[Albion] Brighton & Hove Albion vs Wolverhampton Wanderers *** Official Match Thread ***

[Rugrat]

I do have one concern with GP that seems to be a recurring thing recently.

We often tend to do well first half and look on top, even if we don’t score. However the number of times we have come out second half and been second best from the off is something that he can surely rectify, regardless of the quality of players we have on the pitch.

It’s happened against WBA, Saints, West Ham and Arsenal

It’s almost as if his half time team talk is “well played, more of the same lads” whilst the opposition managers seem to get their teams fired up and more committed than us in tackling and positive attacking. Potter needs to find a way to get us chomping at the bit from the off in the second half.

This being on the back foot from kick off in the second half is happening more and more often isn’t it? Or am I imagining it?

Without looking at the stats this is what I've been thinking. I've actually found myself switching the telebox off at half time knowing that it's downhill from here

 

[Icy Gull]

You have to ask, is that something that we’re doing wrong, or are opposition managers acutely aware of our inability to capitalise on our plethora of chances, they can sit and defend for the first half whilst we run around like scalded cats. In the second half they come out and play their true game whilst we run around doing the same thing with less energy and less possession.

That is some management plan and a risky one too because if we took just 30% of our chances in the first half this season, a few teams would have some catching up to do second half!

 

[raymondo]

I'm getting my post match feedback in early: Potter In.

 

[Icy Gull]

Without looking at the stats this is what I've been thinking. I've actually found myself switching the telebox off at half time knowing that it's downhill from here

I have absolutely no idea how you can do that, but you have saved yourself a world of second half angst. I assume you do check full time scores though and do you feel any better?

 

[The Fits]

Read this today....

The Seagulls are 87th in Mayhew’s points-per-game ranking for 2020 of all 92 teams who are currently in the Premier League and EFL.

Well, it's a new dawn, it's a new day....

 

[BNthree]

You have to ask, is that something that we’re doing wrong, or are opposition managers acutely aware of our inability to capitalise on our plethora of chances, they can sit and defend for the first half whilst we run around like scalded cats. In the second half they come out and play their true game whilst we run around doing the same thing with less energy and less possession.

Interesting theory. I've bemoaned our second half performances recently but it's easy to forget there is another team on the pitch making changes too.

 

[Guinness Boy]

You have to ask, is that something that we’re doing wrong, or are opposition managers acutely aware of our inability to capitalise on our plethora of chances, they can sit and defend for the first half whilst we run around like scalded cats. In the second half they come out and play their true game whilst we run around doing the same thing with less energy and less possession.

Nail on the head, though we seem unable to change in reaction to the opposition's reactionary changes!

 

[BN9 BHA]

Thirteen games at home without a win. Never been beaten by Wolves in a top flight game. That means nothing at all to Graham and his team of record breakers. Still, I bet someone is excited.

So excited

I think you probably knew Beachy would comment

 

[Rugrat]

I have absolutely no idea how you can do that, but you have saved yourself a world of second half angst. I assume you do check full time scores though and do you feel any better?

I did it for Stains, Leicester, Sheff and Ars - I guess I never expected Fulham to score and that Moyes had fukked up his tactics so badly we might have a chance so had 90 mins of those.

I switch over to Jeff Stelling (far more enteraining too and I hate these staggered timings) and I suppose I greet the full time results with a shrug.

The corrosive effect of a fourth season fighting relegation has got to me. Not even looked at adding it up but sure I saw more wins in one season in the Champ than the 3.5 in Prem. I don't give a toss about who we're playing I would just like to see us playing (90 minutes of) football with a bit more confidence, conviction and success again.

 

[mwrpoole]

I do have one concern with GP that seems to be a recurring thing recently.

We often tend to do well first half and look on top, even if we don’t score. However the number of times we have come out second half and been second best from the off is something that he can surely rectify, regardless of the quality of players we have on the pitch.

It’s happened against WBA, Saints, West Ham and Arsenal

It’s almost as if his half time team talk is “well played, more of the same lads” whilst the opposition managers seem to get their teams fired up and more committed than us in tackling and positive attacking. Potter needs to find a way to get us chomping at the bit from the off in the second half.

This being on the back foot from kick off in the second half is happening more and more often isn’t it? Or am I imagining it?

It’s like the opposing manager makes changes at half time to counter us but we don’t react. I’d like us to make changes to counter their changes, not necessarily with personnel but tactical as well.

 

[DarrenFreemansPerm]

That is some management plan and a risky one too because if we took just 30% of our chances in the first half this season, a few teams would have some catching up to do second half!

I completely agree, but without using statistics and data and just relying on your own eyes you can see it for yourself. It is risky, all formations and strategies in football presents their own shortcomings, but we’ve seen how profligate our forwards are, you can guarantee personnel from upcoming opponents have seen it too. They also seem to have the fall back plan of if they do gol behind they can just chip a cross into the box to equalise.
The need for a goal scorer is an absolute must, not just to boost how we play but to modify how the opposition sets up to play against us too.

 

[Swansman]

I do have one concern with GP that seems to be a recurring thing recently.

We often tend to do well first half and look on top, even if we don’t score. However the number of times we have come out second half and been second best from the off is something that he can surely rectify, regardless of the quality of players we have on the pitch.

