Tuesday Fulham Stuff (21/08/18)...

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Results

Monday
Crystal Palace	0 - 2	Liverpool

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Chambers loan looks like a terrible move by Arsenal already

On August 7th, Arsenal officially confirmed that Calum Chambers had joined Premier League newcomers Fulham on a season-long loan deal.

What's the story?

Barely one month prior to this surprise temporary switch, the young defender signed a new contract with the Gunners.

In Arsenal's official confirmation of these fresh terms, new manager Unai Emery stated that Chambers would "be part of my plans this season."

In the subsequent weeks however, the Spanish coach must have changed his mind on the Englishman's involvement, resulting in his loan move to Craven Cottage.

Two games, two defeats and five conceded goals into the new campaign though, Emery may now be regretting his hasty decision to eject Chambers.

Living to regret it

The newly installed centre-back partnership at the Emirates Stadium of Shkodran Mustafi and new signing Sokratis must be given time to gel. The potential frailties this pair may have are immediately obvious though.

Neither the German or the experienced Greek are natural leaders or organisers. What's more, both lack pace. These weaknesses leave the heart of the Arsenal back line susceptible to being caught out by long balls and runs in behind. Both Manchester City and Chelsea have identified and exploited these deficiencies to goalscoring effect this season.

Whilst Chambers has his own issues in his game, he is the most experienced Arsenal defender – aside from the injured Laurent Koscielny – to offer an alternative style of play to either Mustafi or Sokratis. Yet, he is no longer an option for Emery to call upon.

If the current centre-backs can't get their act together quickly then the Gunners may soon find themselves reliant upon the likes of Rob Holding and Konstantinos Mavropanos – neither of whom have the experience required to marshal a top level defence.

At that point, the decision to loan out Chambers would have to be considered a very poor one indeed.



https://www.footballfancast.com/premier-league/arsenal/chambers-loan-looks-like-a-terrible-move-by-arsenal-already

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Fulham are in a shake-up but Slavisa Jokanovic knows how he can be successful with new-look side

Only four of the 11 players who start the Championship play-off final started against Spurs at Wembley on Saturday

Fulham's start to the Premier League has been synonymous with three words from head coach Slavisa Jokanovic: "We need time".

His side have started their campaign with two defeats, losing at home to Crystal Palace before going down to Tottenham Hotspur at Wembley, as the 50-year-old looks to rebuild his side having achieved promotion from the Championship last season.

The opening day saw eight debutants make their bow for Fulham, while Saturday's 3-1 loss saw another two players make their first appearances as Jokanovic started Andre-Frank Zambo Anguissa and Timothy Fosu-Mensah.

Out of that starting XI against Spurs, only four, Tom Cairney, Aleksandar Mitrovic, Aboubakar Kamara and Ryan Sessegnon, started the Championship play-off final win over Aston Villa just three months previously, while the other seven had a maximum of one previous appearance under their belt.

Spurs, Brentford and AFC Wimbledon may all be building new stadiums in London, but Fulham's re-building of their side may be the biggest construction project at the moment.

Jokanovic knows his side's first victory won't come on the pitch - he believes that first, his team must win the battle with themselves as they get to grips with new surroundings, team mates and tactics.

"Spurs play together for three years, and to be honest, they play very well before too," Jokanovic said after the Spurs defeat.

"It will depend on the time, the quality and the situation.

"I have new players, they show they are a more quality team than us.

"I must manage my situation and my team and take care with my players.

"I don't want to criticise them, they have to fight with themselves and interpret and understand what is new situation around them.


Timothy Fosu-Mensah takes on Dele Alli (Image: Dan Istitene/Getty Images)

"Sometimes people from the last season ask why they are not in the team, people come into my office many times to ask what the situation is right now.

"First of all they must win the battle with themselves, and they know the only way is working hard and not thinking of any present, because I never give any presents to any player.

"If they win this battle it will be easier to win against opponents.

"We're in a situation and process where everything is a little bit of a shake up and we must find something to relax the mind and be focused on our work.


