Brighton and Hove Albion reporters Sam Morton and Henry Bryant join Derren Howard after the Seagulls drew 0-0 with Wolves in the Premier League. We also look ahead to the fourth round FA Cup clash at Sheffield United and the latest transfer news.
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00:00 Okay, welcome to another episode of the Goal Mouth Action podcast, where we take a look
00:05 at all the latest goings on at Brighton, Hove Albion and sport in Sussex. I'm Darren Howard
00:10 and this week I'm joined by Sussex reporters Sam Morton and Henry Bryant who cover Brighton
00:15 and Hove Albion. The Seagulls were held to a goalless draw at home against all the Hampton
00:20 Wanderers on Monday night. It was their second consecutive stalemate in the league following
00:25 their draw against West Ham at the beginning of January. We'll be reflecting on the action
00:30 against the Wolves before we look ahead to Brighton's trip to Sheffield United in the
00:35 FA Cup this weekend, before they swiftly travel to Luton in the league next Tuesday. You can
00:42 read all the stories we're talking about with videos and pictures online at sussexworld.co.uk/sport
00:49 and you can check out other great videos on shotstv.com and free channel 276. You may
00:55 also be watching on latest TV. So thanks very much for tuning in. So as we mentioned, Brighton
01:02 were held by Wolves. It's their ninth game unbeaten at home and it's for the first time
01:11 in the club's top flight history. And they go above Manchester United into seventh place
01:16 after that game. But Sam, sum that up for us. You were at the Amex Stadium last night.
01:21 What was the sort of feeling and the mood there?
01:24 Yeah, it was a frustrating one for Brighton, really. I think it had all the hallmarks for
01:29 a really exciting game to begin with. Brighton were definitely looking to get an early goal,
01:35 as were Wolves. And they definitely, it looked like it was going to be a really exciting
01:39 game with end-to-end chances. And then as the first half progressed, Brighton really
01:44 took control of the ball, dominated possession. But they just struggled to create clear-cut
01:49 chances, which is unlike this Brighton team, really. And they definitely missed some key
01:55 players like Karim Otoma, Simon Dingra, both away with their countries. Obviously, Sonny
02:00 March still stood out. Fatih stood out, Julio Sisser stood out. And I think those players
02:05 could have made such a difference yesterday, I think. But as I say, it was a frustrating
02:11 one because they couldn't quite break the deadlock. And whilst the score was nil-nil,
02:15 Wolves were also such a threat, especially Pedro Neto, who was back from injury and he
02:21 was a real thorn in Brighton's defence. But it's a real positive, I think, that they did
02:26 manage to keep another clean sheet, as you say, back-to-back clean sheets. You kind of
02:30 waited all of 2023 for one clean sheet in the Premier League and then to come at once.
02:34 So, yeah, I think the Serbi and even Jason Steele, I suppose, as well, after the game,
02:40 didn't really want to dwell on the positives as much. They said they weren't really interested
02:45 in the stats and in the clean sheets. I think the Serbi said it's something for journalists
02:49 to worry about, clean sheets, not for him. He'd rather win 4-2 than draw nil-nil. So,
02:56 yeah, definitely a mixed bag in that sense for Brighton. I think they definitely will
03:02 be frustrated they couldn't get the victory.
03:04 Yeah, yeah, no, I agree. The Serbi's definitely... he's not a nil-nil manager, is he? That must
03:08 frustrate him so much. With that, Henry, did you think it was a point gained or was
03:14 that two points dropped? Have there been too many draws this season?
03:20 Well, if you have a look, then it's been a total of eight draws in the Premier League
03:27 so far in terms of the fact that if this is a point gained or two points dropped. I do
03:35 think it was two points dropped. As Sam was saying, this was and had all the making of
03:42 a high-scoring fixture that could have been because the last time they played, Wards,
03:46 Brighton won 4-1 and the time after that it was a 6-0 win. So, I went down there myself,
03:53 told my friend, "You should come down. It's going to be a high-scoring game." And it ended
03:56 up being a nil-nil draw. But saying that, I think that Brighton did have a couple of
04:03 chances. Buonanotte, especially in the first half, it was a cleared off the line header
04:08 that just wasn't meant to be a split decision chance that maybe if he did kick the ball
04:16 instead of headering it, it could have been 1-0 to Brighton in the first half. We could
04:21 be talking about a completely different game here. But like Sam said, we're missing so
04:26 much attacking threat at the moment through injuries and also international duty. So,
04:32 for Brighton to have kept a clean sheet and managed to withheld Wolves because they did
04:41 end up getting a few real good chances here and there in the game, there was a positive
04:47 in that.
