[Albion] Did Gung-ho Hughton get it wrong at the end...?

[GreersElbow]

Damned if he does, damned if he don’t

 

[rippleman]

His big mistake was keeping the ineffective Murray on for far too long. As soon as Brown and IzzyIzzybonhairdo came on, we immediately looked more dynamic. There was pace and movement and Everton were uncomfortable and we looked capable of going 2 up. We won't kill teams off by sitting back deep.
Bringing on more defensive cover still wouldn't have stopped Bruno's moment of insanity.

I think you are right. I can't see Murray being anything other than ineffective. He doesn't have the pace or quality for the PL. And it was Hemed that the club had told to pack his bags before the season started (and that makes me a tad worried that Hughton couldn't see that Hemed is far better equipped to be a PL striker than Murray).

It isn't Murray's fault that we failed to attract a striker during the summer. So we need to cut him some slack and pray that Tomer can stay fit for the rest of the season (unless we can attract a quality striker to the club in January)

 

[TWOCHOICEStom]

Smart decision if you ask me.

Murray was having a bit of a stinker. We were finding ourselves in good areas with Izquierdo looking a real threat and Knocky with his tail up. Brown came so close to making it an inspired substitution too with that effort which he thumped straight at Pickford.

The thing we needed from 80 onwards was legs willing to chase and that's what we got. The fact that we lost a second ball from our corner and were unnecessarily caught on the counter was what pissed me off. We've shut down tons of games where we've been under more pressure than Sunday. But we handed them an opportunity by screwing up the corner, the second ball, the chasing back and giving away a bonkers penalty.

I don't think you can criticise Hughton for that.

 

[Turkey]

I was surprised when the centre backs went up for the corner. I think it does go to show to those who over egg his defensiveness.

 

[AmexRuislip]

He's the manager, let him manage

 

[Peter Grummit]

I didn't have a problem with the substitution. Brown did well, nearly made the game safe.

What I did have a problem with was the tactics at the corner. 87 minutes, we should have gone short and held it in the corner. Above all, we shouldn't have left just 2 back to mark 1 striker, so when the ball broke for Everton, they had a 2 on 2, necessitating Knocky's deliberate trip. Hughton will be beating himself up about that, privately.

And no, I don't think I'm a better manager than CH. I have huge respect for him, but I think he and the players got it wrong this time. As long as we continue to learn, I'll be content.

PG

 

[martin tyler]

We should really never if got caught 2v2 when 1-0 up in the last minute from an attacking corner. Little bit more sense keep a few extra players back and keep the ball in the corner run down the clock a bit more.
However the subs were correct. Both attacking players brought on caused problems and we were as dangerous as we had been all game. Both brown and Izzy caused problems and had decent efforts both before and after the goal.

 

[severnside gull]

Irony is always at its best when it is consistently overlooked.

 

[DavidinSouthampton]

Izzy Brown did nearly score...... .

 

[neilbard]

I think it was more like Hong Kong Phooey Bruno, than Gung-ho Hughton.

 

[bluenitsuj]

Why when 1-0 up with 5 minutes left did we bring on a forward when there were two defenders and a midfielder still available on the bench...?

Why didn't Hughton even try to protect what we had and see the game out?

Izzy Brown came on and seemed much more interested in trying to score a second goal than in securing the clean sheet and three points. On 88 minutes Brown got involved in a forward move with Gross and Izquierdo that ended with him shooting from 20 yards with the bizarre added feature of holding midfielder Dale Stephens bombing on past at that moment with a lungbusting run into the penalty area...

At the resulting corner we then chose to deploy Stephens on the goal line to wrestle with Pickford while central DEFENDERS Dunk and Hunemeier also attacked the 6 yard box... to allow an Everton breakaway at that stage of the game with so many of Brighton's primarily defensive players completely out of position was unforgiveable and we could have been punished even further.

Hughton may have got away with this sort of naivety in the Championship but Premier League teams will always pick us off if he continues with these sort of tactics.

We drew because of a stupid foul by Bruno. No other reason.

 

[OzMike]

We drew because of a stupid foul by Bruno. No other reason.

I think he needs telling that as well.