(Image: Dan Istitene/Getty Images)

"This is more or less normal situation for some football team in a situation like ours."

Fulham have been praised for an easy-on-the-eye style of play that had seen them go from a struggling Championship side to one of the best in the division, but to implement that on the Premier League is a challenge that not all succeed in.

Huddersfield came up last season with a high pressing style that had served them well in the second tier, but after a month in their new division, David Wagner had to put that on the back burners somewhat and start playing football to combat the likes of Liverpool, Manchester City and more.

AFC Bournemouth came up and managed to keep their style they had developed under Eddie Howe, finishing 16th in their first season before a 9th and 12th placed finish in the two campaigns after.

Having spent over £100m in the summer window, bringing in 12 new faces including the likes Jean-Michael Seri, expectations may have been raised somewhat amongst fans and sections of the media alike.

However, all good things take time to build, and with the back five a completely new unit as well as the midfield trio having to learn about each other, it may take a few weeks before we see what this new-look Fulham can really do.

But we got a glimpse of it during the defeat to Spurs during the 20 minutes after half time, where the Cottagers got on the ball, pressed Spurs and got a deserved goal through Mitrovic.

However, Fulham's head coach and players are still learning about one another, with their preparation mixed with a need for results.


(Image: Dan Istitene/Getty Images)

Anyone can see that two-and-a-half weeks is nowhere near enough time for a team to gel and compete in a division like the Premier League, but Jokanovic is insistent he will continue to check on his players and find what works best for his new side, while trying to get the results.

"We only find benefit and where we connect with the way we want to play the football," Jokanovic added.

"When we are talking about style, we are talking about the last few years and it's definitely now different players, different moments, but we want to play something similar with different players to what we play in the past.

"My sensation is where we take possession from Spurs and start to move the ball, this is our best moment.


(Image: Julian Finney/Getty Images)

"They didn't create so many chances, we scored the goal and had another positive situation.

"We must respect the situation, we make some mistakes that is not acceptable for this level, especially in the beginning of the game.

"After we sit a bit better and find some way to create damage in moments where we want to follow our style."

"I will repeat, this is two weeks and a half working with these people.

"It's not enough for them.

"In this moment we have a problem during the game without any depth, but I cannot criticise some players I use without time for working.

"This is most competitive league, and what is important is to win the points and win the game, unfortunately for us we don't have all this time.

"Our preparation is mixed with moment where we must compete, but I must check new players, find what is best way for us and in this moment I cannot give you answer.

"I know what I must do, I am not under any pressure and don't feel under any pressure.


Mauricio Pochettino and Slavisa Jokanovic

"I feel pressure for my club and my supporters because they pay the tickets to support and enjoy the game and watch the team be successful and win the games.

"I must accept this responsibility, but I know what is my way and how I can be successful.

"I cannot be nervous in this moment and complain how we didn't win today against Spurs.

"I must be satisfied with some parts, for another side we must improve."

Improve they must, and with the visit of Burnley to Craven Cottage on Sunday, Fulham will see getting three points from the game as a real possibility.



https://www.football.london/fulham-fc/fulham-shake-up-slavisa-jokanovic-15049722

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The Stats Factory: André-Frank Zambo Anguissa

Following a deadline day move from France, Fulham's new midfielder made an impressive debut on Saturday against Spurs. Should fans expect to see more strong performances across the season? Resident statto George Singer takes a look!

After finalising his medical in France, the superbly named André-Frank Zambo Anguissa became the 5th and final deadline day day signing for the Whites. Considering he's hardly a household name, a hefty transfer fee raised eyebrows of journalists and fans alike. So what kind of player is he, and what can we expect to see from him?

The Basics
So let's start with the basics about Anguissa:

Age 22

Height 6ft

Position CDM

Nationality Cameroon

Apps 2017-18 21(11)

Signed from Olympique Marseille

What role does he play?
Anguissa's main role in the OM team was to provide a screen in midfield for the defence alongside the more experienced Luis Gustavo. The pair would occupy the central midfield in a 4-2-3-1 formation, and link up with more advanced creative types like Dimitri Payet and Florian Thauvin.

