Brighton & Hove Albion Vs Preston North End

[SF_]

Big win for us last night but this is a completely different test, not expecting anything other than defeat but hopefully a respectable one and an acceptable performance.

Huntington made the bench so hopefully he is fit enough to start as although Woods played well last night, we're up against much better attacking players on Saturday so get him back on the right.

Garner's suspension is up which is a boost, sounded like Hugill was the better of the front two last night but i'd like to see Doyle given a run alongside Garner.

Same midfield for me but I wouldn't be surprised to see John Welsh recalled to sit in front of the defence.

Pickford
Woods, Huntington, Wright, Cunningham
Gallagher, Browne, Johnson, Reach
Garner, Doyle
​

Arrange that midfield to however it was last night.

 

[TomPNE94]

It was quite odd actually. Reach played wide left but Gally Browne and Johnson were all fairly central. Worked a treat against a Charlton side who had no interest in pressing the ball, not so sure against Brighton. We shall see

 

[Costello]

Just be nice to have new opponents at the Amex, been ages since we last played PNE. Missing this one though, annoyingly.

Little more wary after seeing your result last night, not that it'd ever likely be straight forward. Obviously hope we can keep picking up points going into the Reading game the following Saturday, nothing guaranteed though and don't doubt it'll tight and competitive, as usual.

LuaLua and Murphy should be available again to provide greater options out wide but Kayal will be serving a one-game suspension, so we'll have to cope with the formidable CM pairing (with Stephens) being broken up for the first time this season. With probably Crofts taking his place.

 

[HertsWolf]

Brighton 0 - 1 Preston (Johnson, 76 pen)

 

[TomPNE94]

Brighton 0 - 1 Preston (Johnson, 76 pen)

If we get a pen, I imagine Garner or Gallagher would be taking it. I'll take the scoreline though

 

[SirTomFinney]

No offence but before the season started i had Brighton down as 1 of the teams I thought would struggle,along with Bolton and Rotherham.

Massively impressed with your start,what's changed compared to last season?

If Hunts is fit he goes straight in for me in place of Vermijl with Woods going to RB.

Garner up top with Doyle for me.

Be delighted if we get anything here.

Sneaky feeling we might nick a draw.

 

[SF_]

Hyppia just massively underachieved and ruined their season I think, they've got some good players and decent financial clout.

 

[Turkey]

No offence but before the season started i had Brighton down as 1 of the teams I thought would struggle,along with Bolton and Rotherham.

Massively impressed with your start,what's changed compared to last season?

If Hunts is fit he goes straight in for me in place of Vermijl with Woods going to RB.

Garner up top with Doyle for me.

Be delighted if we get anything here.

Sneaky feeling we might nick a draw.

Season before last we were in the play-offs. It's such a tight league and it's often about small margins. Despite being rubbish last season we still had a reasonable defence, 14 clean sheets iirc and a bunch of players who helped us get to the top 6 the season before. We've recruited well, we've had some players back from injury, continuity in management and at times the rub of the green to nick a win.

Our midfield duo of Kayal and Stephens are genuinely brilliant. They're not household names but we signed Kayal from Celtic after he'd struggled to break back into their side after being out for a long time with a big injury. Stephens was one of Charlton's best players a couple of years back when we were pushing for the play-offs but spent most of last season out injured.. Those two have just clicked in midfield, great energy and enabled us to play 4-4-2 as there's no need for a third midfielder in there. That's enabled Baldock, last seasons big summer signing, who missed half the season injured and spent the other half out of position in midfield, to actually play in his proper position, up front. He's alongside out new signing Tomer Hemed from Almeria. The two of them work very hard, press hard, and have great movement and it's transformed us really.

Kayal is out on Saturday, disrupting our midfield partnership which has been the foundation of our success in my opinion. Andrew Crofts is a very capable deputy but it'll be his first start after, you guessed it, a very long injury lay off having torn ligaments. All this said, we're not steam rolling anyone. Everyone gives us a good game. Most away fans say, 'Brighton weren't that good', so you'll give us a decent game and we're bound to lose at some point. Not taking this for granted at all.

 

[SF_]

Grayson saying Huntington still isn't fit enough to start games, hopefully Callum Woods can step up to the plate again.

I'm really starting to like Woods, was excellent in the play-offs at left back.

 

[ArmchairDiehard]

Brighton 2-1 PNE

 

[zanderpne]

3-0 Preston now we've got the Scottish version of Pirlo

 

[TomPNE94]

Fucking joke. Start Garner for fucks sake.

 

[SF_]

Would have liked Garner back in the team but can't argue with an unchanged team after a 3-0 win.

 

[TomPNE94]

Well this is dull. Got a sneaky feeling we might nick it though

 

[SF_]

Actually disappointed with a point away at top of the league, sounds like we dominated that second half and had a stonewall penalty denied in the first half.

I'll take 4pts from two away games though, three clean sheets in a row, even though we've been playing a right back in the centre. Good shit.

 

[TomPNE94]

Garns could've won it at the end. Played well. Good stuff. Need to back it up by beating Bolton next week.

 

[SF_]

Alan Browne getting rave reviews again.

What a find this guy is, could go to the very top if he carries on.

 

[TomPNE94]

Alan Browne getting rave reviews again.

What a find this guy is, could go to the very top if he carries on.

Second half he was outstanding. First half not so much. Thought Woods, Wright and Reach were out stand outs. Johnson had his worst game for a while.

 

[Destruction]

Really impressed with Woods this season, seems more comfortable at this level than L1.

And I've always rated Browne, never understood Grayson's reluctance to use him more.

 

[Turkey]

Actually disappointed with a point away at top of the league, sounds like we dominated that second half and had a stonewall penalty denied in the first half.

I'll take 4pts from two away games though, three clean sheets in a row, even though we've been playing a right back in the centre. Good shit.

Preston should be disappointed tbh. You gave us way too much respect (granted we've earnt it with our record so far this season) and were happy to take a point when you could have had all 3 with a bit more ambition. Probably one where a point suited both sides given we both won midweek.

We really missed Kayal and Stephens. Centre midfield was first starts in the league this year for Crofts and Ince and they just burn't out second half. Was only going to be one winner and it wasn't us.

 

[zanderpne]

Preston should be disappointed tbh. You gave us way too much respect (granted we've earnt it with our record so far this season) and were happy to take a point when you could have had all 3 with a bit more ambition. Probably one where a point suited both sides given we both won midweek.

We really missed Kayal and Stephens. Centre midfield was first starts in the league this year for Crofts and Ince and they just burn't out second half. Was only going to be one winner and it wasn't us.

We play for a point in every game, it's the Grayson way.

 

[Costello]

Based purely on the result having not been at the game.. not overly unhappy with the point considering the unfamiliar midfield, finishing the match with 10 men etc.. good to keep the unbeaten run going. Sounds like PNE were well worthy of the draw.

Just hope Bong's not out for too long, and that we have Stephens and LuaLua back for Reading on Saturday.

 

[TomPNE94]

We play for a point in every game, it's the Grayson way.

Zzzzzz

 

[SirTomFinney]

Got to hold my hand up and say Woods has impressed me this season,really stepped up to the plate when we have needed him the most.

Good to hear Browne had another good game. Big future ahead of him if he stays level headed.

Cracking week for PNE. Follow it up with a nice derby win over Bolton next Saturday

 

[zanderpne]

Zzzzzz

My point exactly