It’s happened against WBA, Saints, West Ham and Arsenal

It’s almost as if his half time team talk is “well played, more of the same lads” whilst the opposition managers seem to get their teams fired up and more committed than us in tackling and positive attacking. Potter needs to find a way to get us chomping at the bit from the off in the second half.

This being on the back foot from kick off in the second half is happening more and more often isn’t it? Or am I imagining it?

I think the concept of spending 15 minutes "firing up" the players is pretty much of a thing of the past for most modern PL managers. The majority of the half-time talk will be looking at videos of sequences of the match trying to make out what to do different. GP makes a lot of tactical tweaks and its possible some of those havent been too successful. But I think its tactical - except in some extreme circumstances the manager yelling harsh words for 15 minutes is most likely a thing of the past.

If we take a successful second half as example - its easier because its simply easier to see tactical changes that work out rather than the opposite - like the one against Fulham, it was obvious that Scott Parker ahead of the game instructed the team to make sure Brighton couldnt use the central defenders to switch sides. Rather than having your forward dropping down to make it more congested in the middle so that you cant use your central midfielders as easily, Fulham had their striker lingering with the Brighton central defenders to prevent switching sides through those.

In the second half, you could see that Brighton adapted to this reality. Rather than going from congested left side to central defense to the spaces on right side, you would see March and Lamptey (and others) try to do immediate passes to central midfield instead of going through the central defenders as you most often would, since Bissouma, Alzante and Lallana, since Cavaleiro didnt drop down to cover spaces in the middle.

Modern football really is more like chess than it is like boxing. In every single game you could see a staff member wired up (Hamberg in Brightons case) to some match analyst on the stands and that, right or wrong, will be the basis of much of the sideline/half-time talk. But of course Billy Reid will be calling everyone ***** on a regular basis, Im not sure about how much difference it does though.

 

[DarrenFreemansPerm]

Nail on the head, though we seem unable to change in reaction to the opposition's reactionary changes!

It’s weird eh, one of the first qualities that we fans identified about Potter was his ability to make in game changes to nullify the opposition or strengthen our set up. Now, it’s wholesale formation and personnel changes but largely the same in game strategy, pass the ball a thousand times and walk it into the net.

 

[Taybha]

We're actually quite good against teams beginning with W except Walsall, we're not playing Walsall today so I think we will do ok .

More finger on the pulse analysis next week.

 

[DarrenFreemansPerm]

We're actually quite good against teams beginning with W except Walsall, we're not playing Walsall today so I think we will do ok .

More finger on the pulse analysis next week.

This is the the kind of content that I’m here for, can’t beat it.

 

[Coldeanseagull]

From my position in front of the tellybox, I can see the main problem. That round thing isn't being kicked into that net thing often enough. Frustratingly, it doesn't seem to be the other teams ability to stop it, it appears to be our teams lack of geometrical nouse when kicking it

 

[Guinness Boy]

I think the concept of spending 15 minutes "firing up" the players is pretty much of a thing of the past for most modern PL managers. The majority of the half-time talk will be looking at videos of sequences of the match trying to make out what to do different. GP makes a lot of tactical tweaks and its possible some of those havent been too successful. But I think its tactical - except in some extreme circumstances the manager yelling harsh words for 15 minutes is most likely a thing of the past.

If we take a successful second half as example - its easier because its simply easier to see tactical changes that work out rather than the opposite - like the one against Fulham, it was obvious that Scott Parker ahead of the game instructed the team to make sure Brighton couldnt use the central defenders to switch sides. Rather than having your forward dropping down to make it more congested in the middle so that you cant use your central midfielders as easily, Fulham had their striker lingering with the Brighton central defenders to prevent switching sides through those.

In the second half, you could see that Brighton adapted to this reality. Rather than going from congested left side to central defense to the spaces on right side, you would see March and Lamptey (and others) try to do immediate passes to central midfield instead of going through the central defenders as you most often would, since Bissouma, Alzante and Lallana, since Cavaleiro didnt drop down to cover spaces in the middle.

Modern football really is more like chess than it is like boxing. In every single game you could see a staff member wired up (Hamberg in Brightons case) to some match analyst on the stands and that, right or wrong, will be the basis of much of the sideline/half-time talk. But of course Billy Reid will be calling everyone ***** on a regular basis, Im not sure about how much difference it does though.

So you're saying that this is a bit........outdated?

 

[Rugrat]

I think the concept of spending 15 minutes "firing up" the players is pretty much of a thing of the past for most modern PL managers

Maybe GP should give the the old fashioned 'fire up' a go? Whatever he's doing isn't working and he says he's all about learning, which implies doing things differently

 

[Swansman]

Maybe GP should give the the old fashioned 'fire up' a go? Whatever he's doing isn't working and he says he's all about learning, which implies doing things differently

Im sure it happens on occasion but most times I doubt it has much value. Back in the days when all teams had some talented alcoholic mainly in the game for the chicks and the lifestyle, it was probably more effective. Any and every player today are at this level because they love winning and hate losing. A manager saying "we want to win and we hate to lose" is just pretty much preaching for the choir.

 

[Rugrat]

I think the concept of spending 15 minutes "firing up" the players is pretty much of a thing of the past for most modern PL managers

Maybe GP should give the the old fashioned 'fire up' a go? Whatever he's doing isn't working and he says he's all about learning, which implies doing things differently

Edit: Tongue in cheek