No doubt his 3 seasons with Dundalk have made the man.
He's a tough, versatile, technically proficient footballer with a strong work ethic. He has more than enough of the necessary essentials in order to play at championship level now. He's ambitious and who knows what direction his career will progress in. He has to adapt to the club, his family have to adapt to Brighton etc etc.
Spoke a lot recently about how his girlfriend is expecting a child and that's going to impact heavily on his decision. Also mentioned he's buying a house which I'd have thought would be a big move, comparative to the wages players in the English leagues are on.Originally Posted by geysir
Brighton's a nice town and Championship wages are probably more than sufficient for mortgage repayments so those two things have been as well addressed as possible, it seems from the outside looking in.
He's aiming to make his mark in January. Given his conditioning and a very short break after his season here, you would imagine it's well set up for him to do so. If the rest of the season drifts by without him making an impact and Brighton get promoted then he faces a real uphill battle.
Would have liked him to stay one more year and allow Dundalk to have a real go at the European competitions. They did well this year considering the draw they got. This Dundalk are one of the biggest the LOI have produced for a long time. Up there with the Shels team that pushed Deportivo very close.
Brighton fans seem happy with the signing but not convinced that he'll make the XI.
Dale Stephens and Beram Kayal seems to be their current midfield partnership. Kayal had some good spurts with Celtic and I liked him any time I saw him. Seemed to have a controlled aggression and decent range of passing. Don't know much about Dale Stephens but a quick look at his former clubs (Bury, Oldham, Charlton) tells me that Towell would really need to be dislodging him anyway if he wanted to come near making an impression at international level.
So, it's unlikely either is the best midfielder in the Championship. Go get 'em, Richie.
They've been good enough to get them top of the league all the same. What (midfield) position did Towell play for Dundalk? Did they have a two man midfield with him playing further forward supporting the striker, or was he actually part of a two man midfield? Surely the former given his goal record?
He can play in any central midfield role. When he played in front of the back 4 he could dictate the play and he can play a more forward role support the striker. He has boundless energy and many of his goals were gained from making those runs time and time again, to be in a position to receive the assist. He has a striker's instinct and a robbie keane like, cocky confidence in his own ability. And put all that with the sublime skill to score a goal like this against Bray.
Always struck me that he had more or less a free role with Dundalk. Don't think I can recall any LOI player ever expressing so much confidence in his own ability. Think he'll have a proper crack off of it at Brighton. Hope he does well.
...Schwanholz, Herisau: a little bit of heaven...
So did Dundalk change their system from time to time or did they just change Towell's role within their system?
He's no Gylfi Sigurdsson, not yet anyway.
Dundalk were head and shoulders over every other team in the league but oft times they had to scrap against teams playing deep or hunting for the late winner against wilting teams and of course Richie stayed upfront. But from my observations, he makes his biggest impact playing deep, controlling the game and running forward at will, but Dundalk had two other central midfielders which freed Richie. I think this role suits a cautious Hughton down to the ground, he could be thinking to play Richie alongside 2 other CMs, Kayal (a seriously underrated CM when fit) and a n other.
Last edited by geysir; 02/12/2015 at 9:46 PM.
Can't recall Towell ever playing in front of the back four. That was always either Sheilds or O'Donnell, or both. Towell played a mixture of a roaming role in the middle and further up behind the striker, but in most cases had free reign to pick up possession anywhere and set the tempo.
Yeah, pretty much this.
Against us he was dropping deep, and I mean back to just in front of the back 4 to pick up the ball and try and set up attacks (they were losing at the time) and in the same match he was the furthest player forward and picked up a knock-on from McMillan to score the equaliser.
Okay, I'd agree, I'll say playing deeper instead of saying playing in front of the back 4.
Saying he played in front of the back 4 implies a defined role and i didn't intend that.
Main point of mine is that he had greater effect on the game, picking the ball up deeper. Playing against a good team like Bate, when he was moved up front in the 2nd half of the home game, Dundalk lost crucial control of midfield. In both games (against Bate) he was in his element at CM, picking the ball off the back 4 and moving the game forward and making those support runs.
I can't imagine that Hughton can be thinking to play him to support one striker, I think he will be played centrally alongside 2 CMs and get forward.
Would you not agree?
What does this guy use to dry off? Himself?
No Somos muchos pero estamos locos.
Yeah, he wouldn't be given the same license to roam at Brighton anyway. Can't think of any teams at that level who'd give one player so much license. Brighton, from what I see, play two in midfield and two relatively slow strikers, which probably works in the Championship but only so long as you can bully teams. It would be anathema to the way Towell has played in Ireland, so hopefully for his sake Hughton recognises his goalscoring ability and shifts to three in the middle.
I am not sure but it was rumoured he was taking a lot of flannel from the manager before he left.
Last edited by tricky_colour; 05/12/2015 at 9:54 PM.
Jeez...so we can at least agree he is hanging by a thread?
No Somos muchos pero estamos locos.
He can't wait "two ply" his trade in the UK...
I hear they are looking at a couple of new signing German signings, brothers Hans and Herr Dryer
Last edited by tricky_colour; 06/12/2015 at 4:33 PM.
I think he's gonna give every last fiber of his being to make it this time
Folding my way into the big money!!!
Confirmation from Brighton that Towell will wear number 29: https://twitter.com/OfficialBHAFC/st...54752340643840
And that's he's not eligible to play until after the 4th January when the international window opens: https://twitter.com/OfficialBHAFC/st...49755095887873Delighted to confirm squad numbers for new arrivals at #BHAFC Liam Ridgewell (33) and Richard Towell (29).
https://twitter.com/OfficialBHAFC/st...50112270204928To clarify position with Ridgewell and Towell, neither would have been available had Wolves match been on 2nd Jan. (1 of 2) #BHAFC
Both players require international via FIFA and international transfer window does not reopen until 4th Jan to apply. (2 of 2) #BHAFC
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