MOTM for me. Despite the yellow still put loads of great tackles in. Never stopped running and Cunha ended up being subbed. Job done. Well played Mats 
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[Albion] Mats Wieffer SINGS on 5 year contract
- Thread starter saafend_seagull
- Start date
Terry Butcher Tribute Act
Well-known member
- Aug 18, 2013
- 4,147
Mental yellow but otherwise absolutely quality. Pleased for him.
His defensive work on corners shouldn’t be underestimated either.MOTM for me. Despite the yellow still put loads of great tackles in. Never stopped running and Cunha ended up being subbed. Job done. Well played Mats
Love to see him with a run in midfield with Baleba. The man can read the game. Certainly only blessed with Gross speed but he has a football brain.
People here definitely did, almost from the get-go and lasting months, telling us Wieffer was not up to the PL and never would be.
Yep. He’s an absolute unit, and prepared to put his head in where he might get hurt. Really like him.
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London Irish
Well-known member
No need to signal boost extreme discussions tho. He clearly did contribute today to a PL win albeit a bottom third team, it was a mixed bag some good things with alert pressing and hard tackles, some bad things with cheap loss of possession.
Fans know he’s struggled at times this season and are trying to boost him, that should be welcomed, the chant was great and cheered everyone up. Doesn’t mean we can’t have a realistic discussion about his strengths and weaknesses tho. Same goes for all players who aren’t quite hitting their straps like O’Riley, Estupian and Adingra and probably a few others
Johnny RoastBeef
These aren't the players you're looking for.
- Jan 11, 2016
- 3,500
I've used AI to run a report to find empirical evidence if more players struggle than don't when adapting to Brightons midfield role. As expected Wieffer has struggled but is in good company in doing so.
Brighton Midfielders Initial Performance Report (2010–2025)
Overview
Analyzed match ratings from Sofascore.com for 17 Brighton holding/central midfielders (2010–2025) to assess initial struggles in their debut seasons. Focused on Mats Wieffer (2024–25) and compared with Moisés Caicedo, Alexis Mac Allister, and Carlos Baleba, with summaries for others.Key Findings
- Total Players: 17.
- Struggled Initially: 9 (53%).
- Did Not Struggle: 8 (47%).
- Criteria: Average rating <6.8, limited minutes (<70 per game), or issues (injuries, errors, loans) in first 5–10 matches.
Mats Wieffer (2024–25)
- Data: 8 matches (August–November 2024).
- Average Rating: 6.81.
- Trend: Low ratings (6.2–6.7) early due to injury (vs. Everton) and error (vs. Man Utd). Rises to 6.9–7.3 by October–November, showing adaptation.
- Minutes: 62–90 per game.
- Conclusion: Struggled initially (first 4 matches, ≤6.7), confirming fan reports of early errors/confidence issues, but improved significantly.
Comparative Players
- Moisés Caicedo (2021–22):
- Average: 6.60.
- Trend: 6.4–6.8, 28–70 minutes, loaned out.
- Conclusion: Clear struggle.
- Alexis Mac Allister (2019–20):
- Average: 6.54.
- Trend: 6.3–6.8, 25–70 minutes.
- Conclusion: Struggled.
- Carlos Baleba (2023–24):
- Average: 6.65.
- Trend: 6.3–7.0, 35–80 minutes.
- Conclusion: Struggled early, improved.
Full List
- Struggled (9): Wieffer, Caicedo, Mac Allister, Mwepu, Baleba, Ayari, Lallana, Moder, Alzate, Gilmour.
- Did Not Struggle (8): Bissouma, Stephens, Pröpper, Groß, Bridcutt, Kayal, Crofts.
- Pattern: Struggling players show low ratings (<6.8) early, rising after 5–10 matches. Non-struggling players maintain ~7.0+ from start.
Data Source
- Sofascore.com for ratings (2015–2025).
- FBref.com, Transfermarkt for minutes and historical context (2010–2015).
- Limitations: Sparse data pre-2015 (e.g., Bridcutt, Crofts), relied on qualitative reports.
Conclusion
Over half of Brighton’s midfielders struggled initially, often due to injuries (Wieffer, Mwepu), adaptation (Caicedo, Mac Allister), or competition (Ayari, Gilmour). Wieffer’s 2024–25 data shows a clear early struggle (6.2–6.7) but strong recovery (7.0–7.3), mirroring younger signings like Baleba. Veterans like Groß and Pröpper adapted quickest.
rogersix
Well-known member
- Jan 18, 2014
- 8,386
🫢
Interesting but Moises Caicedo did not struggle. According to ChatGTP:
Moisés Caicedo had a significant, though brief, impact with Brighton during the 2021/22 Premier League season. Here's a breakdown of his influence:
1. Breakthrough and Timing
- Caicedo didn’t feature in the first half of the season; he was on loan at Beerschot (Belgium) until January 2022.
