Sussex World's Matt Pole is joined by Sam Morton, who covers both Brighton & Hove Albion and Crawley Town, Albion writer Richie Mills, and Crawley Town expert Mark Dunford. It was another up and down week for the Seagulls in the Premier League as defeat at Chelsea on Sunday was followed by a much-needed win at Brentford in midweek. We look back at this week’s Albion action, and bring you news of an excellent cup victory for Crawley Town.
You can read all the stories we are talking about with videos and pictures online at SussexWorld.co.uk/sport, and you check out other great videos on ShotsTV.com and Freeview channel 276.
You can read all the stories we are talking about with videos and pictures online at SussexWorld.co.uk/sport, and you check out other great videos on ShotsTV.com and Freeview channel 276.
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SportsTranscript
00:00 [MUSIC]
00:10 Welcome to another episode of the Bullmouth Action Podcast, where we take a look at
00:16 all the latest goings on at Brighton & Hove, Albion, Crawley Town, and
00:19 Sporting Sussex.
00:20 I'm Matt Pole, and this week I'm joined by Sam Morton,
00:23 who covers both Brighton & Hove, Albion, and Crawley Town.
00:26 Albion writer Richie Mills, and award-winning Crawley Town expert Mark Dunford.
00:30 It was another up and down week for the Seagulls, and
00:31 the Premier League has defeated at Chelsea on Sunday,
00:33 was followed by a much needed win at Brentford in midweek.
00:37 We'll look back at this week's Albion action and
00:38 bring you news of an excellent cup victory for Crawley Town.
00:42 You can read all the stories we are talking about with videos and
00:44 pictures online at sussexworld.co.uk/sport.
00:48 And you can check out other great videos on shotstv.com and freeview channel 276.
00:54 Starting at Stamford Bridge, Enzo Fernandez scored twice as 10 men,
00:57 Chelsea held on to beat Brighton 3-2 in a thriller on Sunday.
01:01 Sum that game up for us, please, Sam Morton.
01:04 - Yeah, it was a good game.
01:05 I expected a high scoring one, and that's what we got.
01:09 Chelsea were the better team for much of that first half.
01:13 They took a two goal lead through Enzo Fernandez, as you mentioned,
01:17 close range header.
01:18 And Levi Caldwell made it 2-0 shortly afterwards, which was a bit of a kick in
01:23 the gut for the Brighton fans, obviously, as he was there on loan last season and
01:27 became a bit of a fan favourite.
01:29 And they were desperate to sign him permanently in the summer.
01:32 So it was a bit gutting that he scored for his first goal for
01:37 Chelsea against Brighton.
01:38 And he did initially go off to celebrate his first goal before kind of realising
01:42 who he scored against and then showing respect to the fans, which was good to see.
01:47 And Brighton did respond well.
01:49 They got a goal back through Fekundo Buenadote.
01:52 And you kind of expected Brighton to kick on from there.
01:55 And it was made even better when Conor Gallagher got his second yellow card and
01:59 was sent off for Chelsea.
02:01 So you kind of expect from then Brighton would probably come back and
02:05 they could recharge at half time.
02:07 It didn't pan out that way.
02:08 And Chelsea did come back out and extend their lead with a penalty after
02:14 Modric was adjudged to have been fouled by James Milner.
02:17 And it was slotted away again by Enzo Fernandez.
02:20 And Brighton, again, were on the front foot in response to that and
02:24 grabbed a goal through Xiao Pedro.
02:26 But it wasn't enough in the end.
02:28 And despite there being a bit of controversy late on with a penalty shout,
02:32 it was initially given for a handball against Coldwell.
02:35 But it quite clearly hit his face.
02:37 And it was a bit crazy that the ref needed to go over to the monitor to even
02:41 establish that.
02:42 It could have been done a lot quicker and it all got a little bit farcical.
02:45 No one knowing what's going on at the time.
02:48 And there was lots of anger, especially as Moises Caicedo was very fortunate
02:53 not to also see a red card.
02:55 And he didn't have his best of games returning against Brighton.
02:59 And yeah, there was an accumulation of fouls when he was already on a yellow.
03:02 And somehow he survived.
03:03 So yeah, it was another disappointing day for the referees and
03:06 the fans definitely made the frustrations known.
03:11 - Sam's kind of touched upon it there, Richie.
03:13 VAR was at the forefront again in West London.
03:16 Referee Craig Pawson had initially weighed play on when James Milner
03:19 changed Mikaela Nudrik inside the box, but awarded a penalty after being sent
03:23 to the screen by the video assistant referee, sorry.
