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.
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.
Brighton and Hove Albion are set to sign a promising new right back, according to the Blackpool Gazette.
20-year old Tyler Hornby-Forbes has reportedly rejected a new contract at current club Fleetwood Town and is close to sealing a move to the Amex.
The right back broke into the first team under Graham Alexander at the League One club, but has struggled for games in recent months, with Northern Ireland international Conor McLaughlin ahead of him in the pecking order at Highbury.
He has so far played 33 games for Fleetwood, scoring two goals.
Brighton have been searching for a replacement right back since the expiration of Inigo Calderons’ contract earlier in the summer. Although it seems an uninspiring move, signing a player from a lower division, it’s not one that surprises me.
Just look at how Connor Goldson rose to first choice centre half by the end of the last campaign. Yes, injuries played a part, but even when Gordon Greer returned to fitness, he couldn’t get past the ex-Shrewsbury man in the starting XI.
I’d even go as far as saying he was ahead of Lewis Dunk in my opinion by the time April came round.
We have already signed another young centre back in Ben Hall from Motherwell during the close season. He could well be another player who in the coming months and years, could rise to become another star at our disposal.
So don’t rule this guy out just yet. He may make initial mistakes, playing at a higher level than he is accustom to, but let’s not forget he will be cover for Bruno. It relieves some of the pressure off Liam Rosenior, who is currently our only alternative wing back behind Gaetan Bong and Bruno.
Obviously no official word has come from Brighton, so let’s wait and see if the dotted line is signed before moving any further into this debate.
So the paperwork was signed last night and Glenn Murray is once again an Albion player (for a season at least). The former Albion favourite returns after five years away with arch rivals Crystal Palace and short stints with Reading (on loan) and Bournemouth.
The 32-year old isn’t a spring chicken anymore like he was back in the Withdean years, but he brings along with him some Premier League experience following his time in the big league with the Eagles and Cherries respectively.
Although manager Chris Hughton feels this is a good signing for us going into the new campaign, I look at Glenn and then look at our current top dog, Tomer Hemed, and struggle not to come up with similarities between the two.
Both are strong men who hold the ball up well. They are both deadly in the air and have that striker’s instinct of being in the right place at the right time. But both simply don’t have the pace we need to inject into this side up top.
We are too reliant on our wingers, Jamie Murphy and Kazenga LuaLua in particular, to bomb down the wing into the box and cause defenders problems.
Look at the teams that went up automatically last season. Burnley had Andre Gray, Middlesbrough had Jordan Rhodes (maybe for only half a season but that was more than enough). Both caused havoc for opposition back lines and scored the vital goals to get their teams promoted.
James Wilson was meant to bring our pace to the table last year along with Sam Baldock, but whilst one struggled to find form, the other suffered injury problems all season.
Then there is the question of whether Glenn will score us enough goals? We know he will score some big goals for us, but is he the same striker that powered in 31 goals for Palace during their successful promotion season back in 2012-13?
He is a good signing in the fact that he has been there and done it, and he will be key in the dressing room, telling the younger players not to feel too nervous and enjoy the experience.
But this makes him more of a like for like replacement for Bobby Zamora, who was released this summer, the only exception being he is younger and will be on the pitch far more than BZ was during the previous season (touch wood he doesn’t suffer a nasty injury).
So the question is where does Chris go from here? He now has three first team strikers in Hemed, Baldock and Murray, but he will definitely need to be in the market for a permanent striker. A young, pacey forward that will have the ability to score 20+ would be perfect, but we all know how difficult it is this day and age to afford one of those.
Newcastle are already using their parachute payments they received from the Premier League following last season’s relegation by signing Dwight Gayle for around £13 million pounds. We simply cannot compete with that.
However, forgetting the poor Elvis Manu, Chris and his recruitment team have done extremely well in bringing some excellent players to our football club. The likes of Beram Kayal, Liam Rosenior, Tomer Hemed, Gaetan Bong, Anthony Knockaert and Jiri Skalek have all come in settled well into the first team, so in Chris and the team I trust.
