Third consecutive top 10 finish would show Brighton model working
It had been a very proud 24 hours leading into the Brentford game for Brighton & Hove Albion. The club’s accounts for the 2022-23 revealed record profits for a Premier League club of £122.8 million.
This figure did not include the sale of Robert Sanchez or Moises Caicedo, which would add I believe around £130 million more to the profit column.
Mr Tony Bloom celebrated by joining Albion supporters in the away end, as he always does when Brighton play at Brentford.
CEO Mr Paul Barber OBE was left to do a series of interviews on both the highly expensive TNT Channel showing the Albion against the Bees and BBC Radio Sussex.
Speaking to TNT, Mr Barber said that Brighton will never be able to compete with the likes of Manchester United and Arsenal in revenue terms.
So instead, the Albion have settled on this model of developing young players and selling them at a profit to enable the club to remain competitive in the top flight.
It is a model that appears to be working. If Brighton were to finish in the top half this season, it will mean three consecutive top 10 finishes having never been that high before 2022. No other club has achieved that at the same time as making a huge profit.
In Mr Barber’s BBC Sussex interview which aired at half time, he spoke a little about Roberto De Zerbi and where the head coach fits into the model.
“De Zerbi wants to be the best!” said Mr Barber, as we all know! You can listen back to Mr Barber and Johnny Cantor talking on the BBC Sounds website.
To Brentford, where the Albion found themselves just three days after defeat at Liverpool. TNT showed a fully dressed beekeeper in the crowd, but despite his presence there was no honey at the end of the game for Brentford or, indeed, the Albion.
The spoils were shared equally, with a point each. Brighton have no time to rest and pollinate, with Arsenal at home just around the corner.
For all my gripes with the cost of TNT, you do at least get class like Glenn Murray as part of the punditry team. Murray was co-hosting with Aaron McLean, another retired footballer.
The two TV commentators were Paul Demspey and Adam Virgo, meaning a lot of Brighton representation. What a nice change from the bias shown by Jamie Carragher on Sky Sports when the Albion lost at Anfield on Sunday.
Both teams had different aims coming into the game at the Gtech Stadium. Brighton are desperately trying to earn as many points as possible to secure European football for next season. Brentford have been on a terrible run recently and need results to stay out of the relegation battle.
De Zerbi made four changes to the starting XI from the Liverpool game. Johnny informed us BBC Sussex listeners that brought the total number to 114, more than any other Premier League manager.
It was great to see Joao Pedro back from injury with Danny Welbeck taking a rest but being in reserve for later. However, there was no Evan Ferguson, Ansu Fati or Valentin Barco in the squad and nobody seemed to know why.
From the start, it looked as if Thomas Frank’s plan was to hold the Albion off, sit back and try and score on the break. Brighton were able to swiftly and spritely take control as a result.
Yoane Wissa had the first chance of the game but thankfully he fired wide. The first 10 to 15 minutes were played at a settled pace with Johnny reporting that none of the Albion players looked flummoxed. What a lovely word. Do you get flummoxed a lot?
Brighton had shots from Joao Pedro in the 32nd minute and Facundo Buonanotte in the 34th. Buonanotte and Brentford’s Vitaly Janelt were the only players to receive yellow cards, which was reflective of the game really.
Jan Paul van Hecke won a corner and Adam Lallana put one wide. Nothing was really stinging Bees goalkeeper Mark Flekken, as shown by the starts revealing Brighton had 24 shots but just six on target.
The Albion dominated the ball with 67 percent possession and won five corners to only one for Brentford. It was from one of those Brighton corners that the main talking point occurred when Lewis Dunk was brought down in the area by Wissa.
Referee Andrew Madley was asked by VAR official Michael Oliver at Stockley Park to go to the screen and view it again.
This only happens when VAR thinks an offence has taken place. Mr Madley though stuck with his original decision of no penalty for Brighton. It looked a straightforward foul to me.
The second half started with Joel Veltman putting a shot over the bar from a great cross by Pedro. Igor Julio had an attempt wide of the post and Julio Enciso hit a drive of power straight into the arms of Flekken.
Welbeck was denied by a block and then shot wide with two late runs, which summed up the Albion’s evening in West London as it finished goalless.
That was not for the want of trying though. Lallana said in a post-match interview that the dressing room was very flat afterwards at missing out on three points. De Zerbi added that he was sorry to only draw, but that he felt Brighton played well.
What we all know is that results like these are part and parcel of supporting the Albion. And with Brighton’s excellent home record this season, who is to say the Seagulls won’t inflict a blow on Arsenal’s title hopes at the Amex on Saturday night?
Tony Noble @Noble1844Tony
Seagulls Best Ever Season Volume 2 charts Brighton’s record breaking 2022-23 campaign through the eyes of Tony Noble, an East Stand Upper season ticket holder at the American Express Stadium. It is available from Waterstones, WHSmith, Amazon Bookstore and all good bookshops as well as the Albion Superstore at the Amex and via this link.