03:26 And as Sam mentioned there, there was the penalty decision for
03:28 ex-Albion loanee, Levi Coldwell.
03:31 Richie, what did you make of those decisions?
03:32 And did VAR get both of them right?
03:34 And what do you think about VAR in general?
03:36 - That's a can of worms.
03:40 So yeah, on the first one, I personally didn't think it should have been a penalty.
03:45 I think this is one of those, another examples of just,
03:48 it's not a clear and obvious errors, but they sort of go into the granular,
03:54 minute details to look at this stuff.
03:55 And yeah, I just, I think it was a 50/50.
03:58 I don't think there was enough in it.
04:00 I do think Jason Steele should have come out actually a bit sooner.
04:04 I think he was a bit slow off the mark and
04:05 I think that maybe led to the whole situation.
04:08 Anyway, as Sam said, the Coldwell one was clearly hit him in the face.
04:12 The whole incident was a farce.
04:14 I thought Craig Pawson, the referee, had a really just uncertain and
04:18 sort of lacking like leadership in his refereeing.
04:22 He was just, he was doing this sort of half-hearted points and
04:26 you couldn't even tell what he was doing half the time.
04:28 And yes, I don't think he led from the front at all well.
04:32 And just generally on VAR, I think I went to a game outside the Premier League recently.
04:38 And I just think the whole viewing experience is so much better without VAR
04:42 because it's just, sure there might be a shocking decision, but you know it's a goal.
04:47 It's a goal.
04:47 There's not five minutes of waiting.
04:50 What's he doing?
04:51 It's just, yeah, I do think one of the main faults of VAR for me is just
04:56 it really does kill a fast flowing game.
05:00 I think we've asked everybody else this, Richie, but how would you solve a problem like VAR?
05:03 I know it's a million pound question at the moment, but you might have the solution.
05:08 I don't.
05:09 I mean, I heard that they're going to bring in sort of the automated offsides.
05:16 So just take it out of the hands of human error, which I think would be good.
05:20 But yeah, I think, I think we're just, I can't remember what tournament it was.
05:26 Maybe it was the Euros or the World Cup in 2022, but it just felt that they got the balance better.
05:32 They weren't sort of over-referring too much.
05:35 But yeah, I think a lot of it for me is down to the personnel rather than the equipment itself.
05:42 Going back to the game itself.
05:43 Sorry, Matt.
05:44 No, go on, Mark.
05:45 Sorry, Matt.
05:46 I was just going to say, I asked Scott Lindsay the other week about, because he had a bit of a moan about referees.
05:51 And I said, would you welcome VAR in League Two?
05:53 And he said, yes, he would.
05:55 And I, from a, like Richie just said, from a viewing point of view, I would hate that because like you say,
06:02 just fast flowing, there's a goal scored, it's no flags up or anything.
06:06 Brilliant.
06:06 You can celebrate, move on, let's go on sort of thing.
06:09 So yeah, I was surprised Scott Lindsay said that, but I suppose because he had a load of decisions go against him,
06:15 he wants them corrected sort of thing.
06:17 And VAR would have turned over a lot of them in those circumstances.
06:20 But yeah, it's a good argument, isn't it?
06:23 I suppose that's the thing.
06:24 If you have loads of decisions go against you at that level, you want VAR, but if those go their way,
06:28 then you probably don't want it.
06:29 And from someone who watches quite a lot of non-league football, I don't want VAR anywhere near it.
06:33 I don't think that's going to happen.
06:35 So yeah, fingers crossed it doesn't come near.
06:38 But yeah, anyway, going back to Stamford Bridge, right into the athletic.
06:41 Michael Cox said, Albion weren't adventurous enough against Chelsea and lacked creativity and intensity,
06:47 despite seeing plenty of the ball.
06:48 What do you make of those comments, Sam?
06:51 Do you agree with him?
06:52 Yeah, I would tend to agree, really.
06:54 I think, as I mentioned, when they got the goal back and the red card happened for Chelsea,
06:59 you kind of do expect Brighton to take the game from there and to really kind of assert their authority over it.
07:06 And it didn't really happen.
07:07 There was a real lack of clear-cut chances.
07:09 And you obviously got to give Chelsea credit for the way they defended.
07:13 And they did really kind of keep Brighton quiet in that sense.
07:16 And really, it wasn't until they got the goal through Japeja quite late on that you kind of thought they were under any
07:23 danger at all, really, which is unlike Brighton, really.
07:26 You can expect, especially against 10 men, you usually expect them to create loads of chances and to really kind of put the
07:33 defence under pressure and force them into mistakes.
07:36 And I think it's definitely correct that they didn't really do that in the game.
