Author: Liam_Richner

Graduated from Southampton Solent University with an Upper Second (2:1) in Sports Journalism. Contact- Email: liamrichner@googlemail.com.

Review: Doctor Strange (2016)

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Benedict Cumberbatch stars as the arrogant neurologist turned powerful sorcerer in the majestic, visually-stunning superhero origin movie ‘Doctor Strange’.

The latest chapter in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) moves away from the blockbuster action genre we are accustom to seeing, and instead go down a path of magic and illusion.

Directed by Scott Derrickson (Sinister) and produced by Marvel’s ever present Kevin Feige, we meet the amazing yet self-indulgent Doctor Stephen Strange (Cumberbatch) who is more interested in his own ego then other people’s lives.

This is a role in which we have never seen Cumberbatch like this on screen before. His adaptation of Sherlock Holmes likes to show off, but at least he shows his compassionate side. Strange in comparison can only be described as an a****** who is good at his job and has a lot of money, a bit like a certain Tony Stark (better watch your back Robert Downey Jr).

When we see him involved in a horrific car accident which shatters the nerves in his beloved hands and ends his neurology career; he only wants one thing, to get healed and return to work, even if that means pushing away co-worker and former lover Christine Palmer (Rachel McAdams).

Our injured yet ignorant hero embarks on a trip to Kathmandu, Nepal and meets the Ancient One (Tilda Swinton).

Swinton delights as the bald-headed sorceress, and after showing Strange the power she possesses, she agrees to teach him, despite his apparent ego that casts a forever growing shadow.

Strange’s allies on screen also add to the many positives of the movie. Chiwetel Ejiofor as Mordo and Benedict Wong as (coincidentally) Wong bring heart and humour to the story.

It’s like a 15th century temple full of meditating butt-kicking monks, who read ancient books, and use staffs as weapons. But with wifi! Like Mordo says”We aren’t savages!”

About a third into the film we are all exposed to a extremely trippy trip through the multiverse, in a scene we can only kinda compare to 2001: A Space Odyssey. It is really something to behold and admire.

Then there’s the folding of the buildings, which instantly makes one think Inception, the 2010 thriller by Christopher Nolan. Again, it’s impressive but not original.

Mads Mikkelsen does his best to be the threatening Kaecilius. 10 years ago he was playing cards with Daniel Craig in Casino Royale as Le Chiffre, where he also tried his best to be a menacing bad guy. But in both movies he gets underused. More screen-time and character development could have really made him a menacing marvel villain.

The action sequences are, as is the norm with Marvel blockbusters, big and explosive. Buildings are turned and twisted inside out, with New York City turning into what can only be described as a giant monopoly board at one point.

Strange’s two weapons are the Cloak of Levitation, a garment with a mind of its own, and the Eye of Agamotto, a medallion that allows him to reverse time. Not quite the hammer of Asgard or a shield made out of Vibranium, but definitely affective. 

Overall, Doctor Strange is arguably the strongest origin movie in the 14-strong film franchise since Captain America: The First Avenger. It more importantly adds a new dimension to what is already a much widened MCU. It’s almost been a decade since Iron Man came out in cinemas, and since then we already have had the Avengers, space pirates (Guardians of the Galaxy) and now magic sorcerers.

Where does this behemoth of a franchise go from here?

Rating: ****

 

 

 

 

 

BHAFC: 5-0 trashing of promotion rivals Norwich City best result of Chris Hughton era.

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A hattrick from Glenn Murray was one of many positives on the pitch as Brighton and Hove Albion sent a message out to the other teams fighting for automatic promotion.

The Seagulls were clinical in front of goal and although they were helped out by some horrific defending by Norwich, Chris Hughton’s men won every battle on the pitch in all positions.

This was as close to a perfect performance as possible, but Brighton did start the game slowly.

The passing was sloppy, and Norwich did enjoy the majority of possession in that first 45.

Yes Murray scored inside six minutes, but that was only because of Michael McGovern’s heavy first touch.

Apart from that, it is hard to remember any real save McGovern had to make in the Canaries goal during that first half.

