A VIEW FROM WEST STAND LOWER

"But that the scrambling and unquiet time"

Brighton and Hove Albion (0) 1
Lopez (pen) 65

Watford (0) 3
Deeney 54
Vydra 68 and 69  

Attendance: 26,727


Just as the Albion appeared to be pulling themselves back in the game a cruel deflection took it away again and eventually they were well beaten by a fine Watford side.

An excited Albion gnome checks out the weather on the motorway

If ever Gus Poyet or Tony Bloom needed a lesson on how to put an effective team together on limited resources then visiting manager Gianfranco Zola provided it last night at the Amex. Watford enjoy few of the advantages available to the Albion in terms of support and stadium facilities but without spending vast fortunes appear to have  put together a team that may well take them to promotion this season. Watford were possibly the best team to visit the Amex this season but were helped  by a pretty inept performance by the home side.

Gus appeared to have fielded the wrong side in 2 successive home games. Bruno, Orlandi and Crofts did not look fit and whatever David Lopez's best position is it is not wide on the right. He spent most of the first half either falling over or giving the ball away. It was a pity after such a commanding performance against Millwall. He redeemed himself somewhat with a finely struck penalty on 65 minutes.

Gus's game plan is clearly score early; put the emphasis on the other team to change their tactics; take control then pick them off. This works if you can score but the familiar scourge of missing takeable chances returned. This time it was Andrew Crofts' turn to hang his head in embarrassment as, after fine work down the left by LuaLua, he failed to find the target from 12 yards and instead mishit the ball over the bar when unmarked.

LuaLua, who had an outstanding first half, stung Almunia hands with a fierce drive and Orlandi hit a 25 yard free kick just the wrong side of the post. The Albion were unfortunate when after more fine work down the left a defender deflected the ball away for a corner with Lopez waiting to tap the ball in.

If only we could pass like this in the game!

However, as half time approached Watford came more into the game. A full back got clear in the penalty area only to head the corner over the bar. Kuszczak saved well diving to his left and Vydra missed a simple header from close range.

The Albion could not contain Watford's speed on the breakaway or break up their close control in midfield. From a pretty soft free kick in their own penalty area Watford broke quickly and after some fine interpassing Deeney drove the ball past Kuszczak after 54 minutes.

The Albion pressed for an equaliser without creating much until the 65th minute when LuaLua's pressure following a pass back won him a penalty after he was unended. At least the penalty gips are behind us Lopez (as long as he is on the field) gave Almunia no chance from the spot. 

The joy was short lived as 3 minutes later a Vydra shot took a wicked deflection off El-Abd and gently looped over the helpless Kuszczak. It got worse. Within minutes Vydra outpaced a cumbersome Albion defence from the half way line, went clear and steered the ball past an exposed keeper. 

The Seagulls were just unable to find a way back into the game even though they had plenty of time. They simply had no plan B!. There was lots of passing across the field but as soon as they pressed forward they lost possession in the usual tangle of legs on the edge of the penalty area. The aimless passing around just gave Watford time to bring everybody behind the ball which then became the set up to hit us on the break.

The players appeared to be expecting somebody else to provide the spark and drive that might put Waford under pressure. After the game my wife and I tried to find words to describe what we had seen and the best we came up with were "languid" and "pedestrian".

From my seat in the West Stand I felt the Watford defence could be fragile if it were put under pressure - after all they had lost their main central defender, Fitz Hall, to injury in the first time. But the Albion's slow build up mitigated against that. Personally I felt we needed the drive and pace that Hoskins and Calderon could have provided and indeed Hoskins did show one or two nice touches but was not on long enough to make a real impact. 

Sometimes it is better to watch the Moon rise over the Amex

Despite all the second half possession the Albion created little. Apart from the penalty I recall a header by El-Abd and a shot by Hoskins. 

Before the game all the talk was about the striker Gus wants to bring in to ignite a play off push. This game was a reality check big time. Even Van Persie would have struggled with the poor service the Albion provided yesterday up front. 

4 homes wins in 13 games is more like relegation form and indeed following 4 successive victories in September the the Albion have only won 3 times 17 games.

My fear is that other Championship teams have worked us out. They load the side of field our one winger plays on (LuaLua often faced 3 defenders yesterday) and push up on Bridcutt to block the outlet ball from the back.

If the season is not to descend into the quiet back waters of the lower reaches of the Championship it is not just a change of personnel the Albion need now that the transfer window is just about to open but more flexible tactics.

Given that the Nottingham Forest manager was sacked after winning 4-2 and sitting handily for the play offs I wonder how Gus felt this morning?

MY PERSONAL ALTERNATIVE MAN OF THE MATCH: Kazanga LuaLua LIAN BRIDCUTT quite rightly received the Stadium award. He looked the only player capable of changing the course of this game and applied himself in a way that was an example to some of his colleagues. However, until the general malaise that over took most of the team reached him in the last quarter LuaLua was a constant thorn in the visitors side. One, if not 2 of his fine crosses in the first half, should have been converted and it was his persistence that won the penalty.

 

A VIEW FROM WEST STAND LOWER

"We are but warriors for the working day"

Brighton and Hove Albion (0) 2
LuaLua 61
David (pen) 88

Millwall (1) 2
Wood 25 and 57

Attendance:  24,773

What happens when organisation, brawn and cunning meet style, flair and unpredictability? Well, of course, you end up with a drawn match. If Millwall and Brighton each had a bit of what the other possessed then each team would be real challengers in the Championship. The Albion would have greatly benefited from the power and strength of Liam Trotter and Chris Wood and likewise Millwall would have been improved by what LuaLua and David brought to the game.

We must give credit to Kenny Jackett for he has made much of limited resources at Millwall. They have made no big name signings but he has created a successful combination of organisation, power, running and no little cunning. Perhaps predictably they ran out of steam as Albion swarmed all over them in the last quarter.

Some in the crowd must have wondered if Millwall have added a priest to their match day squad to administer the last rites! By some strange coincidence nearly every time the Albion went close or began building up pressure a Millwall player crashed to the ground as if the target of a sniper lurking in the Amex superstructure. As the player lay motionless the ref had to stop the game with the ball half a pitch away forcing the poor soul to sprint across the turf to inspect for any remaining signs of life before signalling on either the trainer or the priest. This happened several times much to the annoyance of the home crowd. Dare I suggest this was a ploy to break up play, irritate the opposition and frustrate the crowd? Surely not Kenny!