Where Gustavo provides experience, Anguissa provides energy. He isn't afraid to get stuck in and tackle players, and his intelligent positioning allows him to cut out opposition passes with ease. With his impressive size and power, his defensive output is high – and he wins a high proportion of the duels he goes into.

What do his numbers look like?
Since taking responsibility for recruitment, Tony Khan has enjoyed moderate success with his 'both boxes ticked' philosophy. Ie – a player must be recommended by scouting departments and data analysts before being classed as a serious transfer target.

Whilst opinions from French journalists and fans have been lukewarm about this transfer, Anguissa's numbers are seriously impressive.

For those who haven't seen statistical radars before, they're a way of comparing a variety of data points against similar players. If a player has a lot of the radar coloured in in a certain area, they're strong in that regard.

With this in mind – you can see that the left hand side of Anguissa's radar (full of defensive traits) are coloured in. As previously mentioned, he averages a huge amount of defensive actions per 90 minutes – a sign of a busy defensive midfielder.

The top-right quadrant of his radar, ie the creative side, is quite shallow. He rarely scores or assists, suggesting he's not the kind of player you'd want in your fantasy team! However, with Seri and Cairney playing infront of him, Fulham's midfield is already blessed for creativity.

An upgrade on McDonald?
With surprising ease, Anguissa took McDonald's place in the team at the first time of asking – starting in the heart of midfield at Wembley on Saturday. So how do his numbers compare to KMac's? Is Slav justified in immediately handing his place to Anguissa?

Let's start with comparing their defensive output:

Anguissa's defensive output is significantly higher than McDonalds. He averages almost twice as many interceptions and tackles per 90 minutes, suggesting he has great speed and stamina to consistently hassle opponents. This is especially impressive considering Anguissa shares a midfield with Gustavo, who himself makes a fair amount of tackles.

The only concern I see here is the amount of fouls he gives away. Perhaps this is due to lack of experience, however Slav has proved he can fix this once – by taming the once aggressive Mitrovic.

As mentioned above, Anguissa isn't in the side to create goals. However – in a tough Premier League we're going to need players to contribute to all areas of play.

In this regard, Anguissa and McDonald are closely matched – particularly in passes made. Marseille averaged over 55% of possession last year, and made the 4th most passes in Ligue 1. Therefore, Anguissa shouldn't have too much difficulty fitting in with our attractive style of football.

The main stat that interests me is here dribbles. If you watch his YouTube highlights, you can see he's clearly comfortable on the ball, and can swiftly move his way out of tight-nit situations. Against pressing opposition midfielders, which we've never really faced before, the ability to dribble past an approaching defender will be invaluable to launching quick effective counter attacks.

Summary
I can't say I'd hear a lot about Anguissa before he was linked with us on deadline day. However, the more I review his data, and see him play, the more excited I am. Whilst he still shows some signs of immaturity (which considering he's 22 is understandable) he already looks like an improvement on McDonald – which is high praise!

It looks like he's the perfect partner to the Seri-Cairney pivot in midfield. He will provide the screen that our defence badly need, and free the shackles of our creative players to play their natural game. Only time will tell whether he can translate these numbers into performances – but certainly looks like a strong addition to the squad.



https://fulhamish.co.uk/post/2018-08-20-the-stats-factory-andre-frank-zambo-anguissa/

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Exeter On Sale

Tickets for Fulham's Second Round Carabao Cup tie against Exeter City are now on sale.

In what is Fulham's first meeting with the Grecians since the 1996/97 season, our cup tie takes place on Tuesday 28th August (7.45pm).

Tickets are now on General Sale, priced at just £10 for adults, £5 for 18-21 year olds and over-65s, and £1 for under-18s.

Season Ticket Holders' seats will be held until 10am on Wednesday, at which point they will be released on General Sale.

Fans are advised that everyone will be sent a paper ticket for this fixture, and all fans who have signed up for the Home Cup Scheme will have their accounts debited automatically.

