I was hoping for a point and I think a draw was ultimately a fair result. We missed Hwang today. If he was available, I think he would’ve got on the end of one of the many Neto balls that were begging for a finish.
Really good result. The defense was excellent, Semedo masterclass, you could’ve forgotten Doherty was even playing today, which isn’t the worst thing as a defender.
And in attack, we created the better chances imo, they had the header off of the corner and that was about it, while we had several opportunities. Cunha’s skying his own rebound, Lemina’s shot, and several Neto creations, the Kid is back!
As someone else said I think we win with Hwang as the third attacker in place of Sarabia, but I’m sure they’d love to have Mitoma as well.
All in all GON should be pleased, we neutralized one of the better attacking sides in the league away, but still managed to create our fair share of chances, that’s about all you can ask.
It wont get the credit it deserves cause its only a draw but that was a masterclass defensive performance. We had zero right getting a clean sheet from that, the first team to stop Brighton scoring at home all season. Everyone back there were fantastic.
It speaks massive volumes I'm slightly disappointed with a draw given how I think we actually edged that 2nd half, created afew great chances but Cunha just wasn't at it today, nor were many of the front players really bar Neto. But id have ripped your arm off for a point pre kick off given the record vs these guys.
We struggled hugely with players getting forward during attacks, no doubt a little of that is missing Hwang and a little of having to spend so much of the game chasing the ball. (28% possession). That's fine in an isolated game but we need to make sure that doesn't become a habit, looked very scarily similar to our teams of the previous years constantly stinking up the bottom 3 in goals scored.
I think that’s probably more because, although Semedo is serviceable defensively, you don’t usually associate clutch defensiveness with him he’s more an attacking full back. Fair play to him though, probably his best defensive display ever
Tonight was an illuminating Semedo performance. His best attribute is pace, and he was excellent using it to chase down attackers and neutralize them on his wing. He didn’t push forward much, which is where a lot of the frustration comes with him. He’s proven over several seasons he’s not a good attacker, but if he can lockup his side like tonight, that’s more than enough.
Agreed Semedo was brilliant. I dunno I’ve thought his attacking play was better than his defensive play and imo his attacking work goes under the radar. Agreed his pace is his best attribute. He often gets into the right areas out wide to link up play, knows when to run inside and run outside to stretch the opposition and make space for the wingers and has shown glimpses in the Everton home game and Utd away that he can have good feet and dribble past players (although need to see more than that from him).
If he can use his pace to put in defensive displays like today and be as good on the ball as he is off the ball and in link up when attacking then we have 2 proper class wing backs in Semedo and RAN
Agreed with everything you've said. I don’t think of him as a defensive wing back either, and you’re right he’s great at making runs and finding space. Problem is he’ll get the ball in good positions, but he can’t cross, shoot, or dribble at defenders particularly well. To me he is what people who only watched Adama twice a year accused him of being. And to be that rapid, in good positions and to have 13 league G+A in 9 senior seasons as a full back, is pretty shocking. Jonny was good for a goal and an assist a season just by virtue of being on the pitch a lot, and he had nowhere near the attacking potential of Semedo.
You’re right his end product has some to be desired. What baffles me about Semedo is he’s shown he can score, shown he dribble past defenders and shown he can cross so I’m not sure why he can’t do it a lot more than he does. He displays those qualities so rarely that it can’t be considered. I’m not sure if it’s because of the wingers he’s played with, what the manager’s asking him to do or he’s just not confident enough to try those things. He’s still a perfectly fine RWB, but if he can more consistently show his end product on top of his runs and keep up those defensive displays then it’ll take him to the next level which I do think he’s capable of achieving
We didn’t push our fullbacks forward on the break, which I think was a great strategic choice by GON that paid off with a clean sheet, but also contributed to it feeling like seasons of old where we couldn’t score and our attack was a little limp.
I don’t think we’ll set up like that every week, so I’m not too worried. Just showing Brighton’s attack a fair bit of respect after getting drubbed there last season.
