Other than the obvious problem of a lack of fire power, where can we improve?

[Weststander]

I get the impression that we are going to end up asking too much of our defenders until the next transfer window. By then a lot of people will be moaning about mistakes. It will boil down to the summer window not being as successful as we hoped (up front) which is such a shame

Are you permitted to say that?

 

[Hyperion]

Are you permitted to say that?

It is just an opinion. I can't blame any player tonight. Hughton has his hands tied to an extent.

 

[crookie]

The game was won until we failed to track a midfield player's run into the area, then left Defoe - Defoe! - unmarked. Three potentially precious points tossed casually away through the most basic of defensive errors. Hughton must be fuming.

Totally agree, just glad the windows and TV screen are still intact in my lounge !! Bitterly frustrated, had done so much of the hard work, both Bmuff goals, very avoidable

 

[Don Tmatter]

Need a midfielder to break forward in support of Hemed/Murray when attacking.

 

[bWize]

The game was won until we failed to track a midfield player's run into the area, then left Defoe - Defoe! - unmarked. Three potentially precious points tossed casually away through the most basic of defensive errors. Hughton must be fuming.

Not sure you could say the back heel was a "basic error" that lead to their first goal - It was a clever piece of play to be fair.

 

[Hyperion]

This is the point of the thread. It's easy to blame individual mistakes game in game out but we put too much pressure on players that were excellent last season because we have little to hurt teams with or try to control games with at this level

 

[Weststander]

Need a midfielder to break forward in support of Hemed/Murray when attacking.

Skalak?

 

[Weststander]

This is the point of the thread. It's easy to blame individual mistakes game in game out but we put too much pressure on players that were excellent last season because we have little to hurt teams with or try to control games with at this level

Exactly.

Offer little up front at this level and when opponents take the lead, it's game over.

 

[perseus]

Need a midfielder to break forward in support of Hemed/Murray when attacking.

I envisaged a left-sided defensive midfielder allowing Dale Stephens to go forward. Thomas Delaney fitted the bill (on paper). Davy Pröpper will just have to do.

I think we have technically good enough players, just possibly not quick enough. It they were quicker I think they might be ahead of our budget.

 

[Hyperion]

Exactly.

Offer little up front at this level and when opponents take the lead, it's game over.

In many cases yes. I think I am going to see a whole season of people blaming individuals or individual incidents but if we as a club don't pose threats to an opposing team then they have nothing to fear testing us. It's a real shame how we couldn't find those few extra players this summer

 

[Not Andy Naylor]

Not sure you could say the back heel was a "basic error" that lead to their first goal - It was a clever piece of play to be fair.

I'm not sure I did. I said that the man who ran into the box to collect it wasn't tracked.

 

[Sussex Nomad]

Matty Ryan - Doing just fine
Bruno - Doing just fine
Liam Rosenior - Doing just fine
Lewis Dunk - Rock - Prem and International quality
Shane Duffy - A master in the penalty box, loses his head past the 18 yard line but still doing fine
Suttner - Jury out with me
Knocky - Prem quality
Stephens - Getting better by the game
Propper - Out of position I feel, but a good player in the making
March - Prem quality
Gross - I find this difficult, he did exceptional v WBA and covers a lot of ground, he is doing just fine, but for some reason I expect more, I have no idea why?
Hemed - Love him but not Prem quality
Murray - Has looked disinterested, hope I'm wrong.
Izquierdo - Not seen enough
Izzy Brown - Not seen enough

Can't remember who else has played, but if I was tempted into a team out of 10 at the moment I would give us a solid 7.

 

[Seagulltonian]

I'd say tactics!!
Tonight the negative tactics crept in when we got the lead, and it was like last season, lets defend a lead! And we know how good we are at that!
After we scored, Bournemouth were very much on the back foot, and a second goal for us, would, in my opinion, wrapped the game up. They wouldn't have come back from 2 nil down!
There was a lot of backwards passing tonight as well, in the first half, with players facing the ball when they received it! And when you're facing backwards, you're only going to go one way!
In this division you also have to break quickly on the counter-attack, and there were times when we did, and the momentum stopped, and went backwards, from positions that were very advanced indeed!
We all know the manager is pretty defensive!
Well, Mr Manager, we now have to go on the offensive, and live by the mantra "We're gonna score one more goal than you!" And that will definitely give us a chance of mid-table mediocrity!

 

[theyellowdinosaur]

Honestly i cannot understand tonight? Especially after the performance we put in saturday, the boys need to realise that they are good enough for this league and they deserve to be where we are, we went 1-0 up and then just flopped it completely, tonight was about who could take their chances and we took ours then let bournemouth score near identical goals, we need to learn how to see games out and that is the main difference between this league and the prem (last season if we went 1 up it was almost a guaranteed win), whats annoying is we haven't been really outplayed this season yet we've lost 3, time for us to see games like this out and if we do that we will be fine come the end of the season, we are a better side than a lot of the teams around us we just need to get a winning run going

 

[bWize]

I'm not sure I did. I said that the man who ran into the box to collect it wasn't tracked.

OK apologies if that isn't what you meant. Personally I think their 2 goals could have easily been scored against most teams in the PL. They were clever goals and it takes a fair bit of clever thinking to 'out-do' our current defense. The defense is the last area you should be looking at. It's our strongest asset (generally bullet proof) and a possible saving grace until January. Certainly not the area of the team I would be picking holes in.

 

[mreprice]

Not sure we can do a lot more which is a worry as you would think we need to stay above Bournemouth to stay up.
Only thing would be to be a bit more positive around the middle of the park. There were five or six occasions when a man was breaking sideways and could be put through with a little effort but we played the very simple ball backwards.
Also could have a better right back than today.
Not leaving Defoe free in the box might be an idea too - hard to concentrate for the full 95 minutes but mistakes will be punished.

 

[brightn'ove]

Two away games against weaker teams; both games had team's at our mercy; both games failed to capitalise. In short, it's going to be a tough relegation battle.

Weaker teams? Really?

 

[perseus]

Game plan went a little haywire when Pacal Groß got injured and all the replacement central midfielders are out injured, i.e. Kayal and Sidwell. At that moment Brighton lost control of the game. Margins are so small.

Playing deep the first half without pressing, and press the second half after Bournemouth had tired themselves out trying to work an opening is fair enough. 50% negative only. Defenders have got to keep their concentration though. Man City, WBA and now Bournemouth have now scored running at the heart of our defence as they tire.

 

[Albion my Albion]

We must stop packing it in after getting a goal advantage. It has turned into one or two oppo goals each time.

 

[GloryDays]

Stop moaning at the players we have and get behind them!

I think the problem was how easily people got behind them. Especially once Ibe came on.