This was definitely a game of 2 halves or more likely three-quarters and a quarter! The Albion were all over the place for most of the first half. Gus seems unable to resist the temptation to fiddle with team selection before every match. His task was not helped by having injuries to three of his four full backs forcing El-Abd out wide with Dunk returning to the centre. We had three holding midfielders plus David leaving CMS more or less on his own up front with Buckley drifting from wing to wing trying to get into the game. The players could not work it out with the consequence that the ball being given away and a total lack of cohesion was apparent.

It came as no surprise when the much more lively Millwall team took the lead through Chris Wood midway through the half when he expertly turned a cross into the far corner. This was after Trotter had been left totally unmarked in the penalty area early on only to head over the bar. It was an action replay of the Hoskins' miss at the same end against Nottingham Forest.

The Albion were creating the occasional chance and Greer was unlucky when he got his head to a David free kick only to see the ball bounce down off the bar. This incident lead to Danny Shittu having a near death experience as he lay prostrate on the ground. Fortunately for all he made a miraculous recovery as soon as he spied the white line. Shortly afterwards he had a recurrence but when the ref pointed out he was already lying off the pitch if he needed attention he again recovered with great speed and was in position for the following corner. 

To his credit Gus could see things were not working for his team. Apart from injuries he rarely makes substitutions in the first half but he took the bold step of withdrawing Dunk who had done little wrong and bringing on LuaLua, moving David to right back. The Albion reverted to a much more familiar 4-3-3 from a confusing 3-5-2 (or something like that!)

This galvanised the Seagulls as LuaLua went on to have his best game this season (and perhaps last) and David shone down the right as he rampaged forward with no winger to worry about marking.

As soon as LuaLua appeared he ran Millwalll ragged down the left and put a perfect cross on a plate for CMS who contrived to shot and clear the ball at the same time.  His left foot shot appeared to be going in only to bounce out of play off his standing right leg! 

Chris Wood was a total handful for Greer and El-Abd and added a spectacular second as the hour approached. CMS, who was not having the best of games, came deep to collect the ball only to give it away on the edge of the penalty area leaving Wood to smash a wonder goal in from some 25 yards. 3 Kuszczaks would not have got a hand to it.

As it is the season of goodwill I will not mention that 2 of our League 1 winning strikers (Murray and Wood) and have now scored 5 against us this season.

To their credit the Albion did not collapse and fought back immediately via a spectacular goal of their own from LuaLua. He picked the ball up some 20 yards out and within a flash it was in Forde's net.

Scenting they could get something out of the game as Millwall tired and the visitors' bookings mounted the Albion swarmed forward. LuaLua drove another pile driver just over the bar and David was desperately unlucky when a fine curling 25 yard free kick thumped against Forde's left hand post with the goalie a spectator. The Albion thought they had scored as Greer and El-Abd headers were hacked off the line in quick succession. 

CMS made amends for his wayward evening winning a penalty when he was bundled over by a clumsy challenge in the penalty area. For a few dreadful seconds I thought Barnes (who had come on a substitute) had picked the ball up but soon realised that it was in the reassuring arms of David Lopez. He proceeded to give Barnes and CMS a masterclass on how to convert a penalty.

As the game went into added time only one team was likely to win with the final chance falling to Barnes but he found Forde's arms from 20 yards. 

In the end a draw was a fair result on the balance of play with the Albion struggling to cope with the physical presence of many of the Millwall players and, in turn, the visitors being unable to contain the unpredictability and class of LuaLua and David. 

Millwall's prospects in the second half of the season depend on whether they can secure Wood permanently and the Albion's on whether they can find a way to convert the mountain of the chances they create in most games into goals. 

My Personal Alternative Man of the Match: DAVID LOPEZ LuaLua won the Stadium award but Lopez had his best game for the Seagulls. Moving him to right back was inspired as he became a growing influence on the game and was desperately unlucky to see a free kick strike the woodwork.

A VIEW FROM WEST STAND LOWER

"Tell him my fury shall abate!"

Brighton and Hove Albion (0) 0

Nottingham Forest (0) 0

Attendance: 26,684 (Amex record)



"Papa Noel,

I be good boy this year but it difficult. My strikers they play like un burro. All I want for Christmas is striker who find back of net. It not much to ask.

Feliz Navidad,

Gus"

I am contemplating not writing a fresh blog after each Albion game. After all each game is more or less the same so a bit of cut and paste and name changes to protect the innocent should do.

Yours truly meets Santa Gully!

True to form this game was like so many this season with the Albion dominating for long periods and creating chances galore but unable to convert because of the usual mixture of appalling finishing, bad luck and inspired goal keeping. A new award should be introduced for the week's striker who misses the most chances. Ashley  Barnes would have walked away with it against Bolton, Stephen Dobbie against Charlton and yesterday the reluctant recipient would have been Will Hoskins.

Not that Will had a bad game. His link play was outstanding, he never gave the ball away and looked very effective in the left side winger/striker role but when he arrived in the penalty area a red mist seemed to arrive with him. Sadly he failed to hit the target once with 4 very presentable chances. He could have had a first half hat trick and if the Albion had been 6-2 ahead at the interval it would not have  been an injustice. 

So here goes with Will's catalogue. His first chance arrived after good work from Bridge down the left but from his centre he steered the  ball agonisingly the wrong side of Camp's left hand post. Chance 2 - further good wing work this time from Buckley down the right saw Will get on the end of cross completely unmarked in the centre of the penalty area only to misdirect his header over the bar. The next chance was arguably the best when the ball came to him again unmarked in the penalty area but he seemed unable to work out whether to head or kick the ball and ended up screwing it over the  bar. His fourth and final chance arrived early in the second half when a free kick from the outstanding Lopez found him unmarked beyond the far post but the ball bounced off his foot and tamely behind for a goal kick. As his shoulders slumped in disappointment so did those of 24,000 Albion fans.

The bad luck award would go to Inigo Calderon who was an outstanding deputy for the injured Bruno. He found time to keep Andy Reid pretty quiet and join the attack at every opportunity. He saw a left foot shot clip Camp's left hand post and shortly afterwards he forced Camp to tip over a drive heading for the roof of the net.

