Vote for your WeAreBrighton.com Player of the Month for February 2012
It was another unbeaten month in the Championship for Brighton and Hove Albion as the Seagulls picked up three wins and two draws to move into seventh place in the table.
Sitting just one position outside of the play-offs, even Gus Poyet has come out and said he believes the side can now mount a challenge for top six after wins over Leicester City, The Leeds United and Ipswich Town and draws with Hull City and Millwall.
There were questions asked about Poyet’s team selection for that Millwall game which was the only blot in the copybook in terms of performances in the league although our involvement in the FA Cup came to a shuddering end with a 6-1 defeat at Liverpool featuring three own goals, which at least makes us the only team to go to Anfield this season and score four times.
What as behind the improved form? Well, the Albion’s transfer dealings in the January window certainly helped with three of the 14 strong shortlist all having arrived at the club last month. That makes it a particularly difficult month to select a winner – so good luck picking!
Ashley Barnes
Back on the shortlist after an absence of several month, he continues to do a difficult job in a wide attacking position. Plenty of Albion fans are divided over what he offers to the team but one answer to that is goals, his brace against Ipswich Town taking him back to the top of the clubs scoring charts.
Peter Brezovan
Continued in February where he had left off in January with the defence looking far more solid than it had done with Casper Ankergren in goal. A Jekyll and Hyde performance at Anfield saw him struggle against the Reds’ expensively assembled strike force, but he did save a penalty and then recorded consecutive clean sheets in the league.
Liam Bridcutt
Not many holding midfielders go to Anfield and score twice but he did just that with this two own goals against Liverpool. Superb otherwise in the middle of the park, it’s not hard to see why he is attracting interest from the Premier League.
Will Buckley
Paid the ultimate compliment by Kenny Dalglish who, clearly aware of the threat he posed, had two men mark him in the FA Cup defeat at Liverpool. He began the month with yet another late winner, this time against Leicester before the return of his dodgy hamstring hampered him in the final few weeks of February.
Lewis Dunk
A testing month for the young centre half saw him lose his place in the side by the end of it, but he had begun it in the sort of form that has made him some impressive in his first season as a first team regular. He scored one of the best goals that the Kop will see this season although unfortunately for an Albion point of view, it was into the wrong net.
Adam El-Abd
Began the month by being asked to play out of position at left back where he struggled. Since reverting back to centre half and rekindling his successful partnership of last season with Gordon Greer, he has begun showing the form that led Poyet to proclaim him as one of the best players at the club.
Gordon Greer
The captain had another superb month at the heart of the defence. He was immense at Leeds and did well at Liverpool despite conceding six while had it not been for his goal-saving header early on in the Ipswich game, the final score against the Tractor Boys could quite feasibly have been nowhere near as convincing.
Kazenga LuaLua
The absence of both Buckley and Craig Noone finally gave him a run of starts and he responded with two trademark powerful free kicks against Millwall and Liverpool, the latter of those being his most impressive performance of the season as he gave England right back Glenn Johnson a torrid time at Anfield.
Craig Mackail-Smith
The Albion’s record signing was dropped from the side at the start of the month with Poyet preferring new signing Sam Vokes to lead the line, but that seemingly was the kick up the arse he needed as he responded with goals against The Leeds United and Ipswich Town, the first time he has been on the score sheet since November.
Joe Mattock
Left back has been a problem position since Marcos Painter and Mauricio Taricco’s injury problems but hopefully, the issue has now been solved following the arrival of Mattock from West Bromwich Albion, with the back four look much more balanced as a result of having a specialist left back playing rather than an out-of-position El-Abd.
Alan Navarro
The midfielder began to nail down a regular spot in the side in February with a string of impressive displays. His first goal for the club couldn’t have been any better timed either, coming as it did in the last minute to secure a big three points at The Leeds United and spark mental scenes of celebration in the Elland Road away end.
Abdul Razak
It’s not hard to see why he is billed as the next Yaya Toure by Manchester City. He was absolutely superb in his two performances to date, fitting seamlessly into the Poyet style of football and looking like the sort of play maker who will be able to open up even the most stubborn of Championship defences.
Gonzalo Jara
The man who came second in our October Player of the Month returned for a second loan spell from West Brom alongside Mattock and just like his Baggies team mate, has bought more solidity to the full back position.
