boring.

[Thimble]

Have to take exception to this part of your post (liked the rest though).

 

As much as I don't like Portsmuff, I have to say in my pecking order you are comfortably third in that race. Of course it's all subjective and influenced by a multitude of things (not least to say there aren't any agreed checklists by which club size is assessed), but whilst I would accept there isn't much between us and Portsmuff, you guys are safely down in third spot (with Bournemuff comfortably in fourth).

 

Not saying that's how things will stay, after all Portsmuff seem to be treading water, if not going backwards, whilst you're on the up (after suffering a number of years in the back waters).

 

Portsmuff have got far more ooomph behind them than you guys at the moment for you to be claiming second spot above them.

 

You might want to read my post again...I never said we were second, I readily admit that we are in third place as it currently stands. What I did say is that we will be bigger than Portsmouth and in that I mean I expect us to get there in a more long-term. What I do find interesting is your views on Saints and Pompey's size as I see Saints as being bigger even now. From what I have heard and understand Portsmouth's fanbase comes mainly from the city itself and some of the immediate surrounding area with a few extra pockets here and there...Whereas Southampton seem to draw your support from pretty much the rest of Hampshire. Now, obviously you guys are going to know your Hants geography better than me so am willing to be corrected!

 

there speaks a unbiased fan!

 

We are all football fans so we are supposed to be biased...But that said, the Albion have spent the best part of the past 20 years stuck in the bottom 2 divisions and I have never seen any team play as good as football what we do at this present time...

[Minty]

Please don't let this turn into a club size ***** fest. It's been a fairly decent thread so far. Club size discussions are really, really boring.

 

Amen to that. Club size doesn't win matches or titles or cups, and it's entirely subjective too, (unless someone surverys the whole country...!)

 

Can I just say how nice it is to see a decent thread with input from another club that hasn't degraded into petty squabbles.

[benjii]

You might want to read my post again...I never said we were second, I readily admit that we are in third place as it currently stands. What I did say is that we will be bigger than Portsmouth and in that I mean I expect us to get there in a more long-term. What I do find interesting is your views on Saints and Pompey's size as I see Saints as being bigger even now. From what I have heard and understand Portsmouth's fanbase comes mainly from the city itself and some of the immediate surrounding area with a few extra pockets here and there...Whereas Southampton seem to draw your support from pretty much the rest of Hampshire. Now, obviously you guys are going to know your Hants geography better than me so am willing to be corrected!

 

 

 

We are all football fans so we are supposed to be biased...But that said, the Albion have spent the best part of the past 20 years stuck in the bottom 2 divisions and I have never seen any team play as good as football what we do at this present time...

 

I agree with your first paragraph. In the modern era, PFC's "size" is towards the bottom of the second division and the club has absolutely no foundations to speak of.

 

What is interesting is the way there are a lot of big clubs out of the top flight in recent years. This seems to be correcting itself slightly with Forest, Leeds and Norwich on an upward trajectory. The Prem would be so much better with them, Saints, Wednesday, Derby in it.

[Cabrone]

For me, the main difference at the moment is mental toughness. I think we are a bit soft and don't really know how to consistently grind out results when we need to.

 

Brighton OTOH are picking up the results home and away.

 

I don't think we have been as good this season as I thought we would be at the end of last season and for me the biggest reason is Ricky Lambert's form.

 

I just haven't seen us going on a strong run the way we did last season.

 

That said, all it would take is a mini 3 game losing streak from Brighton and a 3 game winning streak from us and we'd be breathing down their necks with a game at their place to come.

[Tom28]

Look, this whole...'Poyet is better than Adkins' and 'we played better football under Pardew' is nonsense.

 

Poyet had half a season with Brighton and a full pre-season to get them playing the way he wanted. Last season, they weren't anything special at all. I think Poyet's league results were 14 wins, 11 draws, 16 defeats. But their turnaround this season shows you the benefit of time under a new manager and the benefit of a full pre-season.