Two further first half chances fell to CMS following good running but both went wide of the target.

Forest could have punished Albion for their wastefulness as half time approached as first Reid drove a good chance over the bar and then Sharp clipped a Cohen centre against the bar with Kuszczak a spectator. The goalie's only meaningful first half action could have been picking the ball out of his net. 

Is there a striker under this tres?

The second half was badly affected by driving rain. It was a credit to both sides that they managed to keep both their feet and the ball in such testing conditions. Forest came more into the game and El-Abd cleared from a dangerous situation early on. Kuszczak was forced into a save but for all their increased possession Forest were held at bay.

The rain made playing increasingly difficult. The ball either skidded away on the damp surface or slowed in the developing puddles particularly down the Albion's right. 

Two more chances came and went. LuaLua who replaced Hopskins forced Camp to tip the ball round the post from a low shot and then as injury time approached Halford lost possession to Buckley who immediately bore down on goal. Could this be a repeat of last season's last gasp win? Buckley's firm drive appeared to  be heading in only for Camp to turn over the bar. Buckley's frustration was all too apparent. 

The odd thing about this was that the Albion played really well. Nobody had a bad game (if you exclude finishing). Lopez revelled in a more central midfield role spraying the ball out to the wings and picking up anything loose as part of a dominating Albion midfield. We rarely looked in trouble at the back and coped well defensively with the conditions. Bridge and Calderon rampaged down the wings at every opportunity and general team play was outstanding until it came to you know what.

Gully's Girls final appearance?

A word about Will Buckley as Forest had a plan for keeping him quiet. It simply involved fouling him at every opportunity with the full indulgence of the referee. Like so many refs in the Championship Mr. Salisbury does not believe in protecting skilful players. The first time Buckley ran at the hapless Harding he just shoulder charged him over. In the Premiership that would have merited a booking but by not doing so Mr. Salisbury encouraged more of the same. This duly arrived a few minutes later with a late tackle from Reid who was belatedly booked. Fearing for his future on the pitch Harding was replaced for the second half by Greg Halford. He persistently fouled Buckley and was lucky not to be sent off when he appeared to raise his hands.

So what does Gus do about the inability to turn possession and chances into goals? The risk is that the inability to convert a tight defence and creative midfield into victories could just undermine the whole team and lead to a second half of the season struggle. For the time being I suggest Gus sticks with what he has and hope that against Millwall Hoskins gets the goals the rest of his play merited. Given the Albion were without both Vicente and Orlandi they still created plenty of opportunities. I am not convinced that a lot of chopping and changing will improve matters much.

The big challenge for Gus will come when the transfer window opens. Will he be able to hold on to assets like Buckley, CMS and Bridcutt while finding that all important reliable striker? I recall well how Zamora and Ward won us games we hardly deserved because they could convert the few chances that came their way.

My Personal Alternative Man of the Match: DAVID LOPEZ: Andrew Crofts may have received the Stadium award but for me Lopez was outstanding. He picked up lots of spare balls and kept the Albion moving forward. He was part of a very dominant midfield trio. He rarely gets to start but who would have known until he began to tire towards the end. The conditions were very un-Spanish but he appeared to revel in them.  

A VIEW FROM WEST STAND LOWER

"O noble English, that could entertain"

Charlton Athletic (1) 2
Wilson 7
Pritchard 70

Brighton and Hove Albion (1) 2
Mackail-Smith 28
LuaLua 75

Attendance: 19,018

Gus names an attacking line up

Eat your heart out Louis Smith! When it comes to somersaults Kazenga LuaLua is your man. On 75 minutes Kazenga eyed up one of his explosive shots from a free kick 20 yards out. He struck the ball cleanly and powerfully. It took a deflection and flew into the bottom left hand corner of Ben Hamer's goal. Within seconds LuaLua was running towards the corner flag to celebrate in the way only he can for the first time this season.

Who says Bruno and El-Abd aren't brothers?

The 3,000 plus travelling support celebrated gleefully no doubt hoping that LuaLua has put behind him his problems this season and this was the beginning of a purple patch. There is little doubt that when he is on the pitch, fit and in form he poses big problems for opposing defences.

As for the game as a whole, after a shaky period early on and being slightly fortunate to be level at half time, the Seagulls dominated for long periods and created enough chances to have been well clear before Charlton took the lead for the second time during one of their rare second half raids on the Albion goal. 

In the cold light of day this game will go down, with several others this season, as a draw that should have been a victory with more clinical finishing. However, it would have been harsh to have come away with all three points on the day Charlton celebrated the 20th anniversary of their return to The Valley following exile at Crystal Palace.

Charlton took the lead in front of the travelling supporters on 9 minutes when, for the second game running, the Albion conceded from a corner. Charlton played a short corner routine and the ball was played in hard and low and somehow evaded everybody to end up in the corner of Kuszczak's net. The big Pole was not amused and showed his frustration. He was quite right as a ball played in like that should be cleared.

Early on the Albion were having great difficulty coping with the home side's power and pace. Rob Hulse is a man mountain and knows all about unsettling defences. Kuszczak acrobatically turned over a Hulse header and a comedy own goal was prevented when a sliced clearance flew towards the goal only to be deflected away by another defender. At times the Seagulls were their own worst enemies as they over-elaborated at the back and lost possession.

The Albion equalised in circumstances quite alien to their usual way of playing. A long clearance was misheaded by Michael Morrison straight up in the air. CMS was first to the bouncing ball and steered it calmly past Hamer. Sometimes route one works!

Before this Greer had missed a splendid opportunity when he blazed over when well placed 6 yards out.

LuaLua's bullit shot heads for the net

The second half was mostly one way traffic. Corners mounted up as did chances which went begging. Hamer palmed away a close range drive from Buckley and Dobbie miss hit 2 chances from the edge of the penalty area. Buckley in particular was finding space in the Charlton defence and from one of his crosses from the left Dobbie missed the best chance of all, deflecting the ball over the bar from about 8 yards out.  CMS looked to have scored his second as a powerful volley took a slight deflection and flew inches the wrong side of Hamer's post.

Somewhat against the run of play Charlton retook the lead when Pritchard turned in a cross which many felt should have been cut out. 