Saying that, take nothing away from the Seagulls and Hughton, who deserves a result like that after what has been 18 months of hard work on the south coast.

Since the former Newcastle boss took over, Brighton have looked a formidable force in the Championship. After last seasons heartache, its clear there is no Play-off hangover at the Amex.

The win yesterday is a testament to what the 57-year old manager has achieved already at the club.

Seagulls fans haven’t seen their side destroy a side like they did yesterday for a while, and for it to be another team that will be fighting for the top two positions makes it all the sweeter.

It’s hard not to look at Murray as the standout Brighton player on the day for his stellar performance, but Gaetan Bong , Shane Duffy, Steve Sidwell, Dale Stephens and Jiri Skalek all deserve a mention too.

The back four were immense. No Norwich player was able to find any space within 18 yards of goal, and their best chance came from a Wes Hoolahan volley from 25 yards.

Shane Duffy won every header ahead of Cameron Jerome, whilst his central defensive partner Lewis Dunk got himself on the scoresheet with a powerful header from Jiri Skalek’s corner.

The Czech international assisted Albion’s second and third goals of the game with pinpoint crosses, something which gives him the edge over Jamie Murphy and possibly the returning Solly March as Brighton head into a tough November.

Steve Sidwell worked his absolute socks off in the second half to break down and intercept Norwich attacks.

And of course Murray deserves another mention for his hattrick.

Ok, two of which came from Norwich errors, but if the 33-year old plays like he did yesterday for the rest of the campaign he will net 20 plus easily.

He outmuscled defenders, won all headers he battled for, held up the ball well and finished instinctively. It was the perfect centre forward performance.

Let’s not forget Norwich were a Premier League side last season, and still have a majority of their squad from the last campaign. That’s what makes this a huge 3 points.

A tough trip to Bristol City is next for the Seagulls, before home matches to Aston Villa and Fulham respectively.

RYDER CUP 2016: WILL IT BE A EUROPEAN QUADRUPLE OR AN AMERICAN VICTORY AT LAST IN MINNESOTA?

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If there is one sporting event that America is desperate to win, it’s this weekend’s Ryder Cup.

USA have seemingly been in Europe’s shadow in recent times, having only won the competition once in the last eight attempts (2008).

This year’s edition is set to be USA’s most opportune to finally claw back some of the pride that has been lost through their last three outings.

After losing to Colin Montgomerie’s Europe in 2010 at Celtic Manor, the world witnessed an incredible turnaround which the European media entitled: ‘The miracle at Medinah’. Martin Kaymer successfully putted the ball to complete one of the greatest sporting comebacks in modern sporting history.

Two years ago was arguably the worst the Americans have played at a Ryder Cup, with Europe winning comfortably 16.5 – 11.5.

Europe have an incentive of their own however. Since the introduction of a continental team back in 1979, Europe have never won the Ryder Cup four times consecutively.

Although on paper the USA team looks as strong as ever, the Europeans may fancy their chances with the majority of the team in decent form going into the weekend.

Let’s meet the teams.

TEAM EUROPE

Captain: Darren Clarke

Vice Captains: Thomas Bjorn, Padraig Harington, Paul Lawrie, Ian Poulter, Sam Torrence

Clarke has featured in five of these tournaments as a player and brings some key experience to what is a team full of Ryder Cup rookies. Having only lost in one Ryder Cup he has competed in (1999) he will be looking to add to all that success as a captain. Let’s not forget he is a former Open Championship winner and he did lead Europe to victory earlier this year in the 2016 EurAsia cup.

His vice-captaincy selections are to me spot on. Bjorn has never lost a Ryder Cup match in his career and was also a vice captain for 3 previous Ryder Cups under Bernhard Langer, Colin Montgomerie, and José Maria Olazábal.

The mix of youth and experience is key for the players out there doing the dirty work, so to have the likes of Ian Poulter and Sam Torrence in your corner is always a bonus.

Golfers: Rafa Cabrera Bello, Matthew Fitzpatrick, Sergio Garcia, Martin Kaymer (Captain’s Pick), Rory McIlroy, Thomas Pieters (Captain’s Pick), Justin Rose, Henrik Stenson, Andy Sullivan, Lee Westwood (Captain’s Pick), Danny Willett, Chris Wood.

