Evan Ferguson F Brighton b.2004

[Razors left peg]

There's a lot to pick out in that, but 1st thing that jumps out at me is you couldn't pick Duffy when he's not even getting on a bench all season. I wouldn't even have him in squad.

Ferguson has the ability to play the distributer as part of front 2, as we've seen with his 2 assists already. A partnership of him and last season Obafemi could be fantastic.

I don't agree with Kelleher over Bazunu either. Bazunu has had a bit of a rough patch but he's pulled through it and has been good in recent weeks. Kelleher just needs to play, he's warmed bench long enough at this point now.

Spurs signing Pedro Porro so I hope Doherty can get out of there before end of January, we need him badly. He offers us something no one else does and I think it wasn't talked about enough how much we missed him in some last competitive games.

I think Cullen and Molumbys form in league would cement their places so will be curious to see who 3rd in there would be. I'd probably go with Knight at moment

[elatedscum]

I did preface it by saying "I know people will think I'm crazy". Weirdly, the DM are reporting Fulham are about to make Duffy's signing a permanent signing (so they can sign Soares on loan).

Maybe I'd give him the Latvia game to prove his form. I think I just feel that we've been weaker without him since summer. I remember talking to Scots who were delighted he wasn't selected in September in the away game. They felt he was totally unplayable and were glad to see the back of him. And I don't think his exclusion has made us any more defensively solid (see Armenia home, Scotland away). Away to Scotland, I'd say if in Collins' position he probably engages Christie outside the box, instead of dropping off, and the cross never comes in. If he's in Egan's position, he probably doesn't drop deep and he wins the header. Against Armenia, countless times we've seen him make the deep block on the shot for the first goal that both Egan and Collins failed to make and same with the non-block by Egan for the second goal. Not real mistakes by the defenders but back to what I said about defensive instincts. We also conceded two goals from set pieces against Norway, where i would have fancied Duffy to win the headers that Egan and Duffy didn't

I know it's kinda nuts to consider playing a lad who has played 5 games this season but just my honest appraisal. If it was my money on the line, I'd like to see him playing against Latvia to see if he looks up to starting against France. I just don't like how leaky we've felt in his absence.

Ferguson has the ability to play the distributer as part of front 2, as we've seen with his 2 assists already. A partnership of him and last season Obafemi could be fantastic.

It's not really Ferguson I doubt in that pair. He does have a bunch of nippy lads around him at Brighton like Mitoma (who will be sold for so much money in a year or two) - it's Obafemi. Obafemi struggled playing up top alone, he struggled playing right wing, he's struggled with various partnerships, to get on the same wavelength. Robinson and him really struggled together against Norway. I think he's hit and miss about who he clicks with and how long it takes him to form a partnership. You'd love to give them some time against Latvia but playing Obafemi in a meaningless friendly on the eve of an important game seems a really bad idea. He's got a terrible rate of picking up a knock in game 1 and missing game 2.

I don't agree with Kelleher over Bazunu either. Bazunu has had a bit of a rough patch but he's pulled through it and has been good in recent weeks. Kelleher just needs to play, he's warmed bench long enough at this point now.

I just think overall his performances in the nations league weren't as good as they were in the world cup qualifiers. he's struggled for southampton on a whole this season. i love gav. i think he's an excellent keeper. saying that, i'm a liverpool fan and i found it remarkable how calm i felt during the wolves game. every worrying situation, i trusted Kelleher and he handled with ease. - he hasn't played in age and he steps in and performs perfectly. his performances for ireland have been good and yeah, i'd be happier if he were starting against france.

I think Cullen and Molumbys form in league would cement their places so will be curious to see who 3rd in there would be. I'd probably go with Knight at moment

I like Knight. But I feel we need some creativity in midfield, and I'm not sure that's him yet. He's got quick feet, good attacking instincts, he battles well and he's better going forward than Molumby - but I don't think he can pick a pass that others can't (Alan Browne in that position can't either). Hendrick probably sees passes that Knight doesn't. And that's ok if you've got the right players around him - but maybe Jamie McGrath offers you a willingness to be creative. The issue is the lads who have that might not be at the level we need (ala Connor Ronan), maybe Andy Moran is the long term solution but he's at the very best, not in contention till some point next season if he has a Ferguson-like rise. I think it's really why we've struggled so much against weaker sides - players being unwilling to take risks, play a progressive pass from midfield, carry the ball into dangerous areas. Was it against Norway that our only decent out-ball was Doherty?

