I am sorry to say things seem be getting a little desperate now for Brighton following the 1-0 defeat at Aston Villa. One win in 12 Premier League games and no goals scored in 180 minutes of football. It reminds me a bit of the long runs without victory the Albion used to go on under Graham Potter.
And it seems like I am not the only one. Potter’s name has been bandied about a lot recently, comparing how it took two-and-a-three-quarter seasons for him to click as Brighton boss before consistently good results started coming.
The theory goes that if Potter needed and received that much patience, why not Hurzeler? But the reason I said in the introduction that the current predicament only reminds me a bit of the Albion under Hurzeler is because there is a big difference.
No matter how many games Brighton did not win with Potter as manager or failed to score in, they always created chances. Some of us still need to take our blood pressure pills whenever expected goals are mentioned because of that period.
You could see what Potter was trying to do. There was identity and a plan. All it needed was the players on the pitch to make the most of all the good approach play and put the ball in the onion bag, as Warren Aspinall would say.
That is missing from Brighton on their current run under Hurzeler. Not scoring is one thing. Not creating chances is a bigger problem altogether.
Since scoring three goals against Villa at the Amex (and still loosing), there has only been one game in which the Albion have netted more than once. The 2-0 home win over Burnley, who will surely be relegated.
In their past 12 games, Brighton have only recorded xG *reaches for blood pressure pills* close to two in away games at Liverpool and West Ham.
Four of 12 matches have seen xG under one, including the two most recent defeats to Crystal Palace and Villa. The Albion also failed to muster a big chance in either of those games. It was the same story against Arsenal and Sunderland in December.
Some Brighton fans might say the lack of attacking threat is because there was no striker signing made in January. Or any attempt made to bring back one of the forwards out on loan and play them, like Evan Ferguson or Facundo Buonanotte.
Others might say the Albion are struggling because Yankuba Minteh and Kaoru Mitoma are not playing at their best. They are not the only ones of course.
I think part of the reason is a lack of confidence. At Villa, there did not seem to be anybody willing to risk taking a shot on.
Ferdi Kadioglu needs to be congratulated for having a go from distance. He would have scored too with a cracking effort had Emiliano Martinez not tipped it onto the bar.
The Villa goal arrived from the sort of fortune which comes when you gamble by launching a good delivery into the box. Enough confusion was caused for Jack Hinshelwood to head past Bart Verbruggen and give the home side three points.
Why don’t the Albion put in crosses and set pieces like that? All it needs is Rick O’Shay to pop up in the box and you can benefit from a diversion beyond the goalkeeper and into the back of the net.
Perhaps we should have known this was not going to be Brighton’s night after the first five minutes. Two foul throws from Joel Veltman and a yellow card for Carlos Baleba did not bode well.
And so the first game in what Warren described on BBC Radio Sussex before kick off at Villa Park as a “massive week” for Brighton ended in defeat.
Not many will give the Albion a hope heading to Liverpool in the FA Cup fourth round based on recent form. But hopefully that can play into the Albion’s hands.
It is effectively a free hit. Why not arrive at Anfield and throw caution to the wind? Go out there, take risks, play on the front foot and catch Liverpool by surprise.
Try and create chances and score some goals to give the forward line the confidence boost it clearly needs before the Premier League relegation battle resumes against Brentford.
Because I do now think Brighton are in a relegation battle. Some teams currently below the Albion in the table like West Ham and Leeds are putting together results. Others like Nottingham Forest and Spurs have changed coaches and might benefit from a new manager bounce.
If Brighton want to remain in the Premier League, they need to start creating chances again. The goals will follow. We hope.
Tony Noble @Noble1844Tony
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