Post Match report for the Newcastle Utd game - Saturday, 6th November 2021

PREMIER LEAGUE 21/22: Brighton V Newcastle - 6/11/21, P11.

* * * * * ALBION DRIFTING INTO DOMESTIC MEDOICRITY * * * * *


RESULT: 1-1 ~ Trossard . (h-t 1-0) . . . SHAPE: 4-4-2


VENUE: the Amex, Falmer - sixth home match of eleven fixtures to date . Sat 5:30pm.
PRE-MATCH: Toon came to town once more but things were not quite as black & white as in previous meetings.
Brighton fans assembled in the knowledge that these last two decades had taken us from gutter to the stars.
Historical giant northeast opponents had recently been given opportunity to become so much bigger in the future.
WEATHER: cold drizzle . . . GATE: 31,267 . . . REF: once a card was shown he repeated readily on cue.

GRAHAM POTTER is not one to take anything for granted. His rooftops are or viewing the wider picture rather than shouting about perceived success. Keeping feet on the ground is a sensible mantra for a man of his stature.
As is his prerogative GP shuffled the pack and produced a team-sheet indicating pace on both flanks.
INJURED: 17 Alzate, 18 Welbeck . SQUAD: 7 Connolly, 28 Roberts, 33 Burn.


TEAM . . . . . . . 1 Sanchez
. 34 Veltman, 24 Duffy, 5 Dunk, 3 Cucurella
. 2 Lamptey, 8 Bissouma, 14 Lallana, 20 March
. . . . . . 12 Mwepu . . . . . 11 Trossard

BENCH: 23 Steele, 13 Gross, 15 Moder, 27 Locadia, 30 Richards, 60 Sarmiento.
10 Mac Allister(46), 9 Maupay (65), 4 Webster (75).


GOALS: 1-0 - 24 . TROSSARD dispatched a spot kick following interminable scrutiny and a break in play.
1-1 - 66 . failing to deal with a simple cross into a crowded area caused all sorts of desperate measures to no avail.


NOTED: possession based hosts movement (side to side) but neither outfit pressing opposition.
Counterattacks from travellers forwards in response to regaining the ball.
Lack of home attempts on goal following several crosses.
A tailing off of blue & white purpose, invention, playmaking and will to win.

YELLOWS: Lallana, Bissouma, March . . . . . RED: 92 - Sanchez.

SUBS: 46 - Mac Allister for Mwepu . 65 - Maupay for March . 75 - Webster for Lamptey.


FIRST HALF: the turning point in a pedestrian, mundane display from two very average sides was a VAR check about halfway through a lacklustre forty-five minutes.
Vociferous away support held their nerve, while bored locals headed for early extended comfort eating & drinking.
SECOND HALF: around the hour mark visitors moved beyond chasing the game to taking control.
Hosts had no answer to two banks of five dropped deep into the final third.
Potter had reshuffled midfield after turnaround and later inserted a recognised striker. In later phases he put on a replacement defender, which was strategic rather than tactical.
The original game plan and set up had stalled but there were too many below par player performances for any team changes to click overall.
Going down to ten men by roosting night-time put thieving magpies again among aimless strutting seagulls.


NUMBERS: poss 66%-34%, on target 5-1, off target 9-5, corners 2-5,
fouls 16-10, yellows 3-4, subs 3-2, shape 4141-541 . . . . . gd0 pt17 po6

FS


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