At international level, I like Knight coming off the bench as well, I like the energy, I like him attacking tired legs and it's the perfect time for his marauding runs, those last 20 minutes.

[ifk101]

Not sure about the Duffy call. Wonder if our new found defensive frailties are more to do with shortness on the coaching side (ie the absence of a Barry/ Eustace).

I’d like to see Smallbone combined with Cullen and Molumby in the middle. Knight needs to be playing at a higher level for a starting position imo, feels his club situation has stagnated his progression this past year.

Bit on the fence with Ferguson. He looks the business in what he has done with Brighton but has looked like a 17/ 18 year old with the U21s. There’s still 8 weeks or so to Latvia/ France, so if Obafemi and Parrott have their club situations sorted out by then, I’d be looking at them as they have worked well together to date.

For goalie; I’d go with Bazunu but he does need to start putting in confidence boosting performances.

[JR89]

Hopefully Burnley can get a deal done for Obafemi because a partnership of him and Ferguson would be my preference. Obafemi showed at the start of the year he was more than just a CF who'll play on the shoulder and look to get in behind defenders. That itself was one of the reason he struggled at first when moving to Swansea as he struggled to adapt to the type of CF they wanted him to be.

His link up play and hold up play is often overlooked given his size and pace. It's why Burnley were after him this season because he developed that link up play side of his game but also knew where the back of the net is.

Also with Parrott we've seen this season he can't finish his dinner. He's missed some sitters this season and while Obafemi has been nowhere near the player he was at the start of 2022 I'd rather chances fell to him than Parrott.

[Eirambler]

Not sure about the Duffy call. Wonder if our new found defensive frailties are more to do with shortness on the coaching side (ie the absence of a Barry/ Eustace).

I’d like to see Smallbone combined with Cullen and Molumby in the middle. Knight needs to be playing at a higher level for a starting position imo, feels his club situation has stagnated his progression this past year.

Bit on the fence with Ferguson. He looks the business in what he has done with Brighton but has looked like a 17/ 18 year old with the U21s. There’s still 8 weeks or so to Latvia/ France, so if Obafemi and Parrott have their club situations sorted out by then, I’d be looking at them as they have worked well together to date.

For goalie; I’d go with Bazunu but he does need to start putting in confidence boosting performances.

Yes, I'd be more with the defensive issues being down to setup rather than Duffy's absence. it's strange to say because we won 3-0 but the only genuinely good win we've had under Kenny is a game that, on another day, Duffy would have lost us with the two disastrous passes while the game was still alive. We were just lucky that it was Scotland we were playing and not a better team who would have taken advantage. I'd happily not see much more of Duffy in green going forward to be honest, he's a defensive liability in possession to an extent that more than undoes his set piece impact.

I'm also not sure about us needing a creative midfielder. That's certainly the case when you're playing one up front but in a 3-5-2 do you really need one? Creativity should be coming from your wing backs and your second forward in that formation.

I think this is one area where fans see the game very differently to coaches and managers. By all means if you're lucky enough to have a creative midfielder who can do the leg work of a central midfielder also then great, get them in. But most teams don't have that and that's OK. Midfield is a battleground that needs to be won in my view. That's why nobody plays 4-4-2 anymore, you get three proper midfielders in there, you win the battle and you go from there. We've seen time and again under Kenny what happens when you under-resource midfield, even against relative minnows - you get overrun and you end up with three attackers on the field contributing nothing because they don't get any decent ball.

There's a reason why so many tricky, technical attacking midfielders end up playing at a lower level. How many times do you hear supporters going "I like xxxxxxxx, he's a nice footballer, he should be playing at a higher level than Colorado Rapids/Willem II/St Mirren/Shamrock Rovers/Levski Sofia or wherever? But there's a reason why this happens - if they don't build out their all round game, and unless they're absolutely exceptional, indispensable attacking midfielders, nobody wants them at a higher level.

Basically what I'm saying with all this is that I'd take three Jason Knights in midfield every day of the week before I'd want a Connor Ronan in there.

Anyway, in terms of Ferguson, if he continues anywhere near the level he is currently at, he 100% starts against France for me. I would put some pace alongside him - Obafemi if he's back playing well by then, otherwise Ogbene.

