Gull-Mouth Action podcast - episode 18 | Brighton out of the FA Cup, Crawley Town on the march

Name: Gull-Mouth Action podcast - episode 18 | Brighton out of the FA Cup, Crawley Town on the march
Uploaded: 2024-02-29T13:41:38+00:00
Duration: 24 min 4 s
Channel: SussexWorld

00:00 Welcome to another episode of the Goldmouth Action Podcast, where we take a look at all

00:06 the latest games on at Brighton, Hove Abbey and Crawley Town in Sporting, Sussex. I'm

00:10 Matt Holt and this week I'm joined by Brighton, Hove Abbey and right is Deryn Howden, Sam

00:14 Morton as well as Crawley Town expert Mark Dunford.

00:17 Albion endured a week of ups and downs in both the Premier League and FA Cup this week,

00:22 but now attention has turned to a European tie to savour in the Europa League round of

00:26 16. We'll pick over the bones at Brighton's League and Cup games against Everton and Wolves

00:30 respectively, preview the Seagulls' latest exciting European adventure and look back

00:35 at yet another excellent week for Crawley Town.

00:39 You can read all the stories we are talking about with videos and pictures online at sussexworld.co.uk/sport

00:44 and you can check out other great videos on shotstv.com and preview channel 276. You may

00:49 also be watching on latest TV so thank you very much for tuning in. Starting with Brighton,

00:54 a late goal from Captain Marv, all of this done scored a 1-0 draw for 10-man Brighton

00:59 at home to Everton in the Premier League on Saturday. Summed that performance up for Sam,

01:03 it was late but they got there in the end, didn't they?

01:06 Yes, it definitely felt like a victory to be honest Matt. I think in the circumstances

01:10 that Brighton found themselves in, you wouldn't have said they're going into the game, probably

01:15 all for much of the game because they were dominant, they had most of the chances and

01:18 Danny Welbeck should have scored in the first half. He was really dangerous and Brighton

01:25 looked like the team that were most likely to take the lead. But Everton are a bit of

01:30 a bogey team for Brighton as we saw last season and they are a very tough team to break down

01:35 which I did fear going into the game and that's exactly what happened and Everton really did

01:40 weather the storm and managed to get a goal in typical Sean Dyche fashion, the long ball

01:44 going up, a bit of a knockdown in the box and Jareth Brantway, a centre-back, thought

01:51 he was a striker and put one of the best finishes of the season into the top corner. So, everything

01:55 was kind of going against Brighton and it got worse when Billy Yormour was sent off

02:00 deservedly for a studs-in challenge on Onana in the midfield. So, I had no complaints with

02:07 that one and you did really feel like it was just going to end for a win for Everton but

02:13 Brighton had other ideas and it was a really good way of responding to adversity and it

02:18 had to be Lewis Dunk to come up with the goods and Pascal Grosz's assist was absolutely brilliant.

02:23 I think it was just so late in the game, it was in the fifth minute of injury time, all

02:27 a bit chaotic and Grosz did a couple of his coif turns that he does and then puts a perfect

02:33 cross in for Lewis Dunk. It was a really, really class goal and as I say, it felt like

02:39 a victory in the circumstance.

02:40 The draw with the Toffees was then followed by an FA Cup fifth-round exit at Wolves on

02:54 Wednesday evening. The depleted Seagulls are coming to an early Mario Lamina strike. It

03:00 did kind of seem, Deren, that injuries mounted and very much took its toll.

03:05 Yes, it was always going to be a tough assignment there. Wolves are playing really well at the

03:11 moment and I think when we were at the press conference just before the match and Giuseppe

03:16 revealed the amount of injuries that they've had with the likes of Lamptey missing as well,

03:23 Karim Atoma now out for the season as well, Joel Veltman, Evan Ferguson, Jal Pedro, it

03:30 really tipped the balance in Wolves' favour. Having said that, it was a decent performance.

03:35 It's an error from the beginning, an early goal. Jason Steele should have gathered the

03:40 cross. Estupinam was a little bit slow on the back post and Lamina just nipped in ahead

03:46 of him to put them a lead after just 80 seconds, I think it was.