04:48 Yeah, I agree. I think Wolves, they're quite an underrated team at the moment. I think
04:52 they're a very good team. The way Gary O'Neill sets it in, even his Bournemouth teams, I
04:58 think they were always quite good as well. So, yeah, it was frustrating. But are you
05:03 concerned though, Sam, that they can't create these, that they're unable to create these
05:09 chances? What do you think about that?
05:12 I wouldn't say it's a cause for concern. I think I'd be more concerned if they had everyone
05:16 fit and firing and they were on the pitch and they couldn't do it. I think the fact
05:19 they had such key players out, there's a fair excuse, I think, for not being able to. I
05:24 think Jao Pedro was kind of everywhere on the pitch yesterday, dropping into deeper
05:28 positions and he found him in the left wing position. And it was almost like he was filling
05:32 in for all those injured players himself at some point. So I think he did work really
05:37 hard and there was one moment towards the end of the game when he just delayed the shot.
05:42 He felt like he could have got a shot away earlier and that was a little bit frustrating.
05:46 I felt quite a few of the players were guilty of that, almost trying to play the perfect
05:51 pass and not just put your foot for it and hope for a deflection. And that's all that
05:56 was missing really yesterday. I think, as Henry said, the closest they came was in the
06:01 first half with Fukundo Wainanotte. I feel like he went with his head in the moment,
06:07 but in hindsight, he probably would have wished he'd just put his foot for it, really. But
06:11 it's easy to say that in hindsight. And in the second half, Jack Hinchwood, right at
06:16 the beginning, had a cross that was diverted onto Max Killman's own post. It was nearly
06:21 an own goal. But those two moments are really the closest Brighton came, despite all of
06:25 their possession. So yeah, definitely a frustrating one on the night, but not one that I think
06:31 will be a long-term problem as players start to return.
06:34 Yeah, yeah. What have they got right defensively, Sam? They've got two clean sheets now, one
06:41 against West Ham and then against Wolves. What's changed, do you think?
06:46 De Servius actually asked the same question. He said it's fine margins, really. I think
06:54 they're playing in a very similar way, I think, because when you look at the season as a whole,
06:57 defensively, they've often been really solid. And you look at Lewis Dunk and Jan-Paul van
07:02 Hecke as prime examples. They've rarely put a performance below an 8 out of 10 all season.
07:08 And yet sometimes they can concede a few goals for no fault of their own. It could be an
07:12 unlucky bounce or superb strike. And there's often been that. In games at Brighton, they're
07:18 leading by a few goals and they've just conceded for a lack of concentration at the end. And
07:23 that's definitely been a problem. But I think on the whole, Brighton have defended, or their
07:29 defenders have played really well all season and they have been unlucky. I think now they're
07:34 just starting to get their reward for how brilliant they have been, especially those
07:38 two players I mentioned, Lewis Dunk and Jan-Paul van Hecke. Jan-Paul van Hecke in particular
07:44 has really come on leaps and bounds. I think yesterday, you can just see how much confidence
07:48 he's playing with when he gets the ball. He's just so composed on the ball, starting attacks.
07:53 And then when it comes to defending, he's so strong. He really gave Heuner a really
07:58 tough time last night. And you favour him in every one-on-one battle, really. And obviously
08:05 Lewis Dunk, he goes without saying, he can say the same thing. So strong in the air,
08:09 so composed on the ball, bringing out the ball and starting attacks. They're two quality
08:14 players really. I'm pleased that they're being rewarded now with two back-to-back clean sheets.
08:21 For me, van Hecke, he's been the biggest positive of the season, I think. The way he's played.
08:27 He must be pretty close to a Dutch call-up, you'd have thought, Henry, do you think?
