
'Underperformed' or 'more than acceptable'? Fans on Albion's season
We asked for your thoughts on whether fans need to keep perspective when reflecting upon this season - as argued by BBC Radio Sussex's Johnny Cantor below (13:00 BST) - or whether Brighton have underachieved.Here are some of your comments:Richard: Brighton underperformed, perhaps by lack of selection continuity. Not convinced yet by Fabian Hurzeler's ability. Nice is sadly not usually a attribute of successful Premier League managers.Mark: Totally agree. In perspective, this is still one of the best ever finishes for the club, and if we can turn the form around for the last few games it could still make for another European tour next season.Alex: People seem to forget where the club has come from and believe the only acceptable place for the team is in Europe. The Premier League is considered one of the toughest out there and finishing anywhere above the drop zone - especially with a new squad, new manager, inconsistent injuries and an influx of fans with little awareness of the history of Brighton - is more than acceptable at this point of time.Tim: It has been something of a curate's egg. It seems the coach and his team get to a point where they are lavished with praise - only then to fall away to mediocrity. I feel at this point they are going to find it difficult to climb out of the pit they are currently in and the concern must be it will carry over into the next campaign. Let's hope not!Martin: I think we need a balanced view on this season. There is clearly much to do, but in the context of a very tough Premier League, a finish in the top half would be acceptable and top eight a success. So let's see and remember we are living the dream.

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Daily Mirror
31 minutes ago
- Daily Mirror
Liverpool target Kerkez ditched surprise career before life-changing phone call
Milos Kerkez looks set to clinch a big-money move to Liverpool from Bournemouth this summer and the talented Hungarian left-back has walked a long-winding road to Premier League stardom having also spent time in Italy with AC Milan Milos Kerkez originally wanted to be a swimmer - now he's itching to make a splash at Liverpool following two remarkable seasons at Bournemouth. The tenacious Hungarian left-back's spectacular growth has certainly come as no surprise to the Anfield hierarchy. Reds sporting director Richard Hughes, formerly of Bournemouth, played a fundamental role in the £15.5million deal that brought Kerkez to the Premier League with the Cherries in 2023. The explosive AZ Alkmaar starlet, now 21, had already agreed personal terms with Lazio after netting against the Italians in the UEFA Conference League before a late intervention from Hughes swung the balance. Bournemouth's pitch to the Kerkez family was centred around his development and unlocking his superstar potential. Their belief in his talent has since been vindicated in emphatic fashion after the all-action full-back was included in the Premier League's Fan Team of the Season following a stellar campaign under Andoni Iraola. Kerkez's relentless energy and impressive consistency has charmed Liverpool, who regard him as the perfect heir to Andy Robertson's throne as club-to-club negotiations continue between the parties. However, his electrifying displays had also left a notable impression upon Real Madrid, Manchester City, Manchester United, Arsenal and Atletico Madrid, among others. Serbian-born Kerkez is no stranger to big-name interest, in fact, he already has a firm grasp and understanding of the dedication and quality that is required to succeed at one of the world's best clubs having previously signed for AC Milan from Hungarian outfit Gyor in 2021. Rossoneri legend Paolo Maldini, Milan's sporting director at the time, had studied video footage of the fresh-faced prospect upon the recommendation of club scouts and he pulled out all the stops to pip Juventus to the highly-coveted teenager's signature. In a late dash to beat the transfer deadline, the Italian icon even sent a private jet to Hungary to conclude the deal. Kerkez later explained: "They left no stone unturned, if Paolo Maldini calls you personally, then you shouldn't think too much, you have to go! As a child, I watched many videos of him, we talked a lot and he gave me lots of advice, when you're talking to the best left-back in the world, every word is worth paying attention to." While Kerkez did not earn first-team minutes besides a practise match, he trained alongside the likes of Theo Hernandez, Rafael Leao and Zlatan Ibrahimovic and also played against a Liverpool side that featured Conor Bradley and Jarrell Quansah in the UEFA Youth League. He was humble enough to concede that physically, he "could not compete" with Milan's array of high-profile stars but when the Serie A giants pushed to send Kerkez on loan, he instead opted to seal a permanent switch to AZ, where he caught the eye of Arne Slot, despite receiving various offers from Germany. The Hungarian international no longer looks, nor feels, remotely out of place on the world stage and his impending arrival at Liverpool looks poised to propel Slot's champions to even greater heights. Kerkez's stunning rise to prominence, via six different countries, is a glowing reflection of not only his sacrifice - but his monstrous mentality. Shortly after deciding to ditch his swimming aspirations to prioritise his football career as an eight-year-old, Kerkez - released from Hungary's national team camp on Saturday morning ahead of his impending switch to Merseyside - moved to Austria where he spent five years with Rapid Wien. When the world later stood still in 2020 during the COVID-19 pandemic, he would pick the brains of Gyor team-mate and former Watford striker Tamas Priskin on what it was like to play in the Premier League. Fast-forward five years and national treasure Kerkez is already on course to eclipse Priskin's 63 international caps for Hungary, having already made 23 appearances for his country. Kerkez, whose old brother plays as a left-back for Aris FC in the Greek Super League, is poised to become the second most-expensive Hungarian ever following compatriot Dominik Szoboszlai's £60m switch to Anfield from RB Leipzig in the summer of 2023. Join our new WhatsApp community and receive your daily dose of Mirror Football content. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don't like our community, you can check out any time you like. If you're curious, you can read our Privacy Notice.

The National
39 minutes ago
- The National
What Lennon Miller said after making his Scotland debut
That doesn't take away from the pride Miller had in himself after fulfilling a lifelong ambition. "It's obviously a very proud moment, not just for me but my family as well," he said. "They were in the stands. It's never nice to be making your debut in those circumstances - you want to be winning the game. We know we weren't good enough today. But personally, it's a proud moment. Read more: "This is probably right up there with the best things you can achieve as a player. Representing your country at the highest level. I've done that now, hopefully there's a few more [caps]." Scotland were slow, pedestrian and ever-predictable in a concerning defeat to the country ranked 74th in the world by FIFA. Miller was one of the few, if any, players wearing dark blue who caught the eye. The midfielder refused to hide despite his team's plight and wasn't afraid to get involved. "Listen, that's my game, trying to get on the ball. No matter what the score is. No matter what the occasion is, I want to get on the ball and show what I can do. "You try and build yourself into the game, then when you've found your first few passes, you can try and get a bit more adventurous. I had a few nice ones, but also a few that got cut out; that's just about getting used to the level. "Obviously, you want to play no matter when you get called up. Last time, I was trying to take everything in and take that back to Motherwell to try and win another call-up and get here to make my debut. Thankfully, I did that." A trip to face eastern European minnows, Liechtenstein, now awaits Steve Clarke's side. A friendly against the 204th-best team in the world is probably the last thing the likes of Scott McTominay and Andy Robertson will want after an abnormally long and arduous campaign. In Miller's eyes, it is the perfect opportunity to get the nod and assert himself in the team. "That's the plan. You want to get your first cap then you want to get a second as quick as you can. That'll be the plan, to maybe get a wee start. "The manager has said just to get on the ball and show what I can do. What I do at Motherwell is why I'm here." Making his debut alongside Miller on Friday was young goalkeeper Cieran Slicker. The Ipswich Town man wasn't even meant to be number two to Angus Gunn until Robby McCrorie was injured in the warm-up. As is the unpredictable nature of the beautiful game, he was then thrust into action just six minutes into the match after Gunn took a knock to his right leg. It ultimately turned out to be a nightmarish bow for Slicker, who could undoubtedly have done better for all three of Iceland's goals. Clarke later admitted he wasn't ready to play for his country at the senior level and that a new keeper could be drafted in for Monday's trip to face the Liechtensteiners. Miller played with the stopper at the under-21 level and has no hesitation that he will bounce back. "It's Cieran's first cap, a proud moment. Obviously, you don't want to concede three goals. Listen, there's experienced players in there who will get right behind him and who others like myself who have been with Cieran in a few camps now and who will support him. He's a good goalkeeper, he's shown that all week in training. He just needs to get his head up. "I've played with him three or four times. Tonight he has made a few mistakes, but that's the life of a goalie, you are going to make mistakes and they will be highlighted. He will bounce back. He has a brilliant mentality. All goalies need to, to be honest. Cieran will be fine. He will be back stronger. He's not gone out there and chucked three goals in. It's mistakes. These things happen as a player. It just gets noticed more as a goalie. "I've had loads of those experiences. As a midfielder, you get away with it a bit more. It's not as obvious as what Cieran's is. But he will be fine. He will bounce back." With just four wins in 21 matches and back-to-back home defeats across which six goals have been conceded, Scotland supporters are rightly concerned as mammoth World Cup qualifiers loom. Denmark, Greece, and Belarus stand in the way of the national team's place in the 48-team tournament that will take place across the Americas next summer. Clarke's team are in anything but fine fettle with their campaign beginning in September. While a victory over Liechtenstein will raise the mood, the warning signs have arguably been there for some time. The recent defeat to the Icelanders was Scotland's fifth in nine games since that fateful night in Stuttgart against Hungary almost a year ago. "Yeah, it's disappointing. Listen, we know we weren't good enough. We knew Iceland were a good side and they showed that. We know we have levels to get up to, but we weren't at our best, that's fair to say."


