Brighton were right to sack Chris Hughton despite Premier League survival

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Brighton have sacked manager Chris Hughton after the former Tottenham player steered the club to survival. On the face of it keeping the club up should have assured Hughton his job, but they were right to sack him as the tell tale signs were there for all to see.

Brighton actually started the season well and were propping up in the top 10 even in December. They were being compared to both Wolves and Watford who are two teams this season that really have punched above their weight and did so well. Wolves finished 7th in a best of the rest position and Watford not only finished close behind but are also in the FA Cup final where they will play Manchester City next Saturday.

As for Brighton it all started to go wrong when 2018 said goodbye and the New Year greeted us with 2019. From the last 20 games, that’s 60 points Brighton won 15, that was good enough not to finish 17th where they did but to finish in 19th position and relegation. Again it is their form at the beginning of the season which saved the club.

From those 20 matches they have won just 3 and scored 15 times conceding 34. The club finished their dismal form at home losing 4 of their last 5 games and the other match ended in a draw. In the end they survived in the league by just two points over Cardiff, who if it wasn’t for some bad luck in games easily would have finished above them.

But it was also Hughton’s approach to survival. Once he knew the club were in danger they ended up approaching games to scared to lose, and so would defend deep in numbers, fans like to call this ‘parking the bus’ and that was the club all over. It made for some poor displays and negative football and no football fan wants to pay to see that even if it rarely grinds out a point.

The majority of Brighton’s transfers were undisclosed which was unfortunate but some sources have suggested that the club spent £70m last summer recruiting players. That’s all well and good but the season before they managed 40 points meaning that they spent all that extra money to finish with 4 points fewer.

Chris Hughton is a great guy and a credit to the game and a real footballing man. For many reasons mostly known to him, the heart was not there in the team and there was no real fight in the second half of the season. He will move on from this and so will Brighton.

So on the face of it it can look harsh to sack a manager when the club have just stayed up, but the truth is that they have actually slipped backwards and just got lucky that Cardiff had a mix of bad luck and at times were poor themselves.

Hughton will be back and Brighton will be hoping that their next manager takes them back in the right direction. Hughton in the end saved the ship from drowning, but now it needs a new captain.

Euro Fantasy League Podcast – #32 – Roma’s Drake Ban, Barcelona Win La Liga

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The lads are back for another installment of the Euro Fantasy League Podcast! This time out, Jamie and Dave take a look at the title run-ins, relegation battles and European hopefuls. Barcelona have won La Liga once again, and Roma’s ban on Drake is also covered. Get in touch with us on Twitter (@eurofantasypod) or e-mail us (eurofantasypod@gmail.com). Remember to subscribe, rate and review when you are able – it’s all free!

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Cardiff and Neil Warnock will hold onto Premier League survival miracle for now

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What a season it has been for Cardiff City, who have had to battle against the threat of relegation for most of the season. Of course one cannot talk about Cardiff’s season without mentioning the tragedy of Emiliano Sala’s plane crash when the Nantes player had just been signed by Cardiff.

One wonders if Sala would have saved Cardiff from the drop? It is a possibility given that the player had vastly improved in front of the goal in the past 12 months and was becoming a really good striker. He would have scored goals for Cardiff and could have earned the club those couple of wins that they have been missing. His passing remains one of the great shocks in modern footballing times.

As for the players that Cardiff manager Neil Warnock has had to work with, overall the club have been poor this season and their league position doesn’t lie. However one can think that Cardiff have also been unlucky. The offside goal that Chelsea scored, took 3 points effectively away from the side. And, when they were losing 1-0 to Liverpool, the Reds 2nd goal, a penalty looked soft and finished the game off, it could have ended a draw on a different day.

Cardiff look down, everyone seems to agree and when you are massive odds on with the bookmakers, well that is supposed to seal the deal. But the club do still have hope, because in 17th place Brighton have been decidedly awful since 2019 came through the front door of the AMEX Stadium.

Chris Hughton’s side have been for the less of a word, boring to watch. Sometimes boring is needed in football. When they are playing a superior team then they have to try and park the bus as it is called. But overall even when they have been playing teams with the same qualities as them they have become a team afraid to lose, celebrating a draw like it’s a win is always a bad sign with 15 games to go of the season.