Gus rang the changes - LuaLua on for Hoskins whose pace had caused problems to the home defence and Barnes on for the flagging Dobbie who seemed strangely out of salts. Today he played just behind CMS but had difficulty with the speed of the game and getting on the same wavelength as his fellow players.

One of Albion's many 2nd half attacks

LuaLua's moment of magic ensured a draw in what was a very exciting game. The Albion played in a more direct style, particularly in the second half and were better for it. Everybody battled and apart from Dobbie the Albion players came back well from last week's mauling. 

Bridcutt was the visitor's man of the match but a honourable mention for Hammond who is settling into the team well and fullfilling his role in "Gus Play".

At the end I was left with the feeling that the Albion are just one clinical finisher away from being side to be reckoned with in a very competitive league.

My Personal Alternative Man of the Match: Dean Hammond He is now beginning to settle down in his new surroundings allbeit for the second time. He has picked up how to play his role in Gus's 4-3-3 team pattern geared to getting and maintaining control of game. He was always available to receive a pass in midfield and covered acres of space. Is developing a very effective holding midfield partnership with Bridcutt.

A  VIEW FROM WEST STAND LOWER

"In your fair minds let this acceptance take"

Brighton and Hove Albion (2) 2
Hammond 6
Orlandi 26

Bristol City (0) 0

Attendance: 24,044

So this is what a routine win looks like - or as near as one is likely to find such a thing in a highly competitive Championship.

2 early goals, tight at the back, get the competition passing and running around in front of you to no particular end and that did it. This game was not as exciting as last Saturday's nor were there as many scoring chances but what came along went into the back of net and a tight last 35 minutes saw the game out and 3 much needed home points bagged.

I was personally disappointed we did not go for City's jugular in the second half and look to improve the goal difference but, let's be realistic, this is a results game and energy needed to  be preserved for Saturday's big match up the railway line.

The Albion got what they needed so badly last Saturday - an early goal. Early on the only way Buckley could be stopped was by fouling him and both goals came from resulting free kicks. The first was well worked and the second had a touch of farce to it.

Orlandi went to clip in a long free kick from the right but instead chipped the  ball sideways to Bridcutt whose accurate ball to the far post was expertly headed in by a delighted Dean Hammond. His first goal since his return and first by an Albion midfield player this season. He deserved that after rattling the cross bar on Saturday.

Like number 13 buses coming along in groups, on 26 minutes we had the second goal of the season from a midfielder and, again, a debut goal for the club. Another foul on Buckley and another Orlandi free kick from the right. This time Orlandi bent the ball into the centre of the City area. It looked like a rountine headed clearance but the Bristol defender Matthew Bates missed the ball. This wrong sighted goalie Heaton and the ball went into the back of net. Orlandi's celebratory run down the wing was a mixture of delight and embarrassment. 

The Albion had more chances to extent their lead but would have been more than happy with a two goal half time lead. City played their part in an entertaining half with lots of tight control and passing but they badly lacked a cutting edge until, out of nowhere, Pearson rattled Kuszczak's bar with a crashing shot from outside the penalty area.

The second half started with the Seagulls going for a third and they had a couple of good chances. A move down the right ended with the ball landing with Orlandi as he arrived late in the penalty area, but he could not properly control the bounce of the ball and he screwed the ball over the bar.

An even better chance arrived moments later when the Albion robbed City of the ball midway in their own half and Hoskins used his pace to get beyond the City defenders, but his firmly struck shot flew clear off Heaton's legs.

And that was the last meaningful action as Albion shut up shop for 35 minutes and let City huff and puff very attractively but with no penetration. 

The Albion can take a number of positives from the game apart from the clean sheet and goals from midfield. Hoskins looked impressive after waiting nearly a season and half to make his full first team home debut. If he can break his goal duck he might prove difficult to shift from the team. Dunk looked back in the groove and is a major challenger to El-Abd to partner Greer.

As for City they played very attractively and retained the ball for long periods and clearly have a number of very skilful players but badly missed someone to plant all that nice approach play in the back of net. In patches they played some of the best football seen at the Amex this season but I do fear for them.

As I left the Amex I reflected on the points that have recently slipped away because of missed penalties and last minute concessions which would have taken us to the top of the Championship. Still must not cry over spilt milk - we remain very handily placed with all to look forward to in the second half of the season. Now where are we off to on Saturday?

MY PERSONAL ALTERNATE MAN OF THE MATCH: Marcos Painter - Orlandi quite rightly got the main award but a word about Marcus. He defended solidly and got forward when he had the opporutunity. He is obviously well versed in the Gus way and played his full part in a solid victory. It is just possible that could have been his final appearance in a Albion shirt with Bridge due to resume this weekend. 

A VIEW FROM WEST STAND LOWER

"And let us do it with no show of fear"


Brighton and Hove Albion (0) 1
Bruno Saltor 54

Bolton Wanderers (0) 1
Ngog 90+5.45

In the 6th of 5 added minutes Bolton struck with one of their few meaningful visits to the Albion penalty area. As the ball bounced off the post and apologetically into the back of the net the faithful were reminded what a cruel game football can be. Bolton's stolen point gave a new meaning to "day light robbery". The Albion were well and truly mugged.

Where Mr. Haywood found his extra minute from nobody knows. Perhaps he had been on the Fergie Time course. It was strange that he completely failed to deal with Bolton's time wasting in the first half but somehow found 5 minutes plus in the second.

The truth is that Mr. Haywood's time telling problems should have been irrelevant. The Albion completely outplayed their visitors and made them look like a League 1 side for much of the game. Plenty of Albion's play had the purist purring. Bolton never looked like scoring until they did. Never could a team have played so well and be denied the victory they deserved. As I queued for a train a Bolton fan on the phone back to the land of mills said his team could have lost 8 or 9-1 - I could hardly disagree.

For 95 minutes the Albion were denied by the returning combination of bad luck, inspired goalkeeping and appaling finishing.

Orlandi was a victim of 2 of these. Midway through the first half a shot from distance bent in the breeze leaving Bogdan clutching at thin air only to bounce off the post. In the second half a superb left foot shot as he cut across the edge of the penalty area flew agonisingly inches wide of Bogdan's right hand post. But he was also guilty of one of the worst misses of the match shortly before. He got clear in the penalty area as a cross came over from the right and from 5 yards, in trying to place the ball beyond the goalkeeper, under hit the ball which gave the scampering Bodgan the opportunity to palm the ball away.

