Mark Brailsford is up for revenge

Gus Poyet deserves some sympathy, he is having more than his fair share of bad luck with all the injured players piling up on the physio’s table. The players probably have to take their turn on the table in shifts. Perhaps they have a Dick’s Bar steward managing the queue of the wounded with a hearty; ‘Sorry lads, one in one out’ as the creaking physio’s table groans under the strain of yet another rub down for a wounded winger. There is no disguising Gus’s frustrations. In the game against Bristol City when first Craig Mackail-Smith then Jake Forster-Caskey left the field, the exasperated Albion manager turned to the West Stand, raised his arms aloft and shouted.

“For those that couldn’t hear him, the choice words are not repeatable here.”

Heavy watering of the pitch before each match and at half time too in a bid to soften the surface makes sense. It doesn’t seem to be a problem of the top soil, it seems the turf rests on a shallow bed of earth and sand beneath a much harder base. The danger of going on about the pitch of course, is that the players will start to see demons where there are none, but it’s impossible to ignore the fact that there is an issue with injuries and addressing it in the close season must now be a priority for the club. Some interesting ideas have been mooted to solve the problem. Some of you living in Brighton will be aware of the ‘Worm Bin Man’. He is the man who comes to collect the food waste from our discarded food bin, courtesy of Brighton and Hove Council, which is then used to cultivate worms. Now worms, as the keen gardeners amongst you will know, are essential for maintaining a healthy soil and can irrigate and soften the ground as well as fertilise it. So, perhaps the club should join in with Brighton and Hove City Council’s wonderful worm bin project and deposit a ton or two of squirming nematode’s onto the pitch to soften it up? It’s a great green initiative and who knows, it might even work. They could be the best transfer window signings ever. Just a thought.
Albion Vs Palace
So, the lucky few who have tickets are girding their loins for what is surely the biggest game of the season so far since, well… the last game against Crystal Palace. But revenge is due and pride can be restored with a good result at Selhurst Park. A hero of the Albion’s 1-0 win there a few years back is currently on loan at Palace. Paul McShane who wore the Albion’s colours that wonderful day will be wearing the Eagle instead of the Seagull in the game. With Glenn Murray probably starting for Palace, we won’t know who to boo first. Joking aside, I am sure that nearly all the Albion fans going will give the players the most full throated roar of support they can give, which will make for a very spicy atmosphere. Freedman is doing a good job there and it’s going to be a tough game, just how it should be. I prediction a 3-3 draw; all penalties. Come on lads, we’ll talk about you for years if you win this one.

Photo: copyright – Paul Hazlewood