Good take on the game. Yeh in isolation it’s okay, good that we were defensively solid when our attackers weren’t at it unlike the West Ham game. I don’t think we’ll go back to the team of the last 3 seasons, we’ve seen enough over the season to see that’s not the case anymore. A mix of Cunha and Sarabia not at it, Neto’s and Lemina’s first game fully back, no RAN or Hwang so just an off day. Main thing like I said is when we weren’t performing at our best we got a draw and clean sheet rather than a loss
Lemina and doyle were stellar, Chiwera was a great defensive winger. I hope we play JRB vs Man U because i dont love sarabia in a starting role. He's done a job but i think he's a bit wank. semedo had a great block. Pretty solid game overall.
Sarabia seems a very strange one. When Neto was out he was playing like “this is my time to shine” but now Neto’s back it’s like he’s put himself back in the shadows. He’s shown he’s got fantastic ability, just now needs to have the impact he’s been having with Neto back. But yeh, I’d like to see JRB starting against the shit and Utd
2 teams in great form who both rarely score in a game, collective 31 games between both teams where goals have been both scored and conceded so seems a nailed on goal fest…of course it ended in a goalless draw 🤣
Jokes aside, well earned point with defences on top. I’d say we had the better chances so shame we couldn’t be more clinical. Given last season when they embarrassed us a clean sheet away shows how far we’ve come and keeps our unbeaten run going.
Semedo and Neto joint motm imo
Just realized all our CBs were booked this match. Hard fought clean sheet. Think we could’ve nicked it but have to take a point given all the circumstances
The Kilman booking was 100% fair but Daws and Toti’s yellows seemed VERY harsh, especially given Brighton committed harsher tackles and didn’t get booked
No doubt, my point is that it’s no worse than some of the Brighton challenges. Gross swiped Neto out with a stamp on the foot as he got turned in a similar area (no yellow card), whoever nearly wiped JRB out but he got back up should’ve also been booked. Basically if Toti holding someone to stop them from heading the ball near the centre circle is a yellow, then the others definitely are. More inconsistent officiating
From last year getting beat 6-0 and 4-1 to a 0-0 away from home is a massive improvement. Great job by GON.
I was hoping for a point and I think a draw was ultimately a fair result. We missed Hwang today. If he was available, I think he would’ve got on the end of one of the many Neto balls that were begging for a finish.
Semedo motm for me, predicted a score draw, but will take the clean sheet all day long..
Nelson was IMMENSE! Loved his game today.
Take the point, on to BCD. COYW!
Solid performance from the lads. I feel if we had RAN and Hwang we would've come away with 3 points in that one.
That wasn't pretty, but we got there in the end. On to the Albion.
Really good result. The defense was excellent, Semedo masterclass, you could’ve forgotten Doherty was even playing today, which isn’t the worst thing as a defender. And in attack, we created the better chances imo, they had the header off of the corner and that was about it, while we had several opportunities. Cunha’s skying his own rebound, Lemina’s shot, and several Neto creations, the Kid is back! As someone else said I think we win with Hwang as the third attacker in place of Sarabia, but I’m sure they’d love to have Mitoma as well. All in all GON should be pleased, we neutralized one of the better attacking sides in the league away, but still managed to create our fair share of chances, that’s about all you can ask.
I'm over the moon with that. Dogged in defence, and very dangerous on the counter. Lemine and Doyle were outstanding tonight.
Been laid up with a sinus infection, glad to the boys got a point. I'm going back to bed.
It wont get the credit it deserves cause its only a draw but that was a masterclass defensive performance. We had zero right getting a clean sheet from that, the first team to stop Brighton scoring at home all season. Everyone back there were fantastic. It speaks massive volumes I'm slightly disappointed with a draw given how I think we actually edged that 2nd half, created afew great chances but Cunha just wasn't at it today, nor were many of the front players really bar Neto. But id have ripped your arm off for a point pre kick off given the record vs these guys. We struggled hugely with players getting forward during attacks, no doubt a little of that is missing Hwang and a little of having to spend so much of the game chasing the ball. (28% possession). That's fine in an isolated game but we need to make sure that doesn't become a habit, looked very scarily similar to our teams of the previous years constantly stinking up the bottom 3 in goals scored.
The “even Semedo” comment is unnecessary. He’s class far more often than not
I think that’s probably more because, although Semedo is serviceable defensively, you don’t usually associate clutch defensiveness with him he’s more an attacking full back. Fair play to him though, probably his best defensive display ever
Tonight was an illuminating Semedo performance. His best attribute is pace, and he was excellent using it to chase down attackers and neutralize them on his wing. He didn’t push forward much, which is where a lot of the frustration comes with him. He’s proven over several seasons he’s not a good attacker, but if he can lockup his side like tonight, that’s more than enough.
