Strikers return but still no Bridge

2:19pm Saturday 1st December 2012 in Albion By Brian Owen

Ashley Barnes returns today Ashley Barnes returns today

Albion have brought back Craig Mackail-Smith and Ashley Barnes for derby day.

But Wayne Bridge does not return from injury as the Seagulls take on high-flying Crystal Palace at Selhurst Park.

Mackail-Smith and Barnes return in place of Stephen Dobbie and Will Hoskins.

Inigo Calderon comes into the side at full-back in place of Marcos Painter, who has deptuised for Bridge in the last three games.

Albion have no recognised defenders on the bench.

Owen Garvan starts in an attacking midfield role for Palace rather than Andre Moritz, who suffered a dead leg at Hull on Tuesday.

Crystal Palace: Speroni; Ward, Ramage, Delaney, Parr; Dikgacoi, Jedinak; Bolasie, Garvan, Zaha; Murray. Subs: Price, Wilbraham, Easter, Moxey, O'Keefe, Moritz, Gabbidon.

Albion: Kuszczak; Bruno, Greer, Dunk, Calderon; Bridcutt, Hammond, Orlandi; Buckley, Barnes, Mackail-Smith. Subs: Brezovan, Harley, Dicker, Crofts, Dobbie, David, Hoskins.

Ref: M.Russell (Herts)

Comments(16)

VegasSeagull says...
2:28pm Sat 1 Dec 12

I understand the starting eleven but for the life of me I don't understand the bench.
.

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Claude Back says...
2:30pm Sat 1 Dec 12

VegasSeagull wrote:
I understand the starting eleven but for the life of me I don't understand the bench.
.
I don't understand either of them.

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VegasSeagull says...
2:31pm Sat 1 Dec 12

Claude, is this telling us that El-Abd is injured too?

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VegasSeagull says...
2:40pm Sat 1 Dec 12

If El-Abd is not injured then his place on the bench has been sacrficed so that Lua Lua has a seat. Harley was never on my radar, I guess he gets the nod over David, why I am not sure.

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bruce beckett says...
2:41pm Sat 1 Dec 12

So much for Bridge returning then. Just another smokescreen from Gus. Is Painter injured too or is he simply picking Calderon to do a man-to-man marking job on Zaha?

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Jonathan Mouette says...
2:45pm Sat 1 Dec 12

Claude Back wrote:
VegasSeagull wrote:
I understand the starting eleven but for the life of me I don't understand the bench.
.
I don't understand either of them.
Join the club mate... I don't know whether I am shocked, confused or simply disgusted... All the recent talk of this being close to our strongest team was - and is - total balloney... And to think they boo Benitez.

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Chi Gull says...
2:54pm Sat 1 Dec 12

Nice to see so many positive comments from 'supporters' before the game has even started !!

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tug509 says...
2:55pm Sat 1 Dec 12

Jonathan Mouette wrote:
Claude Back wrote:
VegasSeagull wrote:
I understand the starting eleven but for the life of me I don't understand the bench.
.
I don't understand either of them.
Join the club mate... I don't know whether I am shocked, confused or simply disgusted... All the recent talk of this being close to our strongest team was - and is - total balloney... And to think they boo Benitez.
Agree Jonathan,this is the craziest 18 he could have picked. Lets hope we are all praising his dynamics at full time. UTA

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VegasSeagull says...
2:56pm Sat 1 Dec 12

Johnathan, just because we are somewhat shocked or surprised doesn't mean that it won't work for us today.
The injury to Bridge is clearly more than a slight calf strain and El-Abd maybe injured too but Guss didn't want to tip his hand.

Lua Lua, Hoskins and Dobbie all on the bench and CMS, Barnes and Buckley starting does suggest that we either have some real defense injuries, or that we are going all out for a win.

All that said, I am still surprised, I bet Holloway is too, he didn't prepare for this squad that's for sure.

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Zamora25 says...
3:15pm Sat 1 Dec 12

What happens if one of our defenders pick up an injury? At least one of Bridge, El-Abd and Painter should hve been on the bench instead of Harley.

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bruce beckett says...
3:24pm Sat 1 Dec 12

What happens if one of our defenders pick up an injury?

What happens if one of our defenders gets sent off?

Now the decision not to have a defender on the bench looks really dumb. FFS.

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bruce beckett says...
3:59pm Sat 1 Dec 12

Gus will always be a Brighton legend but he may live to regret not pushing the boat out for Murray. He's exactly the player this team is missing right now. FFS.

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john newman says...
4:04pm Sat 1 Dec 12

No defender on the bench and full of midfielders!! April fool or what !!

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LACHANCE says...
4:06pm Sat 1 Dec 12

Dunk sent off Murray scores not good.No luck again.

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Far gull says...
4:42pm Sat 1 Dec 12

Game effectively over when dunk sent off, missed it on radio , reason? Our season seems full of but if only's at present!

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Tony the tiger eastbourne says...
5:11pm Sat 1 Dec 12

Unfortunately not good enough, back to the drawing board again!!

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