The Positive & Negative Thread - Brighton & Hove Albion
Pee Wee 7:36 Sat Apr 14

Other articles by Pee Wee...

A great day saw West Ham get their first win at home since February and what a win it was. Whether it is too little too late is still to be seen but for now lets reflect on the mostly positives of a entertaining game and maybe throw in a couple of negatives just to keep the thread title true.


Positives:

3 points at home and a performance that even if we go into the playoffs it will see us go in full of confidence.

6 goals which should not be under estimated as we chase down Southampton, 3 points behind and just -3 goals difference. It means we only need them to slip up once. Potentially we have a very exciting last game verses Hull coming up.

Playing with 2 players up front, playing the ball to feet saw some good football that was not only sucessful but good to watch.

We looked solid in defence, after the first 15 mins Brighton Understandably had quite a lot of possession but thanks to a strong defencive display they didn't look very dangerous at all. Clean sheet including a great save from Green, Tomkins and Reid looking excellent as they often do when played together, Demel looking strong and even Taylor doing well.

Taylor getting forward meant the midfeild diamond worked well without making us look too narrow. O'Neil continues to impress me when he plays in a more central role.

Vaz te - What a signing he is turning out to be! Not often you see a West HAm player coming away with the ball unless Cole has nicked it and a well deserved Hat-trick it was too. So good to seea player willing to run at the opposition, something we have missed for some time.

Credit for the win must really go to the fans though. It's our fault when we lose so I was expecting to hear us announced as man of the match. Excellent atmosphere, helped of course by a breath taking first 10 mins.


Negatives:

How can you come away from a 6-0 win and have any negatives? well seeing as i don't want this thread to be pulled by the trades description I have to come up with a couple.

If we are going to play that way, with 2 strikers, with the ball on the floor then I see know reason why Cole would have to start. It would have been the perfect style to play Maynard or Baldock.

Once Cole was chosen and we had the lead we did then surely when you make a substituion you look at bringing Maynard on instead of Carew. He wasn't on for long but when he was the mentality was that of the longer ball which is a shame as we'd done so well playing our passing game up until then.

Baldock not even making the bench - If he is injured then it's a negative, if Carew was chosen above him that it is also a negative.



Summary:

A great day. Emphatic win and 13 goals in 3 games means that we are still in with a shout of automatic promotion and if it's the playoffs it will hopefully see us going in full of confidence. One of the few games... in fact the only game this season that I have struggled writing the negative section of this thread, not that I don't think the ones I put are valid, but it just somehow feels wrong putting anything negative after seeing a West Ham team score 6 goals in a game.

Thanks for reading

Mr Polite

Aberdeen Iron 2:43 Sun Apr 15
Re: The Positive & Negative Thread - Brighton & Hove Albion

Positive - No WHOers clamouring for Poyet to be our next gaffer today.

stepney hammer 2:00 Sun Apr 15
Re: The Positive & Negative Thread - Brighton & Hove Albion

If you want to be ultra critical you could say Nolan somehow managing to not make it 7-0 right at the end with the goal gaping was a negative.

I accept that is very harsh though.

chim chim cha boo 12:47 Sun Apr 15
Re: The Positive & Negative Thread - Brighton & Hove Albion

I thought Taylor was pretty outstanding yesterday especially in the second half. He made me look like a dick to everyone who sits around me as I said 'yeah I like Taylor's delivery but I don't think I've ever seen him go into a 50/50 challenge. He's a bit of a bottler.

Que him going into a ten 50/50 challenges, coming out with the ball, smashing it straight into a defender and instead of putting his hand on his hips because he'd fucked-up a cross, he was away to win the second ball just after the first one had left his foot. Then he'd win that and put in a near-perfect cross under tons of pressure.

Yesterday was by far the best he's played for us and his crosses on the run caused pandemonium as the Brighton players had to choose more carefully who they would be wrestling to the floor in the box next. We could have had four of five penalties on top of the six we scored.

It would be churlish to pick negatives out of that performance. Every player gave his all and you can't ask for more than that.

whuinmyblood 12:44 Sun Apr 15
Re: The Positive & Negative Thread - Brighton & Hove Albion

the only reason i can think of for BFS taking vaz te off for carew is that hes saving maynard for tuesday? knowing fat sam, he'll completely change the squad for tuesday and we'll watch a dismal west ham team scrap a draw...

North Bank 12:33 Sun Apr 15
Re: The Positive & Negative Thread - Brighton & Hove Albion

Nice read as ever Polite and for the first time this season I agree withe every single point made

Good day yesterday and the only real negative for me was Cole, his miss in the first half when he scuffed the ball to their keeper when he had the whole goal to aim at was pathetic

Pseudonym 11:48 Sun Apr 15
Re: The Positive & Negative Thread - Brighton & Hove Albion

Absolute DRINK in the Duke after.

willswishwellingtons 11:47 Sun Apr 15
Re: The Positive & Negative Thread - Brighton & Hove Albion

mentor 9:13 Sat Apr 14
Re: The Positive & Negative Thread - Brighton & Hove Albion

I saw the stewards practically dragging an old guy down the concourse at half time, he collapsed halfway to the exit as well. Really shook me up, hope he's OK.

As for the game, I often criticise Sam's decisions, easier to do so when we lose or stumble to a draw obviously, but I thought he was sensible today. Absolutely no need to bring Maynard on, the result was already in the bag and why risk one of our best finishers just for another goal. Bringing Carew on could only be a win for everyone. If he scores, his confidence shoots up, and we get another player ready to finish the season in form. If he doesn't score, the excuse is valid that he didn't have enough time to settle into the game and was brought on to hold the ball up, which I felt he did well.

