There was a deep contrast of emotions when the final whistle blew at the AMEX on Saturday. In simple terms, Brighton had achieved an impressive routine victory in the Premier League over Wolverhampton Wanderers; but add in the context surrounding these respective clubs and this game meant so much more than just three points.
The best way to summarise is to call this a story of hope. A hope to win the game, a single 90 minutes of football. A hope to finish the season strong and hold heads up high. Most importantly is the hope for future seasons and what could be in store for either club going forward.
On a sunny seaside afternoon, it was a blistering start for the Seagulls that saw local boy Jack Hinshelwood open the scoring within the first minute when he met a cross with a thumping header while many fans were still finding their seats.
Embed from Getty ImagesFrom one local with his career ahead of him, to another who has seen it all, Lewis Dunk doubled the lead for the home side after meeting a corner to head home his first league goal of the season.
While Wolves were predictably easy to cut through during most of the game, they shaped up at half-time to increase their chances ever so slightly but were finally doomed to another gutless defeat with Yankuba Minteh firing home in the 86th minute.
The game on paper didn’t have a lot of meaning to Wolves other than pride, with their relegation already confirmed this was an opportunity to climb up from bottom spot in the league. This didn’t seem to bring any fight or inspiration to the players however, with manager Rob Edwards saying his team were “still in their hotel” during the “atrocious” start to the game.
Embed from Getty ImagesHalf of the travelling support that had made the long trip to the south coast had departed by the full-time whistle, but those who had stayed had a very hostile reaction to the players coming over to thank their fans. A reaction that seemed to reflect the frustration filled season as a whole, rather than this once particular defeat.
Speaking in his press conference after the game, Edwards had this to say:
“They [the fans] have travelled a long way and I thought they were outstanding all throughout the game, they have a right to be angry.”
While showing sympathy for the fans who have turned up throughout the season and paid money to support the team through a difficult campaign, the Wolves boss showed a very different side towards the players, claiming “Some of them have got to go, we’re bottom of the league, it’s embarrassing”.
Embed from Getty ImagesThe concern for fans hearing this is how unclear the plan looks for the future of the club, Edwards’ future as manager may be in doubt as it so commonly is for managers overseeing a relegation. This is the fact for so many of the squad too with key players such as Joao Gomes, Andre and Mateus Mane all linked to potential moves away from the club.
Combined with the departures of Matheus Cunha, Rayan Ait-Nouri, and Jorgen Strand Larsen in the past year, it’s becoming difficult for rival fans to think of the club as little more than a supermarket for their summer spending.
On the other end of the scale, there is Brighton and Hove Albion, in contrast to the unsettled squad of their opponents, the Seagulls’ team included those known to the fans for years in Lewis Dunk, Danny Welbeck and even the returning Pascal Gross. A roar erupted within the stadium at the introduction of Solly March, a player some Brighton fans would call a legend.
What could possibly be greater than to be a fan of the local seaside club, fan favourites smiling and enjoying themselves on the field, youth academy graduates starting and scoring in the case of Hinshelwood, and most notably, on the cusp of a 2nd European adventure in recent years.
It didn’t always look this glamorous at the Albion however; it was only a matter of months ago that many fans were calling for the sack for Brighton boss Fabian Hurzeler. This goes to show the level of patience that is required for sustained success in football, managers like Jurgen Klopp and Mikel Arteta both struggled in early seasons but went on to become heroic figures at their respective clubs.
Brighton are now on a run of only one loss in their last seven league matches and find themselves in 7th place in the Premier League, two points off Bournemouth in 6th.
With 6th likely becoming a Champions League qualifying spot in the event of Aston Villa winning the Europa League, and Bournemouth still due to play Man City before the end of the campaign, there is a very real possibility the anthem of champions could be ringing out at the Amex next season.
Embed from Getty ImagesThis highlights the contrasting trajectories of the two clubs, both very similar in terms of their size, funding, revenue, and fanbase, but the differences lie in their current situations. One side has a team that will almost certainly be competing in Europe next season, possibly even the UCL, with the league’s youngest manager tied down to a new long term deal and a squad ready to fight for him. While the other team prepares for life in the championship for the first time in eight years, a clear separation between the manager and his players, and no clear signs of who will be returning for the next campaign.
These differences don’t come from having more money, or the best players. It comes from the ownership and hierarchy, someone making the decisions who has enough love and care for the club to want it to succeed for the sake of the fans, as opposed to those that see a club as a business model, which is sadly becoming only more common in football.