Albion have played some great stuff - and Sidwell is in the thick of it

There was his former manager Jose Mourinho grinding out an away draw and David De Gea keeping the point intact on Monday.

Then Leo Messi scoring a Champions League hat-trick on Wednesday.

But there was some very good stuff squeezed around the two televised games too – out in the middle at the Amex.

And it is the quality of some of the football Albion are playing which was a constant in a very up-and-down four-day period.

It was perhaps overlooked amid the massive disappointment of Preston’s late equaliser last Saturday.

But the Seagulls’ ball movement was excellent at times, playing through midfield and stretching their opponents from side to side.

There were reasons why they did not beat North End but failing to get into good positions, especially behind the wing-backs, was not one of them.

That continued on Tuesday against Wolves and this time secured the much-desired reward, albeit after some late scares.

Albion played some good stuff against Preston

Ollie Norwood and Sidwell were at the heart of it, retained as the starting duo despite Dale Stephens’ return from suspension, with the latter sent on to support them in the closing stages.

Particularly against Wolves, the current duo dovetailed pleasingly.

Both arguably enjoyed their best games of the season so far – in different ways.

Sidwell said: “I’m enjoying my football at the minute.

“Ollie was superb. His passing is fantastic. He can play short, play long, he links play up through the thirds really well.

“I just feed off that. I regain possession for the team and just shift it on and get it going.

“The years are catching up and it’s not as if I can get up into the box and score goals and get back.

“I will try but you have got to pick and choose your moments.”

It was easier to reflect on the positives after the win over Wolves.

Many of those pleasing aspects were forgotten about straight after the Preston draw.

But Sidwell has revealed they were looked at in detail by the squad in that period between the two games and helped them quickly re-establish a more upbeat outlook.

He said: “I thought on Saturday we played fantastic. In the first half we were excellent. We got into their box numerous times.

“It was just that final ball that was letting us down. Obviously we gave them a goal.

“In the second half, you saw the character of us to come back and carry on going and get our noses in front at 2-1, still playing great football and scoring good goals.

“The last-minute goal overshadowed our performance and we were disappointed after the game. But we knew we had played well.

“That meant it wasn’t too big a thing to lift the lads up going into Tuesday’s game. We said that on Tuesday – ‘Don’t get frustrated at any time’.

“Teams might sit back but we keep moving the ball, we keep moving it fast and well.”

So what happens at Wigan tomorrow? Barring any fitness issues of which we are not yet aware, Sidwell and Norwood look certain starters.

Does Hughton throw Stephens in there too?

It is feasible but one would expect him to stick with the same two up front.

Of course they will look to get on the ball, especially Norwood.

But there will be some dirty work to be done too.

And that is the area where, for all the nice pass-and-move-stuff, Sidwell probably most caught of the eye on Tuesday.

The block on Dave Edwards’ shot on the six-yard line in the first half was a key part of the win.

So was the way he made up ground to challenge Jon Dadi Bodvarsson and do just enough to force the Wolves substitute to shoot hurriedly over in the opening moments of the second period.

Albion had to get heads on quite a few dangerous balls into their box at times.

And, on several occasions, it was Sidwell’s head which got an important touch.

He said: “I get more satisfaction out of doing last-ditch tackles or saving headers than creating chances at the other end.

“It is part and parcel of a midfielder’s job to do that up and down the pitch.

“Thankfully I was in the right place at the right time.

“You do the dirty stuff in the game, the nitty gritty, to the best of your ability.

“If that is to block a shot, so be it. Then you get up and you support the flair players who can win you the game.”

GOOD GOAL - AND GREAT MOVE

Great pass, super header. But there was far more to Albion’s winner against Wolves than that and it summed up the passing football they are playing at the moment.

The build-up featured 16 passes, just a momentary touch from a Wolves player, and saw the ball go right to left to right to left – in a move which started near their own right-back corner flag.

Anthony Knockaert retrieved an overhit Wolves cross to get things going and spread play to Gaetan Bong at left-back.

The ball then went to Jiri Slalak, Bong, Steve Sidwell, Bong, Lewis Dunk, Duffy, Bruno and then Duffy, who sent it long.

Kortney Hause got a touch at that stage before Sam Baldock took the ball down and found Knockaert, who looked inside to Ollie Norwood. Then it was out to the left with Bong, Skalak, and Bong again with the cross which Baldock finished.