Hughton is one of football’s good guys and knows his stuff about the game and is very down to earth. But the way his team plays it seems that they won’t be missed if they go down. At the same time Brighton are favourites to stay up and currently they are 4 points ahead of Cardiff with just 2 games left to play. That is a massive lead, and it is even bigger. You see Brighton have a  much superior goal difference so in effect that lead is 5 points with just 6 left on the board. How do Cardiff do this, and come back?

Well the good news for them is Brighton will have to travel to Arsenal next. Now Arsenal are in dreadfully poor form but one must think this will not continue especially at home. Note 3 of the clubs four recent defeats have come away from home. If Arsenal do oblige then Cardiff must find a way to win again. They were, for example, poor at the weekend when they lost to already relegated Fulham.

The same weekend Cardiff will play Crystal Palace and the only hope for that game for Warnock and his team is that they are at home. Though the Bluebirds have won just 1 game from their past five in front of their home fans.

If Cardiff win and Brighton lose the league will look like this; 17th Brighton 35 points, 18th Cardiff 34. Then it is game on for the final day of the season. Only there is a problem for both teams.

Brighton will be at home against Manchester City who will be more than likely needing to win for the league title. Cardiff will be away against Manchester United who will be looking to finish the season on a high after some miserable form. Both sides on paper could lose, which would change nothing.

The problem for Cardiff is that they will need to win their last two games to survive, and that, at this stage, will be a miracle. Just like who will win the league or claim those final Champions League places the relegation battle looks as exciting as ever and could well go down to the final game of the season, which could in turn affect the league title out come. Who needs Hollywood?

 

 

EPL: Premier League Predictions for Week 34

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The top 4 teams all won in their last games and nobody can quite tell who has the advantage in for the Premier League title. Liverpool are 2 points clear of Manchester City and yet City have a game in hand, but that match is against rivals Manchester United away from home. Chelsea have made a splash back into the top 3, so again there is all to play for as the excitement reaches fever pitch.

Below we take a look at how the results could work out for this weekend and give our predictions.

Leicester v Newcastle

Leicester would be 3rd in the league based on recent form and the appointment of Brendan Rodgers has been an inspired choice, the Foxes have won their last 4 games in a row. Newcastle have been poor on the road with just 2 points won from their last 15. Leicester to beat Newcastle

Tottenham v Huddersfield

Tottenham have Manchester City and the Champions League 2nd leg on their mind but they must focus for this game. Back at home they should win comfortably. Harry Kane is out but Son will relish this moment and could score a few. Tottenham to beat Huddersfield

Brighton v Bournemouth

Both teams come into this match with the same form and Brighton are still not safe. However a win would be massive for the club and they are at home. Callum Wilson will be a danger for the home side though and Eddie Howe’s team could add more misery to Brighton’s season. Bournemouth to beat Brighton

Burnley v Cardiff

Burnley are almost safe but this win would more or less assure that. Sean Dyche’s team have won back to back games and have found form. Cardiff keep losing and have lost 4 games in their last 5. They need to win this game to have any chance of staying up, but it will be difficult for them. Burnley to beat Cardiff

Fulham v Everton

An interesting statistic for Everton is that they have won 3 games in  a row coming into this match and all 3 have been against London teams- they can make it 4 against Fulham who have already been relegated. Everton’s Richarlison may just relish the chance to play against Fulham’s defence which has conceded 76 goals this season. Everton to beat Fulham

Southampton v Wolves

This game has the potential of being very exciting and the way the two teams play there could well be a lot of goals. Wolves have been good this season but have no away wins in their last 4. This is set to be a very close game. Draw

Manchester United v West Ham

Manchester United had a bruising Champions League defeat to Barcelona and that may have fatigued some of the players. But they will be the favourites to beat West Ham, whose form and leaky defence has let them down in recent weeks. United should cruise to a win and Marcus Rashford could show no mercy. Manchester United to beat West Ham

Crystal Palace v Manchester City

Crystal Palace remain the only club to beat Manchester City at The Etihad this season- can they do the double over them? City should have the quality to win but will also be tired after their Champions League game v Tottenham. But it is difficult not to see a response from Pep Guardiola’s side and Sergio Aguero will want to make up for his dismal display in the Champions League in midweek. Manchester City to beat Crystal Palace

Liverpool v Chelsea

Liverpool just keep winning games, and this match looks to be the teams real final test in their quest for the league title-their first since 1990. Chelsea are in good form but have beaten teams below them. Eden Hazard is being called a great player- it is in these games he must prove it. Liverpool to beat Chelsea

Watford v Arsenal

Watford will be in great spirits coming into this match having reached the FA Cup final and Troy Deeney has emerged as a genuine hero for the club. Arsenal lost their last away game 1-0 to Everton and could struggle here if the home side get a positive start. Draw

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Manchester City have a problem, they are not scoring enough goals

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Manchester City are still on course to win the quadruple and create history this season and whilst the club are winning games and staying competitive, they have one problem- they are not scoring enough goals.

