The Seagull Love Review insists Brighton are not safe!

Rival Lines
Brighton & Hove Albion v AFCB
Blogger Interview: The Seagull Love Review
Follow on Twitter @tslr


I finally caught up with Sam - The Seagull Love Review blogger - who kindly sent over his answers to my second batch of questions on Brighton & Hove Albion’s season so far. He says that if it had not been for a 0-2 away win at Fulham in December it is possible that Brighton fans could be in a lot worse position.


CC: Is Sami Hyypia totally to blame for Brighton's poor season?

TSLR: A fair bit, yes. A dour man who pissed on our chips.

CC: What have you made of Chris Hughton so far?

TSLR: He has done OK and, though we have a really tough run-in, a lot of us thought we were down at Christmas. Very depressing. If he keeps us up then he has done a good job, though deep down there are questions in Sussex as to his ability to take us to the next level. Nice bloke though.

CC: Where do you think the season turned round for Brighton - is there a particular game when you thought that has sparked something?

TSLR: Fulham away on the 29th December. Hyppia had been sacked and our number two Nathan Jones took charge. We won 0-2 and there were tons of Albion there so that really picked everyone up.

CC: What do you feel about your current home form in the league - are you fairly confident when the Seagulls run out at the Amex?

TSLR: No! No confidence at the moment. Last weekend we lost 1-0 on the Friday and 0-1 on the Monday. One against promotions chasers, one against relegation fodder. We're totally sh _ _!

CC: Have you soon a particular player doing much better under Hughton's tutelage?

TSLR: Hard one to say. We have had so many loanees pass through the doors the teams change quite a lot. Our defence has been reasonably solid all season and we don’t concede many, but our problem is scoring goals and to be honest. Chris Hughton has not been able to turn that round since he arrived. As a team we're better, but only just a bit better to be out of the relegation zone, let's be honest.

CC: Brighton have Watford and Middlesbrough to play so is it of much interest to you to have a big say in who might go up or are the matches a bit meaningless to you now?

TSLR: We're not safe! It perhaps looks likely we'll stay up now but only because of the form of the bottom 3 or 4. I believe the fans expect the promotion chasing teams to grind out 1-0 wins against us. I'm not convinced we have the fire in our belly to match the teams at the top with the table as tight as it is.

CC: Is there a particular striker that you would like to see come in over the summer?

TSLR: Glenn Murray.

CC: Do you think Brighton are very far off the pace to being a top six side again next season?

TSLR: Well I would say we're well off the pace with our current squad but who would have though you guys and Brentford would do so well? I don't think we'll be spending lots in the summer so it'll be transfer window roulette and lots of work in getting people like Sam Baldock playing the way he is capable of.

CC: How do you expect Brighton to line up against AFCB - will it be all out attack or do you expect a plan to try and prevent AFCB having so much of the ball?

TSLR: No idea but I would think Hughton will bulk up the midfield to, as you say, stop you guys from playing your game. We will see. If the crowd is up for it then we could see a really good game. I'm sure you lot will bring a few so it should be fun.

CC: What is your score prediction for the match?

TSLR: 1-1

CC: I just have time to thank Sam for his time and for whetting the appetite for tonight’s match which as he says should be a cracker. A four point gap could be created at the top of the table if the Cherries do get a win and that would make listening to Saturday’s matches a little easier for some of us! UTCIAD!

Please hop across to have a read of The Seagull’s Love Review to see what Sam has been writing this season on his beloved Brighton team.

Are Brighton this season's under achievers?

Every time I look at the table I wonder what an earth are Brighton doing down there. They should be in a much higher position in the table and yet at this time of the season surely the table does not lie. While many of their fans will blame Sami Hyypia's reign for the plight of the team I believe Brighton's players are capable of greater things than they have achieved to date.

When Gus Poyet left the club it was the end of a huge era for them. Gus was their link with the past and the Withdean stadium as well as their hope for a brighter future at the Amex. They perhaps lost a bit of that drive and vision at some point and the disappointment of not winning through in the play-offs is a warning to AFCB fans that what looks good today may not look so good tomorrow.

It could have gone better for Brighton this season.

In Chris Hughton I see a manager who is stable and has good values that has brought Brighton much closer to safety than they were at the start of the year. Now they have a clear goal and even with a few set backs they are on course to secure Championship football next season. But is that good enough for such a club? I expect many of their supporters would say that they should be nearer to where the Cherries are in the table and perhaps they will be up there again in 10 months time. But a defeat to AFCB on Friday night will have the Seagulls looking over their shoulder just a bit.

Under achievers they may have been this season, but I would say that Fulham are even bigger under achievers. They must be just glad that Millwall, Wigan and Blackpool are in even more trouble.  