Secure your seat for cup action today online at fulhamfc.com/tickets, by phone on 0203 871 0810 or in person at the Fulham Ticket Office.

Matchday Hospitality

Enjoy the game in style with Hospitality options available for our Carabao Cup tie.

Spend the evening in an Executive Suite, overlooking the Cottage turf, or take in the action with halfway line seating and access to one of our premium lounges.

Hospitality options come with food and drink included, with prices from £80 per person. 

To secure your package online head online or call 020 8336 7555 to buy today, or email [email protected] for more information.




http://www.fulhamfc.com/news/2018/august/20/exeter-tickets

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Ian Wright and Phil Neville confident of Fulham's quality after Spurs defeat

The Match of the Day pundits were encouraged by Fulham's style of play despite defeat to Tottenham

Match of the Day pundits Ian Wright and Phil Neville believe Fulham are bound to start scoring goals as a result of the system that the side employs.

The west London side were beaten 3-1 by Tottenham Hotspur at Wembley Stadium, with the hosts dominating in large parts except for a 20 minute spell where Fulham drew level through Aleksandar Mitrovic after the half time break.

Slavisa Jokanovic's side created chances though - Ryan Sessegnon had an effort saved at his feet by an on-rushing Hugo Lloris, while Tom Cairney tested the World Cup winner from distance in the first half.

It was always going to be a tough ask against Spurs, while starting the season with 12 new faces would always pose challenges in finding who the best XI is as everyone gets to know how one another works.

But Wright and Neville are confident Fulham will start scoring goals in the Premier League as a result of the style of play the side play, while the former believes Jokanovic has some real quality in his side.

Here's what they had to say on Match of the Day on Saturday night:

Wright: "Like the manager said, they've only been playing together properly for two and a half weeks, but when they get into these areas, in and around the last third, I didn't think they did too badly.

"They can cause problems, you see the nice intricate play and Sessegnon can't quite get the ball down, but he just turns up everywhere, in the centre, he turns up on the left and the right.

"Mitrovic was up there on his own a lot and it was really hard work for him, but here they kept the ball alive up there.

Neville: "They're going to cause teams problems.

"They play a really good system and have good players - they spent £102million so you'd expect them to have some quality and that's what they've got.

"I think as the season goes on what they'll have to do is take chances.

"Mitrovic, at 1-1, is a big turning point in the game, there's a really good pass and follow and that was a massive moment where they should do better."

Wright: "What you've seen there, and the chances they've created, like the manager said, once they get used to each and with the way they can play so intricately, they will create and score more goals."



https://www.football.london/fulham-fc/ian-wright-phil-neville-confident-15050567

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EXCLUSIVE: Fulham on verge of major new deal for main man

TEAMtalk understands Fulham are confident that Slavisa Jokanovic will put pen-to-paper on a new long-term deal before the end of the month.

The Cottagers backed their boss to the tune of more than £100million in the summer transfer market after he guided them to promotion to the Premier League through the play-offs.
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Jokanovic's performance, and the style in which he did it, has not gone unnoticed and Chelsea – who he played for during his career – had him on their shortlist to replace Antonio Conte over the summer.

The Blues though eventually landed Maurizio Sarri after axing Conte, but they hold Jokanovic in high regard.

TEAMtalk understands that Fulham have agreed new terms with the 50-year-old that would see him firmly move into the top-10 highest paid managers in England. That tree is currently topped by £20m-a-season Man City boss Pep Guardiola, who guided City to the title last term.

The new deal for Jokanovic would also put him as one of the top paid bosses in European football.

There have been recent rumours that the club have been in discussions over a new deal, but publicly Jokanovic has refused to speak about it.

"I prefer not to talk about my contract, it's a private thing," he said last week ahead of the trip to Wembley to face Tottenham.



https://www.teamtalk.com/news/exclusive-fulham-on-verge-of-major-new-deal-for-main-man

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Cottage Talk Podcast: The Player Ratings Show With Special Guest Ryan O'Donovan From Football.London
Take a listen to a podcast that focuses on Fulham Football Club

This is a new feature on Cottage Talk that focuses on player ratings. Special guest Ryan O'Donovan from Football. London had his own player ratings for the Fulham players against Tottenham Hotspur, so we discussed each one of them during the show.