08:32 I think so. I think the quality shown for his talent at such a young age, it just is
08:39 another credit to Brighton and how they run their operation there. It's weird to think
08:46 that he's just yet another gem that we've been able to hone and craft and just become,
08:53 as Sam said, so confident, comfortable and clearly playing the deserby way for Brighton
09:00 over Albion.
09:01 Yeah, it's really good news. At the start of the season, I thought he would be one of
09:06 the players that may be in and around the squad, but an Adam Webster might come back.
09:10 Yeah, van Hecke's really made it his own. One of the quotes that stood out after the
09:16 match, deserby said after the game that they're targeting a 10th place finish, which may have
09:20 surprised a few fans who had higher expectations this season. What do you think of that, Henry?
09:26 Do you think 10th is a fair target?
09:30 Well, I think personally, most Brighton fans in an ideal world would like to see Brighton
09:36 compete in Europe next season. And that wouldn't have to be in the Europa League, that could
09:41 be in the Conference League. And the position we're in now, seventh place in front of Man
09:46 United after that draw, looks to me like the realistic, but also ideal way and position
09:56 that we could get. I think most Brighton fans would like to see us consistently in Europe.
10:01 And if we're able to do that, and we're able to focus not just in the knockout rounds at
10:09 the moment that we'll be in, and also kind of get ourselves in the Premier League and
10:14 get some of those players back from injury, then we've got every chance of doing that,
10:19 I think. One thing that Sam and I kind of spoke about just before we started this was
10:26 the fact that potentially Dezerby is sort of getting less media attention on his players.
10:32 I think that can be important, especially with how much has been on them and the pressure
10:37 that they may feel due to the fact that there are so many injuries and players, we've said
10:43 throughout the whole season, have had to step up. If you look at Hinshelwood, the confidence
10:47 that he played with yesterday, I think he played really, really well. And he was one
10:51 of the players in our team that were most likely to create that attacking chance that
10:56 could have got us the goal and could have got us the three points in the end, but it
11:00 wasn't meant to be on the night. So for me, I think that's quite a tactical and well-thought-out
11:07 response there from Dezerby. But if you're looking at it from a Brighton fan that takes
11:11 it quite literally, perhaps, I think that they wouldn't be too disappointed with a 10th
11:17 place finish. But at the same time, I think they would be looking to get into those Europa
11:22 League or even Europa Conference League positions if possible.
11:26 Yeah, yeah, yeah. I think I do agree with that, Sam, because I thought last season he
11:30 was speaking about when they were going for the Champions League, he said, yeah, that
11:34 is definitely our, you know, we're going for the top four this season. That is our target.
11:39 And it's quite a contrast, isn't it? What he said yesterday compared to how he responded
11:44 to those type of questions last season.
11:47 Yeah, no, I agree with what Henry said and what you said there, really. It's a little
11:53 bit of smoke and mirrors, perhaps, or just, as Henry said, trying to take the pressure
11:57 off them a little bit because the expectations are so high. I think maybe he's just trying
12:01 to quell that a little bit. I think obviously the amount of players they've had unavailable
12:07 to say they could compete for the Champions League, for example, would probably be unrealistic.
12:13 So I think he's just trying to contain those expectations when you consider how many kind
12:19 of problems they've had in terms of injuries and players being away, especially this month
12:24 as well.
12:25 But I think when these players do start to come back and they've got kind of fresh players
12:32 that are fit and firing and able to play, I think that Brighton can definitely push
12:38 for those European spots. I think the Serbi will expect that of them behind closed doors.
12:43 I think he really will push to achieve as high a position as they can. But in public,
12:48 I think he's just trying to get the fans to appreciate the context of the situation. And
12:54 if they do finish 10th, it wouldn't be a failure of a season.
12:58 Yeah, yeah, yeah. I think so. I think there'll be a different message behind closed doors
13:01 to what's going on. The Serbi is just not the sort of person who's going to settle for
13:06 10th, is he? You wouldn't have thought so. But yeah, well, we're just going to go for
13:10 a quick break and then we'll be discussing all things FA Cup.
13:16 So Brighton now face a trip to Sheffield United in the FA Cup. You're going up to Bramall
13:21 Lane for that one, Sam. Should be a good occasion. They're showing a bit of form actually now,
13:26 Sheffield United, aren't they? They came back against West Ham in the league last time out.
13:33 What kind of game are you expecting?
