That's true, I just mean on the pitch. Obviously off it they're dodgy like all football clubs in the elite leagues.
Yeah data can work. I have always said that stats have their place - but they need to be used in an intelligent way. Most fans use stats in completely the wrong way. Whereas clubs like Brighton know how to use them effectively and contextualise them. That's why it has helped them become more successful.
Those clubs will never be at the top of the English game like Liverpool, Man City and Chelsea are. Their ceiling is more Europa League. But that is very interesting to watch and I get a lot of satisfaction out of watching smaller clubs who don't win anything but upset the big boys. As
@Birdy said in another thread (somewhat confrontationally), the smaller, non-elite clubs are a huge part of football, in fact they comprise the majority of clubs. Without them there is no game and it's good to watch them do well when some of them do.
People who think the likes of Brighton and Palace are non-entities who should just exist to feed Liverpool and Arsenal etc aren't in football for the right reasons, imo. It's not just about winning bit trophies - Brighton and Brentford don't win anything but their fans will be loving the journey they are on and where they have come from.