[Albion] Brighton & Hove Albion vs Sheffield United *** Official Match Thread ***

[Sorrel]

Very frustrating game - and it was looking so good in the first ten minutes. I think everyone neutral would say it's the effect of the European games and the extra games (and inevitable injuries) our players have had. But it we could just have been two or three up by minutes, then it would have been different.

 

[Mike Small]

Going to put all my moans about todays game in one post -

RDZ - play your best team from the start - game probably would have been won by half time if Pedro and Mitoma had started (then you can rest them for second half)

Please don't play Lallana - his lack of pace completely slows us down - he is waving to our players in possession to slow the game down when is he is too slow to recover his midfield position. So we knock it around aimlessly while he jogs back and our impetus is lost.

EDF park and ride - excellent going (plenty of buses)- awful coming back . Surely you can lay on more than one bus to take people back ?

Roll on Brentford when I'm sure all will change for the better !

Absolutely agree about Lalanna. Away when we need to keep the ball, with the opposition pressing to get the ball, okay, but at home against a low block /petrified team I found his roll today infruitaing. Barking at everyone if they played a ball further than 10 yards.

Did anyone see Igor play the ball forward for him to run after in the channel? I have never seen anyone so slow in all my life. He had a go at Igor and Igor just held his arms out like 'how are you that slow'. I'd like to see a race between him, Gross and Igor.

 

[Insel affe]

The most worrying thing about today was….

hearing folks question and doubt RDZ tactics, which is fair, but there seemed more of it today, and frustration with the rotation of players. I personally think its inevitable with our injuries but some folks seem annoyed and pissed off….

Is his honeymoon period over ?

 

[jessiejames]

No but playing a team who has only won one match all season , and that was lucky , plus being the worse side to play down here this season I think our fans can feel a bit disappointed,

It dont matter how many games they have won this season or that they are the worst side to play here. Im as dissapointed as alot on here that we only drew. We did not take our chances. Its the way some expected us to just turn up and Automatically get the 3 points. Alot of our fans seem to think that. Im sure Liverpool and Man Utd fans think the same just turn up. Football is played on the pitch 11v11 at tge start of the game to make it fair, what happens in the next 90 minutes decide the outcome.

 

[birthofanorange]

The most worrying thing about today was….

hearing folks question and doubt RDZ tactics, which is fair, but there seemed more of it today, and frustration with the rotation of players. I personally think its inevitable with our injuries but some folks seem annoyed and pissed off….

Is his honeymoon period over ?

Nope...I have utmost faith in RDZ, but the players had a few questions to answer, today. Imho.

 

[jessiejames]

What a ridiculous comment. Our fan base is very much the same.
I and they are entitled to be frustrated over this game and others against bottom 3 or 4 teams where we have not won when we should have done.

Why should we have won. We missed chances and had a player sent off. If you dont put the ball in the net you cant win. Its just some on here think just turning up and our Opponents should just lie down for us.

 

[PILTDOWN MAN]

The most worrying thing about today was….

hearing folks question and doubt RDZ tactics, which is fair, but there seemed more of it today, and frustration with the rotation of players. I personally think its inevitable with our injuries but some folks seem annoyed and pissed off….

Is his honeymoon period over ?

I will question RDZ tactics. We appear to have be play through the defence to the midfield to the defence to the midfield before anyone even looks beyond that. Last year we would play the triangles but then look for the progressive ball upfield. That hasn't happened enough. Today in the first half all the front players made decent run after decent run, those at the back didn't even look up. I worry RDZ has planted the need to play for the press so much it is now hindering moving through the lines.

RDZ also doesn't appear to have the capability to coach his team hold out for the win, we always look like we will concede towards the end of games such as today. That was before the sending off!!

 

[drew]

Well just got back in. We got what we deserved. Dominating the game, great team goal to be a goal up but yet again we lack the incisiveness to press home that advantage. Stupid red that definitely cost us 2pts as it spurred Sheffield on. Our inability to press home an advantage when we are ahead is worrying.

