» Sport: On Your Marks
Tony Marks thinks Albion are in for a cracker
The beginning of a new season is always an exciting time for a football fan, but this year feels like it could be a belter. Over the course of 2010 Gus Poyet has been carefully turning Albion into the team he wants them to be. They’ve become composed on the ball, they pass it around well, and they can attack at speed. Now we need to find out if they’ve got what it takes to conduct a serious promotion challenge.
Pic: Paul Hazlewood, Club Photographer, BHA
The gaffer has been busy adding to his squad over the summer, so let’s look at the players that could make this dream a reality. At the start of last term the back four looked incredibly shaky, and it was the first thing that Poyet and his assistant Mauricio ‘Tanno’ Tarricco had to address on their arrival. Bringing in the experienced ex-Swindon Town captain Gordon Greer looks inspired and a perfect replacement for 2009/10 Player of the Season Andrew Crofts, who has gone to Norwich. Tommy Elphick and Adam El-Abd will have to be at the top of their games as they compete against each other to see who partners him. The full signing of Inigo Calderon also adds to the quality we’ve got in front of first choice number one Peter Brezovan.
There are a few new faces in midfield. Radostin Kishishev is already showing real class with his Championship class vision and distribution, and Matt Sparrow has been praised by Poyet in the pre-season friendlies for his box-to-box stamina.
Alan Navarro and Gary Dicker were unsung heroes in the middle last season, and if we can find someone as good on the left-hand side as Elliott Bennett is on the right then we’ll cause oppositions all sorts of headaches on the wings. Gary Hart won’t get many starts in his 13th season at the club, but his new contract is a just reward for a man who has always given 100 per cent for the Seagulls.
“Now is the time for Glen Murray to step up and become a 20+ goals a season striker”
I’ve made no secret of my disappointment over what happened with Nicky Forster last season. To let a player go with 40 goals in 98 appearances is always going to be a loss, but now is the time for Glen Murray to step up and become that 20+ goals a season striker we must have to secure promotion. With Ashley Barnes signing a full contact after his loan spell loan from Plymouth Argyle (when he scored four in eight), he could help Muzza achieve that target, although Gus is still on the lookout for another forward – I’m hoping he’ll have found a proven goalscorer by the time you read this.
With Gus and Tanno signing up to four more years, and taking us in the American Express Community Stadium (or ‘The Amex’, as I’m sure it’ll become known) the future is looking promising. This season feels like it could be an absolute cracker.
Catch Tony Marks Monday to Thursday nights from 7pm for the New Music Show on Brighton’s Juice 107.2
