INIGO CALDERON insisted it was not just about the result after helping Albion salvage a point at home to Reading.
The afternoon was about the players showing they have the character to retrieve a seemingly lost cause.
It was about sending out a message to the supporters that the players have the heart to fight every step of the way for their Championship lives.
And it was about showing some support for departed manager Sami Hyypia.
A tough week for the Seagulls ended on an upbeat note when skipper Calderon completed a comeback from two goals down with a 90th-minute equaliser at the Amex.
While the wider world has been in wind down mode for festive period, it has been a week of upheaval for Albion.
It began with Hyypia tendering his resignation on Monday after a run of just one win in 18 Championship games.
Chairman Tony Bloom flew back from Australia to deal with the situation and promptly dismissed David Burke, the head of football operations who oversaw the poor summer recruitment which has been blamed for Albion’s current predicament.
It then emerged that under-21s boss Simon Ireland was also leaving to take up a role with Queens Park Rangers.
Nathan Jones was placed in caretaker charge for the first home Boxing Day game at the Amex and within 38 seconds the Seagulls were trailing 1-0 to a team themselves out of form and without several players through injury.
Taking all that into account, a point from 2-0 down and on the ropes has to be taken as a positive.
It will not appease those for whom a new manager cannot come quick enough, particularly with Albion slipping to second from bottom in the table after Wigan’s win at Leeds.
But Calderon, skipper again in the continued absence of Gordon Greer, was happy enough in the end.
He told The Argus: “It was a good point in the end and I think we would have taken it at half-time.
“It wasn’t the best start. When you are trying to do something and you get done in the first minute, it is really bad. After we conceded a second one and it was a nightmare.
“We tried to keep going. It is not easy when you are in that situation, when you are in the bottom three and you concede two goals. We fought. We didn’t play brilliant but we got one point.”
Albion’s character shone through in a good second half performance, culminating in the late equaliser.
But the long-serving Calderon does not feel that has been a problem during their troubled season to date.
He said: “The character is there, it was not just today. We are maybe lacking the last pass or whatever but I think the character has been there. There is no change in that.
“Players always do the best they can, we run, we fight. We had to run so much to get one point but that is the way it is at the moment so we will have to keep doing it.
“It is not easy when a manager leaves. It is always bad. We wanted to do something for him, try to keep working and try to keep going like he did to the last moment. I think we did.
“It was a little bit of a strange week but these things happen.”
Calderon knows Albion have work to do to get themselves out of trouble.
But he hopes the supporters will stay onside.
He added: “We need to improve because we didn’t do well for the first half hour. We did well to get something back from the game.
“That point was not just about the point, it is about showing your feelings. It doesn’t matter what happens in a game we know we can get something from it.”
Original article
The afternoon was about the players showing they have the character to retrieve a seemingly lost cause.
It was about sending out a message to the supporters that the players have the heart to fight every step of the way for their Championship lives.
And it was about showing some support for departed manager Sami Hyypia.
A tough week for the Seagulls ended on an upbeat note when skipper Calderon completed a comeback from two goals down with a 90th-minute equaliser at the Amex.
While the wider world has been in wind down mode for festive period, it has been a week of upheaval for Albion.
It began with Hyypia tendering his resignation on Monday after a run of just one win in 18 Championship games.
Chairman Tony Bloom flew back from Australia to deal with the situation and promptly dismissed David Burke, the head of football operations who oversaw the poor summer recruitment which has been blamed for Albion’s current predicament.
It then emerged that under-21s boss Simon Ireland was also leaving to take up a role with Queens Park Rangers.
Nathan Jones was placed in caretaker charge for the first home Boxing Day game at the Amex and within 38 seconds the Seagulls were trailing 1-0 to a team themselves out of form and without several players through injury.
Taking all that into account, a point from 2-0 down and on the ropes has to be taken as a positive.
It will not appease those for whom a new manager cannot come quick enough, particularly with Albion slipping to second from bottom in the table after Wigan’s win at Leeds.
But Calderon, skipper again in the continued absence of Gordon Greer, was happy enough in the end.
He told The Argus: “It was a good point in the end and I think we would have taken it at half-time.
“It wasn’t the best start. When you are trying to do something and you get done in the first minute, it is really bad. After we conceded a second one and it was a nightmare.
“We tried to keep going. It is not easy when you are in that situation, when you are in the bottom three and you concede two goals. We fought. We didn’t play brilliant but we got one point.”
Albion’s character shone through in a good second half performance, culminating in the late equaliser.
But the long-serving Calderon does not feel that has been a problem during their troubled season to date.
He said: “The character is there, it was not just today. We are maybe lacking the last pass or whatever but I think the character has been there. There is no change in that.
“Players always do the best they can, we run, we fight. We had to run so much to get one point but that is the way it is at the moment so we will have to keep doing it.
“It is not easy when a manager leaves. It is always bad. We wanted to do something for him, try to keep working and try to keep going like he did to the last moment. I think we did.
“It was a little bit of a strange week but these things happen.”
Calderon knows Albion have work to do to get themselves out of trouble.
But he hopes the supporters will stay onside.
He added: “We need to improve because we didn’t do well for the first half hour. We did well to get something back from the game.
“That point was not just about the point, it is about showing your feelings. It doesn’t matter what happens in a game we know we can get something from it.”
- Updated: Albion closing in on a new manager
- Robinson distances himself from Albion job
- Video: Albion v Reading match highlights
- Warnock sacking could have knock-on effect for Albion
- Calderon: Result shows Albion are still full of fight
Original article