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.