Our ‘A View From The Enemy’ series continues today, as we conducted a Brighton fan interview ahead of a Man United visit to The Amex. Today’s guest is Scott from the excellent site, We Are Brighton.
Jordan @ Old Trafford Faithful: First of all, tell us a bit about We Are Brighton?
Scott @ WeAreBrighton: WeAreBrighton.com started in February 2009. Brighton had just lost 4-0 at home to Crewe Alexandra to slip into the League One relegation zone, Micky Adams had been sacked 10 days earlier and we had a former television salesman called Dean White in caretaker charge. We basically just wanted a website and a podcast to rant and rave about how terrible being an Albion fan was at that point in time.
Fast forward 11 years and we are still going strong. Russell Slade was appointed manager a week after we decided to launch the website, he kept us up on the last day of the season and two grounds and two promotions later, here we are in the Premier League.
Jordan @ OTF: Blimey, that’s some story! You’re flying high now! You guys looked mightily impressive on Sunday, can you continue that form into this game?
Scott @ WAB: We have been threatening a performance and result like that for some time. Normally though, we are nowhere near as clinical and playing around with the ball on the edge of our own box results in gifting the opposition a goal.
Last season, there would normally be a two-month gap between games in which we were that good, which is why we struggled. If Graham Potter can get us playing that well consistently, then there is no reason why we cannot be challenging for a top 10 spot. Your guess is as good as mine as to what Albion side turns up at the Amex on Saturday!
Jordan @ OTF: That’s somewhat encouraging and worrying! Brighton have always given United a tough game, particularly at The AMEX. Do you expect that to continue this weekend?
Scott @ WAB: I hope so. Against Chelsea, we really should have had a point. Steve Alzate playing a sloppy pass 20 yards out from goal gifts Chelsea a penalty and then Kurt Zouma scores with an unlucky deflection. Take those two moments away and it is a 1-1 draw, so we have shown we can compete with the best in the league.
Jordan @ OTF: I have to talk about Tariq Lamptey. What a find he looks like! Are you already concerned about club’s circling to try and get him?
Scott @ WAB: If he carries on like this, then I cannot see him being with us beyond next summer. Brighton have a fair bit of resolve for a smaller club when it comes to not selling when they do not want to; the last first choice player we flogged was Leonardo Ulloa to Leicester City in 2014 and we have fended off interest for Lewis Dunk and Ben White in that time.
Lamptey, though, is on a different level to anything else. He is far too good for Brighton and somebody will stump up £60 – £70 million for him which we would find tough to turn down – especially as we took advantage of his refusal to sign a new Chelsea deal in favour of finding first-team football elsewhere to sign him for only £3 million.
Jordan @ OTF: An absolute bargain, that’s for sure. Fair play for keeping ahold of Ben White, too. Do you think Brighton can kick on and push into the top-half this season?
Scott @ WAB: Two factors will play a part in that. The first is being more consistent and the second is being more clinical. We create plenty of chances and although Neal Maupay and Aaron Connolly are decent centre forwards, they can be wasteful in front of goal.
If we could find ourselves a £25 million striker to come in, complement Maupay and Connolly but who can also stick the ball in the back of the net, we would be laughing. Trouble is every other club in the Premier League is looking for that same player…
Check out our predicted Manchester United line-up against Brighton & Hove Albion here.
Jordan @ OTF: Onto Ole Solskjaer. What are your thoughts about him as a manager?
Scott @ WAB: I read a comment the other day that he would not get the manager’s job at any other Premier League club. That is stretching the point a bit, but from the outside looking in it appears very much like he is trading off the back of his achievements as a player as opposed to his abilities as a coach.
You look at United’s squad and think that, okay, they aren’t on the level of Manchester City or Liverpool, but they still should be getting a lot closer to those two than they are. If Solksjaer hadn’t scored THAT goal against Bayern Munich, might you now have Mauricio Pochetinno in the hot seat?
Jordan @ OTF: Definitely fair comments that I’d love to disagree with, but can’t! If there’s one United player you could sign for Brighton, money being no object, who would you pick and why?
Scott @ WAB: Marcus Rashford. He would be the answer to our goalscoring problems for starters. Off the pitch, how can you not love a bloke who forced the government to u-turn on feeding hungry kids? He puts half the politicians in this country to shame, which is especially ironic after Matt Hancock came out and told footballers to “do more” in the early days of the pandemic. Rashford is a class player and a class man.
Jordan @ OTF: Likewise, if there’s one Brighton player who could fit in at United, who would you go for?
Scott @ WAB: Given your troubles at the back, I am amazed that United haven’t seriously considered Dunk. He is ready-made for a top-six club, can play out from the back and brings leadership. He also deserves a move for the chance to compete for trophies and add to his solitary England cap. His age is probably a little offputting now as there is little resale value in a guy who will be 29 in November, in which case United could do a lot worse than take a look at Ben White. Based on what we have seen since he returned from his loan at Leeds, he looks made for a big career in the Premier League.
Jordan @ OTF: Must say, I’d take either! Finally, give us a score prediction for the match this weekend?
Scott @ WAB: If the Brighton who went to Newcastle turn up, then I would fancy us to take a point. 1-1. If we have one of our off days, then you will probably have an enjoyable Saturday lunchtime!
Jordan @ OTF: I genuinely think this could go either way, but I’m known for being incredibly-biased so we’ll go 2-1 United. Thanks and enjoy the game!
Check out We Are Brighton’s website here and go give them a Twitter follow here.
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