Anyone back yet? What went wrong?

[Tim Over Whelmed]

Wednesday bullied and harried us like very few teams have done this season. Would not like to meet them in the playoffs.

100% agree, we must learn how to break teams down and create chances. From the off, virtually, they just parked the bus, they needed a point out of this and they worked so hard for it. We didn't have an answer to the space being closed down, I thought we'd have played more expansively, stretched them and tried to wear them down, but we didn't.

Good team performance by them and we didn't seem to want it as much as they did, every credit to them.

 

[Bold Seagull]

Wednesday bullied and harried us like very few teams have done this season. Would not like to meet them in the playoffs.

They got out wide quickly too. Some sides stay narrow and do allow as a bit of space down the flanks even when defending in numbers, but Wednesday defended with width, and it gave us little opportunity to get in behind them as we've done in previous games. One player I thought may have made a difference was Bong. Rosenior doesn't cross first time with his left, preferring to get it back on his right, so each time he did get space on the overlap, he wasn't whipping a first time ball in. We just didn't really ever turn them around.

 

[One Teddy Maybank]

Why were the Subs poor? No ball winners and service to them

Zamora offside twice within 5 mins of coming on. Basically lazy not looking along the line. Add to that pointless fouls.

Wilson no impact, but didn't look likely to do anything movement wise. Though to be fair, out of the 3 he had least time.

KLL. Fell over the first three times he got the ball and then proceeded to do nothing with it, when he had the chance to, though again to be fair they doubled up on him.

All in all it was incredibly poor by the vast majority of the team.

 

[One Teddy Maybank]

They got out wide quickly too. Some sides stay narrow and do allow as a bit of space down the flanks even when defending in numbers, but Wednesday defended with width, and it gave us little opportunity to get in behind them as we've done in previous games. One player I thought may have made a difference was Bong. Rosenior doesn't cross first time with his left, preferring to get it back on his right, so each time he did get space on the overlap, he wasn't whipping a first time ball in. We just didn't really ever turn them around.

Good points well made, but if they close is down in wide positions early, then Stephens/Sidwell/Baldock/Hemed should be busting a gut, trying to run in the space between the FBs and CB.

None of this happened and because we were also slow in releasing and general build-up, we ended up going sideways.

 

[Prince Monolulu]

Never one to count my chickens, the play-off lottery looks most likely and a good achievement it would be. On our day we could beat anyone, or be frustrated via an average performance like last night.
After last season I am excited about the possibility of the extra games thrills and spills.
It shall be fun!

 

[rippleman]

Why even stick him on the bench if he's injured? Hughton got it wrong for me.

This.

CH maybe had his "Gus moment" last night. Baffling selection to drop Kayal (who was clearly fit enough to play or he would not have been on the bench), tactically inept and no determination or passion.

CH dropped Kayal against Cardiff and we know what happened there. And had SWFC had any quality in their side, and but for another worldie from Stockdale, we would have got done again.

Kayal is a top quality player and we are extremely lucky to have him. He makes us tick. He drives us forward. Sidwell is not in the same class as he demonstrated last night.

You can forgive CH for the mistake he made at Cardiff. We all make mistakes. The art is not making exactly the same mistake twice. Last night CH did. And if he can't learn from his mistakes that is very worrying indeed.

 

[Bold Seagull]

Good points well made, but if they close is down in wide positions early, then Stephens/Sidwell/Baldock/Hemed should be busting a gut, trying to run in the space between the FBs and CB.

None of this happened and because we were also slow in releasing and general build-up, we ended up going sideways.

Yep, agree, that was one of those games where you have to take the risks with some crisp incisive one touch passing and movement. That said, you've got to be in great form to do that and once the first few passes started going astray in the first half, I could see us becoming more careful with the ball. One of those games you had to start well in to get some momentum going, and we just didn't.

 

[Steve in Japan]

I do understand the POV that says "get used to it, we're Brighton, we're always going to be inconsistent". But I don't think you should aspire to that and am certain Hughton doesn't. No doubt that last night was poor and worse than that - it was boring. With the squad we have we ought to be able to do better. Now to the next game and hoping for a reaction.

