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Notes for the New Season - Part Seven: Brighton and Charlton
Monday, 3rd Aug 2015 12:00 by HarryFromBath

In the penultimate in a series of pre-season reports, HarryfromBath assesses the mood around the Championship clubs by delving into their forums. Today we head down to the south coast to see how Brighton are faring and we take our first trip into London to take a look at Charlton Athletic.

Brighton and Hove Albion - Last Season All Over Again

“We have done little to address the fact that we were one of the worst teams at scoring goals in league football last season. This time there won’t be three sides worse than us”, “A shortage of goals will be a problem - again”, “The lack of goals in pre-season matches is a worry, I must admit.”

Many Seagulls are apprehensive about the coming season and specifically their failure thus far to address their problem of a toothless attack. “At the moment we are at least three signings away and most importantly in the most difficult positions to fill - striker, playmaker and winger.”

“I can’t see us winning more games than losing. Time will only tell but on paper it doesn’t seem much better”, “The same deficiencies are there from last season”, “I don’t see why this season will be much different to last season. I expect something in the 12th to 16th place range.”

A recent FourFourTwo article predicting that Brighton would finish second-bottom this season did not provoke a strong reaction. “We were lucky to stay up last season and haven’t improved in our weak areas, so 23rd is a reasonable prediction”, “Feelings this time around seem to be muted.”

Chris Hughton

“Now is the time for some stability.” A poll asking if the former Norwich manager should stay or go showed him receiving the support of 75% of fans. “We have in got a tried-and-tested manager to steady the ship and save us from relegation, both of which were achieved.

“Let’s give him a chance to see what he can do. We won’t get promoted this season but the club has taken some massive steps backwards since the Palace play-offs. Hughton has a rebuilding job on so let him try to finish it.” Fans are more worried with their club’s direction than the manager’s ability.

The minority of detractors believe that Albion survived last season only because there were three worse teams. “Thankfully, we were lucky that Blackpool, Wigan and Millwall were marginally poorer and Hughton did nothing to improve us. This trend looks like it’s going to be a feature this season.”

Transfer Dealings

“I honestly thought we would have a couple of attacking players in by our first game”, “We were told by the club that we would try hard to get the transfer business done early. With a stable manager and no major tournaments this has been a poor window given the glaring gaps in our squad.”

While the lack of new signings in attack has been a constant refrain, a number of Seagulls are urging patience. “Would everyone cheer up?” “We are trying to be run sustainably and if that means we never make the Premier League then that’s fine - we will still have a club and an amazing ground.”

Striker Craig Mackail-Smith is the one permanent player to have left the club this summer (signing for Luton) but the Seagulls have been weakened by the return of last season’s loan signings to their parent clubs, many of whom featured as first team regulars.

Left-Back Joe Bennett (to Villa), striker Leon Best (to Blackburn), attacking midfielder Joao Teixeira (to Liverpool) and defender Greg Halford (who was on loan from Forest but is now at Rotherham) are no longer at the Amex.

Seagulls are delighted with their defensive reinforcements. Finnish goalkeeper Niki Maenpaa has signed from Dutch club VVV Venlo, 30-year-old full-back Liam Rosenior has joined from Hull and 27-year-old former Cameroon international left-back Gaetan Bong has arrived from relegated Wigan Athletic.

Brighton have at least signed one striker with a high pedigree in 28-year-old Israel international Tomer Hemed from Almeria, along with two younger strikers, Finland U21 international Vahid Hambo (from FC Inter Turku) and Scotland U19 player Jack Harper from Real Madrid.

Keeper Niki Maenpaa has impressed in pre-season games. “He looks assured and good on his toes. He dominates the box and his kicking and distribution are excellent”, “[Former Blues loanee] David Stockdale will start in the league but has to be more consistent than last season with a genuine challenger.”

Tomar Hemed

”Woohoo - we’ve signed a striker”, “Does anyone else have a good feeling about this guy - the Ulloa replacement, maybe?”, “Hemed has virtually the same goalscoring ratio in La Liga as Ulloa had”, “He is someone who is strong and will hold the ball, no-nonsense and brave in and around the box.”

“Looking at his aerial ability and the way he attacks crosses, he and Sam Baldock will be a good partnership”, “He’s 6ft 1in tall and well known for his ability in the air”, “Some of his headers are unreal”, “I suspect Hughton is looking at a front two with Baldock dropping off Hemed if need be.”

