It's odd because Veltman got injured for one game and then hasn't featured since. I think we are just about ok on the right side of defence, but am worried that Pervis is the only specialist left sided defender we have. If we play 4 at the back, we are under strength there
March is actually OK at LWB. Did fine there and with his barn door Billy tribute act whenever he gets within 8 yards of opposition goal..... maybe LWB is safer for him and those on the back rows of the N&S stands.
Agree, although RdZ clearly likes to use him as an inverted winger. The point still stands that he isn't a specialist left back in a 4
Nor has Sanchez
Seriously though, Brighton’s inability to finish has been done ad nauseam as has the fact Solly is not a goal scorer but he makes up for it in technical skills in other areas of the pitch otherwise managers would not be playing him. Solly has always seemed a grafter to me, he’s great team player (like how he worked with Lamptey and Lallana last night for example) and gets on the pace when it matters to drive our play forward. There’s a reason that managers put Solly in imo, he is a generally consistent and reliable ‘bread & butter’ team member. Last night chances were created and not converted not just by Solly but Tross (who we should rightly have be expecting to convert), Gilmour and even Dunk as well as others all had missed opportunities - probably 16 or 17 all together, so not all Solly’s! - at one point, (Undev’s?) cross goal ball in from the right passed at least 3 Brighton players within a few metres of the goal line all of whom were in good position to get a tap in.
I unfortunately didn’t see the shoot out as my stream went down but without Mackie and Welbeck, it was going to be quite a weak line anyway. With the disruption of the WC, training in Dubai and it being a knockout cup match, the context wasn’t great but it does show that the depth of the squad is still not there that we can absorb these external issues, including injury and concurrent campaign matches. Hopefully, the performance last night will be a stinging reminder for the lads to get their heads back in the game in time for Boxing Day.
Are expectations that low we have to suffer watching an attacking player miss every scoring opportunity that comes his way because he’s half decent at defensive work? Imagine if we signed a player in the same position that scored 8-10 a season and was also handy at defending. A fit Jose springs to mind for an example, unfortunately injuries ruined him.Nor has Sanchez
Seriously though, Brighton’s inability to finish has been done ad nauseam as has the fact Solly is not a goal scorer but he makes up for it in technical skills in other areas of the pitch otherwise managers would not be playing him. Solly has always seemed a grafter to me, he’s great team player (like how he worked with Lamptey and Lallana last night for example) and gets on the pace when it matters to drive our play forward. There’s a reason that managers put Solly in imo, he is a generally consistent and reliable ‘bread & butter’ team member. Last night chances were created and not converted not just by Solly but Tross (who we should rightly have be expecting to convert), Gilmour and even Dunk as well as others all had missed opportunities - probably 16 or 17 all together, so not all Solly’s! - at one point, (Undev’s?) cross goal ball in from the right passed at least 3 Brighton players within a few metres of the goal line all of whom were in good position to get a tap in.
I unfortunately didn’t see the shoot out as my stream went down but without Mackie and Welbeck, it was going to be quite a weak line anyway. With the disruption of the WC, training in Dubai and it being a knockout cup match, the context wasn’t great but it does show that the depth of the squad is still not there that we can absorb these external issues, including injury and concurrent campaign matches. Hopefully, the performance last night will be a stinging reminder for the lads to get their heads back in the game in time for Boxing Day.
Undav was a bizarre signing £8m for a player who was part time a couple of years ago. A punt of £1m would have been more apt. Probably some Union deal to get finance into the club.
26 goals in the Belgian league.. more than for example Mitrovic managed to do.
Yes and the big but here is this; Mitrovic is a grade A nut case, something he takes on the pitch - he’s one scary, physically intimidating mother blaster from hell.. he must be (and always was) a total nightmare to face, as coupled with his general insanity is a modicum of pumped up ability, which puts him the rare category of a player who’s greater than the sum of his parts.
I get the frustration but when you have attacking midfielders and forwards all of whom should be scoring more goals, I wonder if some of that frustration is being misdirected? Cucurella often played at LWB at Brighton (personally I liked him better playing in that position than CB because he played both high and deep so was a great passing attack player for us as LWB and his accuracy of crosses in to the box was sublime at times - (Chelsea has sadly clipped his wings imo). He scored one goal all season but was invaluable. I think it’s just a little harsh to vent so much on one player - if we are not scoring enough goals, it’s a team issue but if there was any hypothetical constructive criticism for March, I might offer, it may be ‘don’t try so hard to score goals, focus on the assists and passing the ball to those than have a better chance of getting the damn thing in the net’.
This is a valid point in RDZ’s other successful sides the wingers have scored largish numbers. I will be interested to see where we are after the summer window.
oh … and Solly did score us into the PL over Wigan Athletic so he at least deserves an ex-officio place on the team
He actually didn’t Derby’s result had to go the right way to seal promotion.oh … and Solly did score us into the PL over Wigan Athletic so he at least deserves an ex-officio place on the team
But if we had lost, would Derby’s result have made any difference on the day, we wouldn’t have got a ‘mathematical’ promotion that day would we ? (I know we still had 3 games to play if I remember but don’t remember who they were (or Huddersfield’s) or the results in the end.)
Hughton picked him, Potter picked him, and now Roberto is picking him.
Could have done with Tomer on Wednesday...