[ifk101]

I'm also not sure about us needing a creative midfielder. That's certainly the case when you're playing one up front but in a 3-5-2 do you really need one? Creativity should be coming from your wing backs and your second forward in that formation.

That’s a good question. I think there is more balance with a creative midfielder (in addition to a creative second forward) and helps remove predictability in attack. That’s why I’d lean towards Parrott (even though his club situation doesn’t merit it) and would like to see Smallbone against Latvia as both can offer that creativity/ invention. A creative midfielder complements, imo, a combative midfielder in Molumby and an anchor/ holding/ momentum/ link midfielder in Cullen. But maybe we need to be more cautious against France. :-)

Would say also on the coaching part, that a 3-5-2 formation is coaching heavy to get right.

[Diggs246]

Would this work

Bazuna

Coleman Egan Collins Shea Doherty

Cullen Molumby

Smallbone

Obafemi

Ferguson

[Stuttgart88]

Bazuna

Diggsy has just outed himself as Eamon Dunphy

[BOOMSHAKALAKA]

Would this work

Bazuna

Coleman Egan Collins Shea Doherty

Cullen Molumby

Smallbone

Obafemi

Ferguson

From that starting team, we have 5 premier league players, 3 about to get promoted to the premier league and 2 others with a chance to go up in the play offs from the championship. Remember some people were claiming we have a league 1 standard team? We're not as bad as some make us out. In fact I think we have a good squad when you look at our bench options as well.

[pineapple stu]

Well in the interests of balance, it's worth pointing out three of those Premier players are in serious danger of relegation, and Doherty is arguably a bit-part player who may be moving on in the summer.

I'm not sure people were claiming we had a League 1 standard team either - though it was right to point out we had a lot of League 1 players in the squad. I think we had games with five of them on the pitch at one stage?

[Olé Olé]

There's an Athletic piece which is less about his background and more about his impact and the details of it. I'll drop it in here but bear in mind it is supported by graphics on the site:

https://theathletic.com/4116673/2023...id-for-europe/

I particularly like Glenn Murray's insights and the quotes from his former under 18 coach at Brighton at the end.

[Olé Olé]

The staff down at Brighton & Hove Albion often refer to Evan Ferguson as ‘Manboy’ when they talk about the teenager currently taking the Premier League by storm.
It is an apt description since the 18-year-old is giving as good as he gets in physical battles with experienced central defenders, along with scoring goals and contributing assists at a remarkable rate.
Ferguson’s top-flight career is still in its infancy but comparisons with Harry Kane have been made by staff members at Brighton. The striker has bolstered Brighton’s increasingly credible challenge to qualify for a place in Europe next season under Roberto De Zerbi, with three goals and two assists in his last four Premier League appearances.That tally has been made across 190 minutes of playing time — the equivalent of a goal involvement every 38 minutes.
Include his first league outing of the season, as a late substitute in the 3-1 win at Southampton on Boxing Day, and Ferguson has 2.27 goal involvements per 90 minutes. That is the best in the league by some distance — better even than Manchester City’s prolific marksman Erling Haaland, albeit from a far smaller sample size.
Ferguson’s top-flight career is still in its infancy but comparisons with Harry Kane have been made by staff members at Brighton. The striker has bolstered Brighton’s increasingly credible challenge to qualify for a place in Europe next season under Roberto De Zerbi, with three goals and two assists in his last four Premier League appearances.
That tally has been made across 190 minutes of playing time — the equivalent of a goal involvement every 38 minutes.
Include his first league outing of the season, as a late substitute in the 3-1 win at Southampton on Boxing Day, and Ferguson has 2.27 goal involvements per 90 minutes. That is the best in the league by some distance — better even than Manchester City’s prolific marksman Erling Haaland, albeit from a far smaller sample size.
He also registered a goal and an assist in the 3-0 win over Forest Green in the Carabao Cup, taking his figures to four goals and three assists in eight games across all first-team competitions this season. The Leicester manager Brendan Rodgers described Ferguson as a “fantastic player” when lamenting how his defenders had allowed the forward to drift unmarked into the penalty area to head Brighton’s late equaliser from Pervis Estupinan’s cross in Saturday’s 2-2 draw at the King Power Stadium.
The former Brighton striker Glenn Murray, who was co-commentating on the Leicester game for Sky Sports, says: “He made an incredibly difficult header look very easy — the distance, the angle, the power. He had to generate that power himself. It was just perfect really.”
Ferguson has admired Haaland from afar but, at Brighton, he has learnt from Danny Welbeck, the 32-year-old former Manchester United, Arsenal and England forward.
“Everything he does, he just tries to make sure it’s the best he can deliver,” Ferguson says. “I’m looking at him every day, trying to learn. If you look at Haaland now as well… with him it’s just the different types of movements he comes up with. When a midfielder gets on the ball, he looks for different ways to find space — little things like that.”