Team Europe may contain three of the current top 10 in the world rankings (McIlroy, Stenson and Willett) but it’s a team full of debutants.

Six of the 12 representing Europe are contesting their first Ryder Cup and to go to the States is no easy task. They can expect an atmosphere like no other on a golf course- hostile to put it lightly. 

Saying that, there are champions in this team. Willett won the Masters earlier in the year, with Stenson claiming his first major title at the Open in July and McIlroy winning the FedEX cup only last weekend.

Captain picks Westwood and Kaymer bring that needed Ryder Cup experience with them. They will be the players Europe hope can score points in the opening couple of sessions to ease the nerves.

The rookies all bring something to the table. Cabrera Bello is one of the most consistent on the European Tour, Fitzpatrick is only 22 years old and is already a European Tour event winner. Sullivan proved his worth in the EurAsia Cup, winning three out of three matches.

Some will look at the rookies and question whether the team can cope, however I think that Europe has a strong, well-balanced team and will push America right up until the final day.

Main Concern: The inexperience of the team.

Main Strength: The motivational skills of the Captains, playing and supporting as a team.

TEAM USA

Captain: Davis Love III

Vice Captains: Jim Furyk, Tom Lehman, Steve Stricker, Bubba Watson, Tiger Woods

Love III becomes the eighth American to captain a Ryder Cup team more than once, but will look to do better than in 2012 where his team collapsed in the Singles. The 1997 PGA Champion played in six Ryder Cups as a player and has 21 titles to his name on the PGA Tour.

The American vice captains are some of the best golfers the country has had in recent times, with the most notable being the infamous Tiger Woods. With 79 PGA titles and 14 major championships to his name, Woods knows a thing or two about winning on the big occasion, however his Ryder Cup record is shocking. He has only won one in seven he has taken part in. Some will be surprised by Watson’s selection as a Vice Captain, having been a regular for the team in both the Olympics this summer and President’s Cup last year. The two time Masters Champion played under Love III in 2012.

Golfers: Rickie Fowler (Captain’s Pick), J.B. Holmes (Captain’s Pick), Dustin Johnson, Zach Johnson, Brooks Koepka, Matt Kuchar (Captain’s Pick), Phil Mickelson, Ryan Moore (Captain’s Pick), Patrick Reed, Brandt Snedeker, Jordan Spieth, Jimmy Walker

The American team features four of the top 10 in the world rankings (D. Johnson, Spieth, Reed, Fowler) and boasts a side full of major championship winners.

Phil Mickelson plays in his 11th Ryder Cup, the most appearances by any American in the competition and provides two players worth of experience. His opening round at The Open in July was one to just admire and more showings like that this week will put the USA team in a strong position.

Dustin Johnson and Jimmy Walker both won their maiden Major titles this year (US and PGA respectively). Johnson’s devastating driving distances always sets himself up nicely for a birdie or even an eagle.

The captain picks similarly to Europe provide experience in Matt Kuchar and J.B. Holmes, so the head to head between them and Westwood/Kaymer could be a decisive factor as to where the trophy will be heading come Sunday.

Main Concern: Too many individuals. Can they work well as a team especially with the pressure that comes with being tournament favourites.

Main Strength: Arguably the strongest USA squad to play in a Ryder Cup (on paper).

THE COURSE

The Ryder Cup is being held at the Hazeltine Golf Course in Minnesota. This is a tough course to get to know quickly, with the last major championship taking place here back in 2009. Half of the holes have water hazards surrounding the fairways/roughs/greens and with a par score of just 71, one cannot afford to see their ball go for a dip.

This course is best suited to long distance drivers, as the course stretches over 7,000 yards. The likes of Dustin Johnson and Rory McIlroy will be licking their lips at the prospect of driving down this course.

Be mindful of the seventh hole, a hole Johnny Miller (a two-time major winner) called the ‘toughest par four he has ever played’. The tee shot must carry 220 yards over Hazeltine Lake while the green itself is a raised peninsula which falls off on all sides.

