A VIEW FROM WEST STAND LOWER

21st December 2013

SkyBET Championship

Brighton and Hove Albion (0) 0

Huddersfield Town (0) 0

Attendance: 27,155

League Position: 8th

"Dear Papa Noel,

I have been a good boy this year. I was promoted to a new class and the head teacher likes me. I am very popular in the playground and I have been studying hard.

For Christmas can I have the secret to beating poor teams at home? As a special reward can I have Craig Conway back?

  Los Mejores Deseos,

Oscar"

As the players emerged from the tunnel into the gloom, wind and rain of the Amex in December Ashley Barnes was seen carrying a seasonal sack. In it were a variety of misses as presents for the visiting Huddersfield team ranging from "decent half chance" to my "granny could have knocked that one in!"

As home team pressure mounted in the second half David Lopez put over the latest in a series of tempting crosses.  Barnes, unmarked, rose and met the ball powerfully with a header from deep inside the penalty area. It only had to be on target to give the Albion a richly deserved lead. The net rippled. The West Stand rose as one to celebrate. There was no celebration from the goal scorer, however,  as it became clear Barnes had missed the target entirely and the ball rolling apologetically along the back of the goal was causing the net to ripple. Barnes went into hang dog mode again.

The first time had been on 50 minutes. From another tempting David Lopez cross Agustien headed the  ball back across Smithies who somehow got his left hand to the ball and palmed it into the air towards

The Amex on a dark, wet and windy December afternoon

Barnes who was standing unmarked 5 yards out and only an empty goal to look at. The ball struck Barnes and looped agonisingly over the vacant goal.  Bad miss or did not Barnes have opportunity to adjust his body in time?

In the first half Barnes saw a fine strike from yet another David Lopez cross brilliantly blocked. From a series of yet further fine corners from David Lopez one Huddersfield defender managed to head the ball goalwards for another to hack off the line.

It is tempting to blame Barnes for the Albion's failure yet again to take all the points from limited Amex visitors but nobody else had a worthwhile strike on goal apart from the Agustien header. Ince and Agustien picked out folks sitting in the south stand with wild drives in the first half and Ulloa headed over near the end.

The truth is that if a team is going to play 4-3-3 it needs a central striker who will take the slimmest of half chances and Barnes just needs too many strikes before he can find the target. You also need midfielders who can get up in support of the lone striker and chip in with some goals. Yesterday Oscar played a midfield three who had not managed to score a goal between them all season. Whenever Bridcutt or Ince ventured forward, the more nervous they looked the nearer the penalty area they approached. Clearly having such fine defensive midfielders helps the team harvest away points, but when more creativity is required to unlock teams at home, they are found to be wanting.

No doubt Crofts was given a well deserved rest but he was badly missed. His replacement, Agustien, showed some fine touches in the first half then drifted out of the game, began to give the ball away and was eventually replaced. His best moment came with his header which Smithies palmed away. It deserved to be his opening goal for the Albion.

Without Conway the team looked unbalanced from the outset. Buckley was tried, without success, down the left but contributed little and was substituted to give Ulloa 10 minutes at the end.

Most of the creativity came down the right where Bruno and David Lopez had fine games. Their outstanding contributions deserved better support from their colleagues.

Brezovan was unoccupied for large parts of the game and in the second half could have been served his Christmas dinner without risk of disturbance.

So the Albion finish their home games for the first half of the season in roughly the same place they were last season. This is no mean achievement given the managerial changes and long injury list. 

A strike for the play offs is entirely possible but they cannot just rely on points gathered away from the Amex. The return of Ulloa is going to help and the pace of a fit CMS

Somehow seems appriopriate

would be a bonus but there appears little prospect of that in the near future. They  also need Orlandi's creativity down the left to balance what David Lopez is doing down the other side. They also need Conway back. Once he had settled in he was behind most that was good during his loan spell from Cardiff. He is more reliable that Buckley and more consistent than LuaLua.

In the end credit was due to both teams for trying to play football on a day when the wind swirled, the rain poured, often both at the same time.

So great hope for the second half of the season but fixing the home turf inconsistency is a top priority.

MANAGER WATCH: Oscar remained inscrutable at  Barnes' misses and, as usual, looked lost in own thoughts for large parts of the game. Robins shot out from the shelter of the West Stand several times, waved his arms around and retreated. This must have felt like a victory to him.