07:41 And you probably put that down to some of the players they had unavailable.
07:44 I think Antifatti not being there didn't help because he was really starting to show some positive signs for Brighton before he got injured.
07:52 And obviously, they've got players missing all over the park, really.
07:56 So, it was a difficult game, really, for Brighton.
08:00 Obviously, Chelsea were desperate for a win at Stamford Bridge.
08:03 And I think they definitely did well to keep Brighton quiet.
08:07 And Brighton probably would reflect on that with a bit of disappointment that they couldn't take advantage of playing against 10 men.
08:15 We'll deserve your rotate this goalkeepers again on Sunday as Bart for Brugge and Mayweather for Jason Steele.
08:20 Albion are still yet to record a premier league clean sheet following Wednesday's two on win at Brimford, in which Steele started in goal.
08:27 Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta has come in for some criticism in the way he's handled the situation with Gunners keepers David Ray and Aaron Ramsdale.
08:35 So, Richie, are you surprised De Serby hasn't received the same kind of treatment?
08:39 I think there's, from my point of view, there's an argument that goalkeepers too specialise position to be rotated that much.
08:46 I don't know whether you agree with that.
08:48 Yeah, it's an interesting one.
08:50 On your first question, I think just generally, you know, Arsenal, they just grab a lot of headlines.
08:56 So they obviously a lot more of the attention goes that way.
09:01 But now I do. I remember I was watching the Amazon Prime coverage last night of the Brighton Brimford game.
09:06 And I think it was Rob Green was saying that he was very surprised that they do rotate so much.
09:13 He doesn't think it helps either keeper because they've always this always like looking over their shoulder the whole time, whether they're going to start or not.
09:21 He raised the point that I think for Bruggen was the man in the match against a Gay Athens and then found himself on the bench against Chelsea the next game.
09:29 So and also maybe doesn't even help the defence because you're having that consistency.
09:37 You sometimes you might be more confident one keeper than the other.
09:42 It's an interesting one just because there's obviously the debate is should every single there should be competition for every single place.
09:52 But is the goalkeeper a unique one? Do they need to feel like the man?
09:57 It's an interesting one. I think it might just be a case of the personnel, the club when it's different for each one.
10:03 I do personally just hope that I think the Bruggen has more to his game, still might be a better sort of footballer.
10:12 But I think I think eventually that does need to settle down.
10:17 It's not like, you know, with the rest of the squad, they rotate the players because there's injuries and they want to keep people fresh from because of the busy fixture list.
10:25 But that's not really the case with the keeper. So I do hope that settles down.
10:29 But I mean, Brighton have proved me wrong so many times on so many instances from thinking they wouldn't do well when they sold their best players and then getting to Europe and all that.
10:39 So I think the back deserves it.
10:46 I think most Brighton fans would agree with you there, Richie.
10:49 18-year-old Jack Hinchliffe's first senior goal helped Brighton come from behind to claim victory over Brentford on Wednesday and give the hosts only their second Premier League win in nine matches.
10:58 Sum that performance and result up for us, Sam.
11:00 I was looking at the start in 11 that Brighton were put out on Wednesday evening.
11:04 I was fearing for the worst, I must admit.
11:06 Yeah, well, exactly that, really.
11:08 And it was a brilliant performance for Brighton and an even better result.
11:13 Because obviously they'll be looking to bounce back after the defeat at Stamford Bridge.
11:18 And it kind of went to plan, really, but not initially.
11:22 I think it was a bit concerning they conceded early on through Brian and Bermos' penalty.
11:27 After Jan-Paul van Gecke's foul, he quite blatantly pulled over Jan out in the box.
11:34 And it was kind of his last option at that point, I guess.
11:36 But you do wonder if he could have just stepped back and hoped that Jason Steele made the save.
11:41 But because obviously you could risk a red card.
11:44 But it was a blatant penalty and it was a well-taken spot kick as well.
11:49 Steele could never have saved it in a million years.
11:52 It was really well taken.
11:54 But Brighton responded brilliantly.
11:56 Pascal Gros leveled the scoring within four minutes.
11:58 And it was a superb goal.
12:00 What a hit that was.
12:01 It was a lovely hit.
12:02 Oh, it was a great goal.
12:03 Yeah, really good.
12:04 It all started with a kind of switch of the play.
12:06 And Jack Incherwood touched it down brilliantly, played it into the middle and ended up with Matoma.
12:12 Simple pass into Gros, he was left-footed and it was just curling away from the keeper into the far corner.
12:17 So it was a perfect response for Brighton.
12:19 And you kind of thought, yeah, kick on from there, get a goal.
