FRUSTRATION

Brighton and Hove Albion(0)1 Birmingham City(0)1
Barnes 84                                   Redmond 69

Once more unto the breach

We are in the last minute of the last added time of the last match of the first season at the Amex. A corner has been awarded. Vicente stands over the ball. Will this be his final kick in a Brighton shirt? Vicente, as expected, delivers a superb corner. Dicker finds space at the edge of the penalty area and meets the ball with power but is unable to control his header and it flies over the cross bar. The Seagulls chance to snatch a deserved last second win disappears but in truth they could have had the game sewn up much earlier had they not, for the third home game in a row, come up against a goalkeeper in fine form.

The new team bus did not look like this in the catalogue

This time it was the Brum City reserve Colin Doyle.  He made two crucial saves. The first came early on when Buckley was found home alone in the penalty area by a wonderful pass from Vicente. Somehow Doyle got down to partially block Buckley's shot but the ball spun up and fell agonisingly inches the wrong side of the cross bar from Buckley's point of view. The second came just after half time when Navarro let fly from outside the penalty area. His low shot looked booked for the corner of the net but Doyle got down again and just managed to deflect the ball around the post.

The Amex is aflame

The boys from Brum had come for one thing - the precious point that would guarantee a play off spot. They defended in depth and robustly when needed. They scored with their first on target shot in the match and managed only one more after that. The goal came from a Brighton corner. For the only time in the game Doyle cleared the ball quickly via a mighty hoof towards the constantly booed Marlon King. Not for the first time this season the Brighton defenders allowed the ball to bounce which gave King the opportunity to shield it and play back to Redmond who planted it low to Brezovan's left. It was hardly deserved but if we had been playing away from home we would have taken it. 

Millon de gracias Vicente

After that the Seagulls poured forward at every opportunity looking for an equaliser. Brum for their part played keep ball whenever they could and gave Doyle plenty of opportunities for time wasting. 

Ashley Barnes was saving his best to last and was having perhaps his best 45 minutes of the season. One minute clearing in his own penalty area the next charging into Brum's. For all his efforts it was fitting he should score after the  best move by either team. A simple lay off by Vicente to Calderon, a cut back and their was Ash coming late into the penalty area in loads of space to pass the ball into the bottom left hand corner of the net.  After several near misses we had managed to pass our way through Brum's 9 man defence. 

On way to the beach via Barnsley

It felt like a win and the players received a very warm reception on their end of season lap of honour. The big question on everybody's lips was "would Vicente be back?" Perhaps the clue was in Tanno's remarks about recruiting more players that are on his wavelength and can link up with him. 


My feeling is that the season was just 6 games to long for us and we ran out of a little bit of puff at the end after a hard physically challenging campaign. Only Buckley and CMS had any real previous experience at this level. We are a work in progress but  have much to build on.

Team Bloom have their trial

It was a happy occasion so I shall gloss over yet another display of inconsistent refereeing and the time wasting he indulged. The ref joined the exclusive club of 3 who have awarded the Seagulls a corner and blown for half or full time before it could be taken.


And finally a word of praise for my darling wife - a born and bred Brummie who for many years supported Aston Villa and Brum City but is now a fully paid up member of Gus's blue and white army. She felt honour had been done for her home town and adopted teams.  We both have added reasons for beating Wolves next season! 


My personal man of the match: ASHLEY BARNES

A GAME OF TWO HALVES

Brighton and Hove Albion 2(0) Watford 2(2)
Calderon 55                                 Murray 6
Buckley 79                                   Deeney (pen) 44

Attendance: 19,189

Surely not the players?

There was an end of term feel about the Amex last night but little sign of end of term truancy on the terraces. The game was in part about the Albion faithful. Would they turn up after the mauling at Upton Park and would they get behind the team now that all realistic chances of the play offs had evaporated?

They certainly clicked there way through the turnstiles. Given the 1,000 or so keen souls from Watford this must have been one of the biggest turn outs of Albion followers this season. The alarming gaps in the East and North stands quickly filled in the 5 minutes before kick off and the temporary home seats in the South were well attended.

Despite Gus's post match comments the fans got behind the team in the second half as the 12th player came into force. Yes there were a few ironic cheers when David Gonzalez managed his first piece of competent goal keeping but that would have happened at any ground. Again there was some booing after a pretty hapless first half marked with lost possession and misplaced passes with Dicker and Barnes the main culprits. But it was pretty half hearted.

My over riding recollection was the home stands getting behind the team after the break. Gus had clearly turned the radio up loud in the dressing room as the players were out early and raring to go. The crowd sensed this. Everybody put in a shift and Barnes and Dicker did not hide. Indeed it was Dicker's deft lay off that lead to the first goal.