- Brighton recalled him in January due to midfield injuries and needs.
- He made his Premier League debut in April 2022 against Arsenal, where he provided an assist and put in a standout performance in a 2–1 win.
2. Performances and Role
- From April onwards, Caicedo became a key starter, forming a solid midfield duo with Yves Bissouma.
- He was praised for his defensive awareness, ball-winning ability, composure under pressure, and mature decision-making.
- He started 8 of Brighton’s final 9 league matches, and Brighton lost only once in that stretch (to Manchester City).
3. Statistical Impact
- While he didn't score any goals in the league (he did score in an FA Cup match vs Leicester), his defensive metrics(tackles, interceptions, and recoveries) were strong.
- Brighton's form improved notably with him in the side — they finished 9th, a then-club record in the Premier League.
4. Legacy for 2021/22
- Despite the limited appearances (8 league games), his performances were impactful enough to establish him as a core player for the next season.
- His maturity and level of play at just 20 years old were seen as a major success for Brighton’s scouting and development model.
And Bissouma did struggle. Again from ChatGTP:
Yves Bissouma had a promising but inconsistent impact in his first season at Brighton (2018/19) after joining from Lille for around £15 million. Here's a breakdown of how he performed:
1. Settling Period
- Bissouma needed time to adapt to the pace and physicality of the Premier League.
- He was mainly used as a squad player under Chris Hughton, starting only 10 Premier League games (out of 28 appearances).
- His role was often from the bench, typically playing as a box-to-box midfielder or defensive support.
2. Strengths and Style
- Showed glimpses of:
- Ball-carrying ability and physical strength
- Press resistance — comfortable dribbling out of tight spaces
- Defensive energy and willingness to tackle
- However, his decision-making and positional discipline were still developing.
3. Impact and Influence
- Brighton finished 17th, narrowly avoiding relegation.
- Bissouma’s impact wasn't transformative, but he added athleticism and depth to the midfield.
- One highlight was a long-range goal in the FA Cup vs Bournemouth — a sign of his potential.
4. Summary of First Season
- Rating: A solid debut season for a young midfielder transitioning from Ligue 1.
- Showed potential rather than consistent high-level performance.
- Became more important in subsequent seasons under Graham Potter, where his tactical game matured and he became one of Brighton’s most valuable players.
HP Seagull
Danny Cullip: Hero
- Sep 26, 2008
- 1,835
Wieffer has regularly shown his quality this season. His problem is that some notable mistakes, such as the Wolves home game, have clouded some people’s opinion of him.
He’s been playing out of position and has done a job at right back but I still want to see him and Baleba as the two in midfield. I reckon that’s our most solid pairing and Wieffer gives us a level of control that we don’t have with any other midfield combination.
Against Newcastle for example, they kept picking the ball up behind our midfield and running at our defence. Those are exactly the sort of positions Wieffer takes up and would help protect the back four.
He’s been playing out of position and has done a job at right back but I still want to see him and Baleba as the two in midfield. I reckon that’s our most solid pairing and Wieffer gives us a level of control that we don’t have with any other midfield combination.
Against Newcastle for example, they kept picking the ball up behind our midfield and running at our defence. Those are exactly the sort of positions Wieffer takes up and would help protect the back four.
P.C. Beard
Active member
- Aug 8, 2011
- 119
Caicedo was brilliant the whole time he played for us.
Watching at home games to me he generally improved our midfield. Something different … a cool head, a quality football brain, very much needed when other than Baleba the others were lightweight technicians with just driving us forward in mind. Wieffer settled down a few chaotic team performances, made us more solid and structured. When a sub, I was always pleased to see him come on and invariably he improved us.
boik
Well-known member
Not just Weiffer, but Gruda and O'Riley too. Everyone who comes to the P/L says how hard it is to adjust , but still we decide too early that they're not good enough.
Seagullinhove
Active member
- Oct 31, 2024
- 73
2 games (1 as a substitute) is enough time, then get rid.
aolstudios
Well-known member
Bissouma was often dreadful early on. Even his good games tended to have a couple of majorly awful ricks. He was a big smiley personality with a chant though, so tended to be forgiven (& eventually lived up to it)
aolstudios
Well-known member
This ^
From day one
He was inconsistent, but you could see his potential from the off.
He really was.
A few weeks later failing to execute a pass (kid in a sweetshop … you see that often in counter attacks) against Wolves, was just one error. Plain silly to condemn a player ad infinitum based on that.