12:22 It was obviously one-all at half-time.
12:23 You thought they definitely deserved to be in front, but didn't have to wait long after the break with Hincherwood scoring a cracking header.
12:31 Really, really good header from Gros's cross.
12:34 And literally just moments earlier, he actually cleared one off his own line when Gros had given the ball away.
12:39 And it was a bit of a scramble.
12:41 And it was Whistler that got the shot on target.
12:43 Steele was stranded, but Incherwood was there to clear the danger.
12:47 So vital moments at both ends of the pitch that ended up winning the game, really.
12:51 And it was quite fitting that Gros got the assist because before the game,
12:56 Serby was saying in his press conference when I asked about versatility and how important that is during the injury crisis,
13:01 that players can play in different positions, namely Hincherwood, who's played left-back, right-back midfield,
13:07 and Gros, who's pretty much played in every position in the pitch at this point.
13:11 And Serby said they are cut very much from the same cloth and the only difference between them is the age.
13:17 And they have all very similar attributes and qualities.
13:19 And it was high praise for Incherwood, really.
13:22 And you can really see how much Serby values him as a player, despite being only 18.
13:28 And he's quickly becoming the first name on the team sheet, really, because he's played three games in a row now.
13:33 So, yeah, long may it continue.
13:35 And it's fantastic that an academy graduate is making a big impression and scoring winning goals in the Premier League.
13:40 Really, it doesn't get much better than that, I think, for a teenager.
13:46 We're going to take a very quick break and when we come back, we'll talk a little bit more about Jack Hincherwood,
13:50 some more about Roberto de Serby, and we're going to reflect on a good win for Crawley Town.
13:55 Jack Hincherwood, who is the son of Seagull's hero, Worthing manager and friend of the podcast, Adam,
14:00 started his third successive game for Albion in the win at Brentford.
14:03 As Mr. Morton said, Roberto de Serby compared Hincherwood's versatility to that of Pascal Gros.
14:09 What have you made of Hincherwood's senior performances so far, Richie?
14:12 And do you agree with Sam that he's another bright player with a very bright future?
14:16 Yeah, just on that point, it's quite funny.
14:19 Last night after the win, he deservedly joked that Hincherwood is Gros' son, because they're just so alike, because he can play anywhere.
14:29 But yeah, just on that point, I've watched Hincherwood a couple of times during the other 21s this season,
14:33 and he's also played at centre-back, which is quite interesting.
14:37 So he really is a very utility player, and maybe he's taken some advice off Gros and James Milner as well.
14:46 But yeah, he seems, just in terms of maturity, so way ahead of his 18 years.
14:56 His touch is really, really good, great awareness on the ball.
15:01 He's one of those players who looks like he has a bit more time than he actually has.
15:05 So yeah, I think at a time when Brighton have been close to or even into double figures on injuries,
15:13 for him to come to the fore like this and just slot in in a position that's not his number one is very, very impressive.
15:21 And I think obviously it's important not to get completely carried away.
15:24 And he's only 18, and there's a chance that he could go through potentially what Evan Ferguson had,
15:29 where he had maybe a little bit longer spell without goals and he might have some hiccups and stuff like that.
15:36 But yeah, he's definitely a big talent.
15:38 In more good news for Brighton, head coach Roberto Di Serbi says he's open talks over a new contract.
15:44 Di Serbi, who succeeded Graeme Potter in September 2022, guided the Seagulls to sixth last season in the Premier League
15:50 and European qualification for the first time.
15:52 Brighton are eighth in this season's Premier League and have qualified for the knockout stages of the Europa League.
15:57 How big of a coup will it be for Brighton, Sam, if Di Serbi does sign a new deal?
16:01 I've seen that, was it Real Madrid and Man United have been linked with the Italian, haven't they?
16:05 Yeah, exactly that.
16:06 I think it's natural when you have a manager perform at the level Di Serbi has for Brighton,
16:12 he's going to get some interest from some big clubs.
16:15 And that's always been the concern for Brighton.
16:17 And he started with Graeme Potter when he was flying, Chelsea snapped him up.
16:22 And it's very similar to the players, really.
16:23 If you've got a player performing well, it's going to spark some interest.
16:27 And it's no different for the managers, really, especially Di Serbi, who's come in and you kind of thought when he first came in that he's going to have huge boots to fill in Graeme Potter.
16:38 You wonder how he's going to cope with that and really take the team forward.
16:43 But he just shocked everyone, really, with how quickly he implemented his style and how brilliant Brighton were last season, despite losing so many players.
16:53 And when they looked left in the summer, key players, obviously, as well.
