Just got home - post-match thoughts on Huddersfield

[RM-Taylor]

Just got home so here's my thoughts.

Huddersfield were excellent, that's the best performance I've seen against us in a long time, big credit to them. Looking at things through an Albion point of view, it was fairly obvious when the team news came out and Stephens was missing that we were going to lose, we never play well when he is missing, shows how important and such a key player for us. I think CH made he the wrong decision here by choosing Norwood over Sidwell, can understand why with ON playing against a former team and wanting to impress but he wasn't in the game at all.

I don't want to be harsh on players but Bruno effectively took himself out of the game with no less than 15 seconds gone picking up a very stupid yellow card for a very stupid challenge, not the sort of thing you expect from your captain. Knockaert tonight was absolutely awful, I know how much of a key player he is but he doesn't seem to produce the same performances away from home, he was good against Birmingham and brilliant at Wednesday but barring those two games he's been fairly rubbish away from home. I think that March should be starting on the right side in the next couple of away games.

Finally Sam Baldock, how much do we miss him and the runs he makes pulling opposition defenders away so Murray or the wingers can find space. We really need him back. Akpom looked fairly alright for the minutes he came on, looked a bit raw and up for it, I'm hopeful he can get a couple of goals here and there.

Credit to the Huddersfield fans to our right, brilliant all game. Referee also had a good game and got every decision right, at the game it looked harsh on Dunk but my dad phoned me afterwards and said he left his leg in and was a yellow card challenge even though he won the ball.

We move on to Brentford on Sunday, one game at a time.

 

[RM-Taylor]

Oh and Huddersfield - please beat Leeds on Sunday, we don't want too many teams catching us up!

 

[RM-Taylor]

Also Sidwell looked alright playing at right-back, looked better than when Goldson has been playing there,

 

[Machiavelli]

Spot on OP. The only thing I might quibble with is that I think CH should have changed things around, and played Norwood, Sidwell and Kayal in a midfield three. I say this in hindsight, but I think we need to be a bit cuter when we're missing key players (Stephens, and perhaps even Baldock, in this case), and the opposition have a distinctive style of play.
I am aware that the 4-4-2ers on here are going to shout me down, but if they really think that's the answer to every question then so be it.

 

[One Teddy Maybank]

Spot on OP. The only thing I might quibble with is that I think CH should have changed things around, and played Norwood, Sidwell and Kayal in a midfield three. I say this in hindsight, but I think we need to be a bit cuter when we're missing key players (Stephens, and perhaps even Baldock, in this case), and the opposition have a distinctive style of play.
I am aware that the 4-4-2ers on here are going to shout me down, but if they really think that's the answer to every question then so be it.

Definitely, against high pressing teams or 4-2-3-1, we HAVE to match up and go 4-5-1. Whether that's with Towell//Sidwell who can bomb on or Norwood is the debate for me. Personally I think Sidwell.


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[leo.eyles]

Murray and Hemed together doesn't work.

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[MattBackHome]

Spot on OP. The only thing I might quibble with is that I think CH should have changed things around, and played Norwood, Sidwell and Kayal in a midfield three. I say this in hindsight, but I think we need to be a bit cuter when we're missing key players (Stephens, and perhaps even Baldock, in this case), and the opposition have a distinctive style of play.
I am aware that the 4-4-2ers on here are going to shout me down, but if they really think that's the answer to every question then so be it.

I agree completely.

 

[Giraffe]

Murray and Hemed together doesn't work.

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Generally agree, but it did work for 30 minutes at Fulham and at Birmingham.

Last night was more about the midfield and general poor level of performance than the front two.

 

[SeagullRic]

Spot on OP. The only thing I might quibble with is that I think CH should have changed things around, and played Norwood, Sidwell and Kayal in a midfield three. I say this in hindsight, but I think we need to be a bit cuter when we're missing key players (Stephens, and perhaps even Baldock, in this case), and the opposition have a distinctive style of play.
I am aware that the 4-4-2ers on here are going to shout me down, but if they really think that's the answer to every question then so be it.

