Brighton had their struggles last week in Newcastle, but a fresh head in a difficult game against already-relegated Wolves will be an intriguing one from both a fan’s perspective and a neutral…
Boscagli may be silky, but he isn’t quite as good as Captain Dunk
Olivier Boscagli is a very decent footballer with an exceptional range of passing. This combative nature makes him well-equipped in his defensive duties, and his flowing French locks… c’est Magnifique!
The Frenchman arrived on the South Coast in the summer of last year with a wealth of experience which has proved vital at times this season, specifically recently, with top performances against Burnley and Chelsea cementing his place in the starting lineup.
However, Newcastle away seemed to be a game in which we exposed a few new learnings, one of which suggests that the longevity of the partnership between Lewis Dunk and Jan Paul Van Hecke is, in fact, more successful than when our Monte Carlo maverick adjoins the defence.
Whilst I don’t blame Olivier Boscagli specifically for any of the 3 goals conceded on Tyneside, a centre half a little less glamorous than Boscagli could’ve boded well when defending aerially, which, considering the manner in which the Magpies scored their 2 first half goals, could’ve been very important indeed.
You can just picture Dunk being able to deal with the height and presence of Osula and Burn slightly better than Oli B. If I’m being completely honest, I think Boscagli’s time to shine will come next season upon the likely exit of Dutch Gold, that is JP Van Hecke. JP has become an incredible servant for Albion, with his first real breakthrough season coming in our European campaign. How fitting it would be if he could help lead us back to the European stage before leaving for one of Football’s Elite clubs.
Whilst I think we have all gotten to a certain level of acceptance that Van Hecke will be moving on in the Summer and joining the Albion hall of fame, he is still our Dutch warrior at the moment and will be for the final 3 games of 2025/26, so why not play him in the partnership that is proven and works best?
We play best when JP is playing alongside Captain Dunk, and there is a certain level of romance between the two at the back, so I say we kill 2 birds with one stone and play the Dutch and English card for the remainder of this push for Europe.
2. Baleba can be the difference between 11th and 6th
In a game in which we were largely disappointing for the majority of the game, it was still one in which we created more than enough clear-cut chances to try and get something from the game! A lot of those chances stemmed from Carlos Baleba.
The Cameroonian has come under heavy questioning at times this season, with his performances falling well under par in comparison to his beast-like season last campaign. However, perhaps just in time to save his dream move to Man United, he seems to be getting back to his best, and as much as it might suit him, it certainly also suits the Albion.
Tenacious tackling, relentless running and progressive passing are getting us on the front foot. In an abysmal first half, Baleba still managed to hit the woodwork from long distance and make some pivotal defensive interventions to, at the time, keep us in the game, forcing watching eyes upon him. We, as a footballing side, have shown that we can perform well with or without Baleba this season, but you can’t help but feel as though our number 20, when committed to the cause, can take us to the next level and be the big game player that we require ahead of the run-in.
In addition to Baleba’s improved performances of late, it’s also evident that he provides us with something a little different in the midfield. With Legendary Gross occupying a mainstay place in the starting lineup and local lad Hinshelwood simply undroppable, it leaves one place in Brighton’s midfield vacant, making it a toss-up between Yasin Ayari and Carlos Baleba.
Yasin has broken through in the last 2 campaigns and has shown in abundance that he is a technically gifted player who undoubtedly will be a key player for Graham Potter’s World Cup-bound Sweden squad.
However, with the creativity already present through Jack and Pascal, an in-form Baleba must be in the starting lineup for the final few games. His aura and quality could be the difference between potential Champions League participation and another season falling just short.
The players cannot afford to lose focus
Before this admirable run of good form, The Albion endured a tumultuous period of 13 games without a win heading into early 2026, which undoubtedly scrutinised the credentials of the side and Fabian Hürzeler.
An immense amount of credit is due to Hürzeler and his players for getting back on track and, in fact, reigniting possible European hopes. We, as fans, can ride the wave to a certain extent and now see nerves and excitement take over for the run-in as we all hope for a return to the European stage, but it is still important to highlight that the run of poor results does still stand as evidence that when the team loses focus and sight on commitment and fight, things don’t always go so well.
Unfortunately, a certain level of that lack of focus was visible at St. James’ Park, specifically in the first half. I’m not too sure about other Seagulls supporters, but I had fears that a less fluid performance would arise, considering that the players had been allowed an extensive period of rest and time off.
Following an exquisite win and performance like the one against Chelsea, I would usually be an advocate for players having a few extra days to rest, but not at this stage of the season!
Togetherness, whether it be on the pitch or in training sessions, is a huge factor in the success of a club, especially Brighton, who pride themselves on being a collective. It was clear that the players weren’t as fresh as they could’ve been and were not as impressive as they have recently shown themselves capable of being.
Not a million miles off an acceptable performance, but enough of a drop in team intensity to result in defeat at the highest level. Newcastle has been and gone, time to focus on what’s ahead.
Starting with the visit of Wolves on Saturday! The players need to be better, and fans will be looking for a response at the weekend, so the focus and fluidity need to be at a maximum.
Three games to make history, nothing but the best efforts given!
