[Albion] Brighton & Hove Albion vs AEK Athens *** Official Match Thread ***

[Guinness Boy]

Credit to AEK, much better standard than I thought they would be. Off night for us, not helped by injuries.

Yup. They were fantastic. Defended solidly, ran all night, broke with purpose. Three things we absolutely didn’t do.

Yes we missed Dunk. Yes the occasion got to us. But much of our downfall was our own.

March had his worst game under RDZ. Before the game in the Albert, I’d said to @jackalbion that we’d definitely play Milner because I thought we’d mostly signed him for European experience. “Just so long as he’s not playing right back” we laughed. FFS.

Our passing was appalling. Our chance creation was average. Our finishing was criminal.

 

[Dick Head]

I'd just like to wish Lewis Dunk a speedy recovery (for all our sakes).

 

[Oh_aye]

Well, what to say other than - what a load of old shìt that was.

Nearly everyone off the boil. Joke goals to concede. I wonder if the occassion got to them.

Milner looking slow and old - no idea why he's starting.

The whole Fati-Pedro thing just not working. Pedro will be swanning around thinking he did his job today. But he was not good. Those stupid fùcking flicks that get intercepted when crisp simple passing would have put is through. They also put us under pressure over and over again.
Mitoma playing with his head down

The whole group of 4, Gilmour, Gross, Fati and Pedro looking at odds with each other. They seem to be constantly arguing and figuring out what they were trying to do every time the ball went out.

The never ending fannying on the edge of the box instead of getting a shot away. Then low and behold when we do get shots away it causes mayhem and we nearly score. A total inability to defend set pieces. Just a load of annoying crap.

And to put the top hat on it, an apocalyptic rain storm starting the second I stepped out of the stadium.

Goodnight!

 

[cheesy77]

I thought their keeper was good. Made some very good saves, what was wrong with him?.

Was thinking the two Gross shots that he just parried back into the six yard box. Especially the free kick by Gross that was straight at him and he fisted it.
Surprised we didn't shoot more often around the box

 

[willalbion]

Credit to AEK, much better standard than I thought they would be. Off night for us, not helped by injuries.

Yeah I thought they were excellent, very tough, organised, skillful, they deserved the win.

 

[Weststander]

He doesn't think like a full back. Unless RdZ is prioritising the league, to pick him over Veltman is bizarre

I think he had performed well as a FB when called up in his time, but that was years back.

Hard to criticise RDZ over the 12 months, but the starting line up of two slow technicians ‘protecting’ the CB’s stunk. And all of the following highlighted what Veltman gives:
Forest A
Newcastle A
Everton H
West Ham H
AEK H

A round peg in a round hole.

 

[Oh_aye]

Credit to AEK, much better standard than I thought they would be. Off night for us, not helped by injuries.

Yep. They were good. Fair play to them. I liked their baldy on the right, with weird clipped crosses. They were neat and tidy on the ball too.

 

[Krafty]

If Veltman doesn't start a match, I will be fearful of the outcome, because he is such an essential player - yet so often under the radar.

 

[The Cronx Seagull]

Completely embarrassed ourselves.

 

[pb21]

If Veltman doesn't start a match, I will be fearful of the outcome, because he is such an essential player - yet so often under the radar.

It does seem that de Zerbi is inclined to not pick Veltman for some reason. Obviously he has played him a lot, but also dropped him a lot too. Second or third name on the team sheet for me.

 

[SUIYHP]

Honestly Brighton were pretty crap. Athens deserved the win as they capitalised on every chance. One of the worst performances Ive seen by us for a while. Milner was shocking- you know its bad when I was relieved he was coming off.

Hopefully a kick up the arse and a wake up call for the players.

 

[jcdenton08]

Sunday Bloody Sunday. What a great song. It really encapsulates the frustration of a Sunday, doesn’t it?

I hate to do this to you, ManOfSussex, but it’s actually about a massacre in Derry in 1972…

Just going to get a jug of pink grapefruit juice from the fridge, put it on the slate.

 

[ElectricNaz]

One really annoying thing I noticed (just) off the pitch today, the scoreboard didn't have the teams up. So you couldn't remember (or see) who'd been booked. So you couldn't chant OFF OFF OFF when a player already on a yellow made an innocuous and definitely not bookable foul.

Although by the end basically everyone was on a yellow anyway

Shambles

 

[Sirnormangall]

Overall performance was below par. Unlike us to give the ball away so much. Defended poorly for all 3 goals. Created far fewer chances than usual. The opposition was better than I thought they’d be and were very physical throughout the team, winning most of the 50/50s.
Not sure why the ref needed var to confirm the penalties.

 

[OzMike]

Too many changes, tweeking is one thing but wholesale chopping and changing will aways result in games like this.
Prioritising the league I think.

 

[Seagull58]

Overall performance was below par. Unlike us to give the ball away so much. Defended poorly for all 3 goals. Created far fewer chances than usual. The opposition was better than I thought they’d be and were very physical throughout the team, winning most of the 50/50s.
Not sure why the ref needed var to confirm the penalties.

The ref was useless all night. He couldn't spot a foul from 2 feet away and missed both penalties.

 

[Terry Butcher Tribute Act]

Very strange selection, tactics, subs and far too many below performances.

AEK very good at what they did.

Disappointed how slow Igor is

 

[keaton]

Was thinking the two Gross shots that he just parried back into the six yard box. Especially the free kick by Gross that was straight at him and he fisted it.
Surprised we didn't shoot more often around the box

He might have parried a bit but I thought he made some excellent saves and didn't seem to troubled

 

[herecomesaregular]

I don't understand all the comments about prioritising the league (and not playing our best 11). What is the fecking point of getting into Europe and making history and making all the fuss if we're..... just going to then prioritise the Premier League?

 

[kevo]

Yup. They were fantastic. Defended solidly, ran all night, broke with purpose. Three things we absolutely didn’t do.

Yes we missed Dunk. Yes the occasion got to us. But much of our downfall was our own.

March had his worst game under RDZ. Before the game in the Albert, I’d said to @jackalbion that we’d definitely play Milner because I thought we’d mostly signed him for European experience. “Just so long as he’s not playing right back” we laughed. FFS.

Our passing was appalling. Our chance creation was average. Our finishing was criminal.

Mitoma was also poor tonight.