16:56 So he's continued that this season, obviously, with different challenges, with having to contend with lots of injuries, lots of suspensions, games every two weeks.
17:07 But he's dealt with pretty much every problem that's come at him brilliantly.
17:11 And obviously, as we mentioned, the goalkeeper situation is a bit controversial, I guess.
17:15 But he doesn't really care what anyone thinks.
17:19 He does exactly what he wants to do.
17:21 He implements his own style and he's obviously an emotional character as well.
17:25 And I think that helps him.
17:26 It helps the players to really grind out results when they're not necessarily playing well.
17:31 So I think it's natural that he is going to potentially move on in the future.
17:36 And that's obviously the concern for Brighton.
17:39 And it's just hopefully they can keep hold of him for as long as possible.
17:42 And if he does sign a new contract, that can only be good and keep hold of him for, as I say, the long term future, if they can.
17:51 Well, this weekend, sees Albion entertain Burnley in the Premier League on Saturday before their final Europa League group stage game against Marseille at the MX on Thursday evening.
18:00 How do you see those going, Richie?
18:03 I think most Albion fans are probably going to expect to win against Burnley.
18:07 But how do you see the game at Marseille going? That could be a tough one.
18:10 Yeah, I mean, that's a real sort of mouthwatering contest, you know, between the two teams who are guaranteed to go through to the knockout stages.
18:21 But they obviously want to get to the top spots that have to go through the two leg playoff,
18:27 which I think for Brighton, obviously, all their injuries would be great if they could, you know, not have to do that, because they are pretty much a fret-breast squad at the moment.
18:39 It's yeah, I mean, the way that they responded from the initial defeat against AEK Athens to go on this really good run,
18:46 you know, coming back against Marseille and then back to back wins over Ajax and then AEK is really, really impressive.
18:51 So it should be a tough game.
18:54 I think it's clear Marseille have been the best team in the group so far, just behind Brighton, just behind.
19:00 But yeah, I think Brighton are a bit more battle-hardened now, and I think they know this competition and what they can expect from it.
19:09 So hopefully they should come out on top.
19:12 But yeah, I think that'll be a really, really tough one.
19:13 I wouldn't be surprised if Marseille maybe got a draw or even pipped it, but fingers crossed.
19:21 Arnold Burnley is a weird one.
19:25 For, you know, I think last season just Brighton had a good record against the top teams, but just couldn't beat the lower teams.
19:32 You know, obviously the worst example was like the 5-1 defeat against Everton.
19:37 And obviously this season they couldn't beat Sheffield United, who are pretty awful.
19:44 And Burnley, it's a weird thing.
19:47 You could say you could admire Burnley for sticking to their principles, but at some point you need to be pragmatic and go,
19:55 well, if my principles are going to take us down, then I have to pivot a bit.
20:01 And I think that's what Luton are doing quite well.
20:04 They're just sort of grafting and showing that they've got more than just a plan A, even though they're still struggling down there.
20:12 But I think just Burnley's approach might suit Brighton a bit more.
20:18 I don't think they'll sort of sit back.
20:20 I think they'd like to try to take teams on.
20:22 And that's where they're getting beat quite badly.
20:24 I think they've conceded more than two goals a game on average and they've only scored 15.
20:30 I think the Fibner win against Sheffield United is maybe a bit of an anomaly.
20:38 Sheffield United are, as I said, terrible.
20:42 So I think it's obviously not going to be easy because they've got a short turnaround, but I do think they'll probably have enough to win.
20:52 I do think it's pretty important they do win just to keep up the pressure on the top.
20:58 There's a lot of, I think, wins around them.
21:01 Obviously, Manchester United won a crazy result for Aston Villa yesterday.
21:06 So that's kind of making the Champions League chase move a bit harder.
21:12 But yeah, I think Brighton should come out on top at the weekend.
21:15 Very quickly, Richard, before we move on, Brighton have been drawn against Stoke City in the third round of the FA Cup,
21:20 which we played over the weekend of the 6th and 7th of January.
21:23 They must be pretty pleased with that draw.
21:26 Yeah, I mean, if you're an Albion fan, I don't think you are, because they played Stoke in the fifth round, I think, last season.
21:34 And obviously, it's just a 1-0 win.
21:36 But I think they might have wanted maybe a glamour tie or more an interesting tie.
21:42 But yeah, it's obviously a winnable game.
21:46 Stoke are a kind of mid to lower table championship team.
21:51 It's a decent draw in terms of on paper, but it's not like the kind of wow factor that I think many people were hoping for.
21:59 But yeah, hopefully that's another win.