Liam Rosenior


“A right-back with pace and with bags of experience in the top two tiers”, “A step-up from the inconsistent Bruno and Calderon”, “I much prefer having a signing of his pedigree to a loan player still learning his trade, particularly in defence.” Seagulls are delighted with Rosenior’s signing.

“Rosenior is a great signing by the club and a big well done to everyone involved in bringing this off”, “Hull fans are universally disappointed he has gone”, “He is the articulate, motivated player we have been short of for the last couple of seasons”, “He will be a leader in the dressing room as well.”

Gaetan Bong

“Albion have a left-back again”, “We have two athletic and strong full-backs who have ability at both ends of the pitch”, “He will do a job although Wigan fans were critical of his suspect positioning”, “An ex-international with Champions League experience [with Olympiakos] sounds good.”

“Bong is a very slight improvement on Joe Bennett [last season’s left-back]. He is the right build for a full-back and his pace seems okay without being exceptional”, “He’s someone who can do a job and will add some flair”, “Just glad we have signed a Cameroon left-back who isn’t Benoit Assou-Ekotto.”

Charlton Athletic - Steadily Getting There

“A better summer than I anticipated”, “I’m quietly optimistic. It would be nice if we are consistently high mid-table this season instead of last season’s fantastic start, dismal middle and brilliant end”, “Mid-table and hoping for the play-offs - I would take that every year. It’s where we belong.”

“The teams who finish in the top six will have fire power up front which we don’t have.” The vast majority of Addicks anticipate a season of mid-table consolidation, with hardly any expecting a play-off charge or fearing a relegation battle. “I have a sneaking suspicion that we’ll surprise a few.”

“We have bought a lot of players who have no experience of English football and who need a season to adjust. We won’t be in trouble but I can’t see the play-offs either”, “It looks as if we have brought in technically gifted players who can control the ball under pressure which we haven’t had before.”

Guy Luzon

“This football club is currently in the best position it has been in since Alan Curbishley left”, “Luzon has done a decent job so far, but I will only be convinced by his ability if we have progressed by this time next season”, “A safe pair of hands who, with a fair wind and some backing could move us forward.”

Addicks are happy with the progress they have seen on and off the pitch under the 39-year-old Israeli. “This season will be the acid test. With a window and pre-season he will have made his own bed and will have to lie in it. I am hopeful he can keep up the good work and further improve us.”

Transfer Dealings

“We cannot moan about inactivity in the market. The million dollar question is whether the new guys are capable of being fashioned into a Championship football playing team. I’m certainly looking forward to the first half-dozen games until we have a clear idea.”

With nine departures and seven arrivals, the summer has been very active transfer-wise at the Valley. The highest profile player to leave was 18-year-old defender Joe Gomez, who joined Liverpool for a reported £3.5 million transfer fee.

Veteran defender Tal Ben-Haim has joined Maccabi Tel Aviv, striker Simon Church is now at Milton Keynes, goalkeeper Neil Etheridge has joined Walsall and midfielder Christophe Lepont has moved to Zulte Waregem in Belgium.

Four departing players are still unattached - defenders Roger Johnson, Oguchi Onyewu and Lawrie Wilson, along with winger and one-time Town loan target Chris Eagles.

Three defenders have been signed this summer, 22-year-old German centre-back Patrick Bauer from Maritimo, 21-year-old French centre-back Mouhamadou-Naby Sarr from Sporting Club de Portugal and 26-year-old Morocco international left-back Zakarya Berdich from Real Valladolid.

Midfield has been strengthened with the arrival Algeria international 26-year-old Ahmed Kashi from Metz, 22-year-old Cristian Cebellos, a Spanish free agent signing from Spurs and 22-year-old former French U20 international El Hadji Ba who has joined from Sunderland.

One striker has also arrived, 6ft 7in tall 24-year-old Denmark international Simon Makienok on a season-long loan from Italian side Palermo.

“We now have two lamp-posts for centre-backs. I hope they are as nippy on the floor as they seem capable in the air”, “With our extra-large players we will scare the daylights out of a few teams. God help us if they have fast and nippy players.”

