Poyet: We gave it our best shot

6:02pm Saturday 9th March 2013 in Sport By Brian Owen

Gus Poyet watches from the sidelines Gus Poyet watches from the sidelines

Gus Poyet reckons Albion did all they could to salvage a result at Bolton.

But he could shed no light on the potentially expensive sending-off of Ashley Barnes in the final seconds of the 1-0 defeat.

The Seagulls had plenty of possession and balls into the danger area but did not cause home keeper Andy Lonergan too many problems.

Andrew Crofts hit the post moments before Marcos Alonso fired the 21st-minute winner.

Boss Poyet said: “It was our best game away from home for a while.

“We were in control, sometimes by passing the ball, sometimes by pressurising the opposition.

“We had more shots and really wanted to win the game.

"The only disappointing part is the shots. The rest was very good. I liked it.”

He said of the only goal: “When you are in control and having chances you need to be careful.

“I didn’t see (a re-run of) the goal yet but I will have a look after.

“Then we put everything on the pitch to go and win it.

“We finished with all the offensive players we had available on the pitch.”

Comments(18)

SiWilki says...
6:13pm Sat 9 Mar 13

We finished with all the offensive players we had available on the pitch - well except for Barnes, although if he was told to be offensive he certainly achieved it...

Gus everytime you think of putting Barnes in think of Forster Caskey instead, better in midfield and more likely better in front of goal, couldn't possibly attract ref attention more than Barnes either

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Neville says...
6:16pm Sat 9 Mar 13

We were mugged at The Amex by Bolton and again today,so much possession in the two matches and so little on target.
The striker situation is not helped and I am of the opinion that Dobbie was a panick buy before the deadline, its a shame we could not have sorted this area out a few weeks ago.
Barnes is always on a short fuse and I really do not care if I see him again in a Brighton shirt,has let the manager who nearly always picks him,his club,teamates and us all down.
No one in the club will approach anythinglike 20 goals for the season and our inability to be lethal in converting chances will I fear just cost us that play off place. I really hope I am not attending the Amex for the last few games with nothing to play for. Looking at the fixtures,no team in the 4 play off positions have easy fixtures.

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Willie, Willie Irvine says...
6:29pm Sat 9 Mar 13

There are some basic, common sense rules in football to stay on the pitch. I have been a Barnes supporter but if he is incapable of learning to keep it shut around the ref, let alone trying to trip him(!) then he deserves every bitter, disappointed, frustrated comment he gets. Brainless Barnes doesn't do him justice.

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graham w says...
6:34pm Sat 9 Mar 13

what else can you say ....bloody barnes...!!!

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tonytowner1 says...
6:37pm Sat 9 Mar 13

"Ashley Barnes was sent-off for trying to trip the referee" from the next Argus posting - quite incredible and totally unacceptable if so. Same if is bad language. This is the guy that used to happily take our penalties and the goal stats that went with him when he managed to get one in. The situation is laughable really. If his goals, levels of skill and ability were excellent or even "very good" and he was making the difference in the team, then Gus's continued belief in Barnes would be fine and understandable - as fans we'd put up with his immaturity, hot headedness, poor first touch or whatever - but the fact is he isn't and the stats don't support his case

His first start in 6 matches - our first loss in six matches. Perhaps Gus supports him and backs him so much, in part, as he knows so many of the crowd don't see in him what he reckons he can see

Listing on SCR today there were at least 4 times where Ashley seemed to get in the way/ be unaware of his team mates and on two occasions costs us a better opportunity. Someone else can be the person where he is and will put more in

So, apart from broadly, other results, this week - the best news for most fans is his sending off and hopefully the forcing of Gus and Tony to rapidly get a loan striker in till the end of the season

Good to see Gus has not spotted that Hammond and Crofts doesn't work, Vicente as loan striker doesn't work, Buckley is low on confidence and well done for ringing the changes (apart from Barnes)

How great it would be to see Vicente start two home games one time this season on the trot

20 shots today - 20 up on Tuesday (Middlesbrough didn't do much better than us today down there)

Hopefully that's it for Barnes this year - a decent league 1 striker, gives his all but cannot be trusted

Barnsley getting tonked by City at the moment means it could go either way of course on Tuesday

No time to waste Gus and Tony - as each match passes there's less points to get

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mr punch says...
6:48pm Sat 9 Mar 13

maybe a blessing in disguise with the barnes thing, Gonna be a tight month now with big games coing up. still in our hands though and now one less option to think about. KLL just behind Leo?

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VegasSeagull says...
6:52pm Sat 9 Mar 13

Seems odd to me that we throw everything we had at Bolton looking for a point or three, but we didn't do that at Bristol, both were away games.

Would this starting eleven not have got a single shot on or off target at City?

Had we got three points at City today's gut wrenching result would have felt so bad.
Maybe Bridge needed one more game out but surely the rest of them could have played.

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Eddy B says...
7:02pm Sat 9 Mar 13

mr punch wrote:
maybe a blessing in disguise with the barnes thing, Gonna be a tight month now with big games coing up. still in our hands though and now one less option to think about. KLL just behind Leo?
Yes, could be a blessing. If KLL doesn't get a game now I'd be off if I was him. Think he could make a decent striker.

