Brighton & Hove Albion v Europa League Champions - Matchday thread

[perseus]

Happy we're winning but friendlies don't tell you a lot . . for example . . .

Swindon 1 Liverpool 1 (Obika)
Out of nothing, Obika curls one in from the right-hand edge of the area.

Obika will be good player one day, I reckon. Just could not afford to wait for him to learn how.

 

[mejonaNO12 aka riskit]

Obika will be good player one day, I reckon. Just could not afford to wait for him to learn how.

He's 25 next month.

 

[perseus]

He's 25 next month.

Well maybe not. Still had to get rid as he was costing us points with is failure to control the ball from a simple pass.

 

[Thunder Bolt]

A great result today and sounds a decent professional performance. But let's not gloss over the fact it was a soft penalty and take that away it still says Brighton Nil. That has to change before Friday although I am a lot more positive tonight than I have been for a long time. Bench looks ok but needs more quality on it.

Sounds a decent professional performance? So, you didn't watch it?
I saw a shove in the penalty area whilst the other player did a shoulder barge, so not that soft a penalty, which was well taken btw.

 

[Miximate]

Just hope that they sort out who is taking the penalties....don't want a repeat of that petty exchange and sorrowful looking towards the dug out for confirmation

 

[LamieRobertson]

Sounds a decent professional performance? So, you didn't watch it?
I saw a shove in the penalty area whilst the other player did a shoulder barge, so not that soft a penalty, which was well taken btw.

Just for you

 

[Bakero]

Just got back.

I thought it was just dreadful. Down to 4-4-2.

Last six minutes or so were the best.

One plus the 30+ move passing game at the end that had Sevilla Reserves chasing shadows and looking well beaten.

Beating the 5th best team in Spain was dreadful?

 

[Blue Valkyrie]

Just got back.

I thought it was just dreadful. Down to 4-4-2.

Last six minutes or so were the best.

One plus the 30+ move passing game at the end that had Sevilla Reserves chasing shadows and looking well beaten.

Astounded. We were far from dreadful.

Decent performance, and although the squad is woefully lacking in wingers and central defenders, gives at least a glimmer of hope for the season ahead.

 

[perseus]

Beating the 5th best team in Spain was dreadful?

Not seen their team. Either most were reserves or they are just back from a long break and not up to speed.

Back two in central defence looks like thy#ey could handle anything we could muster. But so could Sheffield Wednesday last season.

We did not seem to have any movement and our passes were intercepted.

 

[Guinness Boy]

Just got back.

I thought it was just dreadful. Down to 4-4-2.

Last six minutes or so were the best.

One plus the 30+ move passing game at the end that had Sevilla Reserves chasing shadows and looking well beaten.

Obika will be good player one day, I reckon. Just could not afford to wait for him to learn how.

 

[LamieRobertson]

View attachment 67448



View attachment 67449

mmmm cashew nuts ...yum

 

[Bakero]

Not seen their team. Either most were reserves or they are just back from a long break and not up to speed.

Back two in central defence looks like thy#ey could handle anything we could muster. But so could Sheffield Wednesday last season.

We did not seem to have any movement and our passes were intercepted.

That wasn't Seville's reserves, it was the first team. Their season kicks off in 3 weeks so they're probably a bit behind us in terms of fitness right now.

Bearing in mind they're one of the top sides in Spain, Europa league winners the last 2 seasons and have qualified for next season's Champs League, do you really maintain that our performance was dreadful?

You're right that their back two kept us quiet. Their CBs were Rami, yeah the guy with a fair few caps for France, and Carriço, who has been a regular in their side for the last couple of years and recently won his first full cap for Portugal. We're not likely to be coming up against players like that very often this year.

Oh and those fellows intercepting our passes in midfield were Polish international Grzegorz Krychowiak, Danish international Michael Krohn-Dehli and Argentinian international Ever Banega.

 

[Everest]

Taken by my daughter - the video that is, not the penalty

 

[GT49er]

Maybe if it was a century ago.

Actually, a century ago was the WW formation. Do keep up!

If 4-4-2 gets us to mid-table, or lower mid-table this season, then I'm all for it. Those who want tippy-tappy, 70% possession (all in their own half) and lose 1-0 should maybe follow #Gus.

 

[Drumstick]

Wonder which player will report it was a tough match but we got the three points in the end this year?

Pleased with the result and the match reports. Was hoping it'd be mini drumsticks first game but he has been teething and would have spent all match screaming.

 

[8ace]

Left-footed March plays on the right wing.
Right-footed KLL plays on the left wing.

 

[GT49er]

I would rather watch good football than bad football regardless. 442 is rarely good, even if you win.

So what football, precisely, is good when you lose?

 

[perseus]

That wasn't Seville's reserves, it was the first team. Their season kicks off in 3 weeks so they're probably a bit behind us in terms of fitness right now.

Bearing in mind they're one of the top sides in Spain, Europa league winners the last 2 seasons and have qualified for next season's Champs League, do you really maintain that our performance was dreadful?

You're right that their back two kept us quiet. Their CBs were Rami, yeah the guy with a fair few caps for France, and Carriço, who has been a regular in their side for the last couple of years and recently won his first full cap for Portugal. We're not likely to be coming up against players like that very often this year.

Oh and those fellows intercepting our passes in midfield were Polish international Grzegorz Krychowiak, Danish international Michael Krohn-Dehli and Argentinian international Ever Banega.

OK then I will reword it. I wasn't all that keen on the 4-4-2 for attacking and there wasn't enough movement upfront, Hemed excepted. This was my worry when Hughton joined.

4-4-2 is perfectly valid when defending a lead, but not as our main system for home games. I am an advocate of 4-3-3 with one winger and an overlapping full back.

I did not think the Sevilla wingers were very good.

I don't think Albion played too bad except I did not realise that Solly March was so left footed.

I found the game boring intermixed with a few interesting bits. But most of all the Amex east side was like an oven and I had not drunk enough water, which put me in a despondent mood.

First half and Sevilla seemed to play mostly to Banega.

 

[AZ Gull]

I haven't seen something like this before - looks like Sevilla do a sort of digital, post-match "programme" on their website - Sevilla Futbol Club (click on the "SFC Periodico").

I don't speak Spanish, but it includes what I take to be a match report, line-ups, photos from the game etc. I don't know if they do that for every game, or whether this is a one-off. Impressive.

 

[Billy the Fish]

I would rather watch good football than bad football regardless. 442 is rarely good, even if you win.

Utter nonsense. Football fans read too much into the formation, 4-4-2 can work in a hundred different ways depending on the players and the style of play. The same goes for any formation.

Formations don't automatically make you play kick and rush football.