 

[Seasider78]

Against Newcastle there were a lot moaning that we were negative trying to hang onto single goal lead in this game we were pushing for a second and nearly got it but were then caught as Everton broke quickly. NIne times out of ten we see that out but we will get a last minute equaliser against another team this season and these things even out. As for Bruno hard to get annoyed at someone who set up our chance to score and has been one of our outstanding performers and captain for sometime now. I was very disappointed we dropped the points upon leaving the ground but then a dose of reality says 8 games are more than holding our own in this division and some very encouraging signs that we are improving with each game

 

[sussex_guy2k2]

No. Bruno had a brain fart.

 

[NooBHA]

Why when 1-0 up with 5 minutes left did we bring on a forward when there were two defenders and a midfielder still available on the bench...?

Why didn't Hughton even try to protect what we had and see the game out?

.

Just a thought but have you considered he just didn't want the opposition to continually be able to pump high balls into the box every time we cleared it. By having a forward still on the pitch the would need to spend extra few of the remaining seconds passing it across the back before they could get it into the box.

Or god forbid that by taking the forward off it would allow them to get even more bodies forward to support any attack without fear of getting caught on the break.

To call it naivety suggests that you felt that Everton have been Masters of the breakaway goals, which they have not this season. Teams a goal behind are always going to finish strongly but it wasn't Everton who scored. An individual with a rush of blood gifted then a point in our own defence.

 

[Machiavelli]

I think it was more like Hong Kong Phooey Bruno, than Gung-ho Hughton.

View attachment 90292

Number one super guy









x3

 

[Moshe Gariani]

Just a thought but have you considered he just didn't want the opposition to continually be able to pump high balls into the box every time we cleared it. By having a forward still on the pitch the would need to spend extra few of the remaining seconds passing it across the back before they could get it into the box.

Or god forbid that by taking the forward off it would allow them to get even more bodies forward to support any attack without fear of getting caught on the break.

To call it naivety suggests that you felt that Everton have been Masters of the breakaway goals, which they have not this season. Teams a goal behind are always going to finish strongly but it wasn't Everton who scored. An individual with a rush of blood gifted then a point in our own defence.

I apologise. You are definitely not one of the people the 100% ironic OP was aimed at. I very much enjoy your insightful and supportive stance toward Chris Hughton (who, alongside Ronnie O'Sullivan, Solly March, Tomer Hemed, Shane Duffy, Lewis Dunk and Maty Ryan, is currently the bloke on the planet who I am most pleased for when things go well...).

Hopefully next time we find ourselves pushed back and desperately holding onto a lead at the end of a match fewer people will come on here saying that Chris Hughton somehow always choses that scenario as a deliberate tactic.

He doesn't. He tries to balance defence and attack in the most rational way possible that gives us the best chance of winning the game. It didn't work out for us on Sunday but we were doing exactly the right thing in showing some ambition to score a decisive second goal, or at least keep Everton with something to worry about at the back, as the way the match was going that was our best chance of winning. On another occasion we will be forced back by more dangerous attacks and our best chance in that situation will be to respond to the imminent threat by defending our goal as the number one priority.

 

[BensGrandad]

My only concern was that our players didnt play keep ball and just play he time out. Hit and hope long balls invariably give the opponents possession which allows them to attack keeping possession even if in negative areas like out wide outside of their box not only in the corners stops that. Even if you take a corner it is likely the keeper will gather it and launch an attack so any long ball into their box presents a problem unless of course you score or put it well wide for a goal kick.

 

[Moshe Gariani]

My only concern was that our players didnt play keep ball and just play he time out. Hit and hope long balls invariably give the opponents possession which allows them to attack keeping possession even if in negative areas like out wide outside of their box not only in the corners stops that. Even if you take a corner it is likely the keeper will gather it and launch an attack so any long ball into their box presents a problem unless of course you score or put it well wide for a goal kick.

This is fair comment. Even with Dunk and Duffy to attack them the % return from long corners is very low and 1-0 up at 88 minutes the option to try and spend a minute or two running down time in that quarter of the pitch, with majority of our defensive lines nicely in place, was much better.

The thrust of the OP was, however, that had we done exactly this as part of a more defence minded tactic overall then many at the ground and on here would have been bedwetting about Hughton's so-called negativity...

 

[London Irish]

Will you be applying for his job?..Or maybe its a clever post

Fans are allowed to discuss a manager's decisions. Would be a pretty boring messageboard if we couldn't