[Olé Olé]

Ferguson showed he is learning fast in the way he set up Solly March’s second goal in the 3-0 win against Liverpool at the Amex earlier this month. He drops deep (see below) to receive a pass from Estupinan, as Kaoru Mitoma makes a run down the left flank behind Trent Alexander-Arnold.
Ferguson turns and bursts into space centrally while March advances between Andrew Robertson and Ibrahima Konate. The through ball is inch perfect for March to collect on the run.
March dispatches a left-foot shot to double Brighton’s lead. Note that Ferguson continues his supporting run on the off chance the goalkeeper parries the midfielder’s attempt and there is a rebound to convert.
Yet Ferguson, who signed a new contract on his 18th birthday that runs until 2026, offers more than goals and assists. An employee working in the recruitment department of a rival top-six club, granted anonymity to protect relationships, says Ferguson has impressed everybody with his physicality.
This was evident against Liverpool when, collecting a pass from Mitoma, the 6ft 2in (188cm) striker shielded the ball with his back to goal from the imposing Konate.
Ferguson used his upper body strength to shrug off Konate and set up a shooting opportunity for Adam Lallana, which the former Liverpool midfielder dragged wide.
Ferguson clearly relishes those toe-to-toe confrontations. He demonstrated as much on his first Premier League start in the 4-1 win at Everton a few weeks ago. Conor Coady and James Tarkowski — experienced and combative central defenders with England caps — tried in vain to outmuscle and intimidate Ferguson.
Yet Ferguson showed an old head on young shoulders, not least with his game management when sensing danger.
Mitoma was lying injured in the Everton penalty area late in the first half, leaving Brighton temporarily down to 10 men, when he disrupted the home side’s attempt to build an attack by barging Idrissa Gueye off the ball near the halfway line.
It cost Ferguson a yellow card from referee Andre Marriner and angered the Everton players, but Ferguson was far from overawed and went face-to-face with Tarkowski in the melee that ensued.
Everton could not handle Ferguson, who exhibited all the instincts of a natural finisher for Brighton’s second goal. Early in the second half, he looks over his right shoulder, spotting Vitalii Mykolenko about to shut down the space as Jeremy Sarmiento makes progress into the Everton box.
As Sarmiento takes on Tarkowski and Mykolenko is drawn towards the ball, Ferguson holds his ground. “He puts the brakes on, then backpedals two yards,” says Murray, Brighton’s joint-top scorer in the Premier League with 26 goals, a record he shares with Neal Maupay. “That opens up just enough space between him and his marker.”
Sarmiento cuts the ball back and Ferguson calmly puts Brighton into a 2-0 lead.
Yet it was another passage of play earlier in the game at Goodison Park that impressed Murray more. In the clip below, Ferguson lurks at the far post, about to make a run inside Mykolenko, as Mitoma feeds in a cross with the outside of his right boot.
Ferguson swivels to strike the moving ball with his left foot, hitting the bottom of Jordan Pickford’s right-hand post with the diving keeper comprehensively beaten.
“He uses the pace on the ball to feed it back across goal with his left foot,” says Murray. “That was seriously good. That’s something you might do when you’ve played for a long time, but I haven’t seen that from an 18-year-old.
“As you are coming through you want to make your mark and you snatch at things sometimes — you’re so desperate for it to happen. His calmness at that moment is exceptional. So many others might lose their heads.”
Ferguson’s assist for March’s goal at Everton, which gave Brighton an unassailable 3-0 lead early in the second half, showcased his link-up play and movement. He spreads the play to March before making a run across Tarkowski towards the penalty area.