22:02 Before we move on to Crawley Town, I'd like to say commiserations to Horsham Football Club,
22:05 who valiantly bowed out of the FA Cup after a 3-0 defeat at League Two outfit Sutton in the second round last Saturday.
22:11 The Hornets, as well as Ispian Premier rivals Whitehawk, will be flying the flag for Sussex in the FA Trophy third round this weekend.
22:18 Horsham host Sutton League outfit AFC Totten, while the Hawks entertain Hightown, who play at the Bilge and Below this Saturday.
22:23 We wish them both the best of luck.
22:26 And another thing before we move on to Crawley Town, Mr Dunford, you are now officially a two-time award-winning journalist.
22:32 Would you like to explain about the award that you won last week?
22:36 Yeah, I don't know where the trophy is. Oh, there it is.
22:41 It's... I've got to make myself bigger for this, haven't I?
22:44 Go on then, show yourself off.
22:46 There you go.
22:47 Yeah, so this is for National World, a company we work for.
22:50 They have awards every year.
22:52 And I was Sports Journalist of the Year.
22:53 I was joined with Graham Smith, who covers Leeds United for the Yorkshire Post.
22:58 So, yeah, no, very pleasing to get another award.
23:00 And that follows the League... Real AFL's League One, League Two Journalist of the Year last year as well.
23:07 So, yeah, no, really pleased.
23:08 And I wrote a little piece about it, actually, not sort of a boasty piece,
23:12 but just sort of saying thank you to Crawley Town and Wagme United,
23:16 because they wrote the stories themselves last season.
23:21 From the moment Wagme joined to John Yem's stuff, five managers in a season, etc.
23:27 And now it's all calmed down.
23:28 And Scott Lindsay means that I'm never going to win another award because it's all the entertainment's on the pitch, not off the pitch now.
23:34 So, yeah, no, yeah, no, really pleased.
23:36 It's always nice to be recognised, isn't it?
23:37 So, 25 years and I get two awards in one year, like buses.
23:43 I have read your piece and it's been very good.
23:44 But for those who haven't, what has it been like with the whole Wagme situation?
23:49 It just seems to have been non-stop since they've taken over,
23:52 and it's starting with John Yem's and all the furore around that.
23:55 Yeah, it has. It's just been... It has been crazy.
23:58 I mean, Sam Morton's been involved as well in it as well.
24:00 So, yeah, I should say I thank Sam Morton as well and Matt Cole and others who have helped during the year.
24:07 They're covering Crawley Town.
24:09 Yeah, it's just been crazy.
24:13 But I was talking to someone the other night and Wagme's have done it completely the wrong way round.
24:17 They came out just like, we're going to get promoted to League One.
24:20 We're going to do this.
24:21 They started slagging off other teams.
24:23 And the video they did before they played Carlisle last year was just one of the most bad taste things you've ever seen.
24:30 And, yeah, and this year, because they're doing quite well, they've gone completely quiet.
24:36 They should have been completely quiet last year.
24:39 See how it goes and get a taste for it all.
24:41 And then when they're doing well, you start boasting and saying, yeah, we're doing really well.
24:45 This is what we've done kind of thing.
24:47 So they've just got it completely the wrong way round.
24:49 But, yeah, they're doing well this year and it looks like they're leaving Scott Lindsay just to get on with it.
24:55 And they've got the right man finally after how many attempts they had at trying to find the right manager.
25:01 So, yeah, it has been... It's been a roller coaster ride.
25:04 And like I've said in my little piece, there's been abuse on social media, late night phone calls from certain people and things like that.
25:11 And it's just been quite tough.
25:13 So, yeah, the award at the end of it is always quite nice just to show you for the effort put in.
25:19 Yes. Well, congratulations.
25:21 But also thank you for reminding me about that Carlisle video, which might be the worst thing I've ever seen.
25:27 I don't know if there's ever done even if it's still online anymore.
25:29 But if you could find it.
25:30 It was deleted relatively quickly, but it was awful.
25:33 Yeah. If anyone can find it.
25:34 Yeah. If you can find it, please don't send it to me because I don't want to see it.
25:40 Crawley advanced the last 16 of the EFL trophy with a 2-1 win at home to Ligue 1 Bristol Rovers on Tuesday evening.
25:46 Certainly sounded like a great win on paper for the Reds, Mark.
25:49 But from what you were telling me, it was very much a game of two halves.
25:52 Yeah, it was. The first half, they were awful.
25:54 Scott Lindsay said he was quite diplomatic, sort of said there were some bright lights, but we were quite poor.
25:59 It wasn't how he wanted it to be, but they were dreadful first off.
26:03 I mean, people at the midfield were just giving the ball away.