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punt clunderer says...
7:03pm Sat 9 Mar 13

get rid of barnes... and the idiot that picked him...... meanwhile Glenn has bagged himself another brace... and what of wallower...... like a pig in **** today..... fat see you next tuesday

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Neville says...
7:05pm Sat 9 Mar 13

Interesting to read the Bolton websites and it seems Freedman got it tactically right,no chance of out passing Brighton so restrict them to possession in the the last quarter of the pitch.Bolton fans saying we are probably the best passing side seen there but that we lack any cutting edge,how many times has this been said. Like Ulloa but we really really need a predator in the Kevin Phillips mould.

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Eddy B says...
7:06pm Sat 9 Mar 13

The shot counts for the last two games have been incredible. From zero to 20 but ironically more points gained in the former! Football really is a funny (and often random?) game.

However in the long run shots is the way to score goals and win games so much happier with the performance today going forward than the one last Tuesday.

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wiseman of hove says...
7:33pm Sat 9 Mar 13

Neville wrote:
Interesting to read the Bolton websites and it seems Freedman got it tactically right,no chance of out passing Brighton so restrict them to possession in the the last quarter of the pitch.Bolton fans saying we are probably the best passing side seen there but that we lack any cutting edge,how many times has this been said. Like Ulloa but we really really need a predator in the Kevin Phillips mould.
Freedman is an excellent manager so not surprised he was tactically astute. Very much agree with you regarding the Kevin Phillips type of striker so now urgently required. For me, it would hopefully have been Hoskins but it was not to be.With the paucity of striker resources, I'm a bit concerned with references being made to Ulloa being "jaded and tired" and needing a break.

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fratsomrover says...
7:48pm Sat 9 Mar 13

So frustrating yet again!! How many more times is this going to happen. I've always liked the "little & large" combo up front and I wonder if Lua Lua could be an effective support man alongside Ullua. He packs a shot, is elusive and if he can turn a full back inside out then for sure he'd run rings round a centre half. He could be an ideal foil for big Leonardo. If no loan signing comes in before the next match, surely it has to be worth a try.

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wiseman of hove says...
8:04pm Sat 9 Mar 13

fratsomrover wrote:
So frustrating yet again!! How many more times is this going to happen. I've always liked the "little & large" combo up front and I wonder if Lua Lua could be an effective support man alongside Ullua. He packs a shot, is elusive and if he can turn a full back inside out then for sure he'd run rings round a centre half. He could be an ideal foil for big Leonardo. If no loan signing comes in before the next match, surely it has to be worth a try.
It's a pairing up front I mooted a few weeks back Fratsom having reflected on LuaLua playing down the middle for a half against, I think, Milwall. It was LuaLua's best showing this season. However, for some reason the manager has almost permanently sidelined him. I have never been entirely convinced by LuaLua but I think it is well worth a shot - the Warboys and Bannister effect to those who remember" little and large" combos!

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Al Bion says...
9:29am Sun 10 Mar 13

That's a possibility Wiseman of Hove. They could prove to be our very own "Smash and Grab"!!

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SMF20 says...
9:55am Sun 10 Mar 13

I take a lot more hope and confidence from this performance than that of Tuesdays.

In a boxing match this 2 legged bout would have been stopped.
To have over 40 shots over the 2 games and come away with only 1 goal and 1 point is quite extraordinary, unbelievable to be honest.

I do not think though that this loss will be more than a blip.
I think we wil beat Barnsley on Tuesday and that Leicester will lose at Cardiff.
I see us sitting in 5th afterTuesdays games.

Its then on to Palace and Forest and if we can get 4 points out of these games then i think we will have opened a little
gap between us and the chasing pack.

Heres to a strong end to March, 7 points and our play off spot very much consolidated.

Re Barnes.... No comment

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fratsomrover says...
10:20am Sun 10 Mar 13

wiseman of hove wrote:
fratsomrover wrote:
So frustrating yet again!! How many more times is this going to happen. I've always liked the "little & large" combo up front and I wonder if Lua Lua could be an effective support man alongside Ullua. He packs a shot, is elusive and if he can turn a full back inside out then for sure he'd run rings round a centre half. He could be an ideal foil for big Leonardo. If no loan signing comes in before the next match, surely it has to be worth a try.
It's a pairing up front I mooted a few weeks back Fratsom having reflected on LuaLua playing down the middle for a half against, I think, Milwall. It was LuaLua's best showing this season. However, for some reason the manager has almost permanently sidelined him. I have never been entirely convinced by LuaLua but I think it is well worth a shot - the Warboys and Bannister effect to those who remember" little and large" combos!
Not only Warboys and Bannister. We had Mellor and Ward, scousers had Toshak and Keegan, Rush and Dalglish, gooners Stapleton and Wright, Spurs had Smith and Greaves There are plenty of "little & large combos who have worked wonders

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Falmer Wizard says...
3:07pm Sun 10 Mar 13

When I turned on the radio yesterday and heard the starting lineup I felt sorry for all those who had made the long journey. I considered apart from Vicente we were looking for a draw.
We waited for so long before Lua Lua was signed and were excited but he is given so little game time,perhaps with Barnes out of the picture Gus will have to use him.

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