13:34 Yeah, as you say, yeah. Yeah, a tough game. I think they'll definitely be buoyed by that
13:38 draw at West Ham. It was a last gasp penalty that sealed the point. I think it's obviously
13:44 a little bit controversial as well, because I think right after, I think West Ham should
13:47 have had a blatant penalty. So they might also be counting their blessings a little
13:51 bit there. But there's definitely signs of improvement from Sheffield United's under
13:55 Chris Wilder, 100%. You just wonder how seriously or how important the FA Cup will be, considering
14:02 they are still sitting rock bottom of the Premier League. You think that will be the
14:06 priority, keeping everyone fit for that and doing everything they physically can to stay
14:10 in the league. Although the FA Cup could be a way of giving fans something to cheer about.
14:14 So I suppose it's a bit of a double-edged sword in that sense. And they'll definitely
14:18 be going out to win the game. It's not a foregone conclusion that Brighton will just go there
14:23 and easily win. I don't see that at all. But I expect Brighton to come away with a victory.
14:31 And I think they obviously have to be wary of Sheffield United. In fact, they have scored
14:35 quite a few goals. I think they've scored at least eight goals in the last four games.
14:39 So they definitely are able to find the net. I think they've just signed Ben Brewers and
14:43 Diaz, who you've just scored in his Premier League debut against West Ham. Yeah, he's
14:48 a good little player. I think Brighton were actually linked with him a couple of years
14:50 ago. So they definitely know what he can do. So they've done their homework on him for
14:56 sure. Yeah, I think it'll be a tough game, but one I expect Brighton to come through
15:00 and win.
15:01 Yeah, I think McAtee always looks good as well, Sheffield United. He's a good looking
15:06 player as well. So yeah, it'll be a tough one. Do you agree, Henry? Do you think it's
15:09 going to be a tough one? And after coming so close in the FA Cup semi-final last season
15:15 when they knocked out on penalties to Man United, do you think Brighton will be really
15:20 going for a good FA Cup run this year?
15:23 Well, I think that Brighton's main priority should lie, in my opinion, on the Europa League
15:30 and doing all they can to get as far in that competition as possible. But like you were
15:36 saying, Derin, I think that the heartbreak of the semi-final and watching Solly March
15:43 blast over the bar.
15:45 Yeah, it was painful.
15:47 It was painful and it was a shame for the lad. It really was a shame. I think that for
15:55 Brighton, this will be a game that we should win. I think we should be doing it comfortably
16:01 if we had all of our players available, fit and ready to go. But that's not the case.
16:06 We've known that. So for me, I think, as Sam was saying, this will be a tough fixture for
16:12 us and I think, I don't want to jinx it, but I think there'll be quite a few goals. I do
16:17 really think there'll be quite a few goals. I think that Sheffield United could score
16:21 early and that will put us on the back foot and kind of force us to get a performance
16:27 and get the result that we need.
16:29 Yeah, well, if they run a four, there's nothing to go by. They obviously beat Spurs 4-2, drew
16:34 Neil Neil at West Ham, then beat Stoke 4-2 and then drew Neil Neil again. So hopefully
16:39 if it follows the same pattern, we can see another six-goal thriller at Bramwell Lane.
16:43 But yeah, I think Brighton will be taking it seriously. I think we saw from the line-up
16:47 that De Servi put out against Stoke that he is really taking this competition seriously
16:51 and probably just wants to go one better after that heartbreak in the semi-final last year.
16:57 But De Servi will be going 100% to get the win.
17:01 Yeah, yeah. No, I think you're right. I've been to Bramwell Lane a couple of times. It's
17:06 always a good atmosphere up there as well. So it should be a good one to go to. Yeah.
17:11 And then swiftly after that next week, Brighton are back in Premier League action at Luton
17:16 Town. How important is that to get back to winning ways, Sam, in the league and really
17:21 try and tackle those top six spots?
17:24 Yeah, really important. Really important to get back to winning ways after a couple of
17:28 draws in the league. They wouldn't want that to be a trend that starts creeping in. And
17:34 I think it's going to be another really tough game. I think Luton are again showing some
17:38 good form, showing some science they could stay in the league. Rob Edwards has done a
17:44 really good job and they're actually one of the most exciting teams to watch in the league.
