Vote for your WeAreBrighton.com Player of the Month for February 2019
After a pretty terrible January, February didn’t get any better for Brighton and Hove Albion as they failed to win a Premier League game for the second consecutive month.
The only joy that the Seagulls derived came in the FA Cup, with an extra time win over West Bromwich Albion in the fourth round and a a fifth round success over Frank Lampard’s Derby County being February’s only victories as the Albion marched into the last eight of the competition for the second successive season.
In the Premier League, there was a solitary point from three games, picked up in a 0-0 draw with Watford. Burnley left the Amex will all three points thanks to a commanding 3-1 win and February was rounded off with a 2-1 defeat at Leicester City.
That contrast in league form and FA Cup success is reflected in the shortlist for our WeAreBrighton.com Player of the Month award, with Dan Burn, Anthony Knockaert and Yves Bissouma being in the running for the award based purely on their performances against the Baggies and the Rams.
Glenn Murray probably wouldn’t have made it either without his two goals in the win at the Hawthorns. Shane Duffy has been excellent across both competitions while January’s Player of the Month Davy Propper was superb again, netting a richly deserved first goal in Albion colours in the loss at the King Power Stadium.
Yves Bissouma
His best performance of the month came against Frank Lampard’s Derby when he caused panic in the Rams ranks whenever he got the ball. Ended that game with two assists and was also impressive away at West Brom but with his defensive game still leaving much to be desired, Chris Hughton is yet to fully trust him in the Premier League – much to many Albion fans disgust.
Dan Burn
When Hughton forked out £3.5m on deadline day for a Wigan Athletic defender with a broken leg who we would loan straight back to the Latics, plenty of eyebrows were raised. They’ve been firmly lowered following his performances against West Brom and Derby however, which have proven to be enough to get the former Fulham defender his first Player of the Month nomination.
Shane Duffy
If Player of the Season was being voted on right now, he’d be in with a real shout of winning. One of the only Albion players who you couldn’t find fault with in February, he played in all three league games and both FA Cup matches. Aside from some brilliant defending, highlights included scoring against Burnley, nearly scoring with an overhead kick against Watford and going on a mazy, Vicente-style run from centre back which ended with him deep in the Derby County box.
Anthony Knockaert
He had to wait until the final game of the month away at Leicester to be afforded his first league start of 2019 but he responded by being the Albion’s most dangerous attacking player, building on two impressive showings in the cup which included scoring an excellent goal against Derby.
Glenn Murray
Without the veteran striker, Brighton’s February could look even worse. His two goals in extra time at West Brom booked the Albion’s place in round five of the FA Cup and it says much about his stock that most Seagulls supporters are happy to turn a blind eye to a terrible miss away at Leicester because of the credit he has in the bank.
Davy Propper
Last month’s Player of the Month and you wouldn’t bet against him winning back-to-back awards. We wrote a piece for the Brighton & Hove Independent saying that the Dutchman just needed to start scoring goals to have a genuine claim to being one of the best midfielders in Albion history, and he duly did so away at Leicester. A class performer among a lot of the mediocrity currently on show.
Poll closes at 8pm on Sunday 3rd March
