Brighton’s defensive efforts could keep them in the Premier League
It has been a rocky ride for Brighton this season, with Chris Hughton’s side finding themselves tasked with the possibility of a relegation battle in the maiden Premier League campaign, unless something drastic changes in the coming weeks and months.
Of course, a relegation battle is where many expected Brighton to be, along with the likes of Huddersfield Town, who were the Championship’s surprise package last season and joined the Seagulls and Newcastle United in promotion to the top flight. However, taking that into consideration, Hughton has had a good go at establishing the Seagulls in the top flight – whatever happens from here.
Brighton’s journey from the depths of the Football League to the Premier League has been nothing short of remarkable, with the squad at the Amex Stadium now containing personnel more than worthy of their shot in the English top-flight. The squad Hughton has assembled includes internationals, and ones that are likely to be featuring at the World Cup later in 2018.
“The Amex Stadium, Brighton” (CC BY-SA 2.0) by J’Roo
The one man who is almost certain to be featuring is Maty Ryan, the Brighton and Hove Albion goalkeeper, who has enjoyed a reasonably successful start to life in the Premier League and English football. The goalkeeper is likely to be named as Australia’s number one for the World Cup, with his country going up against France, Peru and Denmark at the Group Stage.
Despite having a Premier League regular as the last line of defence, Australia are not well fancied to be a success in Russia this summer, with the Kangaroos priced as outsiders of 3/1 to qualify from their group and 14/1 to be surprise winners in bet365’s international football betting markets.
Ryan is likely to be a major part of that assault on qualification in Russia during the summer, but first of all, the goalkeeper is tasked with helping Brighton avoid an expected relegation from the Premier League.
The goalkeeper arrived at the Amex Stadium during the summer, with Hughton swooping to secure a deal with Valencia that saw Ryan move to Brighton for a club-record transfer fee. Hughton’s high-profile summer signing has been one of Brighton’s major success stories of their maiden Premier League campaign, with Brighton looking a more than capable defensive outfit, with their troubles coming at the other end of the field – something that the club will hope the loan capture of Leonardo Ulloa can help to solve.
BREAKING: Albion have completed the signing of Leonardo Ulloa from @LCFC on loan until the end of the season. The striker returns three-and-a-half years after leaving the Amex Stadium.#BHAFC 🔵⚪
Read more 👉 https://t.co/zDYoGuTulh pic.twitter.com/5vwJZOpQfr
— Brighton & Hove Albion ⚽️ (@OfficialBHAFC) January 29, 2018
Defensively the Seagulls are sound, with Ryan organising a consistent back four, they have a real chance of mounting a survival campaign in the coming months and defy what many people thought by surviving their first season back in the top flight since the Premier League’s formation in 1992.
It will be some coup if Brighton can avoid the drop in their first year in the Premier League, and if they are to do so, maintaining their defensive record will be just as important as adding goals at the other end of the field. Ryan will be one key member of that defensive effort, and if the goalkeeper can help the Seagulls avoid the drop, he will head off to the World Cup in Russia on a major high.