When the away support makes up one third of the match attendance, it can really spur a team on. That could not have been more evident than at the Stadium:MK yesterday, where Brighton and Hove Albion held on to win 2-1 against MK Dons.
With over 7,000 albion fans making the trip up to Buckinghamshire, there was a sense of optimism in the air. The recent drop in form for promotion rivals Middlesbrough, Derby County and Hull City have coincided with the Seagull’s regaining there early season momentum.
It was just one defeat in 11 prior to yesterday’s vital clash, and Chris Hughton’s men knew that a win was a must ahead of a tricky looking April.
Stadium: MK ahead of MK Dons vs Brighton and Hove Albion. (Image Credit: Liam Richner)
It was a first visit for me to Stadium:MK and what a lovely ground it is. It’s just a shame it wasn’t filled to it’s maximum capacity of 30,500 as the place would have been absolutely rocking.
It was certainly a party atmosphere in the away end- compared to the subdued home MK Dons supporters. Balloons and confetti were being thrown about as if the fans were already celebrating what has been a magnificent season for the Seagulls.
With such a carnival like build-up, the first half of the match was an anti-climax. The game was very stop start, with the referee blowing for a foul every time a player went down.
The ground went from party central to a rather loud silence within those opening 45 minutes- something had to give the place a bit of noise again.
Step up Gully and the team mascots. As part of the MK Dons family fun day, the mascots had a race from one side of the pitch to the other (Watch here). Forget Usain Bolt, this was the 100m race that we all wanted to see!
Gully flew out the blocks and by the time he crossed the halfway line he was in the lead. I’d like to say he won, but I think it was too close to call with the chicken on the outside who came out of nowhere!
With the feel-good factor back, Brighton went on the offensive early in the second half. Tomer Hemed came on to replace Sam Baldock, who went straight down the tunnel, and the Israeli striker made an instant impact.
Brighton’s number 10 won and then converted a penalty to give the Seagulls the lead. Six minutes later, he latched onto Jiri Skalek’s cross to head home powerfully for his 13th goal of the season.
The crowd were going crazy. 2-0 up and controlling the match, it looked like it was going to comfortably be a fourth win in six games.
James Wilson came close to making it 3-0 but his first time effort was saved brilliantly by Cody Cropper.
But, as many Brighton supporters will know, the Seagulls never make life easy for themselves. Bruno, who usually is superb at the back, gave away a cheap free kick, and MK Dons scored from the resulting set piece to get back into the game.
Hemed was again involved in Kyle McFadzean’s red card with fifteen minutes left. The MK Dons defender appeared to elbow the albion striker in the face, resulting in an early bath.
The striker could have gained his hattrick when the ball fell to his feet 10 yards from goal, but he hit the ball wide of the post.
He did guide the ball into the net eventually with a couple of minutes to go, but he was ruled offside by the linesman.
Then the controversy started. Dons swung a corner in which hit Tomer Hemed in the face. However the referee adjourned the ball hit his arm and gave a penalty in stoppage time. Incensed, half the Brighton team got booked for complaining and time wasting.
The albion fans’ hearts were in their mouths. Shocked, they knew if this went in it would be a huge blow to their promotion charge.
Carl Baker stepped up for the hosts…and missed the target to send the Seagulls’ players, coaches and supporters into raptures.
The coaches were jumping around the touchline in delight at the miss, they knew how much this game meant, and when the full time whistle blew, the fans had a belief this was their year.
The Brighton players also celebrated passionately at the final whistle in front of the travelling support, with Chris Hughton applauding the fans for a good two minutes.
The chanting began. “WE ARE GOING UP! SAY WE ARE GOING UP!” The noise was deafening. Fans jumping around, celebrating, some with tears of delight. They had been through it all in those last 20 minutes, and in the last few seasons they would arguably have seen their team draw that game. They just sense it’s their time.
The coach journey home was a quiet one. A majority of the fans slept, others trying to soak up what had just happened.
But one thing’s for sure. This club is together, and the good run keeps going. You just sense this could finally be the year Brighton break into the top flight for the first time in 36 years.
Liam Richner 