17:48 I think they really do play some nice football, really attacking football. There was a game
17:53 recently against Chelsea where it was one of the games of the season for me where it
17:56 looked like they had the game won and out of nowhere Luton just... it was just chance
18:02 after chance. And I think they could have scored about six goals on another day with
18:07 the chances they had. And I think Brighton will have to be wary of that and really, really
18:11 stand firm against the pressure. I think from players like Tahith Chong, who's really lively,
18:17 Morris up front, same with Adi Bayo. Some really tough, some good attacking talent really
18:22 that can cause problems for Brighton. And I think Lewis Duncan and Van Heckel will be
18:27 really important to stand up tall against that and I have full faith that they will
18:31 do it. And it's just about being clinical when Brighton have the chances because they
18:34 definitely will have chances against this Luton team. They're not the most strong defensively
18:39 so I think Brighton just need to take their chances when they come around and just make
18:45 sure they're solid defensively as they have been the last couple of games.
18:48 I've seen Brighton and Luton a couple of times this season, Henry. Everything seems to go
18:53 through Ross Barkley, doesn't it? He's been brilliant this season for them. What sort
18:57 of problems do you think they'll pose?
18:59 Well, as Sam was saying, they're quite a relentless team and they do play some exciting football
19:05 at times when they are on the back foot and it looks like they're down and out. They have
19:10 this sort of grit and determination that runs through their club and has got them into the
19:15 Premier League in the first place, I think. So, it's always an interesting game when you're
19:21 playing losing town. I believe that Brighton will be able to kind of quell and dispossess
19:32 them when they're in attacking areas and create chances themselves. They're 18th at the moment
19:38 with a game in hand against Everton, who are one place above them. So, as Sam was saying
19:45 again, it looks like they could find themselves out of the relegation zone and it would be
19:52 interesting to see how they do against Brighton, especially in the fact that their last game
19:58 was a 2-1 win against Ligue 1 Bolton in the FA Cup. So, sometimes their form does dip
20:07 and we do know that, but I do feel like this will be a game that Brighton hopefully can
20:12 ease themselves past and cause no trouble for them, get them back to winning ways.
20:17 Yeah, you mentioned Ross Barkley as well and yeah, he's been brilliant for losing this
20:22 season and definitely one for Brighton to watch out for. Is it a real second win, Grady,
20:27 for him? Because obviously we know his quality and he did go very quiet for a couple of years,
20:32 but now he's fully back to his best and really enjoying his football again. Some of the football
20:38 and bits of skill we see from him is top quality. So, yeah, definitely one for Brighton to keep
20:43 an eye on and make sure they handle him.
20:46 If he was doing that for one of the top teams, playing that way, there would be calls for
20:50 him to be in England's squad, wouldn't there, for the Euros. I think he's playing that well
20:54 at the moment.
20:55 Yeah, 100%.
20:56 Yeah, one to watch out for Brighton. But yeah, as we go forward, the last week of the
21:03 January transfer window, we've got about another week left to go. De Serby was asked again
21:08 after the Wolves game about transfers and he just said, 'It's not my business, basically.
21:12 It's down to the club. I just organise the players they've got.' They've got Valentin
21:17 Barco who's been signed for about £8 million. But any more news on the transfer front, Sam?
21:25 Not too much news, really. I think there's been one report from RMC sports journalist
21:30 Fabrice Hawkins that Brighton have started talks with Amine Adli, his 23-year-old forward
21:36 for Bayer Leverkusen. And it's been reported that he would consider a move to the Premier
21:41 League. And Roberto de Serby is said to be an admirer of the French forward. But it is
21:47 understood that Leverkusen would demand a significant transfer fee because of Moussa
21:51 Diaby's recent transfer to Aston Villa. So I think that would be a tough one to get over
21:57 the line. And you mentioned De Serby's comments there. He kind of hinted a little bit like
22:02 he would like someone to come in. He obviously wouldn't want to say that outright. And he
22:06 obviously said, 'It's not for me to answer. It's for the club' kind of thing. So I think
22:10 he told George Bridge to ask the club, almost saying, 'Yeah, he kind of wants it, but it's
22:14 not up to him.'
22:15 Yeah, it was a sort of a message to the club, wasn't it?