Completely agree, surprised Hughton didn't change it 20 minutes in when we were getting completely overrun. Brown had so much space every single time in between the lines, and Stephens and Norwood couldn't get near him or Mooy in particular.

Assumed he was going to sure things up at half time but i wonder whether that third on the stroke of half time persuaded him to stay 4-4-2.

 

[Stat Brother]

Last night was more about the midfield and general poor level of performance.

Last night was more about the midfield and general high level of performance from Huddersfield.

 

[neilbard]

Murray and Hemed together doesn't work.

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Agree with that Norwood and Kayal doesn't work either, not wishing to take anything away from our strikers but wouldn't it be a breathe of fresh air to have one that could hold the ball up consistently?

 

[Hotchilidog]

Spot on OP. The only thing I might quibble with is that I think CH should have changed things around, and played Norwood, Sidwell and Kayal in a midfield three. I say this in hindsight, but I think we need to be a bit cuter when we're missing key players (Stephens, and perhaps even Baldock, in this case), and the opposition have a distinctive style of play.
I am aware that the 4-4-2ers on here are going to shout me down, but if they really think that's the answer to every question then so be it.

I am very much in the 442 camp, but on this occasion you are right. We were outnumbered and overrun in midfield and 451 may well have helped slow down the marauding Huddersfield attacks, we just could not get hold of the ball at all.

 

[Albion in the north]

Think we just got it tactically wrong from the start. No real bite in midfield with Kayal obviously struggling. We needed someone to get stuck in to them. Norwood, Murphy and Knocky provide a lot of creativity but not so much in the hard tackles department. Especially with Knocky having an off day.
There was a little spell, after our goal, in the first half when we did take it to them and they looked beatable. But it was barely 5 minutes.
They are where they are in the league because their tactics wont work in every game but it did against us.
On to the next game.
We're Brighton and Hove Albion, We're top of the league

 

[Icy Gull]

A result like that has been coming a while. We have been comprehensively outplayed on a number of occasions for half an hour or so but then managed to score whilst the opposition fluffed chance after chance. Last night Huddersfield had a bit of luck but never took their foot off the gas.

Be interesting to see how we recover, we have had the rub of the green for most of the season, we didn't have it last night

 

[Machiavelli]

Completely agree, surprised Hughton didn't change it 20 minutes in when we were getting completely overrun. Brown had so much space every single time in between the lines, and Stephens and Norwood couldn't get near him or Mooy in particular.

Assumed he was going to sure things up at half time but i wonder whether that third on the stroke of half time persuaded him to stay 4-4-2.

Brown and Mooy were outstanding. If we get promoted, we could do a lot worse than getting them on season-long loans or, even better, buying them.

 

[Machiavelli]

I am very much in the 442 camp, but on this occasion you are right. We were outnumbered and overrun in midfield and 451 may well have helped slow down the marauding Huddersfield attacks, we just could not get hold of the ball at all.

I think there's little arguing against 442 and the role it's played in our revival, but we don't play it all the time within a game -- the most usual departure is going to 451 to see out a game in the last 15/20 minutes. I do think that we might need to be more adaptable between games -- as you've acknowledged about last night. 442 is working well in this league, I remain to be convinced of its potency at higher levels though.

 

[Triggaaar]

Oh and Huddersfield - please beat Leeds on Sunday, we don't want too many teams catching us up!

They'd go above Leeds with a game in hand. Surely we want a draw?

 

[Justice]

Stephens kept Mooy fairly quiet at the Amex big blow for us that he didn't play last night.

 

[papajaff]

Yep definitely a draw we want. Both sides dropping points.

Great OP by the way, very much agree.

 

[Left Footer]

They were very good and we were very bad.
Let`s hope the players aren`t feeling as sorry for themselves as we are.