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Glenn Murray recalls when Brighton won at Newcastle “It was like I was on a stag do…”

5 years ago
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Glenn Murray is looking forward to today’s game against Newcastle, as he opes it will ease the ‘pressure-cooker’ situation he and his Brighton teammates find themselves in.

If Cardiff win at Fulham and go level on points with Brighton before the 5.30pm kick-off, that pressure-cooker atmosphere will increase even further.

The Seagulls centre-forward declares; ‘I’d rather attack all day long, but my team would get beat constantly if that was the case. I’m attack-minded, I wouldn’t worry about the boys at the back!’

The ultra-defensive Chris Hughton tactics have brought Brighton no goals, one draw and six defeats in these last seven games, so maybe trying a bit of that ‘attack all day long’ might change that dynamic?

Back in October, Brighton came to St James Park and won 1-0 but Glenn Murray only last 16 minutes before being stretchered off after a clash of heads with Federico Fernandez.

The Brighton striker ended up ok and played the following weekend, indeed he has played in all of their 35 PL games. Remembering that day though he says: ‘It was like I was on a stag do, walking around the Newcastle infirmary with my full kit on. It was a bit strange. The physio told me over and over again [the result – Newcastle 0 Brighton 1] but it took a while to sink in. That was when we were doing what we do naturally, and that’s keeping clean sheets and getting those breaks — similar to what Newcastle are doing at the minute.’

That day was simply luck on Brighton’s part, scoring with their only real effort on target whilst Newcastle couldn’t buy a goal despite 68% possession and 27 shots.

As for comparing it to ‘what Newcastle are doing at the minute’, that isn’t really true. Since Almiron’s arrival, Newcastle have gone on the front foot and indeed the four  of the last six games where NUFC have picked up points, they scored nine goals in those four games but conceded five.

As an interesting aside, Glenn Murray turns 36 in September but last season Jamie Vardy was the only player from a non-top six side to score more than the Brighton striker’s 12 goals, whilst this season Murray has another 11 despite his side playing very negative football and scoring less goals than any team outside the relegation zone.

That puts a bit of perspective on Mike Ashley refusing to allow Newcastle to buy Salomon Rondon because he is 29.

Glenn Murray talking to the official Brighton site:

“I’d rather attack all day long, but my team would get beat constantly if that was the case. I’m attack-minded, I wouldn’t worry about the boys at the back!

“We’ll be trying to do the gaffer’s tactics down to a tee — we’ve all got faith in him, he’s brought us a long way over this three-four-year period. Hopefully we can get a result against this old team.

“There’s still quite a large group that have been on this journey together, we’re pulling together and letting the other lads know that they don’t want to go down and play football in the Championship.

“It’s difficult to completely take yourself away from this at the minute.

“It’s a pressure-cooker situation and the only thing that’s going to give us a bit of ease is the end of the season.

“It [ending up in hospital after a clash of heads at St James Park in October] was like I was on a stag do, walking around the Newcastle infirmary with my full kit on. It was a bit strange.

“The physio told me over and over again [the result – Newcastle 0 Brighton 1] but it took a while to sink in.

“That was when we were doing what we do naturally, and that’s keeping clean sheets and getting those breaks — similar to what Newcastle are doing at the minute.

“Newcastle had been flirting around it [relegation zone] all season, but they’ve put a run together over the last couple of months. Three or four wins, and all of a sudden they’re out of it.

“As far as we’re concerned, especially from the last two performances, we’re in it together and we’re fighting hard to stay in this league.”

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