League Two 2008/09

[A Quiet Monkfish]

Brighton are top 6 now? That's great; they won't have to sell Mac Allister or Caicedo and will be able to establish themselves as one of the biggest clubs in the country like Leicester (5th in '21) and Southampton (6th in '16).

"Big 6" then? Granted, Newcastle might make it a Big 7 but they're not much of an advert for an open Premier league.

The irony of the PL today is that because there are so many billionaires who want to own a football club, even 'smaller' clubs can compete. And Brighton have the 4th biggest debt in the PL. Nowadays it's more a question of how rich or mega-rich the owners are.

[Bluebirdman Of Alcathays]

Yes, they are. The season’s over. Brighton finished in the top 6.

All clubs have to sell players, don’t they? Are there any exceptions?

I'd say it depends where you sit in the hierarchy. The only team I could see Haaland going to, for instance, is Real Madrid. The bigger clubs can choose to keep hold of their best players while the rest have to shrug and wish them well before looking for more.

[The Lone Gunman]

I'd say it depends where you sit in the hierarchy. The only team I could see Haaland going to, for instance, is Real Madrid. The bigger clubs can choose to keep hold of their best players while the rest have to shrug and wish them well before looking for more.

Of course. That’s the way football has worked ever since I began watching it in the mid-Seventies, although the players themselves have far more power and influence these days than they ever have.

[Bluebirdman Of Alcathays]

Of course. That’s the way football has worked ever since I began watching it in the mid-Seventies, although the players themselves have far more power and influence these days than they ever have.

Yeah but don't you think it's more acute these days? John Barnes was 6 years at Watford, Bryan Robson the same at West Brom before they were sold. Teams used to have time to build - Ipswich, QPR, Everton, now anyone half decent is snapped up from the youth team. Kante was a year at Leicester, won the league and promptly transferred to the team who finished 10th.

Do you think Brighton will be able to kick on and push for the top 4 next year? I hope I'm wrong but it's unlikely.

[The Lone Gunman]

Yeah but don't you think it's more acute these days? John Barnes was 6 years at Watford, Bryan Robson the same at West Brom before they were sold. Teams used to have time to build - Ipswich, QPR, Everton, now anyone half decent is snapped up from the youth team. Kante was a year at Leicester, won the league and promptly transferred to the team who finished 10th.

Do you think Brighton will be able to kick on and push for the top 4 next year? I hope I'm wrong but it's unlikely.

It may be more acute these days, but does that make a lot of difference to the natural order of the English pyramid?

I also believe it's unlikely that Brighton will reach the top four next season, but the fact is they've just had their best-ever season. Until recently, Albion had had just one prior spell in the top flight. Their finishes were as follows:

1979/80 - 16th
1980/81 - 19th
1981/82 - 13th
1982/83 - 22nd (relegated)

Their finishes since promotion to the Premier League in 2016/17 have been:

2017/18 - 15th
2018/19 - 17th
2019/20 - 15th
2020/21 - 16th
2021/22 - 9th
2022/23 - 6th

History would suggest Brighton are currently punching well above their weight. Considering they had never previously finished as highly as they have in the last two seasons, I'd say it's highly unlikely that they will continue to attain such high rankings.