The Amex Stadium, as it will look at 12.20pm on Saturday.Two and a half days – it isn’t much time between fixtures, is it? Not much time for a pre-game write up either. With the hit-and-miss form, our ever growing injury list and Brighton’s extra recovery time, I wondered if their fans would be optimistic about a result. And having checked the score predictor at the main Brighton forum, it looks like more than 40% expect them to get a result and over a quarter expect a win – even before the Klopp comments in the presser! It didn’t used to be like this, Smithers. Oh no, it didn’t used to be like this at all.
The Seagulls were formed in 1901 and were part of the Southern League for nearly 20 years before being elected to the Third Division South, where they would languish for nearly four decades. They spent a few years in the Second Division at the same time as us in the early 60’s, and managed to record a win over a Shankly-managed team including Roger Hunt, but the clubs were going in different directions. They were relegated twice in successive seasons in 1962 and ’63, and had a wilderness period during which Brian Clough had a short stint in charge. But in the late 70’s they came right back, going up to the Second Division and then, for the first time in their history, the top flight.
This would be the first Brighton team many people on here remember, one that included short-lived England internationals Peter Ward, Steve Foster and (not that) Gary Stevens, as well as FA Cup legend Mickey Thomas, future Oldham star Andy Ritchie, future QPR manager Chris Ramsey and future European Cup winner Mark Lawrenson, before he came over here in 1981 with Jimmy Case going the other way. Michael Robinson would follow Lawro two years later, after Brighton came a whisker from beating the Mancs in the FA Cup final. They were managed by Jimmy Melia, who’d played against them for Liverpool in the 60’s, but went down the same season.
The next couple of decades saw Brighton yo-yo between lower divisions, but by 1996-97 they were rock bottom of the fourth tier and slumping toward non-league status. Amazingly, they managed to pull back a 13-point deficit to scrape survival on the last day of the season on
goal difference goals scored. Just as ominously, the Goldstone Ground was sold and they were forced to play their home games at Gillingham, in Kent. They slowly worked their way back up but the real revival began when poker star (and gambling website owner) Tony Bloom took over, steering them to a new stadium, a steady birth in the Championship and, eventually, to the Premier League. If they stay up this season – and looking at the dross below them, they’re almost certain to – they’ll surpass their last stay in the top tier.
All in all, I’d say we quite like Brighton. Their fans aren’t too bad, the chairman isn’t a despot or a fossil fuel magnate, they have a progressive manager who's trying to emulate our pressing style and roaming full backs, and of course, Liverpool favourite Adam Lallana in the squad.
So what will the teams look like for Saturday? Right now we seem to be in a position where we’re putting out whoever’s fit. I do think there's a chance we'll start with Milner and Gini again considering we have some players that could be fit again by Tuesday, but having given it some thought, the kids seem the likelier, and less risky option. Either way, I predict we’ll play four up top – partially because our midfielders need a rest, but also to counteract Brighton’s 3/5-man defence. Hendo, Naby and Shaq could all potentially play a part depending on their injury status between now and then, but frankly who knows? The key may well be to put this to bed early, send on a couple of subs and then just play keep ball. At a guess:
As for Brighton, they’ve recently been playing with a lopsided 3-5-2, winger Solly March on the opposite end to Tariq Lamptey. Lamptey’s suspension means Dutch international Joel Veltman will likely come in on the right, and March may well keep his place ahead of man-giant Dan Burn to run at what I expect will be a tired right back, whoever starts. Danny Welbeck has been playing alongside Neal Maupay as a front two, and the three midfield spots will probably be retained by Lallana, Yves Bissouma and Pascal Groß after their win against Villa last weekend. So:
Referee: Stuart Attwell. Assistants: Gary Beswick, Adam Nunn. Fourth official: Simon Hooper. VAR: Kevin Friend. Assistant VAR: Simon Beck.
It feels like ages since we’ve gone to the Amex Stadium in a good place. Two years ago Man City had inflicted our first defeat of the season and we’d tumbled out of the cup at Wolves four days later. Four months back, we’d wrapped up the title but were still adjusting to the ‘new normal’ of no crowds, and it felt very flat. And this time, it’s in the midst of one of the worst injury crises the club’s ever seen, the middle of three games in six days. We should win, but in this case I’d almost prefer everyone getting through in one piece.
