[Albion] Most improved player so far this season?

[A1X]

Caicedo, doing wonders for out league position IMHO

 

[maltaseagull]

Yeah, agree with all this.

A bit off the thread topic now but I am beginning to wonder though whether Ferguson’s style at the moment is working at Brighton - for him or us? He is no doubt a very talented no 9 and on a trajectory to be a world class striker (despite a low goal scoring performance this season) but RDZ is not really setting up around a number 9 to head our attacking play is he? The comments then in the Irish Twitter post provokes more questions for me because they seem to assume that Fergie is a certain type of striker and we are a certain type of team. RDZ relies heavily on attacking FBs, inverted wingers, No 10s (and false 9s at times) which gives us a very broad goal-scoring distribution so we don’t really have that emphasis on a traditional striker-led attacking style of play - ie where the striker is more forward than anyone else in the field and relies on service from the midfield coming up behind him. Yet Fergie seems to be exactly that kind of traditional striker. It seems to me that last season Caicedo and Mackie were very adept at getting the ball forward much quicker and much more directly in attacking transitions without losing possession or going all round the houses multiple times - has our 2023/4 defensive and central midfield set up made it much harder for Fergie to get service? When I compared him with Welbz yesterday, Danny was picking up the ball much deeper and dribbling it forward for longer distances. Could Fergie benefit from engaging much sooner when we initiate attacking sequences?

Be genuinely interested to know if anyone has seen improvements in his play in any other areas this season (setting aside the lack of goals) - is he tackling better? Playing deeper to pick up balls earlier?

I am not sure what is wrong but he does seem a bit lost these days.

 

[Mellotron]

Ferguson is young, is a finisher but he isn't getting too many opportunities to score. Obviously RDZ wants more from him but for the most part it's a team problem recently in terms of chance creation, not a player one.

I would argue that's partly down to him though. We've recently scored 5 goals twice and 4 goals, in our last few games.

Last season when he got the ball he would often us quick feet to make himself some space and get a snapshot off. He isn't doing that season, and seems to be hiding a little at points. I think he will come good again, one of those "just needs a goal" situations.

 

[Bold Seagull]

Ferguson is young, is a finisher but he isn't getting too many opportunities to score. Obviously RDZ wants more from him but for the most part it's a team problem recently in terms of chance creation, not a player one.

I think Ferguson is improving, but for most 19 year olds they don't have opposition teams making specific plans for them. They usually have a bit of time to develop the tools to deal with defensive plans against them.

Evan's had such an impact that opposition players are on his touch and backing up the player challenging him, so even if Evan manages to evade the first, he's covered by a second - not many teenagers have to deal with that.

I think he is improving, all be it it may appear he's taken a step backward, I just think teams have stepped up plans against him rather than him not improving.

 

[Taybha]

Hinshelwood for me, whatever happens until the end of the season he did enough already to go from virtually a regular U21 to the first team as emergency cover for Joel to nailing the spot down,gutted about the injury but football is a dangerous sport as you now all know.

 

[trueblue]

It annoys me how each youngster that has come in has been written off as ’not good enough for English football’. It happened with Biss, Mac, Ceicado, Enciso and Bounanotte. You’d have thought we would have learnt by now.

In my case, certainly wasn't what I thought about the others. Bissouma was probably at about the same stage as Baleba, Mac was tidy, Caicedo made an immediate impact and Enciso just looked raw and over-ambitious with his shooting but a handful. By contrast, it was hard to see what Buonanotte offered on the wing - all seemed to have come a bit too soon for him and he couldn't affect the game: quite lightweight, didn't really have the attributes for that position and looked like he probably needed a spell on loan before he'd be ready. Might well have had one too if wasn't for all the injuries. It's good that he's seized the opportunity.

 

[One Love]

Danny Welbeck. From very much a rotation player last season to our best striker.

Think that's more about Evan struggling to find last year's form rather than Danny improving.

3 goals and 1 assist

 

[Arthur]

Sorry stand by it, attended the games and he was dreadful, in the same way he was superb vs Haaland.

As for Blackburn as you say lower level.

For me the most improved

Agree with this. He seemed to have two modes last season absolutely brilliant or an absolute shambles. This season he has been Mr Consistent and those silly mistakes he was making seem to be a thing of the past. Contender for not just most improved but also player of the season IMO.

Not really sure it counts as improvement but if Lamptey continues playing the way he is at the moment then he close to being back to the exciting player he was a couple of years back.

 

[ClemFandango]

Lamptey’s goal-line clearance on Saturday was best I’ve ever seen, thought it had gone in from my view in the North

 

[hans kraay fan club]

Lamptey’s goal-line clearance on Saturday was best I’ve ever seen, thought it had gone in from my view in the North

Brilliant anticipation AND brilliant athleticism.

 

[Hovegull]

Van Hecke has been like a different player, would be a poorer line up without him.

 

[Beanstalk]

Most improved since last season is absolutely Van Hecke. He had one good game last season (City at home vs Haaland bizarrely) and looked like he was destined to drift away from the club. He played 2 full 90s, one of which was the horror show away at Newcastle. Wasn't even really trusted to play in the cup competitions. In the summer it looked like we'd sign a replacement for Colwill and he'd sit at best, as our 4th choice centre-back.

Saturday was his 16th Premier League full 90 in a row. Since the November 4th he's missed 1 game due to suspension (yellow card accumulation vs AEK away in the EL). Hasn't missed a single minute since then in any competition. He's been sensational and by far the biggest turnaround we've seen under RDZ.

Special mentions for Facu who's looking transformed from the start of the season, and Billy Gilmour who played well at the tail end of last season but has really stepped up this year. No one has had an improvement like JPVH though.

 

[chickens]

For me it’s between JPvH and Buanonotte. Or Hinshelwood. Or Gilmour.

Or perhaps Joao Pedro.

As others have already pointed out, Ferguson on the face of it looks like he’s gone backwards, but I do think the downside of his goals and having everyone singing his praises last season is that opposition coaches have bothered to work out how to make life difficult for him. He seems to have his head screwed on, and I don’t doubt he’ll keep working to improve, it’s just going to take some patience on our side as he works out how he can contribute effectively when he’s not being given much time or space.

 

[HastingsSeagull]

JPVH for me. Become much more consistent and amazed he's not the one big clubs are constantly being linked to.

Can understand those saying Buanonotte but he's mainly being played in his prefered position more which is a chunk (not all) of the improvement.

 

[dazzer6666]

I think Ferguson is improving, but for most 19 year olds they don't have opposition teams making specific plans for them. They usually have a bit of time to develop the tools to deal with defensive plans against them.

Evan's had such an impact that opposition players are on his touch and backing up the player challenging him, so even if Evan manages to evade the first, he's covered by a second - not many teenagers have to deal with that.

I think he is improving, all be it it may appear he's taken a step backward, I just think teams have stepped up plans against him rather than him not improving.

This is worth a read…..

Evan Ferguson is suffering from a Brighton goal drought - but it's not entirely his fault

Evan Ferguson has not scored in his last 16 appearances for Brighton — he has one goal since signing a new six-year contract

theathletic.com