Match Day Thread Seagulls v Magpies

Honest, it wasn't deliberate.

 

We've actually amassed more points away from from home. We rank 1st for away form by quite a way. We rank 6th or 7th for home form. Given the money spent and squad we have that's pretty poor. So it is broken and I think it would be prudent to fix it.

 

EH ???????????????
The commentators did nothing but praise Brighton and dismiss Newcastle
Claiming it to be a definate pen was an example

We have a valid complaint against refs in this division.
We score more and attack more than any club.
So why have we only got TWO pens all season ?
Worst in division ?
And the number of dodgy pens given against us ?

 

Agreed. He's taken who he's managed to brink of relegation every time.

 

I don't know who was on commentary last night but it followed the general pattern of most of our televised matches, usually quite negative towards us and bigging up the other teams, the penalty decision was just so crap, even the Brighton players were surprised as not one of them thought it was one and appealed, the guys in the studio were certain it wasn't a penalty either. Even in the PL this would have been an ultra dubious decision, Madley is not good to start with and PL refs should not be brought in for Championship matches, it is a more robust league than the PL and they are not used to it, not that the refs at this level are much good either.

 

Was at the game and these are my thoughts (for what they're worth)

I was really impressed with Dummett (love the way my autocorrect wants to change his surname to Dumbest). Thought he would really struggle against Knockaert but he played him really well.

Based purely on last nights game I don't see what people see in Diame. His first touch is woeful. I honestly believe that when he scored the goal he was trying to trap the ball.

Astu played well but should have looked up and picked someone out when crossing. He tended to just float the ball into dangerous areas which was too easy for Brighton to deal with, especially when your main forward was Gouffran.

Darlow made several saves but you be disappointed if he'd let any of them in as they were mainly directed at him. You also get the impression he's always got a mistake in him.

Gouffran can't play as the lone striker. We were toothless until Murphy came on.

If it was indeed a penalty then it should have been for Lascelles push in the back but the Ref indicted it was for holding. Now if it was given against Clark then it was no penalty as he was barged into because of Lascellas push.

I've seen Brighton play a lot better than last night. I think we were lucky in that respect.

 

Far be it from me to tell you how it is, but I do disagree with this. It's like saying "I've seen Bristol City play a lot worse, we were unlucky." The game is the game in that 90 minutes, there's no do-over. The best quote I can apply here is Jean-Paul Sartre, who said..

I said in the match thread that too many of us were thinking we were easy to beat, when we're just not.

 

I don't think there is any doubt that Brighton were not at their best. However I also think last night dispelled this myth that this year is a particularly difficult Championship. I actually predicted it would be a tough season. I have been surprised by the lack of quality in the league. We are getting by in the main just by having the best players, and having a great away set up.

Our closest rivals Brighton and Huddersfield are no great shakes. To be honest it just further strengthens my assertion we should be making much lighter work of this than we are. We're showing teams way too much respect at home. Last night we showed Brighton far too much respect and it was just a plain wrong/weird decision to play without a striker. I understand showing them respect of course because they have been in cracking form. We controlled the majority of the game, and we had Jack Colback in midfield. Our much maligned left back had their star man in his pocket.

I think we need to kick on after these three games and start taking teams apart. This will benefit us in a number of ways, and whether we like it or not we need to start to think about next year. It will firstly take us clear in this division if we do it in a measured way, it will secondly create a good atmosphere at the home games and engage the home support, thirdly it will give a massive boost to the current players confidence heading up, and lastly the whole feel good factor and infectious "something good is happening there" factor will help us with our summer transfers.

We are far from promoted - but that doesn't mean we can't put things in place to benefit us now and in the future.

 

Agree with this except could you remind me who Jean-Paul Sartre manages again?

 

The crowd roared when he did it too. To be fair to the lad he had a half decent game and was one of their main threats, Would I take him next year probably, I think he is better than atsu and not too far behind Ritchie, plus he's still relatively young

 

To be honest I thought he did very little and Dummett did a bit of a number on him. To be fair to Dummett he is always good at this. Its when he has to get forward he has an issue.

 

This. Atsu was better on the night, Ritchie is better overall. Knockaert's a decent player for sure, but if Atsu keeps progressing we'll be fine without. Don't forget, Townsend will be "doing an Odemwingie" this Summer and driving up the M1, so three good and changeable wing options. Sammy can hang around as a 4th choice.

Dummett is a...hell, what should we call him in this world of 10's, false 9's and wing-forwards?? I know - inside left back. Not quite a left back, not quite a centre back. Dependable defensively, hopeless offensively. Looks panicked up the field, hoofs it under pressure. He's a better Colback cos at least half his game is useful.

The thing I think we are guilty of - fans in general - is lacking the understanding of having simple, dependable players. Under Hughton, we had people like Nolan, Barton, Colo at this level, Harper. Unspectacular, rarely an 8/10, but often enough a 7/10, never less than 6/10 because of their commitment. Our dependables today are a bit of a step down - the likes of Colback, Diame, Gouffran, our CB's, our LB's have been 6/10 or less too often (especially at home). This is what needs to be addressed. The difference is our flair players are that bit better than under Chris; Atsu, Ritchie, Shelvey, Gayle have got us points when the team's been too flat.

And these players are really hard to find, the levels of physical and mental fitness to remain consistent are mind-blowing these days. I look at Stoke, having a really decent time of it and safe as houses because they back up the likes of Shaqiri and Arnautovic - who can be 9/10 one week, 4/10 the next - with workhorses like Adam, Shawcross, Whelan and Pieters. WBA are the same, Everton the same. Chelsea have the balance right, whereas City have struggled to get that dependability. It's why Mourinho paid £80m for Pogba - he's 7/10 most weeks, peppered with 9/10 performances. Gold dust.

 

I accept some of what you are saying but when you classed Diame as a dependable 6/10 I lost all hope in your sanity. 2/10 most weeks. Sissoko 2.0

I wonder if Levy needs another midfielder?

EDIT: I have noted the "or less" bit. Ok yes that is what needs rectified. Plus a massive smattering of quality.

 

Should have said that our ALLEGED dependables are getting AT BEST 6/10. 7/10 is lofty. Point being that those players who are supposed to be dependable simply aren't which contributes to our struggles at home.

 

We've still won only one less now at home, we're top of the league and it might actually get worse not better

 

The commentator kept calling him "Kernockaert" it was doing my head in.

He's good for that league perhaps, based on what I've heard. Based on what I saw last night he's a div and not very good at all.

 

You should be a bingo caller

 

Who gives a sh!t whether we were good, bad or indifferent. We won the game and are top off the league.

 

Last season all we wanted was a club that tries. At the start of this season all we wanted was a club that gets promoted. And now, all we want is a club that tries, wins, wins the league, scores ****fuckloads of goals, plays the prettiest football ever seen by man, and entertains us. Fans not fickle much.

 

So true.