Thread by @AnalyticsUtd_

🚨 Brighton 3-1 West Ham
🔎 Analysis & Review Thread

For the final time this season then! Let's take a look back at a first half of tactical experimentation followed by what was probably our flattest 45 of the season...

Questions encouraged, RTs appreciated. 🧵

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We've started in an unfamiliar 4222 shape on the ball. Lanzini and Fornals are both operating in central areas with the full-backs asked to commit high on each flank to provide the width.

That then retreats into a 442 block defensively. Still working out what our press-shape is!

Yeah, I'm not sure what we're doing... Regardless, it's not particularly effective if the opposition 6 can turn and play with this kind of space.

First five minutes have been awful - both teams.

This makes a lot more sense.

You can clearly see us using a 433 shape here with a high first line of engagement to deny passes into Brighton's middle three. Rice is released to push up onto Bissouma and the ball-side full-back presses their opposite number with Soucek covering.

8' Chance.

Nice move from Brighton as Dunk breaks the press and Cucurella whips in a dangerous cross.

Both Cresswell and Zouma fail to clear and Rice is static as Caicedo is first to the loose ball inside the box...

Luckily, his shot is straight at Fabianski.

12' Chance.

Another opening for Brighton as March carries infield and through to Caicedo.

Thankfully, the Ecuadorian sells Cucurella short with the following pass and Brighton can't make the most of the chance.

Fornals offering no cover and Soucek failing to engage here...

We've been awful so far and this has been the only real definable feature of our play in possession as we've constantly attempted to free crossing space on the right flank for Coufal.

21' Chance.

And that finally leads to something as Webster makes two brilliant defensive headers to deny Antonio/Soucek from two great deliveries from the right side.

Bit better... Yves Bissouma is having an absolute stinker for Brighton.

33' This is a 𝘁𝗲𝗿𝗿𝗶𝗯𝗹𝗲 football match.

40' 0-1 Antonio.

Absolute rocket. And that was honestly the only way either team was going to score in this half. It's been dreadful.

Both teams have played without any real quality on the ball; Cucurella, Webster, Mac Allister and Rice the only bright-ish spots.

Both teams have changed systems after the goal.

Brighton have switched from their 4321 to a 3421 and we have switched from the 4222 to a more standard 4231.

The changes have somehow managed to make the game worse.

HT 0-1

I'm never getting this time back. Truly turgid. Both teams were awful for the vast majority of that half.

From a West Ham perspective, we're in the lead but we've been near hopeless in possession.

Doing the second half tomorrow because this is soul-destroying 😂

BRIGHTON
Sanchez - 5
Veltman - 7
Webster - 8
Dunk - 6
Cucurella - 8
Gross - 4
Bissouma - 4
Caicedo - 5
March - 6
Mac Allister - 7
Welbeck - 5

WEST HAM
Fabianski - 6
Coufal - 7
Dawson - 7
Zouma - 6
Cresswell - 6
Soucek - 5
Rice - 8
Fornals - 4
Lanzini - 6
Bowen - 6
Antonio - 6

Back for this torturous second half then...

Brighton have made a substitution and another change of shape at half-time with Maupay replacing Bissouma and Mac Allister slotting in at DM to enable an aggressive 3142.

This allows Cucurella, who had a great first half, to start from a more advanced position.

We also seem to have moved back to the 4222 shape we saw for most of the first half.

Not sure how well this matches up now that Brighton can stretch the pitch better using the wing-backs.

48' Chance.

Maupay shows lovely skill to drop between the defence and midfield before dribbling past Lanzini and Soucek to get a shot away from inside the box.

Due to the narrowness of our shape, Rice/Soucek are being dragged wide, leaving bigger gaps in front of Dawson/Zouma.

50' 1-1 Veltman.

Well, this is an absolute shambles of a goal from a West Ham perspective.

Gross is free to receive and turn inside the box in loads of space before crossing.

Antonio doesn't bother to go with Veltman and then Fabianski lets the ball go straight through him...

Dawson's reluctance to step outside of his zone has been more problematic in recent weeks as he allows bonkers situations like this where he can see the danger and does nothing about it.

Antonio has to be more alive but this doesn't happen in a system with wingers.

52' Chance. Cresswell just about gets to Cucurella's cross.

The worst reaction to a goal I've seen from us this season...

Three consecutive lost duels followed by Rice and Dawson being played through far too easily, Coufal failing to stop the cross and Soucek failing to cover.