Sure winning 1-0 or 7-0 is still 3 points and still a victory but at the same time champions-elect teams usually win bigger and better and that is not what we are seeing from Pep Guardiola’s team. This is a team which is basically Barcelona mark 2, and yet the goals are not always flowing. The other worry weirdly enough is that City are playing excellent football and dominating games and creating so many chances- if they play a poor team and miss some clear cut chances, they will get another chance? What happens if they are playing quality and they do it- it could be the difference between staying in a competition and going out.

When did City stop scoring goals? It started with the Carabao Cup final where in 120 minutes of football they couldn’t score a goal against a team in Chelsea that a few days before they had put 6 goals past. In the end what did it matter, they won on penalties and picked up their first trophy of the season.

Their next league game was at home to West Ham, and they were expected to thrash The Hammers- they had in the past- and whilst they dominated the game they only won 1-0. At such a slight score they obviously left themselves open to a shock equaliser which would have dented their league title chances. Where was that 2nd goal?

Another 1-0 win followed at Bournemouth. Should a multi millionaire team be putting their fans through so much heartache? A tasty 3-1 victory against Watford followed but all 3 goals came in the 2nd half. Back to the cup matches and they had no problems when they destroyed Schalke 7-0 in the Champions League making a mockery in the process of the lack of quality that can make the knock out stages. A lucky 3-2 win in the FA Cup over Swansea followed, But at least the goals had rolled back- 10 in their last 2 games. But again in the league those goals would be tuned down.

The clubs next two games were against two bottom three teams in Fulham and Cardiff, both wins so no complaints but 4 goals scored in those matches when it should have been 10. Last weekend City took a break from the league and made it to the FA Cup final when they beat Brighton 1-0 in a dour semi final that could have gone either way.

Again it seems harsh to criticise City because they are getting the wins and playing great football. But evidently they are not scoring as many goals as they should do. This may not bode well for the remaining games, the crunch ones, or perhaps the team will have the final trick on us and are just saving themselves. Whatever the deal it will be a fascinating end to the season for the club.

EPL: Premier League Predictions for the Weekend

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The Premier League is back this weekend after the international break and we will predict what we think will happen below. The title contest is closely contested between Liverpool and Manchester City, places for the Champions League are still up for grabs and the relegation battle has not been quite decided yet. Let’s dive in!

Fulham v Manchester City

Manchester City will be the massive favourites to beat Fulham who are in theory almost relegated. Fulham will be at home and will defend deep in numbers but the quality of City’s players should shine through. City are 2 points behind Liverpool and need this win and Raheem Sterling is in the form of his life for Pep Guardiola’s team. Manchester City to beat Fulham

Brighton v Southampton

Brighton were in freefall but have found some form, winning their last 2 games in a row. Southampton’s form has been patchy and this could be a difficult match for the Saints away from home, we expect to see goals in this game and will opt for the home side. Brighton to beat Southampton 

Burnley v Wolves

There is a real chance that Sean Dyche’s Burnley could be relegated and they come into this game having lost 4 matches in a row. Wolves on the other hand are proving to be the best pound for pound team in the Premier League. Raul Jimenez for Wolves is scoring goals for fun lately. Wolves to beat Burnley

Crystal Palace v Huddersfield

Palace have really lost their way in the past few games and with 33 points they are only 5 points clear of the bottom three. This is an excellent chance for the club to pull clear. Huddersfield battled well in their last game which ended in a 4-3 loss to West Ham, we think they can play well again and could get a point from this game. Draw.

Leicester v Bournemouth

Leicester have won 3 of their last 4 games and the appointment of Brendan Rodgers has been effective for the Foxes. Bournemouth could join them on the same points (41) if they can win, but this looks too difficult for them and we expect Leicester to ease to a win. Jamie Vardy just keeps on banging in the goals and he could be the difference once more. Leicester to beat Bournemouth.