03:52 They're attacking players that they had on the pitch, players like Idinga who have been

03:56 really good for Brighton lately. He was just a little bit wayward with his final pass and

04:02 his finishing for Koundé Bermiote as well. He just wasn't quite there, they didn't have

04:07 the sharpness in front of goal that they usually had. Sam mentioned Pascal Gros as well, who

04:13 against Everton, you can always rely on Pascal Gros to deliver that killer pass. But even

04:19 against Wolves, his set pieces just weren't quite on the spot.

04:25 Just one of those things, no lack of effort, no signs of taking it easy. Just a little

04:31 bit of lack of quality and Wolves are a very good Premier League team.

04:35 There were a couple of good points as well, encouraging a full debut for Cam Papillon

04:41 as well. He played on the right-hand side in the first half and looked pretty good.

04:45 He kept things simple, picked the right pass at the right time. So that was quite good.

04:53 Also Valentin Barco as well, he had a good little cameo towards the end, a really good

04:57 10 minutes. There was one ball in particular he whipped in with his left foot, which teed

05:02 up a chance for Wael Beck. That really showed what he's all about, I think. So there were

05:07 encouraging signs there. Actually, Dzerbi said previously that he's not ready to play,

05:12 but I think he may well reassess that after how he looked against Wolves.

05:18 But yeah, shame to go out. But now there's the Europa League obviously and then the battle

05:25 for the top six.

05:27 On that point about the Europa League, how much importance is there now on that? They've

05:32 gone out of the FA Cup as well. Because if it doesn't go their way in the Europa League,

05:39 is the season over, effectively?

05:41 There's still that fight for the top six, but there's no doubt about it. This Europa

05:45 League tie is a glamour tie against Roma. So yeah, I think you're right. There will

05:51 be extra importance and extra emphasis placed on this.

05:55 There's been a few rumours this week that Dzerbi will be on his way at the end of this

06:00 season and Pascal Gross may be looking, Joel Veltman may move, Adam Webster is something

06:07 in that as well. So I think these sort of crux of players, they would love to go out

06:11 on a high if they do indeed leave. I think this Europa League, that's going to mean everything

06:18 to them now.

06:19 Going back to that defeat to Wolves in the FA Cup, Sam, does that feel like a missed

06:25 opportunity for Abiy because the draw for the quarter-finals was held before, I think

06:30 it was while the game was being played and they would have ended up with Coventry City.

06:32 You look at that and go, 'Brian could well be in another semi-final.'

06:36 Yeah, I agree. It definitely is an opportunity missed and as Dara said, they had lots of

06:41 injuries. It was a game I didn't expect Brighton to win in all honesty and obviously that early

06:46 goal really did. It was the worst possible start, wasn't it? They were constantly then

06:52 trying to fight back and they didn't have all the players to be able to really make

06:58 an impression and to turn the game around. I think if we'd ever unfit, I would have

07:02 asked them to do that and they really did struggle to create any clear-cut chances at

07:07 all. That is a real frustration. As you say, a massive opportunity to go one further than

07:13 they did last season, obviously losing in the semi-final to Man United. This would have

07:18 been a brilliant opportunity to get another semi-final and then try and get to the final.

07:22 So that was a real shame really and frustrating that all these injuries have come up at the

07:27 same time once again. I know obviously lots of teams have had injuries this season but

07:32 it does seem Brighton have been particularly hard done by the nature of the injuries and

07:38 the players that have had them. All the key players all seem to be out at the same time.

07:43 So really frustrating in that sense. I think there's been some talk again of the goalkeeping

07:48 situation after the result last night. I think Jason Steele has come under fire again. He

07:53 kind of flapped at the ball, didn't he, with the cross that came in. He didn't cover himself

07:56 and Gloria at all. I've said it all season, I think they need to stick to one goalkeeper

08:01 and I think Verbruggen has definitely been the better of the two. So it is a bit surprising

08:07 that in these key games that he does seem to still go for the option to rotate. But

08:12 I'd be very shocked if Verbruggen doesn't start in Europe in both games against Roma.

08:18 He has been the go-to European goalkeeper on most occasions. So I think I'd expect that

08:23 to continue.

