Brighton 1 Newcastle 0
After grinding out this win, Brighton have 7 points and need another 31 to survive. Home form should do it as we are capable of beating Huddersfield, Crystal Palace, Bournemouth, Swansea, Watford, Stoke, West Ham, Leicester, Burnley, at home and picking up the odd point on our travels. All the top teams – by which I mean by Manchester City and United, Chelsea, Arsenal, Spurs and Liverpool – can beat us home and away but this does not matter, it’s taking points off our peers that counts.
In Chris Hughton we trust. He now has a settled side, albeit one without Izquiedo, bought for £13m but he cannot drop either Solly March who is playing so well nor Anthony Knockaert. Striker Tomer Hemed was my man of the match. Okay the Israeli hit man lacks pace but he works so hard, scored a goal and made his presence felt throughout the pitch. The defensive unit is strong with the combo of Lewis Dunk and Shaun Duffy at the heart of it. Rafa Benitez the manager of Newcastle is know for his meticulous preparation but I sometimes wonder if such managers cannot see the wood for the trees. He played one up front in Jesilu who struggled against Dunk and Duffy but instead of pairing him with the pacy Dwight Gayle, a Fulham target, he subbed one for the other. Newcastle never really looked like scoring though we all remembered last season’s game when Brighton led till the 80th minute and the Magpies bagged two.
I’m not one for the celebrity culture but it is strange and noteworthy feeling to come across one in the street. In the course of yesterday, I saw Jamie Redknap emerge from a hotel, Thierry Henry walking around the concourse of the Amex and Sir Keir Starmer in the director’s area. I suppose for some the meeting of the great and good swings the attendance v tv watching debate towards the former. I have to say that, with Brighton gridlocked by the Labour conference doubling the journey time, I was sorely tempted to watch the game on SKY. I do however enjoy the camaraderie of meeting my mates at the ground, the atmosphere of the stadium and following what I want to see rather than the camera. For example the Newcastle defender Jamaal Lascelles is being touted as a potential England player but in my opinion Lewis Dunk, two-footed, quick and dominant in the air, is the better candidate.
After the match, we had the normal discussion with other Rust football contributors. Stefano Ursolini, whose Fiorentina conceded a late equaliser to Atalanta, glowed about the goal of 19 year old Chiesa.
I was a bit negative on Dwight Gayle to Alan Tanner. Both Fiorentina and Fulham have produced exciting talent through their academies. Whilst Solly March and Lewis Dunk came through our academy, they are 23 and 26 respectively and we have not produced the same talent as Fulham. With Chris Hughton complaining of the effect of Neymar transfers doubling the cost of players from £7m to £ 15m, surely investment in an academy is worthwhile.
Stefano said Atalanta, who finished 4th last season, are especially efficient in developing young talent. They sell them on but – as often as not – take them back on loan. Add to the equation the fact that fans love their own and our clubs can offer a youngster a place and a platform and developing an academy seems a no-brainer to me.
