Brighton & Hove Albion vs Manchester City *** Official Match Thread ***

[OzMike]

I think we had a go. Yes we played a defensive game and much of it was in their half but it was our first game in the premiership so there would have been first game nerves, and many of their players are world class. Pep looked worried and frustrated at their inability to break us down for 70 minutes of the game and we had a couple of chances and thought we came out with the right attitude in the second half. We can take positives from the game - only one of the goals was theirs - Dunky was unlucky and on the whole played well. We obviously need to stop giving the ball away so easily but If you honestly think we should have taken the game to them, you really need to have another drink.

Cheers, will do in about 4 hours.

 

[Spicy]

It was just a passing comment with no meaning whatsoever, read into it what you want.
Just stating facts, not fiction.

Fair enough, shame the rest of it was fiction.

 

[OzMike]

Fair enough, shame the rest of it was fiction.

If you like, now run along.

 

[OzMike]

If we had had a giant them by playing like we did last season we would not have come out losing 4-3. We would have been destroyed and embarrassed.

Sent from my LG-M210 using Tapatalk

So defending for 90mins wasn't embarrassing.
I'm not being harsh, I just think that if you have already conceded defeat before kick off that you should play unrestricted.
Who knows, we may have nicked it.

 

[OzMike]

We had more chance nicking it by playing the way we did than by going all out at them. I don't think some people realise the gulf in ability between the top of the premier league and the rest of it.

I watched the re run of Arsenal v Leicester, we should have had a go like the foxes did instead of hiding.

 

[OzMike]

Sure, but Leicester are ahead of us as well. Anyone thinking the game agaisnt them will be easy has a shock coming as well.

I don't fancy our chances much against Leicester to be honest, going by the way they took the game to Arsenal.
What with parachute payments etc. I thought we would have tried to play with more impact.
If we are to be relegated I would rather it went with a bang than a whimper.

 

[scousefan]

I'm really torn over what I think about our performance. I don't think we just set out to defend. However particularly after Izzys injury we just couldn't get the ball past midfield. Overall we did defend well. However a slip sooner or later was inevitable - and it happened twice. To gave ANY chance we have to create chances. We did get a couple but it wasn't enough. March was very defensive and wasn't able to show his attaching ability. Hemed and Murray were irrelevent. We are going to need players who can run at them and counterattack. Perhaps Izquierdo can help here.

Overall I'm proud of the disciplined and gutsy performance, but worried that we need to compete more to have any chance of avoiding the drop. Look at Burnley at Chelsea, Leicester against Arsenal and even Huddersfield at Palarse. We have to at least create the chances to nick a few points against the best clubs.

 

[Icy Gull]

I don't fancy our chances much against Leicester to be honest, going by the way they took the game to Arsenal.
What with parachute payments etc. I thought we would have tried to play with more impact.
If we are to be relegated I would rather it went with a bang than a whimper.[/QUOTE

It was not pretty, in fact from my perspective it was an incredibly dull game as we were overwhelmed from the first minute. If we had hung on for a point, which Stephen's mistake aside, we could well have done, it would have been a great result.

Taking the game to City with the forwards we have available would have meant an absolute thrashing would have been the likely outcome. We are so not ready for this league with our current strike force that until we do sign Izquierda and a pacy forward we are going to be defending with 11 men behind the ball imo.

Plenty of games this season are going to be about hanging on, but contrary to what you say we are not relegated after one game against the pre/season favourites. If we don't get a quality forward in by the close of the window I'd say we have a very good chance of getting relegated, unfortunately. I am sure the powers that be are well aware of this through.

 

[Hyperion]

It was a stark view of the gulf in class between the two teams but there were a few things I felt we could have done better. The few times Hemed had a chance to go forward he either didn't have any pace or got too easily knocked off the ball however he had pretty much no support anyway. When we did have a few chances (and it was just a few) we actually did well.

