[Albion] Brighton & Hove Albion vs Wolverhampton Wanderers *** Official Match Thread ***

[Mellotron]

I think we're interpreting the 'point gained or 2 dropped' question differently. Is it supposed to be based on who were playing (that's what I thought it meant) or is it based on how the game played out and who deserved to win (which I think is your interpretation).

I always assumed it was the latter, and based on how the game played out.

 

[Triggaaar]

I always assumed it was the latter, and based on how the game played out.

I think I'm getting confused, as sometimes I feel its a point gained if we come back from 2 down, and 2 lost if we let go of a 2 goal lead, regardless of opposition.

But if yesterday had been away to City, I'd definitely be thinking it was a point gained. Maybe it's a bit of both (opposition plus how the game played out)

 

[Psychobilly freakout]

We're not going to break this lot down, are we?*

Nope

 

[Mellotron]

I think I'm getting confused, as sometimes I feel its a point gained if we come back from 2 down, and 2 lost if we let go of a 2 goal lead, regardless of opposition.

But if yesterday had been away to City, I'd definitely be thinking it was a point gained. Maybe it's a bit of both (opposition plus how the game played out)

Yeah maybe you're right, it can be both.

What we feel we should get from the game prior to it starting, and then how the game plays out and whether the end result feels appropriate or "fair".

 

[Berty23]

I am pretty staggered by the negativity on here. We were decent enough but lacked wingers. Wolves did well. They had won three prem games on the bounce. To be 7th when we have been hit so hard with injuries (not many had close to us) is amazing. Plus they are all a similar player rather than one from each position.

Missing mitoma, March, Adingra, Enciso and Fati is very unlucky. If any of those players were fit then they would have played. That is like Arsenal losing Saka, martinelli, trossard, Nelson and one more. How would they look? Or Liverpool losing salah, jota, Nunez (playing wide) Diaz, Elliot etc.

We can’t afford to have a load of quality wingers who won’t play.

In cup fourth round.
7th in the league
Last 16 Europa.

All with so many injuries.

To say it again. Wolves are good - they turned over City and our XG was almost twice as high as city managed.

 

[Milano]

Wolves were an outside bet for relegation at the start of the season so O'Neill has done very well but I'm fed up with listening and reading today about how well Wolves did and how much they've closed the gap on us, blah, blah. Once you don't just put 10 men behind the ball for 75 minutes and are not happy with 28% of possession then we can talk about parity.

 

[Littlemo]

Wolves were an outside bet for relegation at the start of the season so O'Neill has done very well but I'm fed up with listening and reading today about how well Wolves did and how much they've closed the gap on us, blah, blah. Once you don't just put 10 men behind the ball for 75 minutes and are not happy with 28% of possession then we can talk about parity.

Agree with this. They defended well but they weren’t that good going forward, we pretty much had all the possession and controlled the game, which in itself isn’t enough I know, but it’s doesn’t make Wolves good. Is drawing 0-0 with us is their idea of good? well their great play last night is a bit exaggerated.

 

[um bongo molongo]

Another substitution that seemed pointless was Ferguson. He is a shadow of the player who got a hatrick back in September.

I don’t think it’s any coincidence that his loss of form has coincided with a loss of wingers

 

[um bongo molongo]

I think they allowed us to play through the middle, knowing we had no pace out wide. Then we were reduced to playing slide rule passes to get through their block. As often as not, it broke down at that point 25 to 30 yards out.
I think Pedro was more guilty of playing the wrong pass at that point.

That’s pretty much exactly what O’Neil said in interview after the game. Was a very deliberate tactic. And the best answer RDZ had available was to try Lamptey as a winger, which didn’t work. Hence his frustration.

 

[hans kraay fan club]

I am pretty staggered by the negativity on here. We were decent enough but lacked wingers. Wolves did well. They had won three prem games on the bounce. To be 7th when we have been hit so hard with injuries (not many had close to us) is amazing. Plus they are all a similar player rather than one from each position.