Manchester United v Watford

Manchester United finally confirmed Ole Gunnar Solskjaer as the clubs permanent boss and he has signed a 3 year deal. If the mood in the camp wasn’t already full of positive vibes it is now. The club have the chance to score a few goals at the weekend and bring Watford back down to Earth. Romelu Lukaku has also found his scoring boots. Manchester United to beat Watford.

West Ham v Everton

Two sides who are very equal who perform much better at home. Everton will be buoyed with their 2-0 win against Chelsea but they have lost 8 times away from home. The Hammers have won 3 home games in a row and are unbeaten at home in 2019. Everton have not won at West Ham since 2015. Everton to beat West Ham

Cardiff v Chelsea

There is a big gulf in quality between the two sides and this should be a very entertaining game as Cardiff need the win for survival and Chelsea need it to keep a top 4 place realistic. We think Chelsea can just get all three points in a very close game and we should keep an eye out for Olivier Giroud who has really sparked into life up front. Chelsea to beat Cardiff

Liverpool v Tottenham

Easily the game of the weekend in the Premier League. Liverpool are in great form and when they play this game it is likely that they will be one point behind Manchester City, so the motivation to win will be huge. Tottenham have a feel good factor with their new stadium opening. But they aren’t their yet and this trip to Anfield could be a very difficult one. They do possess the quality to frustrate the Reds though. Draw.

Arsenal v Newcastle

Arsenal are in great form and this is always a difficult trip for Newcastle. Mesut Ozil has been given more chances recently and has scored goals too. There are goals everywhere in this Arsenal side who are undefeated in the league at home since August. Newcastle have no away wins in 2019. Arsenal to beat Newcastle.

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The Premier League relegation battle has begun between Cardiff, Burnley and Southampton

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Though it is still mathematically possible the grandest of miracles aside, both Huddersfield and Fulham will be relegated from the Premier League this season. To put the clubs fate into more prespective there is 21 points left on the board and Huddersfield are 16 points from safety and Fulham are 13 and we can firmly discount either team from making a stunning comeback.

That leaves just one more team who will be playing in the Championship next season. And here are the main contenders: First up is the team in 18th and currently going down Cardiff City who have 28 points. Their last league game ended up being a massive result for Neil Warnock’s side who beat West Ham 2-0. Had they lost that game they would have lost touch with safety and been five points behind. Instead there is just a two point gap to the two other contenders.

Both Burnley and Southampton have 30 points each, although it is interesting to note that Southampton has a game in hand over Burnley and so does Cardiff. So out of these 3 teams who is the favourite to go down? The bookmakers have made Cardiff the favourites since there is a 2 point gap, but the best gage of this surely are the clubs remaining fixtures.

Cardiff will have to play 4 of their 7 games away from home and they have some very tough fixtures. Just look at their next two for evidence, Chelsea followed by Manchester City. They also have to play Liverpool at home and finish the season away to Manchester United. It is unlikely they will be picking up many more points although they will fancy getting maximum points against Fulham and Crystal Palace- the Palace match is at home and by the time they face Fulham, the Cottagers should be properly relegated.

Burnley have some tough games also and it should be noted that in a few weeks time they will come head to head with Cardiff in a fantastic ‘six pointer’ which will be played at home. But Sean Dyche’s team have a nightmare run in that sees the last 4 league games having to play Chelsea, Manchester City, Everton and Arsenal. That really could seal their fate.

Finally there is Southampton who out of the three teams look on paper to have the easiest run in and if they can continue their solid form they should be fine. The Saints only have to face one top 4 side in Liverpool in the run in and even then they will be at home. But they have a smooth run in which includes home games against Bournemouth and Huddersfield and they should be safe this season.

The relegation battle is hotting up, that is evidently clear and it seems like a straight run off between Burnley and Cardiff, our tip is that Burnley with such a tough final run in may just be the third and final team to be relegated.

The battle for Premier League safety

As you would expect, a lot of the focus on the English Premier League is directed to the top of the table. Even more so this season, as we have a title race that looks like it could go right down to the wire. The fight at the other end, the one to retain premier league status should definitely not be ignored though. It is every bit as fierce and close, and involves several teams that know the very future of their clubs hinge on what happens over the next 8 or so games.

