Good times or bad, we are all Brighton supporters aren’t we?
When you are a true supporter of a football club, that support extends to the team through the good times and the bad. As Brighton fans, we know that better than most.
So all the social media comments slagging the Albion off following the Spurs game made me wonder how true some of our supporters really are?
Yes, I understand the viewpoint and agree that these last six consecutive defeats have spoilt what had been a great start to the season.
We have to remember though that we are not ready yet for challenges like European football. The gradual build up to compete at that level regularly is what we need, rather than getting there before we are ready.
It takes many years to build a strong Premier League squad. Brighton have the potential to do that. Continuity and gradual investment are the key, something which the club will address this summer I am sure.
We also need to show better support to the squad, especially at the Amex. There was one moment during Brighton 0-2 Spurs when the Albion were awarded a corner.
The crowd had gone quiet and Leandro Trossard was forced into trying to gee everyone up. Away clubs who visit us do not need their players to encourage fans to cheer their team and Spurs were the latest visiting group of fans to make more noise than our own.
Even in these periods of bad results which are to be expected, we know our team will fight to the bitter end and never give up.
The players must be hurting and feeling pretty low at present, which is why having the fans behind them has never been more important than at this moment in time. Who knows what they can achieve with a passionate, supportive crowd?
Everton beating Newcastle United 24 hours after the Albion’s defeat to Spurs was 100 percent evidence of this. It was a scrappy game for much of the 114 minutes – yes, 114 minutes.
The lengthy additional time was needed due to some young person cable tying themselves to the goalpost around their neck.
Both teams worked hard, including our former defender Dan Burn. One piece of class football from Dominic Calvert-Lewin and Alex Iwobi created a brilliant goal to put Everton 1-0 ahead with two minutes left to play.
Goodison Park is an old-school football ground like the Goldstone used to be. It was rocking when Everton scored, the noise pouring out of all three home stands amazing.
Everton fans know how to support their team, as we know from when they visited the Amex earlier in the season. They help carry their players over the line and for all Frank Lampard has done in football, I am sure he will never forget that moment of passion at Goodison.
An Everton win also did Brighton a bit of a favour, stopping Newcastle overtaking us. We hold onto 13th spot in the Premier League table ahead of the international break, giving the players time to rest and put all negative thoughts behind them to come out all guns blazing against Norwich.
I must admit I had a lot of those negative thoughts before the Spurs game, which makes you wonder if the players did too?
Brighton started well but there were sill signs of nervousness from Robert Sanchez. Once again, Sanchez left it too late to clear when the ball was at his feet.
Thankfully for the Albion’s young goalkeeper, Harry Kane missed the tap in he had been presented with from a tight angle.
Lucky Sanchez – and lucky Spurs when the visitors took the lead. Dejan Kulusevski put a shot towards goal which Sanchez might have saved had it not glanced off Christian Romero on the way through.
Kulusevski was looking good and we got to see the better side of Sanchez’s game when he made the save after the Swede put another shot on goal from a breakaway.
It was the sort of chance Spurs normally always score, so it was to the Albion’s credit that the danger had been averted.
Half time arrived with Brighton 1-0 behind, just as they had been in the weekend defeat to Liverpool. The Albion’s play had not been bad in the first 45 minutes.
If they could improve in the final third and be a bit more clinical, then the chance of getting a result still remained.
Brighton pressurised Spurs early on. The visitors looked a little unstable and panicky at the back. There was a shout for handball which was denied and Alexis Mac Allister was fouled by Romero. The free kick from that led directly to a corner which the Albion could not do anything with.
Then came a sucker punch. Spurs broke on the counter, the ball was fed through to Kane. Sanchez looked a little hesitant, obviously thinking that he better not take out the England captain as he had against Luis Diaz in the Liverpool game. That left Kane with the simple task of rolling the ball past Sanchez and into the empty net.
Brighton players felt that Kane was offside. VAR checked and decided there was no case to answer. Sanchez then had to make a vital stop after a run by Sergio Reguilon and a one-two between Danny Welbeck and Neal Maupay looked like it might give Spurs something to worry about.
The Albion though could find no answer to Kane, who was having one of those evenings. Sanchez made another great save when Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg slipped in Kane and Shane Duffy was lucky to get away without conceding a penalty after a tackle on Kane, even though VAR took a look.
And so we all left the Amex feeling low again. On another day however, Brighton supporters know we can get a result. Payback against Spurs will not have to wait long as we play them again at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on April 16th.
Time to put the international break to good use and come back recharged against Norwich, ready to cheer the players to a first goal at the Amex since January 18th. Up the Albion!
Tony Noble @Noble1844Tony
