Brighton’s Danny Welbeck succession plan isn’t working..
Joao Pedro’s indiscipline is becoming a problem for Fabian Hurzeler..
Brighton’s intention last summer was presumably for Joao Pedro to replace Danny Welbeck over the course of 2024-25.
In the 4-2 defeat at Brentford on Saturday, we saw why that hasn’t quite happened. Brighton supporters raged at Fabian Hurzeler for taking off Welbeck after he had scored. Pedro was sent off for lashing out at Nathan Collins and will miss three of the five remaining league games.
It has been a weird season for the Brazilian, who has definitely influenced the team in a positive way but also only has five non-penalty goals in an attacking team. There are entire periods of matches when you can’t work out how he will ever score again – including snatched finishing. Just as you think that you have him worked out, he will do something that makes him impossible to defend against.
The disciplinary stuff is a slight concern, particularly as the body language sometimes looks off. Pedro was very fortunate not to be sent off in the reverse fixture against Brentford and this time got what he deserved. There is a suspicion that you can wind him up and that frustration leads to him becoming distracted from what makes him very good.
He also turns 24 later this year, so the excuses for the gap between Pedro’s best and worst become harder to stomach. Football managers love control. Brighton have a striker who seems very difficult to predict from one minute to the next, let alone rely upon to lead a line all season.
Gary Neville names 4 ex-Man Utd stars who should still be at club as he slams recruitment.
Gary Neville has launched a fresh attack on the Manchester United transfer strategy and admits they have let go of several players who would perform better than members of their current squad.
Gary Neville claims Manchester United have continued to sell players – only to replace them with individuals of a lesser quality. The Red Devils’ recruitment has long been criticised and their former player believes Danny Welbeck and Anthony Elanga would still do a job.
United are on course for their worst ever Premier League campaign with so many of the players failing to deliver. Several have been signed for big fees, but ultimately underdelivered.
Meanwhile the club have cashed in on players, several of whom weren’t seen as fashionable names, and they’ve gone on to excel at other outfits. Already this season United have lost to Brighton, with Welbeck scoring, whilst in midweek Elanga notched the winner as Nottingham Forest picked up three points against them.
Neville has bemoaned the manner in which the club have let go of quality, especially in the final third, with United’s current attacking options not deemed up to standard.
The pundit said on Sky Sports: “No Manchester United manager since Sir Alex Ferguson, other than Louis van Gaal, has been able to dominate games with possession. That’s a real problem. The players up front are just not of the quality required at the club. That sounds really harsh but it’s the truth.
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