22:18 It was a message.
22:19 Yeah, and there's been some calls from fans for Tony Bloom to put his hand in his pocket
22:26 and give some money to spend, I guess. But it's a difficult one to call. And I think
22:33 Bryson could do with some reinforcements with the number of competition, number of games
22:37 coming up for the rest of the season. But I'm quite surprised, actually, that they didn't
22:42 go in for Calvin Phillips. It's been reported that West Ham have agreed a loan deal with
22:48 the midfielder. I think he could have been a real asset to Bryson. It was just a loan
22:52 deal to come in and add a bit of backup into the midfield. Obviously, they're still struggling
22:58 to replace the qualities of Moises Caicedo. And I think he could have been a temporary
23:03 stopgap. So maybe they did think about it and decided against it. But I think he would
23:07 have been a good sign. And I think he will be good for West Ham.
23:10 Yeah, I agree. I agree. I think they wanted quite a hefty loan fee, didn't they, Man City?
23:16 I think it was about seven million for six months or something. So it's quite a fee for
23:21 a loan. But yeah, well, hopefully there's still a bit more time. So Bryson may bolster
23:27 it. Would you like to see some more players come in, Henry? Or would you think with the
23:31 injured players coming back that that's enough?
23:34 I think that it would be nice to get some more attacking options. Just from the sheer
23:40 fact that we're in a very important season where we could capitalise on the fact that
23:47 we're in the knockout rounds of the Europa League. And every game that we can get through
23:52 in that is just putting ourselves more and more on the map to attract players in the
23:59 future and also just increase the credibility and quality of how our club is and looks to
24:07 the rest of the world. So I feel like, although I know for a fact that most Brighton fans
24:12 know that Tony Bloom doesn't normally like to spend big in January, that if we were to
24:18 get a French forward from Bayern Leverkusen per se, that maybe a significant fee and a
24:25 transfer like that might be needed. A sort of unexpected transfer in quite an unexpected
24:32 season for Brighton Oval will be competing in Europe.
24:36 Yes, yes. Interesting one to watch out for. Like I say, about seven more days of the window
24:41 to go. Just on to the score predictions. We've got obviously Brighton at Sheffield United
24:48 this Saturday. Sam, what's your hopes, thoughts and expectations for that one?
24:53 I'm hoping for some goals to return. So I'm going to say 3-1 to Brighton.
25:00 3-1 to Brighton. Henry, would you go along with that?
25:03 Well, the last time I did, I jinxed it. So I think it will be slightly less. I think
25:08 it will either be a 1-1 or 2-1 to Brighton. Brighton getting it right at the death of
25:14 the game.
25:15 Yes, yes. I think it's going to be tight, actually. I think it's going to be a very
25:19 tough, tough old game. I'm going to go for 1-0 as well, I think, for Brighton. And then
25:24 they move swiftly on to Luton Town after that one. Again, another tricky away fixture. What
25:30 do you think, Sam? Is that a win on the cards?
25:33 Yes, a real tough one to predict that one. I think if Brighton find their goal-scoring
25:39 boots, I think they could get the win. But if it's anything like it was against Warren
25:44 Walsall, they're struggling to create those chances. Luton could make them pay. So it
25:49 really could go either way. But I think Brighton, at their best, playing well, I think they
25:54 should get the job done. I'll say a 2-1 win.
25:57 2-1 win. Henry, what do you think to that one?
26:01 I think it will be a 2-2 draw against Luton. I think that we'll end up scoring early and
26:09 I think that we might get caught on the break because of the players that they have in attack.
26:14 I think that with the 4-1 win at the moment, obviously I'd love to see us get the win.
26:21 But I think, yes, a 2-2 draw might be the result on the night.
26:25 They're a handful, aren't they, Luton? They've played against some of the tough teams and
26:31 really caused them problems. But I think Brighton would do that one. I've got a feeling for
26:34 Evan Ferguson for that game. I think he might get a couple of goals. We shall see.
26:39 Anyway, you can catch up with all the latest sports news covering everything we've spoken
26:44 about today at sussexworld.co.uk. And you can watch more excellent videos on Shot TV
26:50 and Preview Channel 276. Thank you guys and thanks for joining us. See you next time.