Apart from Orlandi the Abion hit the woodwork twice more in a first half purple patch. A long distance strike from Hammond was flicked on to the bar by Bogdan but he was left helpless as a powerful header from CMS following a cross from the right thumped against the bar.

Bogdan was again in fine form as the game went into added time - this time turning around the post a strike from Hoskins.

When it came to the awful finishing Barnes took all the prizes. Many of his fans must have felt totally frustrated as his words in the week about improving his goals to games ratio came back to haunt him. In the 14th minute Mr. Haywood awarded the Seagulls a penalty when Darren Pratley was adjudged to have handled a CMS cross. Barnes picked the ball up and I doubt if anybody in the stadium thought he would score given he had missed his previous 2. He just cannot get a clean connection on the ball and hit the pen low and hard more or less straight at Bogdan who conveniently knocked the ball back to Barnes. Faced with an open goal he tried to place the ball to Bogdan's right instead of driving it into the roof of the net which gave the goalie the opportunity to palm the ball away.

No Brighton player gave him an encouraging pat on the back as he adopted his hangdog expression and drifted out to the left wing. A few minutes later he got his head to an Orlandi free kick from the left but characteristically could not hit the target as he headed wide. The hapless Barnes missed another sitter just after half time when he completely miskicked when left free in the penalty area. His confidence shot to pieces he horribly screwed a left foot shot into the North Stand just before he was mercifully taken off.

As for Bruno's 54th minute strike - just look at the replay. One the best goals to have graced the Amex and a wonderful clean strike from distance. 

It was galling watching the Football League Show in the evening as teams up and down the country and in all the Divisions confidently tucked away penalties - a skill which seems totally beyond Albion players. 

Gus was right to praise the performance as it was probably their best 95 minutes since returning to the Championship but missing penalties and conceding late goals is proving costly. This combination has cost the side 7 points in the last month alone. We should be confidently sitting in the play off positions challenging for an automatic promotion spot. The Albion may not be the finished article when it comes to playing in the Premiership but does anybody seriously think there are teams above us in the Championship that are so significantly better? 

If CMS or Buckley do not score we struggle to find the net and the age old problem of not having a scoring midfield is still there.

So it is on to Tuesday and I suppose the big question is: will Barnes play? Gus has always been reluctant to drop him but Hoskins and Dobbie must wonder why they are here if Barnes is getting the nod ahead of them.

Lastly, a mini moan about the fixture list and the lack of Saturday home games. Bolton was the Albion's first home Saturday game since 20th October and the next one is not for another 3 weeks. The last 2 Saturdays have been away games as will be the next 2.  Whatever happened to alternate home and away games mostly played on Saturdays?

My alternative man of the match: Andrea Orlandi - a class act and best player on the pitch by a country mile. His skill and vision makes up for the lack of Vicente and he is pretty good at dead  ball situations. Just needs to get that first goal for the club.

 

A VIEW FROM THE WEST STAND LOWER

"Hold hard the breath, and bend up every spirit"

Brighton and Hove Albion (0) 1
Dobbie 90

Peterborough United (0) 0

Attendance: 23,703

After a winless run stretching back to September 22nd at Millwall I had to do something to change the Albion's fortunes. Clearly the lucky t-shirt, rugby shirt and fleece were not working so time for a complete change in matchday clothing. I wore nothing blue and white apart from a scarf and it did the trick - eventually. 

My journey to the Amex starts here

To the joy of nearly everybody in the Amex Stephen Dobbie calmly chipped the ball over the Posh goalie in the second of 4 added minutes to give the Albion a much merited victory. The game was probably the most one-sided affair the Amex has witnessed and Albion could easily have scored 5 or 6 but the familiar failings of missed opportunities, bad luck and inspired goalkeeping denied them.

The bad misses came from Crofts who somehow managed to scoop the ball over the bar after Buckley had put him through with some excellent wing play early on. CMS then took on the mantle of chance misser. He had 2 similar headers in the first half from fine crosses from Bruno but the first he put straight into Olejnik's arms and second he put narrowly wide. After the break he had his worse miss when under intense pressure and the Posh defence all over the place the  ball fell to him about 12 yards out and in plenty of space but he hurriedly screwed his shot well wide. It was just not his day and soon after he was subbed.

The bad luck belonged all to Orlandi who saw a fierce low drive from 25 yards strike Olejnik's left hand post with the goalie just a spectator. The thump of the ball hitting the post could be heard in the West Stand. A fraction of an inch the other way and this would have been a goal of the season contender.

Olejnik followed a recent line of visiting goalies having their game of the season. Early in the seond half he tipped a swerving low shot from Barnes around the post and later tipped a Bridge blaster over the ball and followed this by turning aside a Buckley shot at full length. 

It was clear Darren Ferguson had watched his DVDs carefully and learnt well. His team lined up with one striker, doubled up on the wings to prevent Bruno and Bridge getting forward and three in midfield to create traffic the Albion could not pass their way through. For long periods Posh watched us pass the ball around in front of their packed defence and midfield hoping to steal a goal on the break. This time there was to be no dodgy penalty or deflected goal for the visitors instead the second half was 45 minutes plus of attack v defence. When added time arrived Gus had 5 forwards on the field. 

I change trains here

At the death all that pressure told as Barnes caused confusion in the penalty area and the ball fell to Dobbie who as calm as you like just chipped the ball over Olejnik who was in front of the East Stand celebrating before the ball rolled into the netting. 

Clearly going down so late in the evening greatly upset Ferguson who was on the receiving end of a stern lecture from a largely unocuppied ref. Apparently Ferguson felt the Albion were lucky. Teams that show little attacking intent and can hardly muster a shot on target deserve to lose and it appears the Posh chairman agrees!

Amazingly it could have easily have been 2 goals in added time as David Lopez swept a 20 yard shot inches past the post with Olejnik beaten. 

and eventually arrive here!

The Seagulls still have a problem of converting all the possession and shots into goals but perhaps we have a cure on hand. With Dobbie and Hoskins (whose name was not even in the programme squad list) on we suddenly no longer appear  soley dependent on CMS to score the goals. If Dobbie has now found his range and Hoskins fitness and form we may have attacking options that did not look to be there at 7.45pm last night.