Those that have gone

With apologies to Huddersfield and Fulham fans, I am going to assume you are already down. Fulham have been hamstrung from day one by a raft of signings that were bought with little or no knowledge of what it would take for a fight in the world’s most competitive division. As for Huddersfield, if they have achieved nothing else this season, they have made life easy for punters around the globe as a shoe-in for their for their weekly football accumulators. On the plus side, The Terriers at least will look like they will be well equipped for a challenge next season for a quick return.

Those that are relatively safe

Several teams that have flirted with the drop zone appear to have pulled themselves out in recent weeks. Newcastle are a case in point. They have had far from a vintage season, but they have picked up some crucial wins of late and have done enough for another season in the top flight. It is a reverse situation for Bournemouth. Their form and points picked up in the first half of the season should be enough to see them safe despite a worrying drop in form in recent weeks.

Those very much in the fight  

Crystal Palace

I was very tempted to put these in the preceding category. Though they have not got the points on the board to guarantee safety, they have been playing well – especially away from home – and have a team that should have enough to see them over the line. A win against rivals Brighton would have all but seen them safe, but it wasn’t to be, their poor home form coming back to haunt them. Their run in is not the easiest but they should be able to pick up the 3 or 4 points they need.

Brighton

Back to back wins, including that one at Selhurst have breathed new life into the Seagull’s fight for survival, and it has come at just the right time. They play Arsenal and Man City on the last two games of the season. They do however have home games against Cardiff, Southampton and Bournemouth, and you would think in those games alone they would be able to secure the points required.

Southampton

Sticking or twisting regarding the manager is always a tricky decision, but bringing in a new man in the shape of Ralph Hasenhüttl looks like it may be the difference to the Saints’ survival. They are playing with a belief and freedom that just was not there before, and crucially they are scoring goals. Their last three games are against Bournemouth, West Ham and Huddersfield, all who are unlikely to be playing for anything other than pride. They should be safe, and it will be interesting to see how they push on next season.

Burnley

Sean Dyche’s team payed heavily for their European run, one which meant their season started when most of their rivals were still on the beach. Since the turn of the year they appeared to have turned a corner, going on a run and picking up crucial points. Suddenly however their form has deserted them, just when they had safety in their grasp. Their run in is tricky to say the least. They face Arsenal, Chelsea and Man City as well as Wolves and Everton. It is doubtful how many points they will amass from that, and their fate will more than likely depend on how the one remaining team fare:

Cardiff

The Welsh outfit were all but down at the end of the year, but they have shown a fight and crucially a nose for goal, that has seen them still in with a sniff of safety. It comes down to a head to head with Burnley. Like The Clarets, Neil Warnock’s team have not been handed a comfortable run in, with games against Man U, Man City, Liverpool and Chelsea to come. They will need to pick up points against Brighton, Palace and Fulham. There is however one game that could decide it all. Saturday 13th April sees the ultimate relegation 6 pointer when Cardiff go to Turf Moor. The winner of that match, as well as the 3 points could well also be taking home EPL survival.

EPL Best XI – Week 30

sterlingThis past weekend we saw Ole Gunnar Solskjaer lose his domestic unbeaten run as Man Utd manager, with Arsenal triumphing 2-0 at the Emirates. Elsewhere, Liverpool maintained pressure on league leaders Man City with their 4-2 win over Burnley at Anfield, and Southampton caused something of an upset by beating Tottenham 2-1 on the south coast. There were wins for Brighton and Cardiff, with Newcastle also putting in an impressive showing with their 3-2 home win against Everton. With that in mind, we will now adopt a 4-4-2 formation and see which players performed the best for their clubs in England’s top flight this past weekend.

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The EPL’s likely starting lineups for this weekend

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This weekend we have another full schedule of ten EPL matches to look forward to. Here are the predicted lineups for every EPL game.

Crystal Palace v Brighton

Crystal Palace XI: Guaita, Wan-Bissaka, Dann, Tomkins, Van Aanholt, Kouyate, Milivojevic, Schlupp, Townsend, Batshuayi, Zaha

Brighton XI: Ryan, Montoya, Dunk, Duffy, Bernardo, Propper, Stephens, Bissouma, Knockaert, Andone, Jahanbakhsh

Questionable: n/a

Out: Speroni, Sakho, Souare (Crystal Palace); Balogun, Gross (Brighton)