 

Saints under Pardew weren't anything special for most of the season either. We were incredibly up and down during the early and mid parts of the season and really only hit our stride from the end of February onwards, winning 11 of our last 16 games with 2 draws and 3 defeats, starting with a 5-1 win against Walsall on 27th February. By the way, until that point we had 12 wins, 12 draws and 6 defeats - a total of 48 points from 30 games. We currently have 49 points from 29 games, with 45 of those points coming from Adkins' 24 games.

 

Lets compare Adkins with Pardew as we get towards the end of the season (although thats still unfair considering Adkins started during the season - Pardew was at least in the building before a ball was kicked in the 2009/10 season). And lets judge Adkins against Poyet next season (although again that will still be unfair because we'll be playing Championship football next year whereas Poyet has been in League 1 this season).

 

Great result last night against a good team that has beaten Brighton at home, Charlton at home, Peterborough at home, Huddersfield away, and Bournemouth away.

[saintsab1]

I think the big difference is expectation, Brighton are perennial inhabitants of this league and rock up to their games against teams who just see them as Brighton. We are seen as Billy Big Bo//ocks, lots of money, big shiney stadium, good players, we are the Manchester United (for want of a better analogy) of this league: the team to beat. When you look at the Bournemouth fans celebrations at Burton Albion when they were promoted last season all they could sing about was coming to SMS. Look at the Notts County fans after the 0-0 the other week, at the final whistle you would have thought that they had won. Every game we play in is viewed by the opposition as a cup tie against a premiership side, if not the final.

 

As for NA he is not a bad coach by any stretch of the imagination, when you look at what he did at Scunny on more than one occasion without the means both in finance and playing staff as he has here He just has to work out how to get the players to unlock these pumped up teams early on in a game.

 

 

spot on - look at the trouble leeds utd had getting promotion. It's most teams cup final when they play Saints that not the case for Brighton or Bournemouth.

[macca155]

A decent thread what a rarity!

There's no question that Brighton stand above Saints at the moment. They are playing with confidence and have a large enough squad to see them through injuries and suspensions. They play as a unit and Poyet is without doubt a good manager. I don't buy this nonsense about his tactics, niggly fouls, harrasing the ref etc we'ed love it if Saints did that to grind out a 1 - 0 win. Having said that Saints are a dangerous beast, they're not cooking on gas right now but Brighton would do well to keep an eye over their shoulder. Making up 10 points is a tall order but not impossible, particularly as one game involves both teams. All it will take is one weekend when Saints win and Brighton lose for the nerves to set in.

In reality I would imagine Saints are targetting 2nd place and I'm confident that Saints will cruise into position once these delayed games are played. There could be hiccups on the way but class will tell for both Brighton and Saints.

Frankly I think this season is a given for both teams as the opposition are too busy knocking lumps out of each other to put up a decent challenge. Next year will be very different. Saints will have a settled squad boosted by some quality signings (hopefully), a bigger crowd and the confidence that comes from a successful campaign. Leeds and Norwich have shown the way this year and I suspect both Saints and Brighton will follow suit.

We'll also both have a chance to beat Portsmouth again and again and again.

Let's just enjoy the ride

[fire&skill]

However, no doubt it works - although in return fixtures it will be interesting to see if teams find a way to combat it - and they deserve to be where they are, but it's not the style of football that I like.

 

Yep - a passing, 'total football' style with a goal difference of +12 has been a nightmare to watch this season.

[Deppo]

Only 30% of Southampton fans are homosexual.

[scotty]

Only 30% of Southampton fans are homosexual.

 

straight from the horses mouth.

[Whitey Grandad]

One could say, The difference between Southampton and Brighton is that we drew at Hartlepool and they lost....

[Papa Shango]

Better manager IMO, still haven't been convinced by Adkins. We played better football in general under pardew.

 

Absolute rubbish. They are about the same. Remember Wycombe away last season? Tranmere? Exeter? Brentford? Millwall? Gillingham? Swindon home and away? Huddersfield away? Oldham at home? Every game expect Bristol Rovers this season? There were plenty of times under Pardew where we were absolutely gash, just as there has been for Adkins. We played some great stuff under Pardew at times, especially against Huddersfield, Walsall, Bristol Rovers etc, but have done exactly the same this season under Adkins at Oldham and against Huddersfield and Exeter. We are at about the same level we were last season, no better no worse.