Brighton and Hove Albion PL (H) | Post Match Thread

[deegee33]

Apparently we haven’t had one for 18 months and it shows. Another baffling decision from the club.

I hear Doris the tea lady from united is available. Give her a track suit and have her at tomorrow's training. Can't be any less effective than the present office holder. :>)

 

[ChicagoBlue]

Sadly predictable, and not just losing TWO leads, at home, in a big game!

We have the supposed best natural striker in the world, yet don’t seem to be able to get the ball to him in places where world class strikers made their name as world class!!

We are slow and ponderous. EVERY City fan knows where the next pass is going, and where the press is going to breakdown. And, if we can see it, then teams that hire a team of £100,000 video analysts surely know it!

This season has been poor by City & Pep standards. Sure, we have had injuries out the wazoo, but beyond that, Pep’s approach to the season has perplexed even the most ardent Pep fan…of which I count myself one.

He needs a rethink and the squad needs a definite shift towards a quicker transition and a stronger presence all over the field.

If we don’t get into the Champions League next season, we will sincerely regret it for years to come. Lack of CL and losing the 115 fight and it will be disastrous!

Will he be a MANC then???

 

[Crooked_rain]

It may seem odd but when we decided to go down the winger route we might have been better sighing Jared Bowen.
He can score goals , track back and is a solid pro. Not the most exciting but he sure does a job

Not a bad shout.

I wanted us to go in for Mitoma a couple of years back.

Like Bowen, a direct winger with pace and goal threat, seems like we don't pick wingers with both attributes these days.

 

[ballbag]

We've been so far off the performances and effort of recent seasons and there's a fair few contributing factors for that. Everyone's already mentioned them and I can't be arsed repeating them (for my own sanity more than anything else).

Thought Brighton were unlucky not to win it. I've been so impressed with them over the last few seasons, though. And other teams like Bournemouth. Fair fucks to them.

 

[BillyShears]

A little bit like Forest. You can see shades of the old City, and also the frailties of this season and the squad. We were lucky in the second half as the game got a little too stretched. This season has really reinforced that particularly in the premier league, your midfield make up will dictate how well you do or don't do. The top half of the Premier League is littered with big, fast, technical midfielders who can run games.

 

[StillBluessinceHydeRoad]

Unfortunately one of the shades of the old City that seems to have gone is our defensive discipline and organisation, especially at set pieces. Both Brighton goals were the result of sloppy defending. Ortega hardly reacted for the first and seemed to believe he could watch it go wide: for the second half (at least) the team seemed to come out to play offside (then tried too late to go back in) while Khusanov did not come out and played their forwards onside, bfore deflecting the ball in. This might be the result of the short time Khusanov has been here and he is certainly a very talented lad but it is just one example of the kind of frailties besetting us this season. Much more serious in my eyes is our poor defence of wide areas. Not only is Doku's and Savinho's finishing and final ball very poor indeed but they are mor often than not completely absent defensively. And Saturday was a kind of Jekyll and Hide performance: feeble signs of the superb City of last season and seasons before mixed with signs of an exhausted, expiring team that can no longer sprinkle games with Pep magic.

 

[Johnny Mars Bar]

Unfortunately one of the shades of the old City that seems to have gone is our defensive discipline and organisation, especially at set pieces. Both Brighton goals were the result of sloppy defending. Ortega hardly reacted for the first and seemed to believe he could watch it go wide: for the second half (at least) the team seemed to come out to play offside (then tried too late to go back in) while Khusanov did not come out and played their forwards onside, bfore deflecting the ball in. This might be the result of the short time Khusanov has been here and he is certainly a very talented lad but it is just one example of the kind of frailties besetting us this season. Much more serious in my eyes is our poor defence of wide areas. Not only is Doku's and Savinho's finishing and final ball very poor indeed but they are mor often than not completely absent defensively. And Saturday was a kind of Jekyll and Hide performance: feeble signs of the superb City of last season and seasons before mixed with signs of an exhausted, expiring team that can no longer sprinkle games with Pep magic.

Apart from our keepers who’ve both checked out, and our defence, and our midfield, and our attackers and wingers, we’re not too bad.

 

[carlosthejackal]

We've been so far off the performances and effort of recent seasons and there's a fair few contributing factors for that. Everyone's already mentioned them and I can't be arsed repeating them (for my own sanity more than anything else).

Thought Brighton were unlucky not to win it. I've been so impressed with them over the last few seasons, though. And other teams like Bournemouth. Fair fucks to them.

Makes you wonder what our scouting network are doing when the two clubs you mention seem to uncover young energetic techical players so easily.

 

[elbearos]

To be fair , the first Brighton goal was never a free kick, the second was going wide

 

[StillBluessinceHydeRoad]

Apart from our keepers who’ve both checked out, and our defence, and our midfield, and our attackers and wingers, we’re not too bad.

