[Football] At the moment, Graham Potter is too good for Brighton. He needs better players.

[Lindfield by the Pond]

We can all see the striker problem. For reasons unbeknown, we can find central defenders by the dozen, but not strikers. Just need that striker and have done for 3/4 seasons now. I’m sure they can see it, but seem unable to address it. Hopefully we will sort it out this summer (if we are still PL)

 

[Dave Fishwick]

great article - thanks for posting

the problem certainly isn't Potter - which makes the discourse around him in the media sometimes so frustrating. It is really difficult to get a top level side like us to create multiple chances in the way we do.

 

[Hugo Rune]

Some shocking stats in that article.

I’m increasingly coming to the conclusion that we need a summer clear out of Maupay, Connolly, Welbeck and maybe Trossard. We can then try and find some natural finishers to replace them. It might cost us millions but I’d be willing to lose White and maybe Biss if it means we get someone capable of finishing big chances regularly like we had with Murray.

 

[brightonmark1234]

I am really sorry but I don't think we are unlucky we are just so wasteful infront of Goal it's embarrassing

 

[Cowfold Seagull]

You make your own luck.

 

[Swansman]

You make your own luck.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Just-world_hypothesis

 

[Icy Gull]

Some shocking stats in that article.

I’m increasingly coming to the conclusion that we need a summer clear out of Maupay, Connolly, Welbeck and maybe Trossard. We can then try and find some natural finishers to replace them. It might cost us millions but I’d be willing to lose White and maybe Biss if it means we get someone capable of finishing big chances regularly like we had with Murray.

Given our striker signings over the last few years binning ALL of those we do have currently could leave Potter agreeing to go with no recognised strikers at all as we bring in a raft of “ones for the future” with a PL quality one not even coming close to raising his pen and signing

 

[driller]

We can all see the striker problem. For reasons unbeknown, we can find central defenders by the dozen, but not strikers. Just need that striker and have done for 3/4 seasons now. I’m sure they can see it, but seem unable to address it. Hopefully we will sort it out this summer (if we are still PL)

More than three quarters of a season
More like three or four.

 

[Weststander]

It’s not luck, over 26 games:

Strikers and creative midfielders who have no composure in front of goal.

A key defensive error or two in most games, gifting killer blows. Bartley unmarked, CP snapping up two laughable (at elite level) errors down our wings.

Very much architects of our own league table predicament.

 

[Guinness Boy]

Apologies if shared elsewhere, I did a search for infogol and couldn't see it.

Still worth a read..

https://www.infogol.net/en/blog/analysis/premier-league-analysis-why-are-brighton-unlucky-2422021

The author managed to publish it in two places - it's duplicated in The Sporting Life and was discussed all last week. I've merged the two threads to avoid repetition. It is an interesting thread, topic and proposition though.

 

[Billy in Bristol]

Saw this on Football 365 and thought of you lot...

Brighton’s final-third farce

This is getting incredibly silly. Against Aston Villa, Brighton had 26 shots – including nine on target – and contrived not to score. Against Crystal Palace, Brighton had 25 shots and managed to score only once, losing with virtually the last kick of the game. They had 52 touches in the opposition box and Palace had two.

Against West Brom, Brighton only had 15 shots without scoring. But just to spice up the comedy, they missed two penalties, lost 1-0 and suffered one of the strangest disallowed goals you could ever witness. In those last three games alone, Brighton have had 45 shots from inside the penalty area. West Brom have had 118 all season.

It’s hard to know what to make of this mess beyond two very simple observations. The first is that Brighton are creating more than enough chances to be safely positioned in mid-table. Their expected goals and against totals (roughly a measure of the quality of chances created and allowed) has them as comfortable victors in seven of their last eight league matches. And so to the other painfully simple observation: Good God they’re bad at finishing all manner of different chances.

And that leads to two further conclusions, the first of which is that Graham Potter is doing a thoroughly decent job. The buck ultimately always stops with the manager, and I’d generally rail those who blame the players for general poor performance, but Potter has created a system that makes Brighton fairly resilient and allows them to create multiple good chances every game. He will be more frustrated than those Brighton supporters who now need new televisions after Danny Welbeck’s missed penalty.