Worth saying that Potter's half-time changes were perfect.

Maupay coming on has given Brighton much needed support for Welbeck and he's doing a brilliant job of exploiting the spaces between the lines. Gross and Cucurella getting further forward has made a huge difference.

Back to the 4231... We've got real faith in our tactical approach to this game!

Said this after the game though: If the players don't turn up, it really doesn't matter what formation or tactics you use.

56' Chance.

Coufal and Rice have really struggled so far in the second half but they combine brilliantly here as Coufal makes a fantastic surge on the outside of Cucurella.

Great cross for Antonio but Dunk manages to make a sliding clearance to keep Brighton level.

63' Chance.

Took a break to record for @KUMBPod but we're back and Welbeck is combining with Cucurella and Gross to waltz through the defence.

He should score here.

Chance comes just after Lanzini lost the ball in a great position after some good work from Cresswell & Antonio.

I think Maupay might have gotten under Coufal's skin as he mockingly joins in with Brighton fans' applause after Maupay walked away with the ball and refused to give it back for a throw.

Comes after another series of terrible Fornals passes in good areas. He's been awful.

80' 2-1 Gross.

Well deserved goal for Brighton who have been the better side by a mile in the second half.

Fantastic work from Welbeck combining with Maupay and Mwepu before passing to Gross who hits one right into the top corner on the turn.

Great goal.

Five whole seconds for one of Rice or Dawson to take responsibility for Maupay.

Five whole seconds where neither bother to get themselves into a position where they can affect anything.

Play like this and you deserve to lose football matches.

81' Lanzini, Coufal, Fornals off; Yarmolenko, Johnson, Noble on.

Can we change the whole team? Rice, Soucek, Dawson and Bowen deserve to be hooked just as much.

We've been woeful in this second half. Cresswell the only player currently coming out with any credit.

Can someone at the club please ban Antonio from taking long throws. Thanks.

86' Huge chance.

This is reaching the taking the piss threshold as Rice barely looks bothered while losing the ball incredibly cheaply in a bad area.

Thankfully, Welbeck fails to score a simple header from the resultant counter.

Okay, I can see why Moyes was absolutely raging afterwards.

It would be nice if someone broke into a jog! The whole team is just ambling around the pitch. Rice in particular seems to have completely mentally checked out.

This is baddddddd.

Fancy even making an attempt to go with the runner? You've both played the same 90 minutes!

No excuses for stuff like this...

90+2' 3-1 Welbeck.

Absolute horror show. What a way to finish the season...

Gross wins a corner after Rice's laziness allows him to run all the way through completely unopposed. He then whips that corner into the near post zone where Welbeck is free to head home.

Fucking hell.

Really? Seriously? Yeah, I would've reacted exactly like Moyes did in the post match press... This is inexcusably bad!

Zouma and Bowen are drawn under the ball wayyyy too easily... Free header straight from a corner!?

FT 3-1

Shocking performance. The worst I've seen us play in a very long time. The first half was bad but that second period was just miles off Premier League standard.

Terrible way to end such a strong season.

Player ratings #BHAWHU - BRIGHTON

Sanchez - 6
Veltman - 7
Webster - 8
Dunk - 7
Cucurella - 7
Gross - 8
Bissouma - 4
Caicedo - 6
March - 5
Mac Allister - 8 ⭐️
Welbeck - 7

Maupay - 7

Player ratings #BHAWHU - WEST HAM

Fabianski - 4
Coufal - 6
Dawson - 7
Zouma - 5
Cresswell - 7 ⭐️
Soucek - 5
Rice - 6
Fornals - 3
Lanzini - 5
Bowen - 4
Antonio - 5

#BHAWHU Match Flow via #MatchScore

#BHAWHU Match Race via #MatchScore

Finishing the second half on a lower #MatchScore than what we started the half with is an astounding achievement. More of a threat to ourselves than we were to Brighton...

1st: +14.74
2nd: -1.2

It would be wrong of me to finish this thread without giving some praise to Alexis.

One of Brighton's better players (playing just off Welbeck) in an underwhelming first half before a superb performance from DM in the second period.

Incredible flexibility. Great player.

And that's that!

Thank you for tuning in this season, I'm super proud of the work I've produced and I'm glad that so many people have enjoyed it.

I'll try and keep you updated here but if you don't want to miss any of my summer content (transfers/scouting) follow @jackelderton!

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