REF WATCH: Thank you, Mr. Adcock, for not giving a penalty in the first half when El-Abd appeared to bundle Vaughan over. Was likewise unimpressed when a couple of second half shots appeared to hit the arms of Huddersfield defenders. 

TREATMENT ROOM REVOLVING DOOR: Ulloa now half out and Buckley completely out but for how long?

ALTERNATIVE MAN OF THE MATCH: Strangely Bridcutt was given the sponsor's award but in reality Bruno and David Lopez had outstanding games. Bruno's return to form is most welcome so he gets my award.

This is my final blog of the year as I am away on holiday for the Bournemouth and Reading games. I would like to thank my readers for their encouraging comments and I remain greatly impressed by the number of different countries where it is read. 

I wish you all a Happy Christmas and a successful 2014 with perhaps the play offs as a bonus.

A VIEW FROM WEST STAND LOWER

SkyBET Championship

7th December 2013

Brighton and Hove Albion (2)3
Barnes 9 and 77(pen)
Conway 28

Leicester City (0)1
King 64

Attendance: 27,497 
League Position: 10th

Harold Wilson once said a week in politics is a long time. Well, in football 4 days is a hell of a long time. Everything that was wrong about the abysmal performance against Barnsley was attended to as the Albion turned in the first half display of the season to beat the League leaders.

Ince's return made a big difference. His height, long legs and physical presence made it difficult for Leicester to cut the Albion apart down the middle in the way Barnsley had done. David Lopez's mojo returned, Bruno was outstanding and Conway was a constant menace to the visitor's

lumbering defence. To be truthful nobody had a bad game and this was truly a team victory. The exact opposite to Tuesday night.

The early omens were not good. Kusczcak was injured in the warm up and Greer limped off early on to be replaced by El-Abd. Nothing was to deter the Albion as they took the lead after 9 minutes. David Lopez collected the ball as a Leicester attack broke down and hit a fine pass across the visitor's goal to the unmarked Barnes who had the easiest task to knock the ball beyond the exposed Schmeichel. 

If that pass from David Lopez took the breath away, it was to be excelled in the 28th minute when he hit a even better pass across a greater distance to the on-rushing Conway who chested the ball down and slotted it pass the on-rushing Schmeichel.

Apart from the odd Leicester sortie, the Albion dominated the first half and were well worth the 2 goal interval lead. Leicester were not top of the League by accident and they came out for the second half looking as if they meant business. The former Albion midfielder, Dean Hammond, was replaced by Knockaert to give the visitors width on both sides of the pitch. Their pace and rapid passing in midfield impressed but the Albion dug a trench on the edge of their penalty area which the visitors rarely penetrated. 

They did get back into the game on 64 minutes when the unmarked King headed in a free kick from

Knockaert. Matters may have gotten worse a few minutes later had not Brezovan flicked over the crossbar a header from Taylor-Fletcher.

Despite this the Albion had control of the game and it was Leicester who were being forced to press up field and this proved their undoing on 77 minutes. A fine pass from Bruno put Conway away down the left, he easily evaded a tackle and put over a tempting cross to  Barnes who had found space in front of Morgan. The cental defender pushed Barnes off the ball for an obvious penalty which Barnes smashed down the centre of the goal. 

The post match Amex buzz returned. Defeat to the League's bottom team followed by victory over the top team summed up the Albion's inconsistent season. They now lie 3 points out of the play offs and with injured players returning a top 6 place remains a real possibility if they can recover last year's consistency. 

I am not sure many Albion fans realised this was Conway's final home game before his return to Cardiff. I hope his lap of honor at the end, applauding the supporters, is not the last we see of him. Over recent weeks he has been the Albion's most consistent player and more reliable then the constantly injured Buckley and the hit and miss Lua Lua.

TREATMENT ROOM REVOLVING DOOR: Greer and Kusczcak in to join Orlandi, CMS, Hoskins, Buckley and Ulloa but Andrews and LuaLua out.

MANAGER WATCH: Oscar retured to the finely cut suit with a pullover the only concession to the December weather. Nigel Pearson remained seated no doubt fearing last season's collapse in form of his expensive collection of players would be repeated.

