Vote for your WeAreBrighton.com Player of the Month for August 2012
Brighton and Hove Albion recorded just one win out of four in the opening month of the 2012-13 season in a stark contrast to the unbeaten flying start they made to the previous campaign.
It was a hugely impressive win though, a 5-1 demolition of Barnsley secured through braces from Ashley Barnes, Craig Mackail-Smith and a fine strike from new signing Wayne Bridge.
There were impressive performances in the 1-0 defeat away at Hull City on the opening day of the Championship game and in drawing 0-0 with Cardiff City in the first game at the newly expanded Amex with a crowd at an Albion home game in excess of 25,000 for the first time in over 25 years.
The less said about the opening game of the season the better, a 3-0 defeat away at League One Swindon Town in the Capital One Cup. We didn’t even have the excuse of having rested players as Gus Poyet sent out virtually a full strength side, only to be undone by two goals from a player who released in the summer, Alan Navarro.
It’s been a good summer for Poyet though in general with Bridge being one of three new signings to have made the shortlist for our August Player of the Month award.
Ashley Barnes
Continued where he left off last season with a brace against Barnsley which could have been a hat-trick had Craig Mackail-Smith not knocked his goalbound shot over the line in a classic piece of goal thiefery. That Aye Aye Ashley Ashley Barnes song is slowly getting louder at The Amex.
Wayne Bridge
Lost his hunger and has come to the seaside for an easy ride as his career comes to an end? We don’t think so after a mightily impressive first month on-loan from Manchester City in which the former England left back opened his account in his fourth appearance.
Bruno
When Inigo Calderon has been your right back for two and a half seasons, its hard to see how a replacement could be more flair. That was until this man arrived from Valencia. In his first month, Bruno has displayed tricks galore, bombed forward at every opportunity and looked defensively sound.
Adam El-Abd
He was recalled to the starting line up at the expense of Lewis Dunk after that Swindon debacle with the defence instantly looking more solid. We’ve conceded only two goals with him in the team and that form was rewarded with a recall to the Egyptian national squad.
Gordon Greer
A hair transplant (rumoured, of course) hasn’t done anything to change the captains form as he continues to be the rock at the back. Didn’t enjoy the best of games on his first return to the County Ground since leaving Swindon for the Albion two summers ago, but since then has excelled alongside Adam El-Abd.
Tomasz Kuszczak
The third new signing to make the list. Had any of the four goalkeepers we got through last season been in between the posts, the Cardiff game would certainly have been lost such was the Pole’s performance. Commanding, solid and what we have been crying out for for some time.
Craig Mackail-Smith
With all this talk of a new striker, Craig Mackail-Smith was becoming something of a forgotten man. Not any more hopefully as he got his season up and running with two against Barnsley alongside impressive displays away at Hull and at home to Cardiff.
Craig Noone
With only a few days left of the summer transfer window, it looks as though he may be heading to Cardiff for a big fee and if that is the case, then he at least finished his Albion career on a high. Looked extremely dangerous against both his potential new club and Barnsley, even though his crossing was totally woeful against Swindon.
