Brighton & Hove Albion vs Middlesbrough *** Official Match Thread ***

[sir albion]

The bench is so poor and the injuries are really raking their toll on us.
Still we're barely halfway through the season with players to return and the Jan window

 

[larus]

Right, well we can now accept the streaks over and so is our run as one of the top two. Few questions from here.

1. How do we respond to our first defeat? Do we slump like everyone thinks we will or do we come back strong?

2. How much more money do we now need to offer in January to players, unless we get 9/9 from our next 3 after this we will be just as attractive as anyone else in the top 8, strengthening from strength is now no longer an option for TB, do we lose certain targets?

Either way, a defeat here is gonna be killer, and December has found us out, the injuries and the lack of teeth in front of goal against the top sides has hurt us so much, let's just try and keep the GD down now, because we'll be effectively 4 points behind come full time.

It's the defence IMO. We're conceding too many. 2 in each of the last 4 games (including today). 1 in each of the previous 3. 11 (so far) in 7 games. How many have come down the left I wonder since we lost both our left backs?

 

[CHAPPERS]

Leadbitter did well not to get sent off for that challenging leading with his arm IMO.

 

[portlander]

Team looks tired and bereft of ideas. Too many injuries to creative players. Boro very solid

 

[DJ NOBO]

Brighton have had a lot of the ball but not threatened once. Hemed anymous, Murphy ineffective, Wilson crowded out. La perra looks our best player but only 7/10. Defensively we've been outfoxed twice. Poor poor performance so far , but not helped by not having March

 

[RandyWanger]

No shorts on target in the first half.

 

[Don Quixote]

The injuries have hit us hard

 

[Eeyore]

Can't see a way back. Playing the tightest defence in the league here.

I'm not sure if 4-4-2 is helping against their defensive midfielders. 4-3-3 second half ?

But basically, they are better than us.

 

[portlander]

Defeat today would hardly be a disaster. Not much time to regroup though

 

[DarrenFreemansPerm]

They just look a lot better than us today. Injuries hitting us hard.

 

[Driver8]

Poor performance today. Too slow and nobody making any runs. I'd take Hemed and Murphy off as they have done sod all and put Bob and Elvis on.

 

[RM-Taylor]

So quiet at the Amex Library, Sky commentators said something like they couldn't understand why the fans aren't getting behind the team and trying to encourage them some more

 

[sjamesb3466]

Leadbitter did well not to get sent off for that challenging leading with his arm IMO.

I would be outraged if Kayal had been sent off for the same challenge. Yellow card fair IMO

 

[Lower West Stander]

Interested to see what CH does in the 2nd half. He's got to change things - we don't look remotely like scoring.

Pretty glum where I'm sitting in LWS

 

[Peteinblack]

I hope we never play at 12:30 again, too much time left to feel horrible today. (I also hope saying this will change the course of this afternoon).

OOoooh, you live in Ghent - Me and Mrs Peteinblack love the Raj restaurant, and the Het Waterhuis pub

 

[Mancgull]

It's the defence IMO. We're conceding too many. 2 in each of the last 4 games (including today). 1 in each of the previous 3. 11 (so far) in 7 games. How many have come down the left I wonder since we lost both our left backs?

I don't think many have down our left, but we look short of runners at present. We are missing Kaz, Baldock as an option and Bong's forward runs.

 

[fleet]

I suspect BZ sooner rather than later - but not sure who will come off, maybe a winger and have 3 up front?

 

[Grombleton]

We've looked better on the one or two occasions we've played first time passes to create space, but its few and far between. Not much movement up front either, or a lack of vision to spot the movement I'm not sure - giving Boro more than enough time to get their shape and stifle us. They know we like to play out wide and given RVLP little space and until he kicked the ball into his face, I wasn't aware Murphy was on the pitch.

A point would be a superb result after this, but it'll take one hell of a turnaround.

 

[CHAPPERS]

I would be outraged if Kayal had been sent off for the same challenge. Yellow card fair IMO

Yep, probably right. Looking through blue tinted glasses a bit. Not the best aerial challenge you'll ever see though was it!

 

[nordicgod]

What poor game so far, I think the players are thinking of the party in Barcelona instead, come on lads for the 2nd half