Daily Mail
41 minutes ago
- Daily Mail
My padel date with Thomas Frank convinced me he's perfect for Tottenham, writes OLIVER HOLT
Some are already saying that, whoever the new Tottenham manager is, the first thing he will receive when he pitches up at the club's state-of-the-art training ground is a hospital pass. Social media has been abuzz with emotional testimonies from Spurs players about how much Ange Postecoglou meant to them. Good luck to the new guy, trying to win over a bunch of disaffected, disillusioned, mourning millionaires. That, actually, is one of the many arguments for making Thomas Frank the next Spurs boss. Frank is probably the best man-manager in the Premier League and the most emotionally intelligent. If he walked into the club and found players still simmering with loyalty to his fallen predecessor, Frank would have no problem accommodating those feelings. He is secure enough in himself and his abilities to acknowledge the debt he owes to others. It might be just what Spurs need. Because what they need, most of all, is not to allow the oceans of positivity they gained from winning the Europa League to ebb away in a sour feeling of loss over the firing of Postecoglou. They need to take that positivity and harness it. 'We stand on the shoulders of others,' Frank said when I spoke to him at Brentford 's training ground last month, 'and we build on foundations they have built for us. We need to acknowledge that every single time. 'It's all about the ego. So how fragile is it or how big is it? Some people need reassurance all the time and to say, 'The reason I'm so good is because of me and has nothing to do with these top players and good staff'. It depends who you are. 'So you need to believe in your own skill set, but be humble enough to know there's a lot of hard work and you're not the only one and all that. So I'm confident in myself and what I'm capable of doing. Also humble enough to know I can do nothing alone. No one can.' Frank and I played a couple of sets of padel at Brentford's Osterley facility. Me and my pal John against him and assistant first-team coach Kevin O'Connor. I would not say it was a pleasure losing 6-0, 6-0 to them but it was an education. It was a reminder that, for all they are often patronised, Brentford are no longer a small club. Spurs would be a step up but it would not be a leap. It was a reminder, too, that Frank has a talent for building a successful culture and improving it one step after another. He is a clever, innovative coach who led Brentford to 10th in the Premier League with the second-lowest wage bill in the top flight. But he also has highly rated coaches like O'Connor around him and created an environment where his players, signed for their character as well as their ability, feel valued and generally achieve far in excess of what is expected of them. Frank's Brentford sides operate on a high-pressing, high-energy model but when they attack, they do so with verve, speed and fluidity. Frank was especially proud that three of his players scored more than 10 league goals last season. Maybe there is a perception he is too nice. I don't share that, and not just because I was one half of a geriatric pairing taken apart on a court by somebody so competitive he would have seen losing a single game as a defeat. 'Look, if you ask whether I'm tough,' Frank (left) said that day, 'I think I'm extremely resilient. And I think we've all got a dark side. I've got five per cent dark side in me. Even my wife says that. You need that dark side, to have an edge and I have an edge. I'm extremely competitive, very determined, and you don't survive in this business if you're not tough.' It is surprising Frank has not been recruited to coach at a Champions League level already. Spurs have work to do to repair the damage done by Postecoglou's departure. Frank deserves the chance to be the man to do it.