 

[PILTDOWN MAN]

Well just got back in. We got what we deserved. Dominating the game, great team goal to be a goal up but yet again we lack the incisiveness to press home that advantage. Stupid red that definitely cost us 2pts as it spurred Sheffield on. Our inability to press home an advantage when we are ahead is worrying.

And as this is happening often it sits with the manager and his coaches. Can't be the players as never two games have the same team.

 

[sussex_guy2k2]

We were always at least a full back short if not 2 , it’s come back to bite us on the arse
should of kept Undav , he was scoring for fun at the end of last season ,
We are not the only team with injuries, , Lamptey is always injured, Moder has been out fo 18 months , Milner should of never been signed too old , and Welbeck has a history of being injured

I got challenged for this quite extensively on here at the start of the season. I have concerns about how some of the fitness stuff is done at the club as we seem to pick up a lot of injuries under RDZ. And it only seems to be getting worse.

But the biggest issue was always the summer transfer window. Many tried to claim it was a 10/10. It never got close. There were too many gaps in key roles and we lost too much quality in the short term without replacing it.

I was realistic about results this year on the back of that, particularly with European fixtures too. But the club built us up to expect more, yet those issues are shining through at the moment. Hopefully post-European group games the injuries will calm down and he’ll start to pick a consistent side again.

Either way, a draw at home to this Sheff Utd side is not good enough.

 

[The Fits]

I will question RDZ tactics. We appear to have be play through the defence to the midfield to the defence to the midfield before anyone even looks beyond that. Last year we would play the triangles but then look for the progressive ball upfield. That hasn't happened enough. Today in the first half all the front players made decent run after decent run, those at the back didn't even look up. I worry RDZ has planted the need to play for the press so much it is now hindering moving through the lines.

RDZ also doesn't appear to have the capability to coach his team hold out for the win, we always look like we will concede towards the end of games such as today. That was before the sending off!!

This is going to sound very confusing and a bit of a stretch but ...
RDZ is an elite manager. I have no doubt about that. He has a unique style that when adopted by elite players would be almost impossible to play against. He also has that singular philosophy the best managers have. A total belief in his philosophy.
But ... We don't have Man City's players, their defence, their strength in depth or their resources. If have we ambitions to be one of the very best teams in Europe we need managers like RDZ. And with our injuries, the pressures of Europe etc having an elite manager is a bit like having a Michelin star chef working at the local café. We are thrilled to be eating stuff we'd never dreamed of but ultimately over the course of a year sometimes we just need a really well made porridge or fry up, especially if he can only get hold of eggs and potato. Simple things done well with modest ingredients. A bit of pragmatism. Some thing that just gets the job done.
I guess the question is can we stomach the extravaganza of RDZs kitchen or are many of us going to start craving something a little more bland? Me, I like RDZ a lot and I love good food, so I have no worries about him, but football supporters are a funny bunch.

 

[Is it PotG?]

D6 DNK, nice number plate whomever you might be.

 

[PILTDOWN MAN]

This is going to sound very confusing and a bit of a stretch but ...
RDZ is an elite manager. I have no doubt about that. He has a unique style that when adopted by elite players would be almost impossible to play against. He also has that singular philosophy the best managers have. A total belief in his philosophy.
But ... We don't have Man City's players, their defence, their strength in depth or their resources. If have we ambitions to be one of the very best teams in Europe we need managers like RDZ. And with our injuries, the pressures of Europe etc having an elite manager is a bit like having a Michelin star chef working at the local café. We are thrilled to be eating stuff we'd never dreamed of but ultimately over the course of a year sometimes we just need a really well made porridge or fry up, especially if he can only get hold of eggs and potato. Simple things done well with modest ingredients. A bit of pragmatism. Some thing that just gets the job done.
I guess the question is can we stomach the extravaganza of RDZs kitchen or are many of us going to start craving something a little more bland? Me, I like RDZ a lot and I love good food, so I have no worries about him, but football supporters are a funny bunch.