08:24 You've got to remember as well that Walt Walls have got England's next manager, Gary

08:28 O'Neill. I know I teased that last week. I might modify my statement a little bit and

08:33 say he's a future England manager, maybe not the next one. But he has done a great job

08:38 at Walls.

08:39 I agree. I think he's really got something. I really think he's a great manager.

08:46 He'll be Eddie Howe, don't you worry.

08:48 You mentioned Europa League there. Although Albion do visit Fulham in the Premier League

08:55 on Saturday, I think most supporters will be eagerly anticipating the Seagulls' trip

09:00 to Roma on Thursday evening. And I believe Mr Dunford and Mr Morton, you will both be

09:04 in attendance.

09:05 We will, yeah. Looking forward to it. I think Sam's at Craven Cottage on Saturday and then

09:11 the Stadio Olimpico on Thursday.

09:13 Yeah, exactly.

09:14 I really wish we could all go.

09:17 No, it should be good. But Darren, you think about how far Brighton have come and you've

09:23 heard all these things about them barely staying in the Football League and things like that.

09:27 But how much of a pinch me moment must this be for Albion fans? You're taking on the cream

09:31 of European football here, aren't you? They were Europa League finalists last season,

09:35 I think.

09:36 Yeah, under Mourinho, Europa League finalists. And they've got some great players there as

09:40 well. But yeah, what a draw, a brilliant draw, to go to a city like Rome, take in the city

09:47 and play a team. They're football crazy in Rome as well. So, you'd expect a fantastic

09:52 atmosphere as well. And I really think the experience that they had in Marseille when

09:57 they went 2-0 down and got it back to 2-2 in a really hostile atmosphere as well. That

10:03 will stand them in good stead. And I fully expect Brighton to go there and really put

10:08 in a strong display and take them back to the Amex and get through. Like you say, Roma

10:14 are such an established, huge, huge club. But if you look at it in the here and now,

10:20 they've been finishing sixth in the Serie A for the last few seasons and Brighton are

10:25 the top end of the Premier League. So, in the actual here and now, the players that

10:29 they've got at their disposal compared to the players that Roma have, I think Brighton

10:33 are more than a match. But yeah, you can't deny that the history of Roma and where Brighton

10:41 have come from is a fantastic story for them.

10:44 It's incredible, isn't it? I've just got to say, I haven't played Marseille and Ajax

10:51 as well. And then Roma.

10:53 Yeah, Amsterdam, Marseille, Athens, what great trips for Brighton fans. Fantastic.

11:00 It'll be a massive dance quibble. They end up going to deepest, darkest Azerbaijan after

11:04 seeing off Roma. But if they do that, they'll be one step closer to the final, wouldn't

11:08 they? So, good luck to them. Best of Sussex luck to Brighton next week. Thank you very

11:12 much for this part, chaps. We're going to take a quick break. And when we come back,

11:15 we'll be talking all things Crawley Town.

11:18 Crawley Town made it three consecutive League Two victories and clean sheets with a 1-0

11:23 win at Agneton on Saturday. Sum that performance up for us, please, Mark Dunford.

11:27 Yeah, so obviously, the Tuesday before, they beat AFC Wimbledon 1-0 and it was just like

11:33 the greatest performance ever by a Crawley Town team. This one wasn't quite so much.

11:37 Scott Lindsay wasn't quite so enthusiastic after this one, let's say. Because, yeah,

11:43 you look at the stats. Accrington had 23 shots on goal compared to Crawley's nine. I think

11:50 Corey O'Day says it had to make 10 saves in those 23 shots. And I think that's what Scott

11:55 Lindsay said afterwards. It was, he doesn't want to have to rely on his goalkeeper to

12:01 win them games. He wants a convincing performance, but they shut out the opposition and then

12:07 get that goal like they did exactly like they did against Wimbledon. But he said, obviously,

12:12 it sort of doesn't matter at this time of the season. It's about getting the results.