Missing mitoma, March, Adingra, Enciso and Fati is very unlucky. If any of those players were fit then they would have played. That is like Arsenal losing Saka, martinelli, trossard, Nelson and one more. How would they look? Or Liverpool losing salah, jota, Nunez (playing wide) Diaz, Elliot etc.

We can’t afford to have a load of quality wingers who won’t play.

In cup fourth round.
7th in the league
Last 16 Europa.

All with so many injuries.

To say it again. Wolves are good - they turned over City and our XG was almost twice as high as city managed.

I agree with everything you've written, but just wanted to highlight this bit.

It is the bit that so many people seem to ignore when assessing a game - that there are TWO teams involved, and it is possible that not getting the desired result is down to what they do right, as much as / more than what we do wrong.

Wolves were an outside bet for relegation at the start of the season so O'Neill has done very well but I'm fed up with listening and reading today about how well Wolves did and how much they've closed the gap on us, blah, blah. Once you don't just put 10 men behind the ball for 75 minutes and are not happy with 28% of possession then we can talk about parity.

If you want to look at it entirely objectively, they are THREE points behind us. They have closed the gap, whether you wish to acknowledge it or not.

The subjective stuff is just that - nobody can question your opinion on what does or does not constitute good football - but his job (especially away) is to set his team up to get the best results he can, with the resources available. His job is not to tell his team to leave themselves wide open, just so we can pick them apart then patronise them afterwards for their attacking style (like Guardiola loves to do to us).

My own subjective opinion is that they actually DID play some very good football, albeit on the break from a deep lying base. They didn't break out of that low block by hoofing it long and chasing it (like Everton or West Ham) - but rather did so quickly, in numbers, with clever interplay.

 

[Triggaaar]

What we feel we should get from the game prior to it starting, and then how the game plays out and whether the end result feels appropriate or "fair".

Makes sense - Bozza should make an executive decision and explain it next time he starts a poll

 

[Oh_aye]

It was definitely a 3. Webster, Dunk and JPvH, with Hinsh and Milner pushing on. GAPING spaces in behind us, just waiting to be exploited. Neto just hung around near the halfway line, so as soon as our super slow-mo attacks broke down, a simple ball down the line and its a 1 on 1 with a frantically backpeddling Webster. We got away with it more through luck than judgement, but I wouldn't blame Webster for that. He wasn't clumsy, he was just left exposed.

It was our chronic lack of pace last night that was killing us. We had absolutely no outlet.

Yes. And indo agree with your earlier point. Its not the first time Robs made a number of changes and the result is us looking much worse. I appreciate he's working with a limited deck. With hindsight I wonder whether Baleba (was he on the bench) into the middle and Gross to left back to link with Pedro might have been a better idea.

 

[maltaseagull]

I don’t think it’s any coincidence that his loss of form has coincided with a loss of wingers

We had Mitoma and Adingra against Palace on 21st December and he was not playing well a while before that.

 

[Springal]

 

[Terry Connor]

I am pretty staggered by the negativity on here. We were decent enough but lacked wingers. Wolves did well. They had won three prem games on the bounce. To be 7th when we have been hit so hard with injuries (not many had close to us) is amazing. Plus they are all a similar player rather than one from each position.

Missing mitoma, March, Adingra, Enciso and Fati is very unlucky. If any of those players were fit then they would have played. That is like Arsenal losing Saka, martinelli, trossard, Nelson and one more. How would they look? Or Liverpool losing salah, jota, Nunez (playing wide) Diaz, Elliot etc.

We can’t afford to have a load of quality wingers who won’t play.

In cup fourth round.
7th in the league
Last 16 Europa.

All with so many injuries.

To say it again. Wolves are good - they turned over City and our XG was almost twice as high as city managed.

Never be surprised by negativity on here.

I didn't much enjoy the game but still take the view that every point is a good point in the EPL. It's improved my mental health!