Would anybody like to make me an offer for my unlucky Albion t-shirt, rugby shirt and fleece?

My personal alternative man of the match: Ashley Barnes - for getting stuck in and showing some much needed midfield steel when moved back after the attacking reinforcements arrived in the second half. His determination and presence late on helped create the winning goal.

 

"Now set the teeth, and stretch the nostril wide"

Brighton and Hove Albion (1) 2
Mackail-Smith 16 (pen) and 48

Leeds United (1) 2
Diof (pen) 36
Becchio 66

Attendance: 26,402

I glanced up to the Amex roof. Surely we must have a sniper in the superstructure as why else would Luke Varney have crashed so dramatically to the ground? But worry not it turned out to be a prize winning piece of simulation generously rewarded by a penalty from Mr. Mason. 

It was evidence that despite the advancing years Neil Warnock has lost little when it comes to the dark arts of acquring Championship points. Immediately after we saw another example as Leeds took an absolute age to celebrate the penalty conversation and line up for the restart. I guess this was done to frustrate the crowd and wind up the Brighton players hoping they may do something rash. Clearly the Brighton players pleas to the ref to restart the game as Leeds dawdled around fell on deaf ears. 

With El-Hadji Diouf and Michael Brown in the ref's ear from the kick off it was no wonder that at the end Warnock said you gain points in this League via "blood and guts". Sometimes who can argue with him as Leeds became the fourth team in a row to leave the Amex with something, after minimal determined efforts to score. Leeds had 3 shots on target - a penalty, a deflected shot and a hit into Kuszczak arms that barely qualified for the description shot.

In contrast the Albion had 9 attempts on target and a further 8 off target for just the same return. As in previous weeks we were denied by a combination of bad finishing, bad luck and inspired goalkeeping.

While Orlandi's return added much needed craft he missed an absolute sitter when a fine cross from Bruno found him unmarked with only Kenny to beat but somehow he hit the ball into the ground and it bounced over the bar with the goalkeeper watching helplessly. Orlandi buried his head in his shirt afterwards!

Another sublime cross from Bridge was steered just the wrong side of the post by Barnes and just after his penalty CMS saw a shot turned on to the post by Kenny.

A fierce cross shot from Barnes could have gone anywhere but flew off an unknowing Leeds boot and away for a corner.

The turning point may have come midway through the second half when Brown should have been sent off for a foul worse than the orginal one he was booked for. By this time Brown and Mason had had so many conversations they must have felt like old friends and the ref could not find it in his heart to send him off. From a Brighton point of view it meant Brown was on the pitch to equalise for the second time via a deflected shot a few minutes later. 

Bruno saw a fine free kick fly inches over and then we missed another penalty - this time CMS was the culprit. I recall a famous manager once saying the same player should not take more than one penalty in a game. The following day Glen Murray did the same for Crystal Palace.

In the final push Dobbie drove a shot just over the bar but try as they might the Seagulls could not conjure up a winner. The final chance fell to Crofts when from 10 yards out Kenny turned his shot brilliantly around the post. 

It was no wonder Warnock and Kenny looked so pleased with themselves as they left the pitch together. 

Sadly not for the first time this season the Albion had enough chances to bury Leeds. If we had scored five or six it would not been an injustice. But all Leeds needed was a bit of co-operation from the ref and to pounce on Buckley giving the ball away in midfield and that was a point for them thank you very much.

On the positives we played with far more urgency than in recent homes games and started each half at pace. The ball was played forward more quickly to CMS and Orlandi offered some much needed creativity - his pass in the build up to CMS's second goal was a joy to behold.

Having checked a number of Leeds' Blogs over the weekend I was amused that they were universally critical of their team and disbelieving of how they acquired a point on Friday night. I bet Warnock's Manual of the Dark Arts knows!

Finally, a shout out to my season ticket seat buddy who had a nasty accident at home recently. I hope you are feeling better soon and a win over Peterborough speeds the recovery.

 

A VIEW FROM WEST STAND LOWER

"This story shall the good man teach his son"

Brighton and Hove Albion (0) 0

Middlesbrough (1) 1
Emnes 21

Attendance: 26,293

In the world of soccer there are 2 names that send a chill down my spine - Middlesbrough and Andy D'Urso. Together they create the perfect storm for the Albion. 

A sentiment we all support

I am old enough to remember that fateful day in August 1958 when the Albion played their first ever game in the second tier of English football. Hopes were high after hitting 6 in the team's last ever Third Division (South) game the previous April as they headed north for Middlesbrough. As a callow 10 year old I was glued to BBC TV's Grandstand as the old World War 2 teleprinter from the Admiralty typed out the final scores. "Middlesbrough 9 Brighton 0" it bashed out. Perhaps it was a typing error so I waited until the wooden blocks were sorted into place and the classifed results were read. The score was confirmed and to his credit the reader did not snigger or giggle. I walked into the kitchen of my Craven Vale council flat to inform my mother of the fateful result as if it were my personal responsibility.

4 months later and time for revenge with the return fixture at the Goldstone. I was not allowed to go to Saturday games without a parent and as my father worked that day Goldstone visits were limited to those late afternoon kick offs at the beginning and end of season. I was, therefore, dependent on BBC Radio's Light programme to know how my beloved Albion were getting on. It was to be decades before the Seagulls label stuck. At 4.05pm we had the half time scores and the Albion were 2-0 down. I then had to wait until Sports Report at 5pm for the final score. In those days there was just no way of knowing the progress of a game without being in the ground. The score reader reached Division 2 and said "Brighton and Hove Albion 4" and yes I thought a great fight back and some revenge for the first day slaughter and my hopes soared only to come quickly crashing down with "Middlesbrough 6". From that day forth my approach to the Albion became one of hope for the best but be prepared for the worst. I suspect conceding 15 goals against the same team in a season is some kind of League record but do not really want to know. From that day on Middlesbrough have been a bit of a jinx team and we have never delivered revenge for those 1958 defeats.

And what of Andy D'Urso? He belongs to that elite group of refs who seem to be in charge of a game totally different from the one I am watching. His comedy capers are fun if it is not your team on the receiving end of his bizarre decision making. On Saturday he saw fouls nobody else in the ground could spot and missed the more obvious. He gave 3 examples in a masterclass.