When Hazeltine hosted the US Open in 1970, nearly half of the field failed to break 80 in the first round. The course received much negative press as a result.

CONCLUSION

The way the course is laid out it will take a miracle for this to be over before Sunday. Each and every session in the Foursomes and Fourballs will be crucial as both teams will want a significant lead going into the singles on Sunday. Europe may be in confident mood, but I think this course suits the American team more.

More importantly, the American team know what the Ryder Cup is about, for 6 rookies to go to America and beat the USA in their own backyard with the hostile crowd, would in my opinion top the European victory in 2012.

BHAFC: Niki Mäenpää’s performance proved David Stockdale doesn’t need to be rushed back into first team action.

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Albion Analysis: #4 Rotherham United (H), 16th August 2016.

Brighton and Hove Albion moved to the top of the Sky Bet Championship after comfortably beating Rotherham United 3-0 at the Amex.

Goals from Anthony Knockaert, Glenn Murray and Tomer Hemed prolonged the Seagulls unbeaten start to the campaign, with the defence keeping a fourth consecutive clean sheet.

Credit is due to the likes of Bruno and Lewis Dunk for their fantastic performances at the back for Brighton so far this season, but yesterday it was Niki Mäenpää’s chance to prove his worth.

The Finnish shot stopper made his home league debut for the Albion in place of regular ‘keeper David Stockdale, who came off injured in last weekend’s clash with Nottingham Forest. 

Albeit it was an easy night for the Seagulls on the whole, the goalkeeper still had to stop the minimal Rotherham threat at times, and made some good saves when called upon.

Manager Chris Hughton was full of praise for Mäenpää; and he may even be in contention to start the weekend’s fixture away at Reading.

Since he joined the Albion just over 12 months ago, the 31-year old has helped transform Stockdale into one of the most potent goalkeepers of the division.

Cast your mind back to the Sami Hyypia era of 2014-15, and you’d remember a very different Stockdale, who produced some pretty bad clangers between the sticks.

Mäenpää though has helped develop Stockdale’s judgment when to come out, when to collect the ball in mid air, his positioning and most of all his distribution.

His work off the playing pitch hasn’t been brought up enough; and his performances in the League Cup and FA Cup last season weren’t bad at all.

It was only a matter of time before he got his league bow, as no player can remain fully fit all the time, and the 31-year old took his opportunity with both hands.

As much as it would please me to see Stockdale return in goal; I think Mäenpää should play, give him a chance to consolidate his place.

Reading at the Madejski will be a tough place to go and a good test for the Finnish goalkeeper.

Squad rotation is so important in this division; and it also creates good competition for places.

Should Mäenpää play and do well against Reading, then we know for certain we have two very good goalkeepers at our disposal here at the club.

 

BHAFC: Knockaert once again ran the show as Forest are brushed aside.

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Albion Analysis: #3 Nottingham Forest (H), 12th August 2016

Brighton temporarily moved top of the Sky Bet Championship table with a comprehensive 3-0 win against Nottingham Forest at the Amex.

Despite it still being early days, and other clubs playing throughout the weekend, Albion fans can expect the club to remain near the top of the table and in the hunt for automatic promotion once again, should that level of performance remain consistent over the course of the season.

On what was the fifth year anniversary of moving to the Amex Stadium, it was Brighton’s two biggest signings from the recent transfer windows that secured the three points for Chris Hughton’s side; Glenn Murray and Anthony Knockaert.

Murray may have stood out with his two goals on what was his second home debut for the club, but Knockaert was the best player on the pitch last night.

Knockaert admitted he felt extra motivated to perform well as it was also the anniversary of his brothers death; and the 27-year old wanted to make him proud of his performance.

Right from the outset, one could sense he was going to be on top of his game.

The little wizard seemed to cast spell after spell over his bewitched opponents, most notably Alex Iacovitti and Ben Osborn.

His conversion of Gaetan Bong’s inviting cross in the 36th minute opened the account for Brighton last night, and the Frenchman struggled to hold back the tears as he dedicated his first goal of the season to his late brother.

