I cant believe Im going to write this but I totally agree with Willo on this one.

Lets give it a chance but not too long a chance.

0-3 - and now bottom of league is not the start we all wanted - especially on first home game.

I don't wish to talk in terms of "Crisis" after just one match, but my fears were realised yesterday.If we are struggling after 4 or 5 games with no points on the board, this will be a real cause for concern given the change in system from what in the end proved successful for Allardyce.

"Growing pains" but it stands to reason that one cannot allow a 'Worry' to descend into a 'Crisis'.Early days and transition can take time, however in the competitive PL one doesn't have a great deal of time before one can get detached from the pack.One game - we are not in this parlous position yet.

Edited by Willo (13 Aug 2017 1.26pm)

I honestly and sincerely want you to be, but that unpleasant sinking feeling that you get when you can already see the writing on the wall, no matter how early in the proceedings, just won't go away. The sheer arrogance of that interview in the CA, that was so reminiscent of Pardew in 2016, didn't help.

Bexley Dave

Can you hear the Brighton sing? I can't hear a ******* thing!

"The most arrogant, obnoxious bunch of deluded little sun tanned, loafer wearing mummy's boys I've ever had the misfortune of having to listen to" (Burnley forum)

As a minimum, I expected that FdB would have a Plan A and a Plan B, dependent on the opposition and how the game was going. When he talked about 4-3-3 at the outset, I (wrongly) assumed that we'd switch to that for the 'tough' games and where we were clearly taking a hammering, as we were in the first half on Saturday.

If he'd said, after the game, "I can see that we need to go back to basics here and roll out the new system at a more measured pace", I'd have been fine with that. You tried it, it didn't work out, you've learnt from it, now let's steady the ship. But to say we're ploughing on regardless, away to Liverpool, when it didn't work in (what should have been) the easiest win of the season, just sounds mental.

As worrying was his failure to accept any of the responsibility and to blame it on the players failing to do what they were told. No Frank, they either can't do what your asking or don't understand what you want. Either way Frank, unless you can persuade the owners to spend big on the sort of players you really need (unlikely) you're going to have to play a system that works with what we have.

Bexley Dave

Can you hear the Brighton sing? I can't hear a ******* thing!

"The most arrogant, obnoxious bunch of deluded little sun tanned, loafer wearing mummy's boys I've ever had the misfortune of having to listen to" (Burnley forum)

I can see the logic in looking to evolve to a more possession based strategy. If my figures are correct, over the last 4 seasons and 1 game, we've lost 40 of our 77 home games, often against teams in the bottom half of the table. What has helped us avoid relegation (too close for comfort in the last two seasons) and see us into our record 5th consecutive Prem season has been our away form.

On those stats I suppose it can be argued that conceding posession, defending deep and relying on breakaways has been successful. However, how sustainable is that as a long-term strategy?

Thrown into the mix a tactical switch to 3-4-3 and the players are being asked to grapple with a lot of change over a short period of time (4/5 weeks pre-season and 4 friendlies) and now implement it in the red hot crucible of a New Prem season.

There are also some critical squad changes and strengthening that need to happen by the end of the transfer window e.g. 3rd goalkeeper, striker support and right wing backs.

To implement these changes in strategy, tactics and personnel over a short period of time is a huge challenge, as Saturday's result certainly proved.

FdB's appointment took a long time and we were told a lot of due diligence was undertaken so Steve Parish obviously thinks he is the right man for the job.

As fans, there's little more we can do than cheer the team when they play and keep our fingers crossed that things work out. It looks like it's going to be a nerve-wracking few weeks while we watch and see how things go. I hope, obviously, that we start to see some obvious and immediate signs of improvement against Liverpool and Swansea, but I also have to accept that positive progress may take longer.

If that turns out to be the case, I just hope that FdB and his team have some pragmatic options and alternatives in mind.

No please. No!