The Cherries didn't get a win last time at the Amex so Simon Francis, Charlie Daniels,
Tommy Elphick and Steve Cook will be hoping to at least keep a clean sheet. 

The Seagulls Love Review Rival Lines has not materialised, but if it does come in I'll put it up later. Safe journey to those going to the match tonight. I'll be there and on All Departments' podcast review of the game over the weekend if all goes well. UTCIAD!

Finally, well done to Eddie Howe on winning SkyBet's March Manager of the Month in the Championship - I hope AFCB can buck the usual trend and keep winning despite the award!

Brighton are no pushovers at home

It was only back on 3rd April when Norwich were down at Brighton's Amex stadium and the Canaries were certainly delighted to come away with a 0-1 win thanks to a Bradley Johnson goal. Brighton tend to keep possession well at home and deny opponents too much time on the ball. They have beaten Derby and Ipswich at home since the new year and AFCB cannot expect an easy ride against this team.

With Brighton on 45 points and still having five games to go they are not mathematically safe yet, but it would have to be a poor run of results and something spectacular from either Wigan or Millwall to catch the Seagulls now. Brighton fans will write this season off, but they won't hesitate to celebrate a minor victory over the Cherries if they get the chance and watching their team against AFCB down at the Goldsands Stadium last November I know they have enough about them to make this possibly the most difficult match left on the Cherries' fixture list.

I hope the weather is a bit better than last time we visited the Amex.

While Brighton have not been setting the league alight with their goal tally, they don't exactly give that many away either. their last five games have not seen more than two goals scored in each match and Brighton have only let two goals in during those five games. Their back four in their last match against Rotherham consisted of Bruno, Greg  Halford, Lewis Dunk and Joe Bennett while Stockdale has been keeping goal.

Their much talked about striker for his goal celebrations in particular is Kazenga Lua Lua, but he has only scored three league goals all season. Chris O'Grady, the former Barnsley striker was brought in to bolster their attack last summer but he has netted just one league goal since his arrival. Craig Mackail-Smith is on the same league total of one, so you can see where some of the problems have been for Brighton. Yet, they have a strong midfield with Rohan Ince and Joao Teixeira as well as Forster-Caskey who I see as all good players.

AFCB prepare to take on the Seagulls again.

Chris Hughton has not been happy with his sides blocking of crosses and you just get the feeling that this could be a game when Kenwyne Jones might get some joy if he can get on as a second half substitute for the Cherries. Before that though I expect Eddie Howe to feel that his side is good enough to craft a way through the Seagull's defences with the kind of form that the Cherries have been in at home, but away from home the Cherries need to be more clinical than they have been of late. The aim will be to give David Stockdale a torrid time, although I have heard that he could be a doubt for the game.

Brighton Home Form
WWWDL

AFCB Away Form
WLWDD

Do check out our Rival Lines with The Albion Roar as well for more Match Preview views.

Rival Lines: Will The Albion Roar cry penalty before a ball is kicked?

Rival Lines

Match Preview: Brighton v AFCB
Blogger and Podcaster Interview - The Albion Roar
Follow on Twitter @Albionroar

We nearly did not have a Brighton Rival Lines and my usual contact did not come through but I had a mad dash to try and find a Seagull site that I could talk to before Friday's match and I was really pleased to come across The Albion Roar podcast and Blog. Who did I find there? Well I threw my questions over to Alan Wares who is just full of information on all things Seagulls and if you have not visited The Albion Roar I suggest you do so immediately after you hear how he got on with my questions on the Blue and White shirts from down the road.

CC: Where do you think the season turned round for Brighton - is there a particular game when you thought that has sparked something?

AR: It was probably Nathan Jones’ second and final game in temporary charge - away at Fulham in December. The fans were down, the team seemed shot of confidence and yet managed to pluck an excellent result of somewhere that no one really expected. It got us to realise that the team could get out of the mess it had got itself into if it stopped feeling so sorry for itself.

CC: What has Chris Hughton done so well to get more out of the team?

AR: Hard to say. Under Sami Hyypia, no-one could work out what it was he was trying to do - unlike Gus Poyet and Oscar Garcia. It’s not evident the players knew either. Chris has brought some stability to the side - and the ludicrous policy of squad rotation has largely stopped. Hughton is fulfilling his one key objective this season - survival in this division.

CC: Which player has been the strongest for you during the run-in so far?

AR: During the run-in, probably Rohan Ince. He is a young, though enormous holding midfielder who is pretty agile for someone topping out at 6’3”. He played poorly under Hyypia (but then, everyone did) after impressing in his first season last season. He has regained some of his form, though as a youngster is still prone to the odd howler. If he plays, expect to see some telescopic-legged challenges.

