⚽Brighton & Hove Albion 3-2 West Ham Utd (26/4/25)

[Wessex]

Personally I'd play Orford, Soucek and Irving in the midfield. They might not be the best but they will at least put a shift in and that is the most important thing right now.

100%. But we will be treated to an equally ineffective Soler-Paqueta-JWP shitshow I’d assume

[1895Hammer]

Jesus, that midfield gets destroyed by Brighton. I 100% agree on Soucek playing though.

More chance with Soler and JWP then ? They couldn’t cope with Southampton. We just don’t have good options from the existing lot, Orford just might be the future.

[Sloop John B]

I don't think Orfords done anything to justify a start, he's looked well off the pace in his sub appearances.

Starting him feels like a bit of blind optimism for me.

[Puff Daddy]

Darren England is ref for this one. He is one of the better ones

[simon hammer]

3-3-3-1

Areola

AWB Kilman Emerson
JWP Soucek Soler
Bowen Paqueta Kudus







Fullkrug.

[aaronhammer]

Darren England is ref for this one. He is one of the better ones

Fairly sure you’re kidding?

His last 4 games that he’s refereed our games:
• Brentford at home (15/2/25) - failed to give a penalty for a clear foul on Bowen. It was and we lost 1-0.
• Burnley at home (10/03/24) - didn’t give a handball at the end of the game where it looked like the Burnley defender basically caught it - there might’ve been something else that I can’t remember too in that game. The game ended 2-2.
• Bristol City away (16/01/24) - One of the clearest red cards for a disgusting tackle on Ings at the start of the game, don’t think he even gave a yellow, maybe not even a foul. Think somebody (Cresswell maybe) got slapped too that he missed as well. We went out of the cup with a 1-0 loss.
• Brentford at home (30/12/22) - Failed to give a penalty for a foul on Dawson. It was 0-0, we went on to lose 2-0.

They are just match defining incidents which have gone against us, let alone any general poor decisions in those games. There are only 2 other games he’s been ref for us, we beat Watford 4-1 away in December 2021, and lost 4-1 to Everton in the league cup in September 2020.

I’m not sure if he’s been VAR when we’ve had questionable moments, but he was the VAR who made that big error between Tottenham and Liverpool when they gave the wrong decision on offside. He was then VAR for that red card that Lewis-Skelly got earlier this year which was unsurprisingly rescinded.

There’s this one from a few weeks back too

[smuts]

Can't see us getting anything tomorrow to be honest.

2-0 Brighton.

[Bond Holder 59]

“Darren England ended the Everton-Arsenal game early yesterday with some time left on the clock.

Everton players told him that there was still some time left, so he changed his mind and resumed the game.”


Surely, given how we have been conceding in the last minutes of games, he’s the perfect ref for our next game? We simply need to get ahead and he’ll do the rest. If you cannot beat them, trick ‘um.

[Swiss Pauli]

Brighton look to have a lot of injuries, plus João Pedro banned. Baleba probably at CB, so I'd give most of the players who disappointed against Southampton the chance to redeem themselves. AWB in for Coufal, assuming he's fit.

4-3-3: Areola; AWB, Todibo, Kilman, Emerson; Soler, JWP, Paqueta; Bowen, Füllkrug, Kudus

Try to play like we did in the first 20 minutes of the second half against Southampton: Füllkrug drops into the 10 and Bowen and Kudus as wide strikers. Veltmann isn't the youngest and Bowen has monstered Estupinan before at their place.

BHA 1-2 WHU

[westham,eggyandchips]

I don't think Orfords done anything to justify a start,

In fairness, you could say that about most of our squad this season.

[London Fields Hammer]

Brighton need points, we don't. Can't see anything but a narrow win for them. Still looking forward to the sunshine and beer...

[hammerman11]

orford not ready to start but maybe give him some mins at the end;last 15 mins and build him up.
soucek has to start as is a goal threat, can tackle and defend. passing not great but then again no one passes well unless its sideways.
drop soler or JWP.
last chance for kudus to do something or guerherme starts next one.
stick ajaj on the bench as a reward for his two goals in the cup final.

areola
AWB todibo kilman scarles
soucek paqueta JWP
bowen fullkrug kudus

subs fabianski coufal emerson cresswell mavrospanos orford soler guerherme ajaj

brighton 1 Hammers 1 soucek

COYI
aiming to be down by the sea around 1230. where is everyone drinking ? need a few songs before the match

[Puff Daddy]

Brighton need points, we don't. Can't see anything but a narrow win for them. Still looking forward to the sunshine and beer...

Brighton has some excellent ice cream parlours too

[Patsy Belgium]

A few attempts at goal would be nice.

[rigoberts song]

3 nil to Brighton made easier by the obligatory Mav mistakes .
Our lot are on the beach. I'm not epecting anything until we have a clear out in the summer and new signings pre season etc.
I salute those of you going and hope I'm wrong.

[1895Hammer]

Looking forward to a decent drive along the coast from Southampton, parking booked at the University, 10 minute stroll to the ground, fish & chips and a beer in the sunshine, meet a few old faces for a chat, vaguely hope to see some decent football from us, likely to see a couple of Brightons latest examples of proper scouting, drive back listening to the FA Cup semi, home for a glass of wine and the Benn / Eubank fight. The game used to be the highlight, now it’s just part of a day out. Sullivan’s legacy.

[MB]

I don't think Orfords done anything to justify a start, he's looked well off the pace in his sub appearances.

Starting him feels like a bit of blind optimism for me.

Agreed. Get it wrong and you potentially set his career back if not ruin it.

[DusseldorfHammer]

Agreed. Get it wrong and you potentially set his career back if not ruin it.

Busiest position world wide in football right now there in central midfield in the Premier League. We might be able to give Orford a chance there to get the feel of the game at elite level, if we had real athletes playing alongside him; to shield and protect him. Unfortunately we have none of those and the kid would face a really tough time. We see how tough it is for young Ollie Scarles, who at least has the "easy out" of playing on the touch line, that always presents you with the option of getting the ball out of play and quickly refocus. None of that option in central midfield. One mis-step, one mis-hit and "uh-oh".

[Ozza]

Agreed. Get it wrong and you potentially set his career back if not ruin it.

Yeah I trust the manager to do the right thing for the kid

I’m not sure how I feel about this today really

[MorthwylMawr]

Hoping for a performance, expecting a dull loss or draw.

Changes from last week for me would be Soucek and AWB (if fit) in for Soler and Coufal.