This is a brand new feature, so please let us know what you thought of this episode?

you can listen to the podcast here...
http://www.blogtalkradio.com/cottagetalk/2018/08/20/the-player-ratings-show-with-special-guest-ryan-odonovan-from-footballlondon

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Why Spurs' Kieran Trippier was allowed so much space to attack Fulham's left flank

His positioning on Fulham's right was a constant problem for the side in the first half, with the first goal coming from Trippier's side

Fulham were beaten by Tottenham Hotspur at Wembley on Monday - but one of the sticking points that fans will remember from the game is the space Kieran Trippier was allowed on the left.

Slavisa Jokanovic employed Ryan Sessegnon and Aboubakar Kamara on the right and left flanks, the opposite of their usual positions, in order to deal with the width that Spurs' wing backs would give the home side.

That meant both Sessegnon and Kamara dropping on the outside shoulder of Fulham's right and left backs, which were Timothy Fosu-Mensah and Joe Bryan.

This saw Fulham have a back six when Spurs attacked, which in theory, should've nullified the width that Trippier and Ben Davies brought to the home side's attack as a result of the 3-4-2-1 formation that Mauricio Pochettino used.

Fosu-Mensah was picked ahead of Cyrus Christie for his defensive discipline - I feel as a defender, the Manchester United loanee is better than Christie, and in a game where keeping a tight defence was vital, the picking of the 20-year-old was the correct choice.

Trusting a 20-year-old and an 18-year-old to keep hold of the likes of Ben Davies and Dele Alli was a brave move from Jokanovic, but it seemed to work for the most part, with the Welshman not being able to get the width required to cause problems from the left with crosses.

But the far side was a different story altogether and was a headache for the majority of the game.

Trippier hugged the touchline and found all the space in the world to get the ball under control and put crosses into the Fulham box - something that led to the first Spurs goal.

That space was afforded to him by Kamara not replicating the defensive work Sessegnon did on the opposite flank - the 23-year-old was caught out by Trippier behind him numerous times, meaning Bryan was exploited by the width of the English international.

He didn't drop back enough to nullify the space on Bryan's left shoulder, and every time Christian Eriksen got the ball, he would look up and dink a ball into the space in front of his team mate for him to do damage.

So why was Trippier continuously allowed that space on Fulham's left?

Speaking after the game, Jokanovic made mention of the problems they faced with Trippier, saying: "..it was more with Trippier in first 45 minutes where we closed too tight and he cross so many times.

"We tried to fix during the first 45 minutes, but they score after this situation."


Neeskens Kebano and Aboubakar Kamara celebrate the first goal (Image: Christof Koepsel/Bongarts/Getty Images)

That points to ill-defensive discipline from Kamara, who I think was picked over Andre Schurrle because he was trusted be able to get back and forth from a deep left position better.

I had heard a theory that goes along the line of Kamara being told to sit a bit higher in order to rapidly break on the centre backs once Fulham won the ball, using his speed to cause chaos.

But for me, that would be extremely tactically naive to allow someone of Trippier's quality the run of Wembley's left in the hope the ball would be dealt with, and not something I could see Jokanovic doing when the right side of defensive was clearly worked on in training.

Out of Fulham's wide players, Sessegnon is the only one you could suggest is defensively sound, having been converted from a left back, while Kamara, Scurrle, Neeskens Kebano and Luciano Vietto are all very attack minded, meaning the position the left forward would take will also have been worked on.

What I think it eventually boils down to is Kamara himself - he is not a defensive player by any accounts.

He has never really had to worry about where other players are and their movements, it's usually the other way around for players that coming up against him.

I think what happened was a result of Kamara's discipline at the defensive side of the game.

He was mostly unaware of where Trippier was, while his instinct continued to tell him he needed to be further up the pitch, meaning the Spurs man was constantly in space.