New Defenders

“Patrick Bauer is a certain starter.” Fans have been quick to notice that “he is very comfortable and calm on the ball”, “He always makes an angle for the keeper for a quick delivery”, “He looks solid and puts strong tackles in”, “I have no concerns about him performing in the Championship.”

Patrick Bauer

The German is seen as a natural replacement for the departed Joe Gomez. “Bauer is a man-mountain who doesn’t miss headers all day”, “He wins everything in the air and he can be a bit slow off the mark to a ball over the top”, “A certain starter but we need to find a right partner for him.”

“’Nobby’ Sarr looks like someone who doesn’t mind getting stuck in rather than backing off”, “As a big unit, Sarr is dominant in the air and has a strong physical game. Predominantly left-footed, he can bring the ball out of defence and be reliably trusted to move it on the better placed colleagues.”

Some fans see Sarr as an understudy to Bauer and Alou Diarra, who has played in defence in pre-season. “Some Sporting fans say that he is the next Desailly and a couple of others suggest that he is beyond atrocious”, “It could take him a while to become as reliable as we need in that position.”

“Zakarya Bergdich looks decent and will strengthen the weak left-back position for us”, “We are fast becoming the South Bank Arsenal with all of our new foreigners”, “Bergdich looks to have quick feet and he wants to get forward. He has good upper-body strength too.”

Midfield Arrivals

“We could have potentially have struck gold with El-Hadji Ba. He covers some good yards, puts a tackle in and has a good eye for a pass”, “He is box-to-box. He wins the ball and looks to play a simple ball to an advancing full-back or a killer ball between the strikers.”

El-Hadji Ba

“Ba will make mistakes but will create a higher standard of quality deliveries for our strikers”, “Say it quietly but he has a touch of Scott Parker about him. He really gets around the pitch and has a real air of class about him”, “He a real ball-winner, a proper pest to disrupt the opposition midfield.”

“Ahmed Kashi is an incredibly energetic player, playing the ball in front of the back four, picking it up and passing it intelligently both long and short. He tackles well and supports some of the attacks”. “I like him. He makes himself available, is aware of what is around him and uses the ball well.”

“The club has identified and been trying to fill a gap in defensive midfield for some time”, “Kashi is two-footed, employs a high-energy all-action playing style, winning the ball and laying it off”, “He is combative and might need to curb his liking for the sliding tackle in these non-contact days.”

“Every Spurs fan I have spoken to says good things about Cebellos”, “A brilliant signing”, “Has great feet and a nice turn of pace in tight corners, just the kind of flair we need alongside the muscle we have brought in”, “Looks like the exciting central attacking midfielder we have been crying out for.”

“Cebellos is technically very good, small, impish and creative. He can get hacked about a bit can make the odd sloppy pass, but could be a real steal with a season’s worth of competitive football”, “His time in England will have prepared him for the more physical approach he will encounter.”

Simon Makienok

“I quite like the idea of a target-man. Last season teams figured out that we were beaten if they pressed us high up the pitch. How we have a big lad who can hold the ball up”, “I can see why Luzon was keen to get a hold-up merchant like Makienok in, but I just fear he lacks a touch of class.”

“The great Dane is much quicker than giants like Crouch or Zigic. He has a decent touch but I just don’t see him as a goalscorer, but hope he can make a lot of assists”, “He will be a pain for teams to deal with, but, to echo everyone else, I’m not sure that he will score loads.”

Message Boards

The busiest Brighton forum is North Stand Chat , while Charlton’s busiest message board is Charlton Life.

On Wednesday, the final instalment in this series will look at two of the division’s West London contenders, Fulham and QPR. We will look at the third West London team on Friday when we focus at length on Brentford, Town’s first opponents of the season on Saturday.

Harry's Notes by Club

Birmingham
Blackburn Rovers
Bolton Wanderers
Brighton and Hove Albion
Bristol City
Burnley
Cardiff City
Charlton Athletic
Derby County
Huddersfield Town
Hull City
Preston North End
Leeds United
Middlesbrough
Milton Keynes
Nottingham Forest
Reading
Rotherham United
Sheffield Wednesday
Wolverhampton Wanderers


Photo: Action Images



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wellsy700 added 12:34 - Aug 3
Wouldn't mind seeing Chris Eagles brought in on a free

Brilliant as always Harry :)
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