26:05 Every time they got the ball, it seemed to go to a Bristol Rovers player.
26:08 But we were talking about Steele and the Bruggen and Rayer and Ramsdale, Luca Ashby-Hammond and Corey O'Day.
26:16 It's another conversation for goalkeepers because Corey O'Day played in this game and he was outstanding.
26:21 If it wasn't for him, Crawley would have been four or five nil down at halftime.
26:25 There was one save he made where, I can't remember who it was, had a shot from outside the area.
26:29 It took a deflection and it was like he changed direction in midair and somehow saved it.
26:34 And yeah, no, he was absolutely brilliant.
26:37 And then the second half, whatever Scott Lindsay said to him at halftime, I mean, Jack Rowles, probably Crawley's worst player in the first half.
26:44 Second half, he was one of their best players.
26:46 He was electric in the second half, gliding past players, finding brilliant passes and that.
26:52 And Harry Forster, I don't know if anyone's seen his goal yet, picked up in his own half, just literally ran through.
26:59 And I mean, he was so good. It just, Bristol Rovers defenders just fell over.
27:03 Not even, it was really bizarre and a great finish.
27:08 But yeah, Rowles and Harry Forster's second half were great. The whole team were.
27:11 And yeah, no, it was really good. And it's only the first time.
27:14 Well, there's a fan that has told me, Pete Bellamy, I'll give you a shout out, that it's not the first time they've got to the last 16 in this competition.
27:21 But it's the first time since the new format of the competition with the under 21s, Premier League under 21s.
27:27 So, so they've got a chance. We spoke to Harry Forster after the game and he was, yeah, he's played at Wembley, played for Bromley today.
27:35 Littlehampton were at Wembley in the FA Vars final.
27:38 He was playing for Bromley against Wrexham when they won it in that day.
27:43 So I think he's looking for another trip to Wembley.
27:45 And the way they played against Bristol Rovers the other night, and Bristol Rovers put out a full strength side against them.
27:52 So I know Bristol Rovers aren't having the best of seasons, they're mid table in League One.
27:56 But I mean, if you can avoid the likes of Oxford, Portsmouth, people like that, Bolton.
28:01 I think Peterborough are in it as well. Yeah.
28:04 Yeah. So, yeah. So if you can avoid a couple of those really big teams, maybe getting under 21s in the next round,
28:11 it'll be really interesting if they could get to Wembley.
28:13 Because as we know, Crawley are one of the very few teams in the EFL that have never played at Wembley.
28:18 So lovely to see them get there.
28:21 Well, this Saturday, we'll see the Reds come up against an old face at Colchester in League Two.
28:25 Can you tell us who Crawley will be reunited with over the weekend, Mark?
28:28 And how do you see the game in Essex going?
28:31 Well, it's funny because, yeah, it is an old face, but it wasn't a face that was there for very long.
28:36 It was Matthew Everington's in charge at Colchester now.
28:38 He was famously had a 34 day stint at Crawley Town over Christmas last year.
28:45 It was after the club decided not to have Lewis Young as the manager.
28:50 He did a great job as interim manager and then decided, no, I don't want him.
28:53 Then, yeah, then he took over and then it wasn't quite how he expected it to be.
28:59 The manager who had been brought up at Premier League clubs and that, he wasn't,
29:03 Crawley Town wasn't quite what he was expecting.
29:07 And that was when, obviously, that the club told him he couldn't pick Tom Nicholls because Tom Nicholls was being sold.
29:15 So, yeah, yeah, I don't know if he made too much of an impression on Crawley fans and that because nobody really got to know him.
29:22 So we don't really know what his style is and all that.
29:24 But he was it was interesting, though, because he was made interim manager of their under whatever it was of their sort of academy at Colchester.
29:31 And then he was made acting manager when whoever it was got sacked or left the club.
29:37 Sorry. And yeah, and then Crawley came in and sort of said, wait a minute, are you sure you want to have him as manager?
29:43 Because we still we still pay him.
29:45 We still. Yeah, but it's obviously all been sorted out that it was all a bit uncomfortable.
29:52 Wagmey getting involved again when somehow Wagmey got the worst end of that, I think, from the fans.
29:58 So, yeah, but Colchester, they're not having a great season.
30:02 The 21st Crawley not having a great away season.
30:05 I've only won one away. They've had some good results away.
30:08 They drew a Stockport away. Nobody's really done that else this year.
30:12 Stockport having a really good season. So they are capable of good performances.
30:17 It's just picking up those results. And Scott Lindsay said on Tuesday night that Ben Gladwin, the captain, is having meetings today about with his players,
30:27 about the mentality of playing away and all that. So it's nice to see a player take charge of that.