12:17 And Lindsay referred to the interview John Coleman, the Accrington Stanley manager, did

12:23 before the game saying nobody in the league seems to want to take control of it. You look

12:27 at Stockport, they lost the game on Tuesday night. Not Stockport, sorry. Notts County

12:31 lost on Tuesday night to Sutton at home. Wrexham drew at Forest Green. And yeah, just no one

12:37 wants to seem to take it. And then you look at team, there's Walsall, I think, have won

12:40 four games on the trot. Crewe are on a really good run, unbeaten in five, I think. And Crawley

12:46 now, unbeaten in four, winning three of those with clean sheets. So, yeah, I think at this

12:52 stage of the season, I think Lindsay's just happy to get through the games winning and

12:56 with a clean sheet. I mean, he goes on about XG a lot. They've had really low XG in the

13:01 last few games. But what does that matter if you're winning the game to 1-0?

13:05 Does it not show you're being, I don't really understand XG, does that not show how clinical

13:09 you're being if you've got a low XG and you're winning games? I don't know how it works.

13:13 I think so. I think it does. Yeah, sorry, Sam, you might be able to understand it more

13:17 than me.

13:18 Yeah, yeah. That's basically what it means. It just means you've not created that many

13:21 chances. But if you're outperforming your XG, it means you are just being incredibly

13:26 clinical with the chances you're creating. But there is an argument that that is not

13:30 sustainable. So if you're not creating a high XG, it means that in future games you might

13:36 struggle to score. I think that's the argument.

13:39 Was that, it was the biggest one ever in the Premier League, was it Man City had the 7.2

13:44 XG or something? Was it something like that?

13:47 Yeah, but to have a 0.39 XG, I mean, I imagine the data-driven American owners will look

13:53 at that and think, oh, that's not very exciting.

13:56 Well, you say that the cold hard facts, Mark, are that they are ninth in League Two and

14:00 just four points off the playoffs. Also saw that the Reds have exceeded both their goals

14:04 scored and points total from last season, although that was kind of a season to forget.

14:08 With all that in mind, Sam, is there any pressure at all on Cawley now between now and the end

14:13 of the season to do anything or is the playoffs dangling in front of them, making it a little

14:17 bit more spicy?

14:18 I wouldn't say there's any pressure. I think it's just excellent they have something to

14:23 play for. It's kind of unheard of, really. I don't think we've ever had this situation

14:28 where it's so late in the season and Cawley can still feasibly finish in the playoffs.

14:32 Certainly, I can't remember a time like that. So I think it's just really exciting they

14:37 have something of that level, that weight to play for and to really, you know, to really

14:42 kind of do their best to get there. I don't think there's any pressure. There's lots of

14:46 teams that are going for it and all they can do is just keep winning games like they're

14:50 doing and see where they end up. But it's just incredible how far they've come. Only

14:56 this time last season, we're in genuine fear that they're probably going to get renegaded.

15:00 And now we're talking about a possible playoff race.

15:03 It's actually in their hands, isn't it? Because they've got the game in hand. If they win

15:08 all their games, they will finish in the playoffs, which is crazy. Yeah. So, fingers crossed

15:14 they do. It'll be really exciting.

15:16 Well, FC Wimbledon game, as mentioned, they won at Wimbledon last week. And post-match,

15:21 I think Danilo Orsi said to you, Sam, that Cawley have proven a lot of people wrong this

15:25 season. Mark, are the Reds relishing the fact that they've kind of upset the apple cart

15:30 and kind of put people's noses out of joint?

15:33 I think they are. They're doing it in a very non-arrogant, showy way, I think.

15:39 Professional, I think we'll call it.

15:41 A very professional way, because they've never said this year what their ambitions and targets

15:46 were and where they think they can finish. I mean, the way Scott Lindsay talks about

15:51 that, you get the impression that they felt they were always going to finish a lot higher

15:55 than anyone ever expected. But I don't know, every time I speak to Scott, I just get that

16:00 impression that he always knew that they were going to really be there or thereabouts around

16:05 the playoffs. But like I say, not in an arrogant way or anything, but just he knew the team

16:10 he'd got together and he knew if they gelled, they could do something special. And even

16:15 if they don't reach the playoffs, I think they still would have done something really

16:19 special this year. But to reach the playoffs, it would be incredible. But yeah, I mean,

16:23 yeah, with the likes of Danilo Orsi, I mean, they didn't get the backup striker they wanted

16:28 in the January transfer window. I think he's played something like 30, would have played

16:33 36 games, 37 games now. And he's never played that apart from in the non-league, but he's

16:38 never played in the professional, in the EFL. Like Grimsby last year, I think he only played

16:44 about 20 games or something like that. So it is incredible what they've achieved with

16:49 the players they've got. So yeah, and I think they are really relishing it. And yeah, they've

16:56 got a couple of games left.