The warning signs were there for the vast majority of the first half, but Fulham adapted too slowly and Trippier was allowed to put the ball in that led to the first Spurs goal.

It was another steep learning curve of how the Premier League works, and that allowing players with the quality of delivering balls into the box like Trippier has will always cause problems.

Jokanovic nearly got his tactics right, it worked on the right, but some defensive inexperience and ill-disciplined cost them on the left.



https://www.football.london/fulham-fc/spurs-kieran-trippier-allowed-much-15051661

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Premier League Cup Draw

Fulham Under-23s have been drawn in Group G against Reading, Birmingham City and Colchester United in the Premier League Cup.

The Young Whites will play each side home and away, where the top two teams from each group will progress to the knockout round.

Last year the competition was won by Aston Villa, who overcame Swansea City on penalties in the final.

Fixture dates will be released in due course.



http://www.fulhamfc.com/news/2018/august/20/premier-league-cup-draw

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Opinion: Jokanovic's Fulham might have lost their opening games but they will be a force to reckon with soon

Tactic Talk – Why Fulham will be a joy to watch this season

Fulham have endured two defeats in two Premier League games thus far, following their return to the top-flight after four years. But the style of football deployed by Slavisa Jokanovic is destined to bring him success sooner rather than later.

Here, we take an in-depth look at how Fulham play their football, and why it will strike gold, given the quality of players they have in the squad.

Build-up play from the back

Understandably, playing out from the back is always a risky thing to try. However, if done incisively by quality players, the positive results will be there for the world to see in a short span of time. Fulham have some good players in their regular line-up, meaning it probably is a matter of time before they get act together in the passing game and carve teams open.

There is a pattern as to how a team should build-up play from the back. The 4-3-3 formation is best suited for this style since wide midfielders can station themselves on half-space, allowing centre-backs to have an option for a quick pass in possession. Meanwhile, the full-backs can move forward and stretch the pitch for the opposition defenders.

However, until now, the likes of Jean Michael Seri and Tom Cairney have played narrowly with the wingers slightly tucked in. So, there was more space for Tottenham wing-backs during their game on Saturday. Hence, this is where Jokanovic has to change things a bit, particularly when it comes to positioning his wingers wide and allowing midfielders to take up possession in half-spaces to keep the defenders guessing.

In any case, the Cottagers were quite attractive to watch in the two games, exhibiting a style of football that's unique yet entertaining.

A genuine threat in the final third

Ryan Sessegnon has exhibited pace from the wings to warn defenders of his quality. He will be a good attacking threat for Fulham to have, especially in counter-attacking situations. Aboubakar Kamara is another player who could work wonders, given his pace, physicality and eye for crucial passes to open up opposition defences.

In Aleksandar Mitrovic, the Cottagers have a striker who can score goals, hold the ball up and be a genuine nuisance for the defenders from set-pieces. They also have the likes of Luciano Vietto and Andre Schurrle in their ranks to come in and show their true quality.

So, after perusing the assets and style of play, it goes without saying that Fulham will be an attractive prospect to watch this season.



http://www.mediareferee.com/2018/08/21/opinion-jokanovics-fulham-might-have-lost-their-opening-games-but-they-will-be-a-force-to-reckon-with-soon/

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Glenn Murray hails Brighton's exercise in faith under Chris Hughton and questions Fulham's £100m spending spree

Glenn Murray thanked his manager for playing him in the Premier League and believes there are plenty more English players in the Championship capable – if they are given the chance

After the toil of a long season in the Championship, each club arriving in the Premier League faces a dilemma: should they keep faith with the players who won promotion, who travelled to Rotherham and Barnsley so they might get their chance at Old Trafford and the Etihad? Or do they roll the dice, spend their new-found wealth and build a new team for the top flight?

History tells us the sweet spot is probably somewhere in between. In the book The Numbers Game football is described as a weak-link sport – a team is only as good as its vulnerabilities, and a couple of shrewd acquisitions in those areas can bring a much greater collective strength.