But it was a performance that Albion fans have been used to seeing since the winger joined the club in January. He has added a new level of creativity to the club, the likes of which we haven’t seen here since the days of Vicente donning the blue and white stripes.

Knockaert’s trickery and pace towards the Forest’s young defence caused problems for Phillip Montanier’s side all night, and once again he was involved in Albion’s third goal.

He led a Brighton counter attack and fed the ball to Sam Baldock who coincidentally laid the ball off to Murray to score his second of the night.

It was a terrific night for the Frenchman, and to top it off, he told media after the match he remains fully focused on the Seagull’s promotion push and wants to remain on the South Coast.

Hopefully that ends the whole Newcastle fiasco.

 

BHAFC: Fringe and youth players leave Chris Hughton with early selection headache.

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Albion Analysis: #2 Colchester United, 9th August 2016

Brighton and Hove Albion progressed to the second round of the EFL Cup with a convincing 4-0 victory over Colchester United at the Amex on Tuesday night.

Manager Chris Hughton made 11 changes from the side that drew at Derby at the weekend, with three Under 23 players making their senior debuts for the club.

Ben White, who signed his first professional contract this summer, made the biggest claim to start against Nottingham Forest on Friday with a fantastic performance.

His defensive positioning and commandment of the air was clear to see, and it limited Colchester to any worthwhile chances during the whole 90 minutes.

Hughton could only praise him during his post match interviews, and there would be no harm in giving him another opportunity so early into the season.

It would also allow Bruno to return to his best position at right back, although White would need to form a very quick partnership with Lewis Dunk at the heart of Brighton’s backline against far better opponents.

Fellow under 23 players Rob Hunt and Sam Adekugbe also played the full game at right and left back respectively. They both worked extremely hard up and down the flanks to provide an option going forward and then track the Colchester wingers back.

The quality of all three’s performances just how far the youth side has progressed under Simon Rusk.

Perhaps allowing the youngsters to play in the recently revamped EFL Trophy isn’t such a bad idea, as it will provide them with the opportunity to play more fixtures against opponents of Colchester’s level, as well as prepare them better for the first team.

Ahead of the defence, Albion fans were treated to see new signing Oliver Norwood make his debut for the Seagulls in centre midfield.

The Northern Irish man made a decent start to his Albion career as he was involved in most of the Albion chances in the first half.

His set piece and passing ability was on show occasionally, as he came close twice to assisting Brighton’s opener.

He also had an effort just before half time fizz just wide of the post from 20 yards.

But for me, he still remains a little rusty after helping Northern Ireland reach the last 16 of the Euros this summer; and it paved dividend in the second half as he faded out of the game and became less influential.

However, he could easily slot in alongside Beram Kayal in place of Steve Sidwell against Forest in order to give more match time with his new team mates and allow them to gel further.

Hughton’s biggest selection test for Friday however, remains to be the wingers.

Kazenga LuaLua and Jamie Murphy were Albion’s dynamic duo, as they tore the Colchester defence to pieces in the final 25 minutes.

Murphy scored twice, including a very fine solo effort, whilst LuaLua assisted in two of Albion’s goals.

Most will say Anthony Knockaert is a certainty for the right wing position, and I would probably go with that, seeing as he is our most creative player and can change a game in an instant.

That therefore leaves three wingers fighting out for the left side of midfield; Murphy, LuaLua and Jiri Skalek.

Whilst Skalek provides the biggest threat offensively with his delivery ability, one cannot simply ignore the performances by both Murphy and LuaLua last night, even if it was against Colchester.

All three will be confident going into Friday’s match, and I reckon Chris will be constantly changing his mind right up to game day.

Even the Albion strikers last night made claims for a starting position after both found the target.

Sam Baldock and Elvis Manu scored their first goals of the campaign respectively, and with Tomer Hemed and Glenn Murray firing blanks at Derby, would it be worth bringing in the pace of either Baldock or Manu to freshen up the side?

Baldock in particular impressed with an energetic performance. Last night’s stand in captain opened the scoring with a lovely curled effort into the top right corner and will be as eager as anyone to do the same against Forest.

