BRIGHTON 2 SWANSEA 0
One of the great things about League Cup or early stage FA Cup fixtures is the chance to experience the joys of a concourse you don’t usually call home. Some place exotic, but still very much the same. Comfortable and familiar, but with just enough difference to create some sense of vacation.
Or maybe it’s just Covid fatigue… if one’s wanderlust can be sated by a League Cup fixture against Swansea City, well, maybe it might be time to book a holiday.
The West Lower is a lovely concourse. I might think differently if I was a West Lower local, and not a tourist, but from my occasional visits I reckon it’s my favourite concourse.
There’s a gentleness and warmth, something homely. Is it the acoustics I wonder? You catch snippets of conversations, little bursts of laughter, things shared with affection unintentionally overheard amongst the hubbub.
I caught the group of people stood next to me on the concourse discussing the merits of the programmes issued at Eastbourne Eagles speedway fixtures. They’re very good, apparently.
Soft late summers evening, the loving embrace of the West Lower concourse, that reassuring pie aroma in the air, the occasional clunk as a barrel is changed behind the bar, older-time Albion fans gently discussing printed programmes at Sussex sporting institutions… goodness me it was a lovely sweet moment. It made me want to cry. If one of those Harvey's horse-drawn bray carts had trotted past I’d have had to take myself home.
On the pitch, well it was fairly comfortable in the end wasn’t it? But I’ve attended enough shit League Cup games down the years to appreciate and enjoy the comfort.
After the clamour to sign a new forward it’s reassuring to note that our three forwards now cannot stop scoring. Connolly will score goals, at all levels, just as long as he can shoot from his special spot - back of the box, across to the left, nice crisp shot across the keeper.
Ed Turns is the new Haydon Roberts. Yet another talented centre half from Sussex. The last time we felt the need to splash out on a centre half the recruitment team came home with Adam Webster, who’s from Chichester … did the club feel the need to complete the set or something?
A midfield of Alzate, Mac Allister and Moder should be far too good for Swansea’s reserves, and they were. Lamptey is back, thank the lord. Please start him on Monday.
And that was about that. Swansea were fairly pointless, although it’s always great to see a team that involves Russell Martin lose. Football is all about petty grudges, and I hold one on Russell Martin.
A local lad, but one who never hid his disdain for the Albion. Those small-town-made-good-having-moved-to-the-big-metropolis vibes he used to give out at, wait for it, Norwich City. He was far too good for the likes of us. But only in his mind.
It’s a grudge based on comments made after we hammered Norwich 5-0. Shameful, embarrassing, Norwich should never be losing like this to Brighton etc etc. Take a look around you Russell. There’s only one club who should rightfully be winning these fixtures 5-0 and it’s not Norwich City.
I’m not saying you shouldn’t take your kids to Russell’s The Russell Martin Foundation football training skills sessions. And I’m not saying you should instead take your kids to Adam Virgo’s Adam Virgo Football Academy, a Brighton lad who was proud to wear the shirt. I’m just saying i think Russell Martin might be a bit of a twat. But I’m probably wrong.
Leicester away in the next round. Yeah why not. We still owe them for years of bad luck. Sunday’s win wasn’t lucky. Gain a two-goal advantage and then nullify their only tactic - Jamie Vardy’s channel runs - by sitting deep was GPott at his best. You add in that beautiful little offside trap created for Harvey Barnes on the corner kicks and you have yourself a tactical masterclass.
Brendan Rogers vs Graham Potter. Rogers with his usual mixture of sourness and pomposity. Or Graham, looking ever more comfortable in his smart-casual matchday attire, nice big bag of tactics up his sleeve. I know who my money will be on.
Do you get a European vacation if you win the League Cup? Not sure, but if we keep winning football matches this routinely, we might just get to find out.