Brighton are a good example: the club were cautious not to splurge after promotion 15 months ago and Chris Hughton was adamant he wanted the players with whom he had built trust to have opportunities. But in signing Pascal Gross for £3m they added another layer of creativity and threat, and his contribution of seven goals and eight assists proved essential to their survival.

Glenn Murray, meanwhile, is one of the old guard who has benefitted from Brighton's exercise in faith. Having scored 23 goals on route to promotion, the 34-year-old has maintained his role leading the line and has built a productive relationship with Gross behind him. It is a faith Murray repays with moments like the one on Sunday, when he lost his marker to score the opener against Manchester United, and so it's not surprising that he does not advocate Fulham's strategy this summer of bringing in 12 new faces in a £100m spree.

"I have to thank him for giving me the opportunity to play at this level," Murray says of his manager, Hughton. "You see with some of the promoted teams this year that they have got rid of some players and have brought some big names in. Thankfully our manager didn't do that. He gave everyone that helped the club to the Premier League an opportunity in the Premier League and I think most of us have taken that opportunity.

"I think there is a lot of hype around the Premier League. There are players in the Championship that can play at this level comfortably, but sometimes never get the opportunity. Sometimes they get overlooked for maybe cheaper, foreign players. We know the English market is quite high and I think that sometimes puts clubs off."

Even so, Brighton have spent plenty of money themselves this time around as they attempt to consolidate their position in the league, with a £60m outlay on new recruits including Leon Balogun and Martin Montoya who both impressed on debut against United. Both looked utterly unfazed; not only are Brighton a year wiser, but they are now able to attract players with experience playing in Europe's top leagues.

"I think we have a lot more strength in depth," says Murray. "We have probably got more belief. We went into last year not knowing what was on the horizon – a lot of the players had not played in the Premier League. I am sure there were a lot questioning themselves and questioning how good a level they were stepping into, and I think it took us four, five or six games to start believing we belonged at this level. This year we can get going from the start."

Balogun was thrown into the heat of battle on Sunday when Lewis Dunk came off injured in the first half, and the Nigerian international, who made 75 appearances in the Bundesliga for four different clubs, quickly settled alongside Shane Duffy to help see out the win. But he was also very honest about his own failings in the build-up to United's first-half goal and says it will take time to adapt.

"On the goal we conceded to Lukaku, I was on him, then I wasn't on him so he scored," admitted Balogun. "So it was my fault. I have to be honest. Maybe I'm used to a different kind of defending – this was man-to-man but maybe I was expecting somebody to support because I was not anticipating that different situation. I was anticipating something different. But anyway, I had to be with him. Simple. No excuses.

"It's a different style of defending a little bit, when to go out of position and when to stay in shape. Those are the things I have to deal with very quickly. But the guys made it quite easy for me. [Gaetan] Bongy on the left and Duffy on my right, even Maty [Ryan] in goal. They did a lot of talking so that helped me settle in quite quickly. But it's still normal that sometimes there is a lack of understanding so that's what I have to improve."

Next for Brighton is a trip to Anfield on Saturday. Balogun made a revealing remark about how his team-mates find facing Liverpool and Manchester United such contrasting experiences, after he was asked how the premier League's pace of play compares to the Bundesliga.

"Some of the lads have just asked me that too and I said I had expected [the Premier League] to be quicker, but they told me this is always the kind of game you play against Man Utd – they like to slow it down a little bit. Liverpool is going to be completely different. I know how Klopp likes to play. It's going to be a lot quicker and a lot more intense. But this match was very, very exciting in a crazy summer for me."

Balogun may be required from the start against Liverpool and the sight of Roberto Firmino, Sadio Mane and Mohamed Salah charging towards him will present a whole new challenge. But you suspect he will adjust; so far Hughton has found just the right balance between new and old, and Brighton are reaping the rewards.



https://www.independent.co.uk/sport/football/premier-league/glenn-murray-brighton-and-hove-albion-manchester-united-leon-balogun-transfers-fulham-a8499826.html