The other conclusion is that this will probably improve soon. Even if Brighton’s chance creation dips slightly and their chance conversion pushes a little closer to the mean, they will surely start scoring goals soon.

But the flipside to that tepid positivity is that it has to improve soon or Brighton will be thrust deep into trouble. Confidence breeds confidence and failure breeds failure, meaning that logic dictates Brighton’s strikers are slightly less likely to take their next chance than their last one. That’s certainly how it feels at the moment.

And the fixture list doesn’t provide much solace either. Brighton have 12 games remaining. Four of those games are against Big Six teams and four more are against Everton, Leeds, West Ham and Leicester City. Top tip: only practice shooting in training this week.

 

[vagabond]

Some shocking stats in that article.

I’m increasingly coming to the conclusion that we need a summer clear out of Maupay, Connolly, Welbeck and maybe Trossard. We can then try and find some natural finishers to replace them. It might cost us millions but I’d be willing to lose White and maybe Biss if it means we get someone capable of finishing big chances regularly like we had with Murray.

I would honestly be happy to clear out most of them, but would still keep Maup, Zequiri, Connolly in the squad. Tau needs a chance to be fair.

Probably a controversial opinion, but particularly done with Trossard, Lallana and Welbeck.

Super happy with Sanchez, all our defence and our midfield.

 

[albionalex]

Maupay is only 24, he will improve.

 

[Dave Fishwick]

I would honestly be happy to clear out most of them, but would still keep Maup, Zequiri, Connolly in the squad. Tau needs a chance to be fair.

Probably a controversial opinion, but particularly done with Trossard, Lallana and Welbeck.

Super happy with Sanchez, all our defence and our midfield.

considering the quite measured approach that we have to recruitment in most of our other signings, I cannot believe that we saw fit to give Lallana and Welbeck the deals that they have got - Lallana especially. Utter waste of money that could have been better used elsewhere

 

[Weststander]

I would honestly be happy to clear out most of them, but would still keep Maup, Zequiri, Connolly in the squad. Tau needs a chance to be fair.

Probably a controversial opinion, but particularly done with Trossard, Lallana and Welbeck.

Super happy with Sanchez, all our defence and our midfield.

A lone voice these days, I rate Lallana. As a starter.

Really hard for any sub when we’re losing.

 

[whosthedaddy]

Some Midfield and Striker issues as I see them.

Lallana is obviously a good player, rating him is like saying footballs are round, but the problem with him is that he has numerous isues with his fitness so he probably won't get near the level of fitness we need to see week in, week out.

Same goes for Welbeck, still a few more years of playing in him but again injuries will always hold him back.

Trossard is a good player but overplays & over-complicates the good work he does.

Maupay is not a Premier League striker, Championship at best, but can link up play well if he's in a battling mood.

Connolly, needs to be loaned out to the Championship, too easy to contain and he's wild with his shooting, has no finesse to his game as yet.

Zequiri, needs time to adapt and find his range, the Premier League is not really the place to do it but who knows, he might just come good.

Andone, bit of a wild one but maybe we need that angst and intimidatory type of attitude, presently I find a few of our players much too soft a touch.

Bissouma, obviously there's quality in him, but just lately he appears to have his mind elsewhere, he needs to play in a more attacking position, if not perhaps somewhere else entirely.

 

[vagabond]

A lone voice these days, I rate Lallana. As a starter.

Really hard for any sub when we’re losing.

I rate the player he used to be, no question. But the guy can’t even complete a half. I’d sooner give a young player a chance.

 

[Weststander]

I rate the player he used to be, no question. But the guy can’t even complete a half. I’d sooner give a young player a chance.

How long a contract did we award Lallana?

 

[AZ Gull]

How long a contract did we award Lallana?

Three years.

 

[blue-shifted]

How long a contract did we award Lallana?

We gave him a 3 year contract. £4.7m per year, over 90K p/w is the rumoured amount

Which makes me want to cry more than the Benteke winner