Albion practice for the BBC1 circles between programmes

Midway through the first half Hammond slid in with what appeared to be a perfect tackle. No player was hit and sent spriralling into the air and nobody appealed.  D'Urso gave a free kick which the visitors fluffed. He must have been feeling sorry for them as a few seconds later he gave them another free kick for an offence only he saw. Just after that a Middlesbrough player brushed through a powder puff tackle from Lopez which did not stop his momentum and the whistle blew again. In the second half Steele appeared to handle the ball outside the area under pressure from CMS but the ambling ref was to far way to see. Certainly from my seat in the West Stand it appeared as if Steele's momentum had taken him out the area. Perhaps we need 4 linesmen rather than goaline techology. 

Lastly, we witnessed a show of shall I blow my whistle of not and yes perhaps I will. A Middlesbrough player committed the worst foul of the game and was rightly booked. Andy put the whistle to his lips and, even though there was no particularly advantage to the Albion from playing on midway in their own half,  he withdrew the whistle only to change his mind and eventually blow. This only served to frustrate further an already frustrated Albion and Greer was booked for, I guess,  telling him what a twat he was. At the final whistle few Albion players found it in themselves to shaker the officials' hands and D'Urso departed to the booing he must be very familiar with by now.

He clearly was not interested in 3 penalty appeals - 2 which appeared harsh but have been given in the past but the defender who wrapped both his arms around CMS's neck and wrestled him to the ground was very lucky.

To be honest it was not the ref that cost the Albion the game - it was their wasteful finishing. We had enough chances to have buried the visitors. Home games are beginning to take on a familiar pattern to the extent I am thinking of asking Paul Barber for a refund as I have now watched the same game 3 times in a row. 

Games now have 3 phases:

• 15 minutes or so of pretty football which brings ripples of warm applause from the stands with the odd half chance coming and going
• between the 20 and 30th minutes we have 10 minutes of Sudoko moments in which the Albion concede a goal
• and finally 60 minutes of attack versus defence which includes missing several clear cut chances  

 To be brutal CMS should have scored when from a break away Bridge delivered the perfect centre only for the striker to hit the ball into the only part of the goal Steele could have palmed the ball away from. In the second half CMS and Barnes combined to miss the best 2 chances within seconds of each other. A perfect Hammond centre should have been headed in by Barnes but he got too far over the ball and headed it down into ground. Steele palmed it into the path of CMS who could not bundle it in. Lopez could perhaps have scored with a chance that fell to his weaker left foot and given a free shot in the penalty area Crofts tamely miscued the ball wide. Barnes stung Steele's fingers and Buckey drifted a shot just over the bar. Dobbie dribbled past 3 defenders only to tap the ball into the Steele's grateful waiting arms. Back in the first half Hammond planted a header into the South Stand from a perfectly delivered Lopez corner which found him in acres of empty space in front of goal.

The significance of this wastefulness is that like Brum and Ipswich before them the visitors scored with there only meaningful attempt on target and that came from a cruel deflection. Visitors sit back and let us play passing patterns in front of their defence and when the early sugar rush has worn off pop down the other end score and man the barricades until the ref mercifully ends the suffering of the home faithful.

The Amex's much appreciated memorial garden

During the close season the consensus was that we needed a new goalkeeper, full backs, added strength in midfield and a striker who could hold the ball up. Gus attended to all of this accept the striker. Unless we recruit a big striker with a bit of physical presence we will not get the best out of CMS. We are just to dependent on him to score the goals and when he does not we look pretty forlorn.

Finally, a word for Ashley Barnes. He is expected to be a striker, midfielder and defender all at the same time. Perhaps we should forgive his occasional misses and misplaced passes given the amount of covering he gets through in a game.

My personal alternative man of the match: This must go to David Lopez who worked well in partnership with Bruno and showed much creativity. His set piece deliveries should have brought at least one goal and was unlucky not to score.  

A VIEW FROM WEST STAND LOWER

"It must be thought on. If it pass against us, we lose the better half of our possession;"

Brighton and Hove Albion (0) 1
Buckley (80)

Ipswich Town (1) 1
Murphy (27)

Attendance: 24,736

"We need a Plan B, Plan A is not working". No - this is not Ed Balls talking at the Labour Party Conference but the muttered whispers from the stands as Ipswich took the lead last night in a keenly fought draw in appalling weather. You could hear the thoughts of "here we go again" after half-an-hour as the confidence drained from the Albion players like sand through a hour glass.

This way for the Tractor Boys

This was a "Back to the Future" game. A repeat of last Saturday against Birmingham. Ipswich even turned up wearing their kit.

This blog needs to be perfectly balanced as my best friend is a tractor boy so for the sake of friendship let's deal with Ipswich first. They turned up with a plan which they nearly executed perfectly. Teams that come to the Amex and play get picked off just like Barnsley and Sheffield Wednesday so to  prevent this visitors now fall behind the ball in great numbers as Brighton move forward cautiously, mark Bridcutt to prevent him being the midfield outlet, squeeze the space and try to hit a frustrated Albion on the break. While a draw was the right outcome on the balance of play Ipswich could have snatched this. Murphy nearly scored before he actually did from an almost identical move. Kuszczak saved from Murphy just after half time as he again got in behind on the Albion's right and he saved again just before the end. Ipswich were well organised and often first to the ball. They certainly had more physical prescence than the home team and it was diffcult to see why they are second from bottom. Chopra, before he tired, and his replacement Scotland caused the Albion more trouble on their own than Barnes and Dobbie managed.

I suspect if Ipswich played to this plan at home they would lose and only drawing some of your away games will not garner many points. 

As for the Albion they have been given due notice of how visitors will now play this season and it is up to them to come up with a plan to avoid the 90 minutes of frustration we witnessed last night. 

In the last 2 games we have moved away from the more high tempo style that marked the first 7 games of the season. This might be because CMS is not available to creat space with his running or Bruno to give an outlet down the right. Playing at bearly walking pace from the back only to hit the ball to an opponent or a tightly marked colleague has supporters pulling their hair out. Getting into mazy passing patterns only to lose out in the mass of legs and bodies is equally a route to premature baldness.

