A VIEW FROM WEST STAND LOWER

Sky BET Championship

10th August 2013

Brighton and Hove Albion (1)1
Ulloa 17

Derby County (1)2
Martin 27 and 47


Attendance: 26,238

League Position: 19th

Oscar's Championship education is complete - he has seen Andy D'Urso referee! Mr. D'Urso would be top of many fans'  worse referees list and he did nothing to dispel that placing in this game.

In a game played in generally a good spirit he managed to book 8 players - 5 from Derby and 3 from Brighton. I was convinced he was working on sending somebody off and my money was on Makismenko as his inexperience was targeted by the Derby players in the second half.

Gully's travels: checking out Bayern shirts in Munich

Fortunately that did not come to pass.

D'Urso has the knack of missing the blatantly obvious and seeing things nobody else spots. He displayed this rare skill midway through the first half. A clearance was quickly played back by Makismenko to Ulloa who was brought down right on the edge of the box. Lopez's free kick seemed to be heading for the net as it went over the wall. The ball hit something! I did not spot a player carrying a broom or a plank so, given the height, it must have been a hand. The hand belonged to the Derby midfielder Paul Coutts. The players saw it, the fans saw it but for some mysterious reason D'Urso did not and waved play on. He waved away protests and rubbed salt in the wounds by getting in the way of the resulting centre which he deflected into Grant's arms.

It would be churlish to blame this defeat on Urso however. Two appalling pieces of defending gifted Derby their goals who otherwise rarely threatened the Brighton goal.

The first came in the 27th minute when Buckley failed to cut out a cross from the left, Calderon fell over while trying to clear and Martin won the ball off Greer in a tackle, got the wrong side of him and was able to stab the ball past an unprotected Kusczcak.

Worse was to come on 47 minutes when the defence appeared to be still in the dressing room sucking the half time oranges. Makismenko missed a tackle, the winger skipped past him and centred, Kuszczcak hesitated, Martin again got the wrong side of Greer and hit the ball home.

The Albion then enjoyed their best spell of the game and began playing the way Oscar wishes them to. For about 15 minutes we saw high tempo football and players surging forward. Most of the good work came from Calderon down the right who put over a number of inviting centres and from one of these a towering Ulloa header hit the inside of Grant's post and went away to safety.  Agustien had a long distance drive

tipped over by Grant, an Ince shot from distance also went just wide, Buckley stung Grant's fingers and another Ulloa header  drifted just over. The final chance fell to Upson but he could not get his firm header on target.

In a sentence the Albion defence gifted 2 goals, an obvious penalty appeal was turned down and several good chances went begging.

The defence is a worry and clearly the disruption caused by injuries and the lack of a proper left back is undermining confidence. Kusczcak looked hesitant, Greer was less than commanding, and for all his promise, Makismenko is not a left back. 

The team is also very unbalanced. Orlandi was badly missed and without him we hardly ever attacked down the left. 

It is too early to push the panic button but the Albion under Oscar are clearly a work in progress. I sense some of the players are stuck in a no man's land between Gus play and Oscar play. Yesterday we saw Lopez always trying to pick out a colleage with a pass while Agustien hit the ball forward at every opportunity. We seem to be stuck between possession football and trying to hit the opposition by playing early balls forward.

I am quite sure Oscar's knows what needs to be done and I go to Brum next Saturday full of expectation.

MAGIC MOMENT: The passing move and centre down the right between Barnes and Calderon that led to Brighton's goal.

REFEREE WATCH: I look forward to seeing D'Urso in a Spec Savers advert soon.

ALTERNATIVE MAN OF THE MATCH: Quite rightly the sponsor's award went to Calderon but my personal choice goes to Rohan Ince. His height, power and pace gave the Albion midfield somethiing it has been lacking for quite a while. He nearly scored and is clearly one for the future.