CC: Brighton still have to play Watford and Middlesbrough so you could have a big say in who goes up. Do you think that is good for the Brighton players that none of the games will be meaningless - I imagine you think Brighton are safe now?

AR: As professionals, I’d expect the players to be up for every game anyway. We actually have a not unreasonable record against the top six this season. We’re still looking over our shoulders. We believe another five or six points ought to be enough. As much as other team are in the mire, it ain’t over til it’s over.

CC: Does it say it all this season in what has gone wrong for Brighton when Lewis Dunk is your top scorer and do you expect new strikers in the summer?

AR: It doesn’t say it all. I would expect the likes of Dunk to weigh in with half a dozen goals a season. But you’re right - our forward line has been pathetic all season. During the early part of the season there was little or no creativity in midfield. Now, the forward is exceptionally wasteful. Chris O’Grady aside, we would be expecting a wholesale clear-out of what are supposed to be our goalscorers during the summer.

CC: Do you think Brighton are very far off the pace to being a top six side again next season?

AR: Yes. I will be astonished (though delighted) if we can find - in one summer - the calibre of players required to be as good as those who have left over the past 18 months, and therefore return us to the top six.

CC: I was most impressed with Joao Carlos Teixeira at Dean Court has he started to control games more often for you this season?

AR: Tex is infuriating and brilliant in equal measure. He can run through many defences at will, but he still must find the right to torment and the right time to pass. Can go missing for periods too.

CC: Brighton played well against Bournemouth at Dean Court earlier in the season in what was one of the Cherries hardest games. So do you feel the TV cameras and ‘derby- nature’ of these games brings the best out in Brighton?

AR: Not necessarily. We were on TV v Millwall at Christmas - one of our most inept performances in a long time. I thought the game at Bournemouth ebbed and flowed, and though we did well in patches, we were always playing catch-up. I love the attitude of the players for the most part, but the quality as a team - and individual choices at a given moment - can be maddening, whether on TV or not.

CC: With AFCB strong forward players coming at Brighton, what do you think Brighton’s best way is to stop Bournemouth in this game?

AR: Nothing, You always get a very moody penalty at Brighton (well, two in the past three visits). There is a sweepstake on the Brighton forums as to when (not if) you get one this time.

CC: Can we have a score prediction for the game please?

AR: Nope. I’m not Tim Lovejoy.

CC: I see that Alan is keeping his prediction close to his chest but he is not shy when wanting to let you all know where you can find some more of his work and views. So I think he has earned this plug - Alan Wares is a co-presenter on The Albion Roar, an independent Brighton fans’ radio show on Radio Reverb 97.2FM in Brighton & Hove, on www.radioreverb.com and on podcast at www.albionroar.co.uk

Remember to send your score predictions in to @peterbell19 to get your tweet up on Cherry Chimes.

As for the penalty call, I do think AFCB are getting a reputation for going down a bit easy as I have said before. It is not something I like as I am not a fan of diving. I think referees have said no to a lot of AFCB's penalty shouts that may be should have been pens, but equally the Cherries style of play is going to draw penalties from many defences which simply have not been able to cope with the forward runs and pace of players like Wilson and Pugh. I can't say that AFCB fans wouldn't mind a few more penalties though!

There is a Match Highlights summary of the Birmingham game now up on the Key Match Highlights page with video of the goals.

Yann Kermorgant is very precise from the spot

When you analyse the Birmingham game the role of Yann Kermorgant may have not seemed that significant at first sight as Callum Wilson was the player who equalised and then won a penalty to set the Cherries on their way to victory. However it was Yann Kermorgant with the clever turn and needle through an eye pass to get Callum away and free for AFCB's second goal and Yann again who hooked the ball on to Wilson to win a penalty which Yann himself made no mistake with.

Crowd reaction in the Steve Fletcher stand as
Yann Kermorgant tucks away the penalty against Birmingham City.

The Frenchman has not attracted so many headlines of late, but he is quietly going about his business and he has to fight hard for his place in the team with Brett and now Kenwyne pressing for a start. 

Yann still has a few more goals in him this season I reckon.

His coolness at the penalty spot is something that certainly has been helping the team to get wins and I don't remember a season when the Cherries have had so many penalties awarded to them. I don't recall Yann doing anything much differently when he steps up for a penalty but he always strikes the ball so firmly that keepers don't seem to be able to keep his shots out from 12 yards even if they work out which way he is going. he has by far the best penalty record at the club and it is a bit surprising that anyone else is allowed to get a  look in. It is also two penalties scored in his last three games having also netted against Middlesbrough. By the way Yann scored the late penalty to beat Brighton back in November. 

In all Yann has put 6 away goals from the penalty spot from his 15 goals which puts him just two behind Grant Leadbitter of Middlesbrough who is the lead scorer on eight, and in the following games his penalty was the decisive goal.