My one negative from the game would have been Cole. I've always liked him, despite sitting around people who despise the guy, but yesterday I felt at a loss defending him.
I still feel he's a useful player, but he's a confidence player and yesterday he clearly lacked that.
I think he's much better when he plays on instinct. His hold up play is terrific, which is why he needs a finisher playing off of him, but his passing was terrible and despite his work-rate was, imho, lucky to get a goal.

Can't agree with criticism of Taylor though. In the first 15 mins, in which we won the game, he was everywhere, a constant attacking threat. Might have dropped off after this, which, for a spell, let Brighton have their own play down the right, but we all know he's not an out-and-out defender. Having him play that role yesterday was a slight risk, especially with Nolan, an attacking mid, playing in front of him on the left, but it definitely paid off.

Darby_ 11:28 Sun Apr 15
Re: The Positive & Negative Thread - Brighton & Hove Albion

I thought Cole had a good game. Won a lot of the ball and gave the midfield time to get forward. Got a goal. Not much more than you can ask from a target man.

Dolittle 11:03 Sun Apr 15
Re: The Positive & Negative Thread - Brighton & Hove Albion

I've just seen the highlights on TV this morning.

Only one comment to make. Almost everytime the ball came into the box there was a blatant foul on one of our players - none were given.

And that was only the chances they showed.

Baggins 11:02 Sun Apr 15
Re: The Positive & Negative Thread - Brighton & Hove Albion

What a top day that was.

A refeshing change to go to a home game and see us play with a high tempo and really "go at" a side. Excellent stuff.

mongo 10:50 Sun Apr 15
Re: The Positive & Negative Thread - Brighton & Hove Albion

All positives for me. Would have liked to have seen Baldock or Maynard instead of Carew but no biggie

Pseudonym 10:44 Sun Apr 15
Re: The Positive & Negative Thread - Brighton & Hove Albion

To be fair Polite, Cole bothered them yesterday.

He should have done better with his chances, but he was a constant and tried so I can't complain too much.

The way we set up will always be a Cole or Carew start. BFS doesn't rate Baldock I don't think and I suspect there's no love lost there.

I prefer him to Maynard as I think he's a clever player, not to say Maynard is pony, if we don't go up I'd love (LOVE) both of them starting each week as I think they'd score for fun.

bell 10:38 Sun Apr 15
Re: The Positive & Negative Thread - Brighton & Hove Albion

Postives - all of the below

Negatives - We have waited till the end of the season to actually attack a team properly at home.
Well done Sam.

Duke of Devonshire 10:25 Sun Apr 15
Re: The Positive & Negative Thread - Brighton & Hove Albion

Positives - great win, 3 points, goal difference now nearly as good as Southampton's, great performance from Vaz Te, clean sheet and commanding performances from Tomkins and Reid, Demel coping well against 3 attackers.

Negatives - Demel constantly being left 3-on-1, strange substitution to bring Carew on, our hopes have been built up again.

Overall a great day.

Danish Hammer 10:20 Sun Apr 15
Re: The Positive & Negative Thread - Brighton & Hove Albion

:-) York, true.

Mr Polite 10:20 Sun Apr 15
Re: The Positive & Negative Thread - Brighton & Hove Albion

I think we can all agree that if the answer is Cole then it was a bloody stupid question

Yorkammer 10:19 Sun Apr 15
Re: The Positive & Negative Thread - Brighton & Hove Albion

Danish, it's not most srikers who miss chamces, it's all of them. How many would Messi have with a 100% strike rate. When you read comments on here you'd think we were the only club with strikers who missed chances.

Danish Hammer 10:16 Sun Apr 15
Re: The Positive & Negative Thread - Brighton & Hove Albion

Mr Polite 10:04 Sun Apr 15

Fair enough, but it's academic and all about opinions when it comes to whether Baldock would have done better than Cole. It would of course have changed our approach if he had played.

FWIW I think Baldock has had quite a few chances which he should have done better with, but you can say that about most strikers.

Yorkammer 10:04 Sun Apr 15
Re: The Positive & Negative Thread - Brighton & Hove Albion

The ignorance of some people on here when it comes to football never ceases to amaze. It is a team game. If the team plays well as they did yeaterday, we win. If the team performance is poor or mediocre, we don't.

Reading some comments, particularly after a loss or poor draw, do people geninely think it is all (insert pet hate figure's name) fault?

Would Maynard for Carew have made it 7-0?

Would Baldock instead of Cole have made it 8-0?

Would Di Canio instead of Allerdyce have made it 9-0?

Great team performance today. Lets hope there are only 3 more this season rather needing 6!

Mr Polite 10:04 Sun Apr 15
Re: The Positive & Negative Thread - Brighton & Hove Albion

Not a love in, just a thought that before his injury he played well and looked a finisher, since his injury he has been played on the wing or for 5 mins here and there.


I don't think anyone is saying he is a superstar, just that from what we've seen he has played well and feel if he was given the amount of playing time Cole has then he'd have done better.

I think its felt too that he isn't being played because he likes the ball to feet and that's not how we play usually.

Danish Hammer 9:51 Sun Apr 15
Re: The Positive & Negative Thread - Brighton & Hove Albion

That's a sad story, mentor.

Thanks again, Polite, always an interesting read. I am not sure I get your Baldock-love in, though. Yeah, his movement and his enthusiasm is great, but his first touch is poor, and he hasn't really taken his chances (I know you will argue he should have had more starts). And for some reason WHO'ers were very quiet about his mistake that led to Reading's fourth goal ... had it been Cole the site would have been in meltdown - again.

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