Ref rejects Calderon's petition to sent Eustace off

A piece of Spanish magic was needed and this was duly supplied by Vicente who had apparently risen from his sick bed to join us. 2 fine shots joined by a wonderful piece of ball control saw Calderon sweep home his fourth of the season. The way he controlled his shot after the first was punched out by the keeper showed a piece of skill rare amongst English players.

Vicente drew defenders like flies to a light. Eventually he found space on the left and hit a sweet low centre which Buckley coming in from the opposite wing deftly steered past Kuszczark. Kuszczak beat away another shot from Vicente deep into injury time to deny the Seagulls a win.

A draw was about a fair result given Watford's first half display. They were gifted 2 soft goals from a free kick and penalty needlessly conceded. In the last 2 home games goals have come from free kicks given away just outside the penalty area so fewer rash challenges required that near goal. 

Clearly the Seagulls are a work in progress but have a strong nucleus to build on for next season. We need to be able to challenge for the ball more strongly in midfield and have the strength to win possession when rolling the ball out to a defender is not an option. 

So on to a visit from Brum for the last home game and the opportunity to say thank you to the players and Gus for giving us an exciting first season at the Amex full of rich promise for the future.

When shall we 3 meet again?

It was a personal pleasure to see Eric Gill being interviewed at half time. He played in goal the first time I saw the Albion in 1958 and went 5 years without missing a game. We have been through 4 keepers this season - there must be a message in there somewhere!

And a last thought..... will Brum City become the third team in a row to hold up the kick off for a secret seven huddle? How long before this silly time wasting tactic is banned?

Where did all those games go?

SUCKER PUNCHED

Will Sir Trevor show me to my seat?

Despite Mayor's Boris's cunning plan to close down the underground network the weekend of the FA Cup semi-finals I made it to Upton Park. As the tube train rattled east my mind turned to the game between Sam's sluggers and Poyet's pureists.

Who would have most left in the tank following gruelling midweek games?

Would Gordon Greer wear a Steve Foster-like headband in anticipation of the expected arial bombardment?

How would pace and power do against keep ball?

Would Karren Brady board at Canary Wharf?

Take me to the swings and slides

 Before the game the talk amongst the Hammers faithful was of a must win encounter and that Big Sam was there to do a job but not the long term answer when it came to the manager's job. The old timers were more sanguine reflecting on the number of years that had passed since the era of Moore, Hurst and Peters. Expectations were to high and a dose of realism was needed. Shades of Leeds United perhaps.

Big Sam's favourite diner

Within a minute of the kick off Henri Lansbury had rattled sexy Pete's cross bar and within 10 the game was over as the Hammers hit three. The Seagulls could not compete with West Ham's pace, power and movement. If I had been a neutral it would have been a joy to watch but I am not so it was agonising. This certainly was not hoof ball. The Seagulls chased shadows and it was men v boys. No doubt there many other appropriate cliches. Ricardo Vaz Te possesses a powerful and accurate shot and runs at defenders. Carlton Cole is big enough unsettle the best of defences. No doubt Gus would argue there are Premiership players on Premiership wages courtesy of the parachute payment system and, therefore, beyond the Seagulls' reach.

Sexy Pete saves one

To their credit the Albion kept going and came more into the game as West Ham tended to sit back as half time approached. Calderon should have done better from yet another splendid Vicente corner and Assulin (probably the Albion's man of the match) was growing in confidence as he saw more of the ball and was causing problems down the left. It looked as if the Albion had achieved a finger nail back into the game just before half time when yet another corner was headed goalwards by Greer. Robert Green somehow pawed it away when he was standing behind the line. The Seagulls appealed for a goal but the lino was not buying. 

Albion fans in good heart before the kick off

A goal then might have made a difference. Given us confidence and perhaps rattled the Hammers but it was not to be. Big Sam is a quick learner and there was no sitting back in the second half. They pressed forward denying Albion space and possession. 3 more goals followed. The Albion rang the changes but the habits of a badly defeated team crept in. Possession was easily surrended and passes went astray.

Where's Carlton Cole gone now?

I do not recall a meaningful attempt on goal in the second half. At the end the whole team looked dejected as they trudged off. Some were exempt from the collective failure. Greer was outstanding in a battered and disorganised defence and Bridcutt worked hard in midfield. Assulin looks a great prospect and Vicente was behind what little creativity we could muster. The problem is that opponents have sussed him out. As soon as he receives possession he is surrounded by 2 and sometimes 3 defenders. 