It's clear we ideally need 2/3 new players before the end of august but I really hope we don't sit too deep in every one of the 'big games'

That said, I just sat in awe yesterday just couldn't believe I was watching my team in the Premier league. Amazing atmosphere, nice weather, beers on the grass outside. We will get better and it will be a steep learning curve but still confident we can be here next season

 

[sydney]

Players are paid to play and so should do, whoever the opposition, think I'm going to crash again soon, feeling a bit wobbly.
The wife and youngest daughter gone to England for 5 weeks, so no one in my ear about misbehaving.
Going to crash for a few hours and then back to the pub, then crash again and be up for work at 5.45am.
My boy and I are becoming pizza and kebab connoisseurs and washing piling up, going to get paper plates and plastic knives and forks.

ha ha ...good lad....bring the dustbin into the kitchen then you won't even need to put the rubbish out.....what pub are you frequenting..?

 

[dingodan]

A f****** picnic!? Come on man

Sent from my SM-A310F using Tapatalk

I clearly need to work on my delivery.

 

[Sam Ovett]

Maybe it's just me being a defender, but I thoroughly enjoyed the game. We were excellent defensively and were resolute until that costly error by Stephens. Thought Dunk, March and Bruno were absolutely outstanding. Of course pundits will be falling over themselves to salivate over Manchester City, the team who spent more money on full backs this summer than we did on our stadium.

Very optimistic about the season

 

[warmleyseagull]

If we are to be relegated I would rather it went with a bang than a whimper.

Hold on a bit - we were playing the title favourites who will probably do the double against most of the teams below the other top 5. Time for that sort of comment is after 10 games or so when we have played a range of teams and new players had time to adjust.

 

[warmleyseagull]

I watched the re run of Arsenal v Leicester, we should have had a go like the foxes did instead of hiding.

Needed more quality possession to do that. No, wrong, we needed any possession. A City fan after the game said to me that we played the only way possible - opeing up would have meant getting completely turned over. He thought we did OK.

That said, thought we could have had a bit more of a go after the goals.

 

[Acker79]

I don't have the time to read all of this thread. Has anyone pointed out Man City defended corners and free kicks with all 11 men in their own box? A man considered one of the best managers in the world using the same tactic our manager uses and is challenged on by fans at the fans forum.

 

[Icy Gull]

I don't have the time to read all of this thread. Has anyone pointed out Man City defended corners and free kicks with all 11 men in their own box? A man considered one of the best managers in the world using the same tactic our manager uses and is challenged on by fans at the fans forum.

Could have something to do with the fact that they are so creative so don't even have to think about hitting teams on the break.. They will expect to score from open play. Only one team had that luxury yesterday so why not defend in depth when you only have to do it about four times in the game? Same tactic completely different thinking behind it I suggest. We set up for a point and completely understandably so, but more often than not that tactic will not work at this level imo.

 

[OzMike]

ha ha ...good lad....bring the dustbin into the kitchen then you won't even need to put the rubbish out.....what pub are you frequenting..?

I live in the hills and go to the local country club, I just got back.
Bed soon, getting Sunday night 'pre work on Monday' blues.

 

[sydney]

Araluen..?

 

[OzMike]

Araluen..?

I do go there but mostly to the Roleystone Club, it's nearer and 150 Lashes is $9 a pint to members.

 

[Brightonfan1983]

I don't fancy our chances much against Leicester to be honest, going by the way they took the game to Arsenal.
What with parachute payments etc. I thought we would have tried to play with more impact.
If we are to be relegated I would rather it went with a bang than a whimper.

It was not pretty, in fact from my perspective it was an incredibly dull game as we were overwhelmed from the first minute. If we had hung on for a point, which Stephen's mistake aside, we could well have done, it would have been a great result.

Taking the game to City with the forwards we have available would have meant an absolute thrashing would have been the likely outcome. We are so not ready for this league with our current strike force that until we do sign Izquierda and a pacy forward we are going to be defending with 11 men behind the ball imo.

Plenty of games this season are going to be about hanging on, but contrary to what you say we are not relegated after one game against the pre/season favourites. If we don't get a quality forward in by the close of the window I'd say we have a very good chance of getting relegated, unfortunately. I am sure the powers that be are well aware of this through.

We've all had some experience, at park, local, whatever level, of playing against a team that were light years ahead, and getting thumped 11-0. There's nothing you can do. And it's horrible.

It was Man City yesterday. Man City. And watching them, you could see over a third of a billion quid on the pitch and whatever one thinks of 'the market' and those prices, they were that much much better than us. It won't be like yesterday too often, that's for sure.

And besides, we lost 2-0 against Brentford last season.