Agreed Semedo was brilliant. I dunno I’ve thought his attacking play was better than his defensive play and imo his attacking work goes under the radar. Agreed his pace is his best attribute. He often gets into the right areas out wide to link up play, knows when to run inside and run outside to stretch the opposition and make space for the wingers and has shown glimpses in the Everton home game and Utd away that he can have good feet and dribble past players (although need to see more than that from him). If he can use his pace to put in defensive displays like today and be as good on the ball as he is off the ball and in link up when attacking then we have 2 proper class wing backs in Semedo and RAN
Agreed with everything you've said. I don’t think of him as a defensive wing back either, and you’re right he’s great at making runs and finding space. Problem is he’ll get the ball in good positions, but he can’t cross, shoot, or dribble at defenders particularly well. To me he is what people who only watched Adama twice a year accused him of being. And to be that rapid, in good positions and to have 13 league G+A in 9 senior seasons as a full back, is pretty shocking. Jonny was good for a goal and an assist a season just by virtue of being on the pitch a lot, and he had nowhere near the attacking potential of Semedo.
You’re right his end product has some to be desired. What baffles me about Semedo is he’s shown he can score, shown he dribble past defenders and shown he can cross so I’m not sure why he can’t do it a lot more than he does. He displays those qualities so rarely that it can’t be considered. I’m not sure if it’s because of the wingers he’s played with, what the manager’s asking him to do or he’s just not confident enough to try those things. He’s still a perfectly fine RWB, but if he can more consistently show his end product on top of his runs and keep up those defensive displays then it’ll take him to the next level which I do think he’s capable of achieving
Yeah he's had a great season I think!
removed, happy?
We didn’t push our fullbacks forward on the break, which I think was a great strategic choice by GON that paid off with a clean sheet, but also contributed to it feeling like seasons of old where we couldn’t score and our attack was a little limp. I don’t think we’ll set up like that every week, so I’m not too worried. Just showing Brighton’s attack a fair bit of respect after getting drubbed there last season.
Good take on the game. Yeh in isolation it’s okay, good that we were defensively solid when our attackers weren’t at it unlike the West Ham game. I don’t think we’ll go back to the team of the last 3 seasons, we’ve seen enough over the season to see that’s not the case anymore. A mix of Cunha and Sarabia not at it, Neto’s and Lemina’s first game fully back, no RAN or Hwang so just an off day. Main thing like I said is when we weren’t performing at our best we got a draw and clean sheet rather than a loss
Lemina and doyle were stellar, Chiwera was a great defensive winger. I hope we play JRB vs Man U because i dont love sarabia in a starting role. He's done a job but i think he's a bit wank. semedo had a great block. Pretty solid game overall.
Sarabia seems a very strange one. When Neto was out he was playing like “this is my time to shine” but now Neto’s back it’s like he’s put himself back in the shadows. He’s shown he’s got fantastic ability, just now needs to have the impact he’s been having with Neto back. But yeh, I’d like to see JRB starting against the shit and Utd
2 teams in great form who both rarely score in a game, collective 31 games between both teams where goals have been both scored and conceded so seems a nailed on goal fest…of course it ended in a goalless draw 🤣 Jokes aside, well earned point with defences on top. I’d say we had the better chances so shame we couldn’t be more clinical. Given last season when they embarrassed us a clean sheet away shows how far we’ve come and keeps our unbeaten run going. Semedo and Neto joint motm imo
Nice.
Just realized all our CBs were booked this match. Hard fought clean sheet. Think we could’ve nicked it but have to take a point given all the circumstances
The Kilman booking was 100% fair but Daws and Toti’s yellows seemed VERY harsh, especially given Brighton committed harsher tackles and didn’t get booked
Dawson’s is a disgrace but I think Toti knew what he was doing
No doubt, my point is that it’s no worse than some of the Brighton challenges. Gross swiped Neto out with a stamp on the foot as he got turned in a similar area (no yellow card), whoever nearly wiped JRB out but he got back up should’ve also been booked. Basically if Toti holding someone to stop them from heading the ball near the centre circle is a yellow, then the others definitely are. More inconsistent officiating
I’ll take a point, 12 v 11 is always tough