Massive overhaul required

Photo: Andrew Schofield

ATHLETIC’S Chris Taylor finds trouble either side of him during his team’s 3-1 defeat at Brighton

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Four points in 10 games as Latics lose the plot

Brighton 3, Athletic 1

ATHLETIC’S latest defeat at Brighton once again served to underline the enormous rebuilding job facing Joe Royle or whoever is in charge next season.

The statistics emphasise just how bad Athletic have been since just before Christmas. They are in the worst run of form of any of the 24 teams in Coca-Cola League One.

If the season was based on the last 10 matches, Athletic would have been bottom with four miserable points from four draws.

Athletic have yet to win in the seven games Royle has been in charge and, since the splendid win against Stockport County in late January, they have won just twice in 17 games.

These are worrying times because, but for the fine start to the season, Athletic could easily have found themselves battling to stave off the threat of relegation such has been their dramatic demise.

Apart from a brief period at the start of the second half at the Withdean Stadium on Saturday, Athletic were second best against opponents battling relegation and supposedly low in confidence.

Yet in a woeful opening period Athletic made the Seagulls look like world beaters, which again showed there is something inherently wrong.

Once they got at Brighton at the start of the second half, the visitors wobbled and looked insecure.

Sadly it was too little, too late and it begged the question why it took a rollicking from Royle at the break to fire up the players and why did they not kick off the afternoon like that?

There were recalls for Mark Crossley in goal, Daniel Jones at left-back and Matty Wolfenden up front as Greg Fleming, Danny Whitaker and Steve Kabba, who has returned to Watford, were stood down.

Veteran striker Lloyd Owusu and Tom Fraser both fired warning shots across the bows early in the match before Brighton made a 26th-minute breakthrough.

Owusu, who isn’t the quickest player in the world, left Sean Gregan like an Olympic sprinter before firing over a right-wing cross to the far post, where an unmarked Dean Cox headed home. Where was right-back Rueben Hazell and the rest of the defence?

Royle switched Deane Smalley from the front line to the left wing, moving Chris Taylor inside, and he produced Athletic’s first attempt at goal after the half-hour mark.

Owusu had a goal chalked out for offside but the afternoon soon became a lost cause when Brighton doubled their advantage.

Gary Hart robbed Stefan Stam and crossed from the right for Owusu to bundle home a shot from close range.

Royle’s response was to substitute Stam “for his own good” as he had been having a torrid time. Whitaker was brought on to play wide left, Smalley switched to the right flank, Neal Eardley dropped back from midfield to right back, with Hazell moving inside to partner Gregan.

There was a lively start to the second half for Athletic, who played with more purpose.

They finally tested ’keeper Michel Kuipers, who fumbled a free-kick from Jones which was scrambled to safety, and he then beat out a ferocious shot from Eardley. Taylor was also denied by a goalline clearance from Gary Dicker.

But it came as no surprise when Athletic halved the deficit in the 62nd minute when Mark Allott lofted the ball over the Brighton defence and half-time substitute Lewis Alessandra raced through and slotted home his fifth goal of the season.

Suddenly you could sense Athletic were back in with a shout as Brighton were racked with self doubt.

But Athletic once again shot themselves in the foot. Brighton restored their two-goal advantage inside two minutes after another piece of slapdash defending.

Hazell made a dog’s dinner of his attempt to cut out a through ball. He ended up on his backside as Owusu raced through on goal unopposed to score.

Although the lively Alessandra and Taylor both had decent efforts late on in the game, there was no way back for Athletic as Brighton picked up three valuable points.


No heart and no fight, slams Crossley

MARK CROSSLEY unleashed a scathing attack on his Athletic team-mates after he made his long-awaited return at Brighton.

The 39-year-old goalkeeper, who had been sidelined for a four-month spell because of injury, was upset by the manner of the defeat at the Withdean Stadium.

He said: “The first-half performance was shocking.

“There was no heart and no fight throughout the whole team.

“I have had a long career in which I have played between 500 and 600 games, and I would have thought some of the out-of-contract players would have been spilling their blood and guts, but you couldn’t say that in the first half.

“I was very disappointed to have got back after four months out and played in a first-half performance like that.”

Crossley, who returned after recovering from back surgery, says it is patently obvious there is a lack of confidence in the team.

He added in such circumstances players have to make themselves busy and battle.

He said: “If you battle, things will eventually turn in your favour.

“We cannot play like we did, which is why we haven’t won for 10 games.”

Crossley pointed out there were good things to take from games, but you cannot play well just for 25 minutes.

He went on: “You could seen when we scored that Brighton had gone and we were back in the game.

“But we were undone again by comical defending, which gave them a goal, and the game was over at 3-1.”

Crossley added it was a surprise when manager Joe Royle told him on Saturday morning he was in the team.

But he explained that he was not hindered by a lack of reserve-team football.

He said: “I know I have been away since December, but I don’t need a run-out in the reserves to get experience as I have enough of it already.”

Crossley says he was pleased with his own display, apart from one bad kick.

And the former Nottingham Forest ’keeper, who is out-of-contract this summer, said his comeback had whetted his appetite to continue playing — providing somebody still wants him.