16:59 Sorry Sam.

17:00 It's in the back of their minds, isn't it? The players, whenever I think when we've spoken

17:03 to a player after a game, it's either nine out of 10 times the player always mentions

17:08 about the fact they were predicted to be relegated or finished with the worst ever talent. I

17:12 think the players always say it. So I think it's constantly in the back of their minds.

17:16 It must be motivation, I think. They're constantly talking about that and really trying to prove

17:21 people wrong. So I think that could be, you can maybe put the form down to that.

17:26 Are the crowds up this year?

17:27 Yeah. I wish I had these stats at me. I think their average is about 3,200 at the moment

17:35 for the home crowd this season. And I think, I can't remember what it was last year. I

17:40 think it was maybe 2,700. But like two seasons ago, it was only just over 2,000. So they

17:48 put on over a thousand fans. And I mean, some of that is to do with the, like we always

17:53 say, the owners have done some good things. They lowered season ticket prices. They've

17:56 made the match day experience better. But it does make a difference when your team's

18:01 winning and playing good football as well. So yeah. But we talked about it on the Non-League

18:05 podcast, didn't we, Matt? That all local football seems to be up on the crowds. The Ishmian

18:12 League teams, Worthing, Eastbourne Borough, Hastings, all have really good crowds at the

18:16 moment. And it is helping the teams, I think, because they're all doing reasonably well.

18:23 Further to that point, Mark, I'll go as far as to say that all Sussex teams this season,

18:27 I'm probably going to put a massive curse on this now, but they have all been doing

18:30 incredibly well. You look at Crawley in League Two, Brighton in Europe, Horsham in their

18:35 FA Cup run. It's just been a, Worthing in the National League South, it's just been

18:39 a great time to follow Sussex football.

18:41 Eastbourne Borough have been struggling a bit, but other than that, it's been good.

18:46 They're getting mentioned in the New York Times though, aren't they? Simon Leslie wrote

18:54 about it in the Eastbourne Herald for tomorrow's paper. Yeah, Eastbourne Borough got mentioned

18:58 in the New York Times this week. So yeah, I don't know. I can't remember why, but...

19:03 We'll assume it's positive.

19:05 Going back to Crawley Town, there's going to be two questions, but I'll combine this

19:11 into one. The Reds are at home to Barrow, who boasts a formal Reds striker at Dom Telford

19:18 on Saturday before visiting Morecambe on Tuesday evening. Sam Morton, very quickly, how do

19:23 you see those two going?

19:25 Really tough games. I think obviously Barrow particularly is a massive one because they're

19:30 so close in the table. But Barrow aren't on the best run of form. They've only won two

19:35 games in 2024 and they've lost three on bounce. So I think Crawley will definitely be looking

19:43 to really put their form to benefit, really, and to really kind of take advantage of the

19:50 situation that they find themselves in. And if they were to get a win against Barrow,

19:53 it'd be huge for their race for the playoffs. And Morecambe, I think they're another tough

19:59 game. They're also really close to Crawley in the table, just one point behind. And so

20:04 I think both of those are really crucial games. And I think if Crawley were to come out of

20:08 these games with even four points, I think that would be brilliant. But I see no reason

20:13 why they can't aim for six in the form they're in and against two teams that they definitely

20:19 beat on their day.

20:20 I was going to quickly ask you, Mark, before we go and score predictions, would four points

20:23 constitute a good week for Crawley?

20:26 I think it will. I think obviously Scotland will be targeting six, but I think four points

20:30 would be a very, very good return, especially with one being away. But the home form hasn't

20:34 been as good as the away form in recent games. They won their last home game against Forest

20:37 Green, but before that they lost to Morecambe and to Salford. So, yeah, they really want

20:43 to look at turning that home form around. But if they can get four points, it'll be

20:46 a really good return.