MAGIC MOMENT: An honourable mention for Crofts 40 yard shot which nearly caught Schmeichel out but the award must go to David Lopez for the passes which set up goals for Barnes and Conway. He

was the difference between the teams when it came to creating chances.

REF WATCH: Not often the ref gets booed off after a victory but Mr. Madley's inconsistency was very frustrating. He booked Wasilewski early on for chopping down Conway and the defender committed similar offences in the second half when facing LuaLua but remained on the pitch. In contrast Crofts and LuaLua were booked for pretty mild first offences.

ALTERNATE MAN OF THE MATCH: Barnes received the stadium award for his brace but my award goes to Brezovan. He probably thought his days in goal for the Albion were over apart from the odd development squad appearance. But with Casper injured he was plunged into the limelight with only 10 minutes warning and performed very competently. His handling was without blemish and he dealt well with a range of long distance shots and pulled off fine saves from Taylor-Fletcher and King when the visitors were at their most threatening.

 

 

 

A VIEW FROM WEST STAND LOWER

SkyBET Championship

3rd December 2013

Brighton and Hove Albion (0)1
Upson 63

Barnsley (1)2
McCourt 35
Mellis 50

Attendance: 25,759
League Postion: 11th

One team walked on to the pitch on the back of an unbeaten run of 6 games, just 3 points away from a play off place and seemingly full of confidence. Its manager and goalkeeper up for manager and player of the month awards. The other entered bottom of the league, without an away win all season, only 1 point from their last 8 away games and without a goal since the swallows left. A recently landed Martian would have thought Brighton were the latter and Barnsley the former on the performances on Tuesday evening. 

The first 45 minutes would have been a strong contender for the poorest Seagulls' performance since landing at the Amex and the second half, although much improved, would have made the shortlist.

The visitor's caretaker manager, Mickey Mellon, arrived with a plan and the Albion were totally clueless on how to respond. Barnsley packed the centre of midfield with 5 players against the home team's 3. They consistently crowded out the Albion's midfielders, fed the ball to the always-

I know mate, it was grim!

free Mellis and set about dribbling down the centre of the pitch. Twice Barnsley dribbled all the way to the back of Kuszczak's net. Each time he got a hand to the ball but could not stop it entering the goal. The centre of the Albion's defence took on the consistency of a marshmallow.

Forster-Caskey spent 45 mintes chasing shadows, Bridcutt (understandably) looked short of match sharpness and this coincided with Crofts' first off day of the season. The physical presence of Ince was badly missed as Barnsley won most of the 50-50 balls.

On the evening only Conway and Agustien (who replaced the disappointing David Lopez on 65 minutes) enhanced their reputations. Conway was desperately unlucky not to open the scoring on 20 minutes when a thunderous 30 yard drive was deflected on to the bar by Butland. He provided the cross at the end of Albion's move of the match which saw Butland produce another fine save, this time from Buckley. From the resulting Conway corner Upson headed Brighton back into the game. 

After that chances to equalise and possibly take the lead came and went. Barnes and Greer headed over the bar, Barnes sent an overhead kick just wide and Butland denied Buckley in a one to one. 

Just as Albion were building up a head of steam the ref apparently pulled a hamstring and limped off. The 5 minute delay took the impetus out of the play and the home side never really recovered. In the 7 added minutes the Albion could not conjure a genuine opportunity. 

So the game petered out and the final whistle was meet with booing in some sections of the ground.

Having failed to beat the bottom team the top team are now the next visitors. The Albion owe the fans, and themselves, a stirring performance and an unexpected 3 points. 

MANAGER WATCH: Each goal was met with much man hugging in the visitor's technical area. Oscar, well wrapped against the winter chill looked, for most of the time, as if he wished he could be somewhere else.

REF WATCH: Showed great speed in leaving stage left to be replaced by the fourth official when injured. Both refs wore pencils down booking 4 Barnsley players.

MAGIC MOMENT: Few contenders but Conway's solo run, shot from 30 yards and Butland's deflection on to the bar gets the award.

ATLERNATIVE MAN OF THE MATCH: As usual the stadium award went to the goal scorer but Albion's stand out player was CONWAY. Only player who looked consistently threatening, unluckly not to score and see his cross to Buckley converted.