Yes, the physio had a reasonable game.

 

[Roachy]

Yes, the physio had a reasonable game.

Ball boys showed some great touches over the 90 mins as well.

 

[coolcity]

Nonsense. That was the case for years but nowadays any half decent side are having a go. Plenty of times yesterday a break was on but we just slow the game down and give them a chance to regroup. Coupled with players who haven't the ability or confidence to play a through ball when haaland breaks (ala Doku yesterday). There's far too much wrong for it to be bad luck, injuries, refereeing decisions.
Mind boggling how poorly coached we look this season.

We can't have gone from a team that has won 6 titles in 7 seasons to a team that has been "badly coached" by the same group of coaches. What exactly do you think has changed? You simply cannot expect the same results when the team has been decimated with injuries even before a ball was kicked, Bobb being the first "victim". It's not just the players out, it has a knock on effect with players not being ready for 90 minutes every week (they wouldn't be second or third choice if they were, constantly having to change the team play players who are not fully fit or need resting themselves and expect the same results as in previous seasons.

If you look at the "Goals For" column, only Liverpool have scored more so clearly the biggest issue is we're conceding too many, and it's no coincidence that the key problems have been midfield back to defence. Everything else plays are part of course, you're bound to have things not go your way in a certain number of matches no matter what but the defensive issues are the key. I bet we have been able to play the same back four more than once or twice.

 

[coolcity]

Typical this-season City.

Pretty good play - missing some sitters for whatever reason - undone by inexplicable gaffs.

This late in the season, the table does not lie. We're - IMO - actually much better off than our ability due to a run of luck in our opening fixtures.

Still, we improved a lot in the Winter window. And our run-in is very favorable.

I think we'll finish top 4 - but I wouldn't be overly surprised if we fail to qualify for the C/L (likely 6th or worse).

I think we'll finish top 4, only disappointment is not finishing above /arsenal despite having the chance to get closer to them, but it is what it is. As you say, decent run in and I think that will save us.

 

[East Level 2]

Apart from our keepers who’ve both checked out, and our defence, and our midfield, and our attackers and wingers, we’re not too bad.

But, but, but four in a row means we can never criticise anybody or anything connected to the team for the next five/six/seven (delete as applicable) years.

 

[robbieh]

But, but, but four in a row means we can never criticise anybody or anything connected to the team for the next five/six/seven (delete as applicable) years.

It seems to be that all the players are fair game. They're crap, too old, made of glass, drunk, brain dead. And yet the conductor of the orchestra gets a free pass.
OK he's got plenty of credit in the bank but so have most of the players.

 

[East Level 2]

It seems to be that all the players are fair game. They're crap, too old, made of glass, drunk, brain dead. And yet the conductor of the orchestra gets a free pass.
OK he's got plenty of credit in the bank but so have most of the players.

The players getting stick either only played a small part in our recent successes or are now too old to play as often as they are asked to.

 

[cheddar404]

The main thing I noticed is that we don't have a clear identity anymore. We look like a team that knows it needs to change but not which direction. These things don't happen overnight though so hopefully big improvements next season.

 

[noseve]

Makes you wonder what our scouting network are doing when the two clubs you mention seem to uncover young energetic techical players so easily.

I shouldn't be surprised if we're making tentative enquiries about players all the time, but when the other team learns that it's City calling, the price hikes to unreasonable levels and it's all ditched before anybody on here even hears about it?

 

[Ken92]

We can't have gone from a team that has won 6 titles in 7 seasons to a team that has been "badly coached" by the same group of coaches. What exactly do you think has changed? You simply cannot expect the same results when the team has been decimated with injuries even before a ball was kicked, Bobb being the first "victim". It's not just the players out, it has a knock on effect with players not being ready for 90 minutes every week (they wouldn't be second or third choice if they were, constantly having to change the team play players who are not fully fit or need resting themselves and expect the same results as in previous seasons.

If you look at the "Goals For" column, only Liverpool have scored more so clearly the biggest issue is we're conceding too many, and it's no coincidence that the key problems have been midfield back to defence. Everything else plays are part of course, you're bound to have things not go your way in a certain number of matches no matter what but the defensive issues are the key. I bet we have been able to play the same back four more than once or twice.

Its mind boggling for me how many unforced errors our players make in defence that lead to goals.It is just not 1 player ,every single one including goalkeepers are making huge errors.Something seems to be off.Also our pressing is poor, teams just pass through it so easily and are in position to attack us more than ever under Pep.We used to concede very rarely over 10 shots against us.Now every team in the league have atleast 10 if not 15 or more.

 

[big gaz]

If they played with the old midfield trio of Yaya, David silva and prime Kevin things probably would of been a whole lot different.

Now they are being blamed because of the awful tactics and the lack of midfield deployed by Pep.

Gareth Barry thinks you're a c**t ;-)