3 March 2015 AFCB 2 v 1 Wolves
1 November 2014 AFCB 3 v  2 Brighton 

Yann has only missed one spot kick at Leeds Utd this season when he hit the bar, but his record is pretty amazing. His game though is more than that as we have seen and he also has a very good chance of being the club's second highest scorer this season as he is one goal ahead of Brett Pitman and just five behind Callum Wilson.

Pugh ready to play?

Eddie Howe made reference to Marc Pugh on Monday saying that he wasn't sure when the winger would be back in action. However, I did receive some information that the player is hoping to train this week and play as soon as he can which could well see him brought in for the Brighton match if he doesn't feel any pain when training in the next few days.

Marc Pugh was walking around and giving out presentations
 before the Birmingham match with sponsors
so let's hope he is fit to play soon.

Just like when Harry Arter was out for a few games, it seems that Marc Pugh is very much missed and his impact could be an extra attacking force that will help AFCB to get on the front foot a bit earlier in games than they have been able to of late. Pugh has always been a fast starter as evidenced by his goal in the first game of the season up at Huddersfield and he provides the link play with Daniels and Surman to really get the left flank threatening defences.

While Marc has not yet reached double figures in goals it is always his target to cross that target and he'll be itching to play a big role in whatever games he can until the end of this season. While Ryan Fraser has come in and performed okay, I don't believe he is as sharp in front of goal and that could just be down to the fact that he has not played so many games this season to get into top form. 

It was interesting to see Matt Ritchie operate on the left in the second half against Birmingham and the team certainly had more joy after he switched and Adam Smith came on the right side of the team. Smith (Smudge) himself is probably ruing the fact that he did not score before Charlie Daniels' lashed the fourth goal home, but Adam too has not been very involved in games and he'll benefit from getting a run perhaps if Pugh does need another game or two on the sidelines.

Queue for Charlton, whatever next?

Like many AFCB fans I knew that I would have t get down to the Goldsands pretty early on Monday if I was to be in with a reasonable chance of picking up any tickets for the last game of the season against Charlton. I had been a bit worried when I saw people on social media keep talking about the tickets and the allocation of 2900 seats, which was pretty small for such an important game for fans of the Cherries.

Someone had to be at the front.

Happy campers.

At least a few footballs were out and some hot chocolate.

Knowing that season ticket holders would be down at the crack of dawn to start queueing for a 9am start was not that helpful when you are located 110 miles away in leafy Surrey, but I got the boys up at 6am and travelled down beating the East Monday build up of traffic in hope and anticipation of a lengthy queue ahead of us when we reached Dean Court. First impressions were good when I could not see anyone near the Ted MacDougall stand but as I rounded the corner to the Main reception and Main stand I could soon see the sleeping bags and tents of those keen enough to camp out and a row of chairs for those who knew they were in for a long wait.

Let's take a walk.

Pack of cards anyone?

Hello Damien, was it worth getting up at 4am?

This way - you're not at the back yet.

Anyone got a spare chair?

Is this queue going to start moving soon?

While I met up with some of my friends and had a quick word I was soon chasing the snake of fans down the East stand and to the start of the Wall of Fame where I began chatting to other fans who had arrived at about 8.30am. We were soon pretty anxious to see whether our efforts were to be rewarded or not and it took a long time for the queue to start moving, but sure enough we managed to get into the sun and started to see a bit of movement. Four hours later we got our hands on the much desired tickets and I had no need to wonder how to kill time before the game as there was not much time to go. I was pleased to hear that all those who were in the queue managed to get a ticket, but perhaps some of you did not get lucky on the phone or were turned away and not allowed to join the queue late on.

Stephen and Robert decide they have plenty of time before strolling up to join me.

Yesterday, I read on the Charlton official website that they have restricted the sale of home tickets for the match against AFCB, fearing that fans of the Cherries will try and buy tickets in the Charlton end of the ground with the Cherries having sold their total allocation of 2900 tickets. The demand for this game is extremely high and it is a shame that AFCB have not been given as many tickets as they had for the FA Cup tie against Aston Villa. 

Well done for all those who got down before me and if you had a longer trip to the ground. I hope you all got a ticket. I am now praying that we don't end up in the play-offs and draw Brentford as I can see this happening all over again in that case!

Make sure you have a read of my 'Easter Monday round up and defining games' now on the Championship Run-in tab.

All Departments has released a double bill Easter special podcast, Good Friday - Happy Mondays, covering the Ipswich and Birmingham games and you can listen to the recording by visiting the All Departments' website or by scrolling down the right hand panel on Cherry Chimes until you get to the All departments' sound bar and click on it.