20:47 Absolutely. Well, best of luck to the Reds this week. And lastly and finally, at score

20:51 predictions, starting with you, Darren, we start with Fulham against Brighton in the

20:55 Premier League on Saturday. How do you see that one going? It's another tough game to

20:58 call, I think.

20:59 Yeah, I'm a bit worried for Brighton for that one, actually, because Fulham did well at

21:02 Man United. I'm going to go one-nil Fulham, unfortunately.

21:06 Sam, how do you see that going?

21:08 Yeah, I'm also a bit concerned about how it's going to go. I'm going to go for a draw. I'll

21:13 say one-all draw.

21:14 Finally, Mark, do you see Brighton getting anything out of that trip to West London?

21:19 Yeah, well, I think they will, but I think they'll only get the best they can hope for

21:22 as a draw. I think I'm going to go for two-two, make it a bit more exciting. But is it my

21:26 thinking right that Brighton haven't got a great record against Fulham in the Premier

21:29 League or am I...?

21:30 They have struggled. Yeah, you're right. They have struggled against Fulham in recent seasons.

21:35 Yeah.

21:36 I remember going to cover Fulham Brighton many, many moons ago, and it's when Fulham

21:40 had Andre Schurrle. And for about the first 45 minutes, this 70-year-old woman gave him

21:45 nothing but grief. And he was hauled off at half-time and she got up and punched the air

21:48 when his name came up and he was substituted. So that's my interesting anecdote about Roma

21:53 v Brighton.

21:54 Anyway, moving on to Thursday night, I think this is, we'll say this is the big one, Roma

21:59 v Brighton. Sam, I'm more optimistic about Brighton getting something out of this one

22:04 than I am against Fulham. Do you agree with that?

22:06 Yeah, and I can see the argument, really. I think it's just the massive kind of nature

22:13 of the game, I think, and it's really going to have the fans up, the players up, are going

22:17 to be really, really up for it, of course. I think that can just naturally lead to result

22:22 playing in a stadium like the Stadio Olimpico, which is going to be brilliant for the players.

22:26 Now they've got some experience in their belt as well, playing in these huge arenas. So

22:29 yeah, I can definitely agree with that. I think there's going to be more riding on it.

22:36 Definitely, probably the players will really kind of be focusing on that. And I don't think

22:40 they'll go to Fulham with, they probably won't even be thinking about Roma when they're at

22:45 Fulham, they'll just be focusing on the task at hand. But I don't think they can be blamed

22:49 for really trying to make sure they're fully firing and fit for that one. I think it's

22:54 going to be a really exciting game. So I think, yeah, score prediction, I think. I'll go with

22:59 a two-all draw.

23:00 Tom, unfortunately, has ran against us. So I'm going to ask you very quickly what your

23:05 thoughts are going to be on Roma-Brighton. Darren, how do you see that one going?

23:09 I think Brighton are going to get a 2-0 win in Roma. I think Di Zerbi will love it. Italian

23:14 coach going back to Italy, 2-0 win and then finish the job at the Amex next following

23:20 week.

23:21 Mr Dunford, how do you see it going?

23:23 It's going to be nil-nil and Francesco Tossi being sent off.

23:26 Very, very finally, I'll only ask you this, Mark, as I said, time is against us. Crawley-Barrow,

23:34 Morecambe-Crawley, how do you see those?

23:38 Barrow 2-0, Morecambe, I am going to be confident, I'm going to go for another 1-0 win for Crawley-Saint-Germain.

23:44 So 2-0 on Saturday, 1-0 Tuesday.

23:47 Excellent, fingers crossed for that. Thank you very much for joining us this week, chaps.

23:51 You can catch up with all the latest sports news covering everything we've talked about

23:53 today at sussexworld.co.uk and you can watch more excellent videos on shotstv.com and Freeview

23:58 Channel 276. Thank you very much for listening and we'll see you all next week.

24:02 [BLANK_AUDIO]

Gull-Mouth Action podcast - episode 18 | Brighton out of the FA Cup, Crawley Town on the march

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