Brighton & Hove Albion vs Middlesbrough *** Official Match Thread ***

[Seagull58]

Well done!

This thread is nothing to do with you. F**K off, troll.

 

[sussex_guy2k2]

I agree and the early goal allowed us to do that, it settled us and we could manage the game how we liked. I think there are a lot of sides in this league that will pressure you but we're one of the few with the fitness to do it for the full 90.

One of the major reasons you won so comfortably was that, having taken the lead, your defence actually dropped back 10-15 yards. That meant that you only put pressure on us at the back when we either made a mistake or once the ball got into your half. It was textbook Mourinho actually - you got ahead and then conserved energy brilliantly, making us work with the ball by keeping your shape and then breaking quickly when you won it back. Unfortunately we didn't have enough of our best flair players on the pitch and we didn't match you in midfield, which showed in the end.

A lot of our fans thought your team looked excellent at the back but bang average up front - I'd argue that it was a textbook performance of getting ahead, strangling the game and then relying on our mistakes at set pieces to score again. It was mightily impressive to be honest and you didn't need to be on top form to win the game comfortably.

 

[AmexRuislip]

Funny, isn’t it? Albion lose for the first time since April and I get a load of stick from friends and colleagues who support United, City, Arsenal, Chelsea…

This!
All of the QPR, Brentford and Fulham trolls, I work with.

 

[Machiavelli]

Boro fan here.

Yesterday was tough for me, always been brought up a Boro fan but grew up in Sussex and had a soft spot for Brighton.

We caught you on an off day and the early goal allowed us to pretty much strangle the life out of the game and our defence were on top form. There were flashes of promise from you guys but it just didn't click.

Your performance reminded me of us against Hull where we also lost 3-0, we just didn't turn up on the day and made Hull look (and feel) like world beaters but look at them now.

Hopefully you react the way we did and we'll see you for a party at the Riverside at the end of the season.

You were extremely professional and clinical and, yes, you did strangle the life out of the game. Your squad is stronger than ours and has more depth. I'd be interested to see just how good your first 11 would be against ours (in, for instance, a play-off final). The foundation of our run has been secured largely by our CM duo, but also Bruno and Stockdale have been excellent. On top of this, LuaLua started brilliantly who then got injured in September (and is still to return) and then March took up the flair mantle, and looked awesome (pace, skill, balance, outstanding wing play, and even developed finishing too), but we've lost him until the start of next season at best. We'll need LuaLua to come back on top form if we're going to launch a serious challenge for automatics, although Wilson or another new recruit (Calleri? Bolanos?) might provide that necessary spark.