 

[boik]

Kayal is obviously our key player, but to everyone shouting for him to be playing - I presume you wouldn't be happy if he exacerbated his injury and missed the last 5-6 matches and possibly play-offs?

It's a bugger to miss him anywhen, but he has to be rested somewhen by the sound of it and 2 games in under 4 days is probably too much of a gamble.

 

[TheDuke]

Substitutions were a horrendous mistake. We were just getting on top and the changes disrupted the pattern.

Murphy created a chance in the first half and Bruno made a very good run into the opposing penalty area. Stockdale, Bruno, Goldson and Murphy all played well against a good defence where Loovens was outstanding (he was the last time we played Wednesday at the Amex).

The problem is our second striker, Baldock on this occasion. This is a rather important position and Baldock is rather ordinary. It is arguable whether we need two wingers against the better teams. We can only play on one wing at a time and on the opposite side an overlapping full back can work. The opposite winger to the play becomes redundant for large periods of the game.

Lualua was a disaster as he played too deep. Wednesday could see Knockaert coming and could deal with him, send him into cu de sacs cause he is predominately left footed. Knockaert lost the ball as much as Teixeira did, at least five times.

I think CH wanted Murphy go on the right hand side when Lualua came on, but he didn't.

As we are not going to be able to buy a second striker what player have we got that fits best in this role? Another day.

One very succcesful game was had by Goldson. His position as covering (mostly) central defender has now been filled. I thought Greer had pooped his clogs from the beginning of the season and at least now we have a more than adequate partner for Dunk.

At least we've got a week to sort out what we are going to against the better sides in attack.

I thought we had to win six of the seven home games (and beat Burnley), so that is one down, the next five to win.

PS:

1) the role of the second striker is to run around a lot (counts out Zamora) create assists and score goals. Baldock does neither.
2) if we played just one winger, we could push a midfielder forward to join the attack instead. (He would even be allowed to go wide and cross and shoot like Judge for Brentford.)

I really don't see how you reckoned we were getting on top when our subs came on. I thought they were really pushing and looked much more likely to score than us

 

[Bold Seagull]

This.

CH maybe had his "Gus moment" last night. Baffling selection to drop Kayal (who was clearly fit enough to play or he would not have been on the bench), tactically inept and no determination or passion.

CH dropped Kayal against Cardiff and we know what happened there. And had SWFC had any quality in their side, and but for another worldie from Stockdale, we would have got done again.

Kayal is a top quality player and we are extremely lucky to have him. He makes us tick. He drives us forward. Sidwell is not in the same class as he demonstrated last night.

You can forgive CH for the mistake he made at Cardiff. We all make mistakes. The art is not making exactly the same mistake twice. Last night CH did. And if he can't learn from his mistakes that is very worrying indeed.

I'm not sure why he left out Kayal, maybe he said he was feeling 100% or that he had a niggle but was fine as cover on the bench, he's been carrying a knock or 2 recently. Hughton may well have had good reason for it other than just a tactical switch. Could have been one of the medical team suggesting 10 days rest would be ideal for Kayal. Think you're jumping to a big conclusion to simply say Hughton had a raring to go 100% fit Kayal and dropped him for tactical reasons only.

 

[Monsieur Le Plonk]

Last night Weds had two better midfielders on the night in Bannon and Hutchison who outplayed Stephens and Sidwell. Their two sat very deep but Bannon knew how to create opportunities and our two didn't.
We also had two wide players who didn't get wide enough and failed to create chances for the strikers.

My concern is that we are turning into a team who only knows how to score on the counter attack as has been proven over the last two games. We don't seem to be able to break a team down and I'm a little worried we have been sussed out.

Decent point though and not the end of our chances of automatic.

 

[DavidRyder]

I read up to page 2 of this thread but got fed up with the doom and gloom.

I couldn't make last night, but by all accounts it wasn't our best game of the season.

That said, it's a point.