30:33 Right. We've got we've really got to sort this out. Win away from home.
30:36 And at Colchester, I think, is that a really good opportunity to win on Saturday.
30:41 And they are more than capable of it. It's just getting over that sort of mental side of it.
30:46 Brilliant. Well, we shall see. We'll have a quick stroll down Steve Bowne's score prediction corner.
30:51 Brighton are at home to Burnley on Saturday. Sam Morton, how do you see that one going?
30:56 Yes, Richie says it will be probably a harder game than you might expect.
31:01 I think Burnley are coming into the game with a bit of confidence, having that big win over Sheffield recently.
31:09 And they are performing a little bit better as the season's going on.
31:12 But they're still not anywhere near as dominant as they were in the championship.
31:19 And they're still getting used to being one of the worst teams in the league rather than one of the best.
31:23 And it must be a bit of an adjustment period for Vince and company and trying to deal with that, trying to avoid relegation if you can.
31:31 But I think Brighton will win. I think they are starting to get some plays back, which is vital.
31:37 Lewis Dunk will be back, which will be really, really crucial.
31:41 So, yeah, I can see a win in that one. I'll go for 2-0. Finally a Premier League clean sheet.
31:48 Richie, how do you see that one going?
31:51 No clean sheet, 2-1.
31:55 Mark, will it be another Premier League game without a clean sheet for Brighton?
31:58 I'm going to be more positive. I'm going to go 3-1 Jack Hill to Woodhattrick.
32:05 They are then, as I mentioned, at home to Marseille in their final Europa League group stage game.
32:10 We'll start with you, Mark. I sense this one might be a little bit closer than the Burnley one.
32:15 Yeah, I think so. I think it will be tied, but I expect Brighton to win.
32:18 I'm expecting it to be an absolute cracking game because obviously they both want to finish top kind of thing.
32:22 So I'm going to go 2-1 Brighton in this one.
32:26 Richie, how do you see that one going? And correct me if I'm wrong,
32:29 but will Brighton end up in a playoff if they finish second in their Europa League group?
32:35 You're correct. Yeah. And yeah, they'll play one of the third place teams from the Champions League.
32:40 So that'll be interesting. I think it will be a 2-1 draw and Marseille will top the group.
32:48 Sam, do you agree with Richie?
32:50 I was going to say exactly the same thing. Yeah, a 2-1 draw.
32:52 I think it was a 2-1 draw last time where Brighton came from two goals down.
32:56 And that was a real turning point, actually, that game.
32:59 They lost against Athens and the two down against Marseille,
33:02 you thought they'd kind of screwed in the Europa League and not going to be able to cope with it.
33:08 And they came back and drew 2-1.
33:10 That was the real kind of turning point in the competition.
33:13 But yeah, I think Marseille are in a bit of form.
33:15 They're definitely in better form than they were in the home game when they were at home against Brighton.
33:20 So yeah, I think a 2-1 draw is about right, I think.
33:24 And finally, Colchester-Crawley Town in League Two. Mr Morton, how do you see that one going?
33:31 I think Crawley will win that one. I think Colchester are struggling in the league.
33:35 I think 3-1 Crawley.
33:40 Mark, what do you make of that?
33:42 Yeah, well, I was going to go 3-2 Crawley because the only game they've won this year away from home was at Grimsby and it was 3-2.
33:48 And you just feel the defence is still not...
33:51 Although they still have Dion Conroy back to shore it up a little bit.
33:53 They always look better defensively when Dion Conroy is playing.
33:56 So yeah, I'm going to go 3-2.
33:59 They always have to score a lot of goals to win for Crawley.
34:03 Well, I'll say that they won 2-1 the other night.
34:05 But yeah, no, I'm going to go 3-2.
34:06 I think it's going to be a cracker and yeah, I think they're going to get their second away win of the season.
34:10 And finally, Richie, how do you see the game at Colchester going?
34:15 Well, after following Crawley for 50 years now,
34:18 I think it's going to be a 9-8 away win to Crawley.
34:24 I feel sorry for the poor bugger who has to write up the match report if it is 9-8.
34:27 We shall see.
34:29 Thank you very much for joining us this week, Richie.
34:31 Thank you very much for joining us as ever, Mark and Sam.
34:34 You can watch, you can catch up with all the latest sports news covering everything we've talked about today at sussexworld.co.uk/sport.
34:40 And you can watch more excellent videos on shotstv.com and Freeview Channel 276.
34:44 Thank you very much for listening and watching.
34:46 And we will see you all next week.
34:47 [END]