The best chefs adapt to the ingredients they have.

There was only one question I'd ask him from today why didn't our CB's and midfield see and play the ball forwards (sometimes the easiest ball) instead passed it back, why? And repeat over 15 times in the first half.

 

[The Fits]

The best chefs adapt to the ingredients they have.

There was only one question I'd ask him from today why didn't our CB's and midfield see and play the ball forwards (sometimes the easiest ball) instead passed it back, why? And repeat over 15 times in the first half.

It's happening a lot this season. Is it just the way teams are setting up? We seem to be really reluctant to play the ball into the final third, especially centrally but today I felt Adingra should have been given the ball at every opportunity in the first half.

 

[jessiejames]

The most worrying thing about today was….

hearing folks question and doubt RDZ tactics, which is fair, but there seemed more of it today, and frustration with the rotation of players. I personally think its inevitable with our injuries but some folks seem annoyed and pissed off….

Is his honeymoon period over ?

Still one of the best managers we have had. I feel hes trying to balance the squad rotation as best he can except for goalkeeper.
Today we missed chances to kill the game off. Maybe if we had been given the penalty and scored that we would have been more comfortable and gone on to score more.

 

[BLOCK F]

This is going to sound very confusing and a bit of a stretch but ...
RDZ is an elite manager. I have no doubt about that. He has a unique style that when adopted by elite players would be almost impossible to play against. He also has that singular philosophy the best managers have. A total belief in his philosophy.
But ... We don't have Man City's players, their defence, their strength in depth or their resources. If have we ambitions to be one of the very best teams in Europe we need managers like RDZ. And with our injuries, the pressures of Europe etc having an elite manager is a bit like having a Michelin star chef working at the local café. We are thrilled to be eating stuff we'd never dreamed of but ultimately over the course of a year sometimes we just need a really well made porridge or fry up, especially if he can only get hold of eggs and potato. Simple things done well with modest ingredients. A bit of pragmatism. Some thing that just gets the job done.
I guess the question is can we stomach the extravaganza of RDZs kitchen or are many of us going to start craving something a little more bland? Me, I like RDZ a lot and I love good food, so I have no worries about him, but football supporters are a funny bunch.

I understand where you are coming from with the elite chef analogy, but it could be argued that an elite chef, football manager etc. should be able to adapt his menu or style of play to suit the ingredients or players at his disposal.
He may be aspiring to be an elite manager, but he isn’t there yet……pragmatism and adaptability should be added to his menu/tactics.

 

[dolphins]

Though JPVH and Igor both had great games. Igor is such a unit... and seems to be growing in confidence to my eyes. Not seen the Dahoud red yet (or the handball shout) but was listening to JC and Warren via the BHA app (albeit it was about a minute behind which was a bit confusing at times!) but they thought it was nailed on. I was pleased to just about miss most of the rain during the match (front of the North) and hope those in the P&R queues didn't suffer too much after the game.

The international break is coming at just the right time. Think there's some work to be done behind the scenes, and a rest for some of the players is just what is needed I think. Can't quite believe that (other than doing the double over Ajax) our last clean sheet was against Brentford in July, during the US matches.

And we're just one point off being half-way to safety, taking the standard 40 points as the target for that!

 

[Greg Bobkin]

I’ll have to lower my expectations I guess. Hoping for a draw when we go up to Sheffield. Fingers crossed, hope thats not entitled.

My expectation before every game is that we're going to lose. Then anything is a bonus

 

[BLOCK F]

The best chefs adapt to the ingredients they have.

There was only one question I'd ask him from today why didn't our CB's and midfield see and play the ball forwards (sometimes the easiest ball) instead passed it back, why? And repeat over 15 times in the first half.

Perhaps they were instructed by the head chef to over-egg the pudding.

 

[maltaseagull]

Why should we have won. We missed chances and had a player sent off. If you dont put the ball in the net you cant win. Its just some on here think just turning up and our Opponents should just lie down for us.

We should have taken those chances which is why we should have won. Simples