Some will read this and think hang on, we played extremely well up at Derby so why change it?

I completely agree, we did play well, and we have no need to change the side from last weekend for the Forest match, but the cup game last night showed us how competitive this squad is now.

Where we have failed ever so slightly with our team up to now is squad depth. Whilst some may think we still don’t have enough and need to bring more in, I think we have raw quality coming through the youth sides nowadays compared to five or six years ago. For me, they deserve an opportunity to show us and the manager just how good they are on the biggest of stages.

We have a healthy competition for places, and that can only do more good than harm.

The joys of being a manager, eh Chris?

BHAFC: Bruno proved once again why he is Brighton’s best defender.

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Albion Analysis: #1 Derby County (A), 6th August 2016

Brighton and Hove Albion opened their Championship season with a respectable 0-0 draw away at fellow Promotion candidates Derby County yesterday.

It was a game which could so easily have ended with the Seagulls travelling back to the south coast with all three points.

But despite this, the majority of fans travelled home happy with the performance and were even more optimistic of the what the team can achieve this season.

With David Stockdale, Beram Kayal, Anthony Knockaert, Jiri Skalek and Glenn Murray impressing for the Albion, it was actually the Seagull’s captain Bruno who caught my eye most.

It was his first competitive match since being handed the Albion captaincy in the summer, and he excelled in a position he hasn’t been accustom to.

He was vocal and kept the defence in shape. He was relatively unchallenged by the Derby County forwards and looked very comfortable alongside Lewis Dunk.

His calmness on and off the ball makes him one of our best players technically and although he wasn’t bombing down the right flank like we all know and love, he was a rock in the heart of the Albion backline.

His ability to play anywhere along the back line is a relief in my eyes, as before the match I was a little worried that the creativity of Tom Ince and strength of Darren Bent would have made it a difficult afternoon for the Spaniard.

Lewis Dunk has been well in the media spotlight, with a move to the Premier League swirling around constantly all summer.

The centre half may be a good player, but as he proved last season, he can sometimes make silly challenges and get sent off when the Albion are on top. His dismissals against QPR in December last year and Derby in May evidence that.

I think Bruno may have had a word with the young Englishman over the summer break and told him to be more focused when making a tackle, and making sure he wins the ball. It paid dividend yesterday as Dunk produced a commanding performance.

That’s why Bruno is captain.That’s why he is crucial to Albion’s promotion push.

He is our leader and he obviously has the respect from all his team mates on the pitch. Should he get injured, I worry that leadership and experience he brings would be missed massively.

I dare say he would be missed more than our creative players further up the field.

Manager Chris Hughton was also very pleased with Bruno’s performance but is adamant that the club will look to buy a centre back before the transfer window slams shut.

Bruno’s best position is at right back, but it’s good to see that he can do the job at centre half and no rush to buy the right centre half is needed.

 

 

BHAFC: Oliver Norwood signing a clever bit of business by Chris Hughton.

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Brighton and Hove Albion’s new signing Oliver Norwood shouldn’t take too long to adapt at the south coast club, as he is a player who fits the mould of manager Chris Hughton’s way of playing perfectly.

The Northern Ireland international signed from Championship rivals Reading on a three-year deal, and could make his debut for the Seagulls against Derby County in this weekend’s Championship opener.

Norwood, 25, is a defensive midfielder who likes to dictate the play and spring the forwards into counter attacks through his vast range of passing.

The former Manchester United youngster is also a fine set piece taker, and his deliveries from corners and free kicks could offer something different for Brighton going into the new season.

Some see this move as a bad omen, and feel that the consequence of this signing will be the departure of Dale Stephens. The box-to-box midfielder has been on Burnley’s  wishlist all summer but there is no reason why Norwood, Stephens and Beram Kayal can’t all play in the same team.

Hughton may decide to switch from his traditional 4-4-2 to a 4-2-3-1 formation. This would allow Norwood and Kayal to play alongside each other, with Stephens in a more advanced position.

In his first interview with the Argus, Norwood insisted that it was Chairman Tony Bloom and his determination to keep all of Albion’s in demand players at the club was key to him signing the contract.

