Four points from Christmas: What a difference positive results make
Before the Boxing Day fixture between Brighton and Brentford, I had no idea when I would see another goal from open play at the Amex.
It seemed as though the scene was set for a proper bah-humbug end to Christmas. Reduced attendance, 8pm kick off and no designated driver so no booze on Boxing Day.
As so often the Albion turns up when you least expect it and so we were sent to the park-and-ride queue with big smiles on our faces following Brighton 2-0 Brentford.
An even bigger surprise was then to come when the Albion went and outplayed Chelsea at Stamford Bridge. One point could have easily been three.
Here are a few random observations from a random fan who is feeling much more positive thanks to those four points from Christmas:
Confidence slowly disappears but can come back quickly
After 11 games without a win, it was understandable that the Albion players were low on confidence. If Big Bob Sanchez has more touches in a game than our creative midfielders it is obvious we have a problem.
A key skill for a midfielder is to receive the ball under pressure but some players hide when the chips are down. Two wonder goals against Brentford from Leandro Trossard and Neal Maupay later and suddenly Jakub Moder, Alexis Mac Allister and Enoch Mwepu were demanding the ball and started to pass forward rather than backwards.
The whole team in fact was braver in possession and pushed higher up the pitch. It took only 10 first half minutes for Brighton to get their confidence back which had been slowly eroding by that winless run stretching back to September.
Despite popular belief we have a goal scorer in the team
Maupay scored his seventh Premier League goal of the season on Boxing Day, meaning there are only six players in the Premier League who have found the back of the net more often than our little French wind-up merchant.
Fair play to him as well for not celebrating his wonder strike in front of the Brentford fans and showing his old club a lot of respect in his post match interview.
Maupay receives a lot of criticism for his sometimes questionable finishing but if he was as clinical as a prime Sergio Aguero, his transfer value would eclipse the £50 million Arsenal paid for Ben White.
It has been well documented here on WAB that Brighton should recruit a striker that complements Maupay’s clever movement and superb hold-up play, rather than seeking to replace him with a new arrival. Am I the only one who thinks that Ivan Toney would look good in blue and white?
Leaders on the pitch make all the difference
Two weeks ago against Wolves, Albion lined up without injured captain Lewis Dunk, vice captain Adam Webster and former England international and Champions League winner Adam Lallana.
We all know how that game ended. And it was not just the result that was disappointing that night, the overall play was truly awful. We could have played another 90 minutes and we still would not have scored.
Graham Potter is working with the best squad in Albion’s history but young quality players like Leandro Trossard, Tariq Lamptey and Marc Cucurella benefit from experienced, vocal and mentally strong players on the pitch.
The likes of Lallana and Danny Welbeck – he of last minute goal at Chelsea fame – are invaluable to this youthful squad. The more games they play, the better.
When expectations are low you get pleasantly surprised
Perhaps I am seeing this through rose-tinted glasses but the attendance on Boxing Day – considering the circumstances – was better than expected and the atmosphere in the stadium was excellent.
The problem of no public transport on the evening was negated as much as possible as it felt like every bus in Sussex was chartered to bring fans to Falmer. Credit as well to the Brentford faithful for showing up in numbers.
All that said, Sky Sports, go and hang your head in shame. It is a wonderful tradition to play football on Boxing Day but every fan in the country will agree that an 8pm kick off is total madness. We will be watching you next season, Sky Sports schedulers. Don’t let it happen again.
Finally….
What a couple of nights against Brentford and Chelsea. What amazing goals in both games. The winless streak is broken. We now travel to Goodison Park before facing Palace and Leicester City to kick off 2022 with renewed confidence.
We are back in the top half of the table. The hunt for European football is on again.
Marco Hof