The force was not with us

The 3,000 faithful left understandably disgruntled. It occurred to me that Gus has signed 7 players this season but only one (Vicente) started the game. We have 5 players on loan but again only one started (Assulin). What point was Gus making? Escapes me. 


What does the big reality check at Upton Park mean for next season? A topic for another day.

The chanting West Ham section

Let's get back here quick

The only discordant note (apart from the result) was the persistent homophobic chanting by a small but noisy section of the West Ham fans. They positioned themselves as near to the away end as possible for maximum affect. It was vile and offensive. The police and stewards did nothing to stop it despite a number of half time complaints from Albion fans in that corner of the away end. Instead the Albion fans were treated as if they were in the wrong. 

As I left the ground a bus trundled down Green Street with an advert on the side reading "Some people are gay.......get over it!" Perhaps the Albion should have parked it across their goal.

Well today it was

 

Heroes from another generation

 

THE ROAD TO SUCCESS IS NOT PRETTY

The Amex has now played host to the Championships three Premiership contenders - Southampton, Reading and West Ham United. They aspire to play the likes of Manchester United, Liverpool and Arsenal. Were you impressed by the displays of our aspirants? No - neither was I. Sour grapes? - maybe.

Last Tuesday Reading were the last of the three to visit the seaside and gave us a masterclass on how to win, as they say, "ugly".

The Reading manager, Brian McDermott, prowled his technical area like no other sipping his water watching his master plan in frustration and time wasting play out it front of him. It was liking watching Big Sam but without hair.

There were 3 parts to the plan - the team construction, time wasting and frustrating the opposition. Just one chance to score was needed and the rest of the plan would see the team home. And that is how it worked out.

Part One - the team

Get a good goalie - and who would not want Adam Federici between the posts. Then add a centre back whose sole purpose in life is to head or hoof the ball as far down the pitch as possible whenever it enters the penalty area. If that fails commit a foul. Having a beard and looking vaguely Scandinavian helps. To this add a big striker whose main purpose is to wind up the opposing defenders - enter Jason Roberts and Carlton Cole. 

Part Two - time wasting

From the kick off Reading were determined to frustrate the opposition as much as possible by time wasting. A frustrated opposition is more likely to lose its rag and organisation. Strangely the time wasting started before the kick off! The Brighton players were all lined ready to start and the ref had his whistle to his lips. But hold on a moment - where were the Reading players? They were in some kind of pseudo-religious huddle. The message was clear - we are in charge here and please take note ref. Most throw-ins involved some form of ball examination and the obligatory 5 stolen yards. The ref over 20 yards away just waved his arms. When it came to corners a brain surgeon would have been proud of the precision involved in placing the ball on the right blade of grass. The waiting defenders must have been losing the will to live (or more importantly their concentration). 

Substitutions always offer another way to waste time. Step forward Noel Hunt. He staggered from the pitch like an exhausted marathon runner. Putting each foot in front of the other appeared to be agony. This was too much for the ref who ran over to hurry him off the pitch. Hunt shook the ref's hand!

Part Three - frustration

The best way to frustrate an opposition is to simply commit fouls. Reading committed twice as many as Brighton - 18 in all. That is one every five minutes. The most cynical was a handball when LuaLua lifted the ball over a defender and rounded him. He would have been clear through on goal but up went the hand. The cynicism deserved more than a booking.  Every opportunity to delay play was taken as was the chance to argue the toss with the ref.

How long was it between the ref awarding the penalty to Brighton and it  being taken as Federici and his defenders argued the decision? The ref allowed it to happen and Barnes lost concentration. 

All of this is worked out on the training pitch and planned in the murky world of the dressing room.

The annoying thing is the plan worked. The lucky goal arrived courtesy of a Harte free kick that Brezovan appeared to have covered before the ball clipped off a defender and diverted into the other side of the goal. West Ham's goal arrived due to a defensive error. All Reading had to do for 75 minutes was waste time, frustrate the opposition and try (but not very hard) to hit them on the break. 

At heart I am an old soccer romantic. The end of term prizes should go to those who play the best football. As Brian Clough once said if football was supposed to be played in the sky God would have put the grass there. Big Sam please note. 

On the evidence of the Championship's big three the road to success lies down a much more pragmatic and opportunist path. Let's get there by any means possible and worry later. Would Gus play the West Ham and Reading way - I doubt it.

If only Vicente had not chosen the 10th April to attempt to break the south end crossbar and Ashley Barnes to miss his first penalty of the season. We might then have seen how good Reading really are.

On my way home a Reading supporter played compliment to the Seagulls praising the way they got the ball down and tried to play. He thought we were unlucky.

"Enjoy your one season in the Premiership" I rather uncharitably replied.