[Olé Olé]

Yet, rather than making a beeline for the penalty spot, Ferguson checks his stride, changes direction and makes a dummy run outside March, which serves to create space into which the winger cuts inside.
Tarkowski is left floundering on the floor as March eventually places his shot beyond Pickford.
The extra dimension the forward is giving Brighton has benefitted Mitoma as well as March. Take, for example, Brighton’s opening goal against Liverpool, ultimately laid on for March by the Japan international.
Alexis Mac Allister is in possession after Joel Matip loses possession. Ferguson’s run into the middle, across Matip, opens up space into which Mitoma can dart.
Mac Allister delivers his pass to Lallana just before Matip fouls him. Lallana in turn releases Mitoma, with Ferguson in close support.
The focus is inevitably drawn to Mitoma crossing for March to convert past Alisson from close range, but the role played by Ferguson’s clever movement in the build-up to open up the Liverpool defence should not be underestimated.
“His understanding of the game — when to drop it off, when to spin it out, when to hold it up… they’re things that can’t be taught,” says Murray.
“They’re things that experience brings, but he just seems to have such a good understanding so early. I’m so impressed as the whole package.”
Ferguson has gone from strength to strength since announcing himself to the Premier League with a goal as a substitute in Brighton’s 4-2 home defeat by Arsenal on New Year’s Eve. The teenager is initially inside his own half, offering himself as an option to Levi Colwill who, instead, plays a square pass to fellow central defender Lewis Dunk.
Ferguson simply turns and accelerates into Arsenal territory, trying to latch onto Dunk’s long pass over the top.
The loose ball should be dealt with by William Saliba, but Ferguson pressurises the central defender into an error. “He was very lucky but you are out there to prove a point and chase lost causes,” says Murray. “That ball went past him and Saliba almost knocked it back into his path, but from that point, he’s come alive.
“He was strong against Saliba, who was a little bit off-balance.”
Then came the ‘wow’ factor for Murray, with Ferguson slipping the ball past the advancing goalkeeper Aaron Ramsdale. “To have the composure, even with Ramsdale rushing at you… he rolls his studs over the ball, which changed the whole perspective for Ramsdale as it affects his angles,” says Murray. “That one touch — changing the direction of the ball — is almost unteachable.
“You’ve either got it or you haven’t.”
Hopes are high for Ferguson also on the international stage.
He made his first senior appearances for the Republic of Ireland as a late substitute in friendlies against Norway and Malta in November and is now in contention for a competitive debut in the European Championship qualifier against France in March.
The excitement around the scale of Ferguson’s potential has been there at Brighton from the moment he was signed as a 16-year-old from League of Ireland club Bohemians in January 2021, amid interest from Liverpool, Everton, Manchester United and Celtic.
“I’m not surprised by his progress at all,” says Brighton’s former under-18s coach Mark Beard. “He’s a special talent who will go right to the top. He’s got that aura about him, without any ego. He can do everything with the ball.
“In my first session with him, he asked to do extras on his own, so I did a shooting session with him. He’s an all-round centre-forward who can shoot with both feet, head, volley, score with his back to goal. I kept testing him but he had no weakness. The two goalkeepers didn’t save one shot in the 10 minutes the session lasted.
“I have never seen anything like it.”

[JR89]

Both himself and Welbeck start today so interesting to see how Brighton set up.

[third policeman]

There's a reason why so many tricky, technical attacking midfielders end up playing at a lower level. How many times do you hear supporters going "I like xxxxxxxx, he's a nice footballer, he should be playing at a higher level than Colorado Rapids/Willem II/St Mirren/Shamrock Rovers/Levski Sofia or wherever? But there's a reason why this happens - if they don't build out their all round game, and unless they're absolutely exceptional, indispensable attacking midfielders, nobody wants them at a higher level.

Basically what I'm saying with all this is that I'd take three Jason Knights in midfield every day of the week before I'd want a Connor Ronan in

That’s the calculation that condemned Wessi to years playing below his actual level.

[passinginterest]

Liverpool a lot better today. Konate defending really aggressively on Ferguson. Despite that, Ferguson has had a few superb touches, including a lovely lay off for Mitoma for Brighton’s best chance.

[passinginterest]

Oh no. Terrible tackle by Faboinho on his achilles. Second player after Konate to get a yellow for smashing him. He’s looked tired but was still doing well. He’s had to go off with the injury but managed to hobble off at least.

[JR89]

Didn't look good going off and being an Irish player probably fear the worst that it could be ligament damage.

[CSAD]

After an unusually long period of seeing only extremely positive news in one thread, news like today is more of what I expect to see…and I think we all know how this story goes, the only question is will there be some mercy and we only lose him for March or will our luck continue and we lose him for the summer also…