Jack

They’re dirty diving pricks, but typical Smallbone being caught out for pace and late lazy challenges

We’re still hellbent on playing triangles in our own 18 yard box and gifting chances. What a mess. We’ll ship a LOT of goals if we try that in the prem

That would’ve been too funny

Have we strengthened, really?

Dreadful kits, dreadful sponsor. Hoping people do the sensible thing and don’t waste their money on them

It’s definitely time they went, they’ve been stinking the place out for years but have always managed to do just enough. But I agree, they’ll probably just about find 3 worse teams to keep them afloat. That shiny new stadium would be a fantastic addition to the championship though

He got dropped from the national side not that long ago because the manager was frustrated with him not picking up Spanish quickly enough.

Weird player. Class on his day but an absolute donkey at times and his woeful finishing was key in getting us relegated, amongst other things. But last season, we were almost always worse when he didn’t play. Either way, we need/needed an upgrade so good luck to him

Nah, tactically absolute garbage and lucky to scrape through past what should be vastly inferior opposition

Not much love for him on the Brighton forum. 100 appearances but never played 90 (though he never has) only 3 goals, £100k p/w wages, kept the physios busy. I imagine it’ll be much the same for us. Meh

Gutted for him that his career here ended in injury, great servant and unplayable on his day. Great song too (for the few who don’t get flummoxed by more than 2 lines)

Agreed but having finished 9th under a manager they decided was trash from the start, they’ll be looking to improve on that. If that means Downes is surplus to requirement then I’ll be over the moon, but don’t most clubs in 9th place with significant financial backing think they should be pushing on for better things? In the middle of our 4 years in 6-8th position in the prem, we’d have been calling for better than someone who was at a championship playoff side last season

100 point deduction for City and we’re as good as safe already

Very mixed views on the WHU forum on whether they should keep him or cash in. I guess they want someone higher profile if they’ve got aspirations of pushing on from this season. One point that I agree with is it’ll be interesting to see how he gets on in a team that’s going to have more like 40% possession compared with the 65% we’re used to. I think we’re also going to need a Romeu type player in there next season, regardless of whether we sign Flynn. That said, we didn’t have much of the ball in the Leeds game but he was still excellent

He had a little hot spell with us and has done exactly nothing since. You can’t go blowing £25m+ on a gamble like that IMO

Big question marks over his attitude and application, he was class here at first and then completely uninterested. Better looking elsewhere IMO, especially for that kind of price tag

My god, that’s a weekend which I’m sure will get talked about for a very long time. 9am flight back from a stag do in Belfast, straight on the train up to Wembley, and managed to get home at something like 4am after carrying on in Southampton when we got back. My throat and back balance have both got some healing to do. In terms of the game, it was very strange to feel that comfortable with a 1 goal lead, very un-Saints like. THB, KWP and Bednerek were all fantastic. As others have said, great to see so many ex players making an appearance.

IF Che is properly fit he has to start IMO. It’s been weird recently, having no idea what formation or starting XI he’ll go for. Usually it’d be a real cause for concern but we’ve at least looked relatively untroubled at the back the last 3 games. I hope Leeds go balls out and start their front 4, I think it’ll give us too much control in midfield and they’d struggle. If they’re brave enough to drop one of them, match us up and press high, I think it’ll be far tougher

Has to be Fraser for me, he’s got both the pace to keep up with their wide players and the threat in behind as we saw on Friday. After watching it back he was better than I’d noticed on the night, in both directions. Really hoping that Che makes it though, though he misses sitters he really helps us click up top

For WBA away game, a handful of returned tickets did make their was onto the site but were unannounced. This was a couple of days after they sold out on 11 aways, and I was able to get mine with 10 No idea if any will reappear for the final, but worth checking if you missed out

What a shame a load of morons felt the need for a pitch invasion and goading the away fans. Derby did the same to us and I thought they were horrendously small time for it. Pitch invasion for getting promoted - fine. But we’ve won nothing yet

Manning is my choice

Good

Would’ve taken a draw before it started, I didn’t think we played well so good to escape without being behind. Really good atmosphere and a decent enough game for a 0-0. Mara and Manning were terrible. Mara just isn’t involved at all, and Manning never even gets close enough to his man to have a chance of stopping a cross. Luckily we defended fairly well aside from him.

Yeah exactly. Only 1700 fans really, I wonder if it’s why the club put the comment about potential returned/released tickets. If the 300 number is right, that’s a big chunk for people who don’t really care