This is positive news to hear, after the most recent speculation linked Anthony Knockaert with a move north to Newcastle United.

Bloom, like the manager and players, is as determined as ever to finally get this club into the Premier League, and keeping the star players during the transfer windows is the first little step towards that.

He may not be an Alex Pritchard, nor an attacking midfielder who will score 10+ goals for us this season, but Norwood didn’t cost eight million pounds to buy, and with just under 200 appearances in this league, he knows the Championship like the back of his hand.

With just under four weeks to go before the transfer window slams shut, fans will be hoping to see more new faces come through the doors in the coming days.

 

 

 

 

BHAFC: Interest in Tomer Hemed becoming difficult to shrug off.

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It’s slowly becoming more and more like Brighton and Hove Albion are coming under heavy fire from the spending power of more reputable clubs.

The past week has seen bids made for key players come and go a plenty for key players Beram Kayal and Dale Stephens), and now Maccabi Haifa are set to imminently offer £5 million for the services of Tomer Hemed.

The Israeli striker only moved to the Amex last season on a three-year deal, but we all know contracts these days are about as worthless as a banged up motor left on the side of the road to rust.

Maccabi Haifa are looking to strengthen their offensive line ahead of their upcoming Europa League campaign, and Hemed is top of their list.

Maccabi Tel-Aviv are also considering making a bid for the 29-year old.

Hemed started his career at Haifa, scoring 16 goals in 47 appearances during a six year spell at the club before moving to Mallorca in 2011.

Last season the forward netted 17 times for the Seagulls as they came within a whisker of promotion to the Premier League.

Whilst some fans are crying out for the club to spend on a striker, keeping our current bunch has got to be the priority during this period of  transfer bombardment.

We don’t want to go into pre-season needing to bring in another two strikers when one is proving elusive so far.

Although Baldock and Murray could lead the line for the Albion, Hemed is a crucial part of Chris Hughton’s plans. Without doubt, he will be our first choice striker when we make the trip to Derby comes around, and I know the manager will do everything in his power to keep him on the south coast.

Hemed is loved by Albion fans, and a premature departure would spoil what has been a quite successful start to life in English football.

Yes the chance to play in Europe and return home could be two factors the striker may feel too good to pass up, but he did recently comment that he is focused on scoring more goals and helping our club reach the Premier League. To give up on that and join one of the Maccabi sides would be a bitter pill to swallow.

 

 

 

 

 

 

BHAFC: Beram Kayal linked with move to Premier League.

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Hull City are reportedly interested in signing midfielder Beram Kayal, according to reports.

The figure being whispered around social media is believed to be £1.5 million, which in my opinion is way too short of his true valuation.

The Israeli international featured in almost all of the Seagulls games last season, making 43 appearances in the Championship and scoring two goals.

Brighton’s number seven is a key member of Chris Hughton’s team, as he is a player who reads the game well and makes crucial interceptions which lead to our counter attacks.

He has also formed a formidable partnership in the centre of Albion’s midfield with Dale Stephens, with Steve Sidwell failing to break into the side during his initial loan last season.

Whilst Kayal seems happy at Brighton, the worrying factor that comes with Hull’s interest is their ability to offer him a better contract and the opportunity to play in the Premier League.

At 28 years of age, it is very much make or break for the central midfielder. He could easily play in the top flight of English football, but does he want to try and make it there with the Seagulls? Or is this potential move north just too difficult for him to pass up.

On the plus side for Brighton fans, Hull’s current crop of midfielders makes me wonder why they are even considering any kind of bid for our man in the first place.

Kayal has no Premier League experience, whilst the likes of Tom Huddlestone, Jake Livermore and Mohamed Diame between them have plenty.

Huddlestone and Diame in particular play similarly to Kayal, so it makes you think, would the Israeli actually get any game time?

Brighton are yet to accept any bid, (thats if one has officially been made), and anyway, I don’t think Kayal has any intention to leave.

His Instagram account and Twitter feed show him looking more than content at Albion, and with him playing consistently for Hughton, why would he want to go?

I’m more than confident he will remain in an Albion shirt when the window shuts.