The good times will return

There were, of course, postives last night. The return of Orlandi gave us much needed creativity. He was behind all that was good in the first half and nearly scored from a long range swinging free kick. Dobbie is better behind the main striker and might feel he should have scored one or two on the night. I feel sure that once he scores many more will follow but we need to see him with CMS. Bridcutt put in his usual excellent shift and the appearance of Buckley and Dicker galvanised a late come back.

Games turn on chances and the Albion could, and should, have been one up before the big screen clock had ticked to one minute. Early space in the visitor's box was exploited by Dobbie and Barnes but LauLau put an excellent chance the wrong side of the post. If that had gone in it could have been a very different game. Again before Ipswich scored Dobbie found himself with space in the penalty area but hit the ball straight at Loach. 

In the second half as the Albion chased the game Dobbie saw a pile driver take a massive deflection which fortunately for Roach just fell the wrong side of his right hand post with him up by the left hand one. LauLau stung the goalie's hands with another firmly struck shot but Orlandi could not control the rebound. With almost the last touch of the game Barnes was inches away from an excellent Bridge cross. 

This is the way to Brighton Gus but not as you know it!

In 2 games the Albion have racked up 19 corners but rarely threatened from any of them. 

In the end Calderon made up for letting Murphy get the wrong side of him for the visitor's goal by winning the ball just outside the penalty area and putting over the cross for Buckley to bundle in his second of the season. 

With CMS and Hoskins injured the lack of squad depth in the striking department has returned to haunt Gus over the last 2 games. He really does need somebody who can come on and hold the ball up for others and we have seen Lita, Chopra and Scotland show how it can be done over the last 4 days.

Despite a disappointing couple of games we are third and, hopefully, with the return of CMS, Bruno and Crofts the good old days of Millwall away will return.
 
My dream team would be: Kuszczak; Bruno, Greer, El-Abd, Bridge; Orlandi, Bridcutt, Crofts; Buckley, CMS and Dobbie. The bench reinforcements being Ankergren, Cauldron, Hammond, Vicente, Barnes, Dicker plus either David Lopez or LauLau. 

My personal alternative man of the match: Quite rightly the main award went to Orlandi but my personal favourite was Bridcutt for another all action display in poor conditions. He has batteries that put Duracell to shame. 

A VIEW FROM WEST STAND LOWER

Once more unto the breach, dear friends, once more.

Brighton and Hove Albion (0) 0

Birmingham City (1) 1
Burke (27)

Attendance: 26,121

I do not know what you do when you have finished your Amex pie and pint deal but I have a look down the team lists on the back page of the match programme. As my eye passed over the Brummy Boys' list of ex-Pompey players and yesterday's men I noticed the referee. Mr. Langford from the West Midlands. The West Midlands? If my geography serves me right isn't Birmingham the capital of the West Midlands Region? 

If things got tight in the game wouldn't the fans turn on the ref and accuse him of bias? Given all the refs available to the FA surely they could have found one from the West Country or East Anglia or even London. Perhaps this was a money saving venture by the FA - the ref comes down on the away team bus to save money. 

As it turned out we experienced our most hapless set of officials since last season's Burnley game. The ref did little to stop the visitor's time wasting which started immediately after half time or the persistent foul play in the final quarter of which LauLua was the main target nor could he control his flag happy linesmen who shot the flag up on every occasion. I recall that when the off side rule was changed a few years back linesmen (sorry assistant refs) were asked to give attackers the benefit of the doubt to promote attacking play. Clearly the memo did not get to John and Christopher. Some of the offsides in the second half looked very tight to me. Several times the ball appeared to strike the arm of defenders but Mr. Langford was not interested. He was better placed to see the ankle tap on LuaLua which could have brought a penalty. He waved away penalty appeals - perhaps he was distracted by thoughts of home. I sometimes suspect that in the Amex cauldron when the ref feels under pressure from the home crowd they adopt a "I will show them who is in charge persona" and give Brighton little in the 50/50s. 

In reality the Albion did not deserve to win the game even if they did not deserve to lose it. It was just a bad day at the office with too many regulars not cutting the mustard plus the injured trio being badly missed. 

We started with 6 of our League One regulars and some of last season's more unwelcome habits returned - slow build up from the back, forward passes going astray and giving the ball away in midfield. 

Brum City came with a plan and we played straight into their hands. Early on they looked suspect at the back but instead of playing with pace and power from the off we tapped the ball around patiently at the back allowing our visitors to put their 10 outfielder players behind the ball. Birmingham gained a foothold in the game and a long ball forward was headed to Chris Burke some 30 yards back who fired in one on the best goals the Amex has seen in its young life. 3 Kuszczaks could not have saved.

That was it as far and as shots on target were concerned for Birmingham and apart from a scrabbled save from Lita, Kuszcak could have sat in a deck chair for the second half and played patience. 

The Seagulls won the corner count 12-0, they dominated possession and countless crosses flew across the box. But in reality we rarely looked like scoring and the nearest came when Davies nearly headed into his own net. Butland was never made to show why he is England's number 2. 

Barnes was as anonymous as he was prominent against Millwall; Buckley could not weave his usual magic; Hammond had his least effective game; Dicker switched play cleverly from wing to wing but rarely forward; nobody possessed the killer forward pass to split the defence. We had neither the brawn or guile to undo the smash-the-ball-away-as-early-as-possible defenders. The delivery from set pieces was not up to the usual standard and Orlandi was badly missed. At least that part of the game improved with David Lopez's arrival. 

The player missed most was Mackail- Smith. His movement and harrying might have upset the defence but Dobbie is clearly not an out and out striker. He likes to come deep and collect the ball and I found myself reflecting how well he could play feeding CMS. Given that he has only played 70 mins for the development team this season he did not deserve the abuse he received from frustrated sections of the crowd as he tired. Together with CMS and an in form Buckley or LuaLua he could find us lots of goals. Let's hope on Tuesday we have some of the walking wounded back or it could be another frustrating evening. Perhaps Vicente will make a guest appearance!

And as for the ref? I wonder if he enjoyed the journey home in that rather nice Brum City coach.

Alternative Man of the Match: Quite rightly the main award went to Wayne Bridge who was head and shoulders the best player on the pitch but my award goes to Dobbie for showing us glimpses of what he might achieve when match fit and working with CMS