It's a point that stopped a promotion rival getting 3 points.

Boro lost to a team at the bottom - no points.

Derby lost - no points.

Games to go - 10, points availale to us - 30

Yes, it's disappointing not having a game with chance after chance, goals galore, 3 home points in the bag.

But I for one am not going to let this result get me down. WE ARE 3RD!! Let's just take that fact in and be quite happy about it.

 

[Greg Bobkin]

It wasn't a great performance, but I'm at a loss at the level of negativity around here. We got a point; we didn't lose. If the game had been an amazing 3-3 draw, with us grabbing a late equaliser, we would have got the same amount of points as we DID get last night. We played not very well and STILL got a point - we could quite easily have got nothing, and THEN how would people react?

The game last night came off the back of two 4-0 wins and a decent point away from home. Teams have off-days (as Cardiff shows) - that doesn't mean that are shite all of a sudden. All this guff about the season being over, and us 'throwing it away' - you know that, do you? This league, as so many people like to point out, is apparently the most competitive league in the world. Whether you believe that or not, if anyone thought Wednesday were going to roll over and have their bellies tickled, they are deluded. I firmly believe that anyone can beat anyone in this division, and last time I checked we were the third best team IN said division. I doubt ANYONE would have thought that would be possible after last season, so why the knee-jerk reactions and doom and gloom?

I sat in a different seat last night, and two goons behind me summed up all that is wrong with some football fans. Moaning the entire game, but the best/worst comment was about 'aimlessly kicking the ball'. That ball was actually a pass from one of the midfield (Stephens, maybe) that got to Bobby. How is that aimless? It HIT THE TARGET!!! I lost count of the number of contradictions, or things that were uttered that were just plain wrong. Why do people come out with such BS?

Ah well, at least it will all be forgotten soon – win against Reading, and the same people that have written the team off last night/this morning will probably be preparing the automatic promotion party for the end of the season

 

[Deleted member 2719]

Kayal is obviously our key player, but to everyone shouting for him to be playing - I presume you wouldn't be happy if he exacerbated his injury and missed the last 5-6 matches and possibly play-offs?

It's a bugger to miss him anywhen, but he has to be rested somewhen by the sound of it and 2 games in under 4 days is probably too much of a gamble.

What injury? CH said he was just resting him.

 

[sams dad]

I thought the main reason that we didn't play well is that Wednesday were very well organised and kept doubling up on our wingers which stifled our creativity. We may have had more joy through the middle but without Kayal we were lacking the creative spark.

All in all it was two very well organised teams that ultimately cancelled each other out which does happen sometimes.

That sums it up perfectly.

 

[Tim Over Whelmed]

All this talk about Ch making a mistake slightly baffles me. Yes, I want Kayal to play every game but realise this isn't possible. Maybe CH foresaw that SWFC were going to bring down the bus, park it in the box and saw it as an opportunity to rest him, would it have been better to rest him against Preston who attacked us?

Not every player can go a whole season and play every game, especially not someone so combative.

Chill, 1 pt, 3rd and play-offs nailed on with, possibly, the auto place still feasible.

 

[Megazone]

Well, at least we've moved up from 4th to 3rd.

It could have been worse.

 

[swindonseagull]

There are some manic depressives on this thread.....Bring out the Lou Reed cd's

FFS 10 games to go and everyone seems to be getting beaten. Wait until Burnley have their turn to lose.

If you cant get behind the team then why bother at all?

PS home at 1;15 due to M25 lane closures and I am still positive.

 

[Marshy]

All this talk about Ch making a mistake slightly baffles me. Yes, I want Kayal to play every game but realise this isn't possible. Maybe CH foresaw that SWFC were going to bring down the bus, park it in the box and saw it as an opportunity to rest him, would it have been better to rest him against Preston who attacked us?

Not every player can go a whole season and play every game, especially not someone so combative.

Chill, 1 pt, 3rd and play-offs nailed on with, possibly, the auto place still feasible.

Not convinced yet playoffs are nailed on... but i like your positivity....