9:00am Tuesday 16th March 2010
By Andy Naylor
Albion could equal a club record tonight – but it is not one they want.
The Seagulls are on course for their worst ever home season.
Saturday’s 1-0 defeat by Swindon was the 11th of the campaign at Withdean.
They never suffered that many at The Goldstone or in the first six seasons at their current abode but lost 12 times in their second season at Gillingham in 1998-99.
Eleven has become a sadly familiar figure. Albion were also beaten that number of times at home in the Championship in 2005-06 and in League One both the following season and last season.
The Seagulls are in danger as well of their lowest ever home points tally. They need eight from the remaining six games against Brentford, Tranmere, Southampton, Carlisle, Bristol Rovers and Yeovil to eclipse the 19 mustered in the first year at Gillingham in 1997-98.
All of which has prompted a bit of soul-searching from Adam Virgo, who has experienced both the Withdean highs and lows during his two spells at the club.
Virgo, available after a four-match ban for Brentford’s visit tonight, admitted: “It’s not a good record to be going for. It is probably the most asked question when I am in town, the difference in our away form.
“All I can think of is that when we went to the ground at first it all happened for us. We were winning games and we never really had a bad period.
“Even when we went down in the Championship (2002-03), from Christmas onwards we went on some ridiculous run.
“Now we are not winning and the atmosphere is difficult to get into the players. I think for the first time now the way the ground is is finally affecting us as players, with the athletics track and how far the crowd are away from the pitch.
“For years opposing players used to come down and think ‘what the hell am I doing here?’ Now it is kind of roles reversed.
“When you go away from home the crowd’s really tight and we take loads of people away to places like Charlton. They have great atmospheres and that can raise your game five or ten per cent.
“I just think at the moment the fans are getting frustrated, we are getting frustrated and, when they try to get you going, it doesn’t seem to transmit to the pitch.”
Virgo will probably be closer to the supporters than he would wish tonight, on the bench rather than out in the middle.
His comeback from his red card at Leeds is more likely to be in the reserves against Eastbourne United in the quarter-finals of the Sussex Senior Cup at Lancing tomorrow night.
The deputising Adam El-Abd and Tommy Elphick have joined forces effectively in his absence, helping Albion to wins against Charlton and Exeter, a draw at Colchester and the Swindon setback, with only two goals conceded.
Virgo said: “Adam has done really well since he came in. I think he prefers the centre half spot.
“He did a job at left-back but he has always made it clear he wants to play at centre half.
“Since the turn of the year Tommy has been playing really well. I think a lot of people forget how young (22) he still is. Mistakes will be made but he has come on leaps and bounds.
“He is quite a big lad in the team and people expect him to come out of his shell and be a leader on the pitch.
“But sometimes, if you make a bad pass and you have got five and a half thousand people on your back, at that age it can affect you.
“I think he has listened a lot more to what people around him have been saying and he has gone back to basics, playing the simpler ball.
“The club have always expressed he is one for the future and not many four year contracts are given out here. I am sure he will go on to do great things.”
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