Brighton Fan View: Bruno's new deal is a timely boost

Bruno’s new contract this week was a positive move at a time when Brighton need to keep cool heads.

The 2-0 defeat at home to Leicester last Saturday was disappointing and frustrating, mainly because it was a missed opportunity to take a huge step towards survival.

When you get a penalty at 0-0 with 13 minutes to go, you have every right to think the three points are yours. To then lose the game 2-0 felt like a real blow to the stomach.

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AS IT HAPPENED: Brighton v Leicester

However, some of the panic I heard from a minority of fans at the end of the game, on the train home and on social media since is completely unnecessary. “If we lose to Huddersfield (on Saturday), we are in real trouble,” is the gist of what some are saying. But why be so negative? It is certainly not needed at a time when everyone concerned with Brighton – players and fans – need to pull together to get us over the survival line.

There is plenty to be positive about, the biggest being we are still in a far better position than most thought we would be at this stage of the season. We are also still playing well, the other results went our way last weekend and we have two games coming up when we can both put a harsh result behind us and secure the points we need to stay up.

If that mixture is not enough to be positive, then I feel it was a timely boost from the club to announce that Bruno had committed himself to the club for one more season.

Our captain may have lost his place to Ezequiel Schelotto in recent weeks but he remains an important member of the squad and a player who mirrors the calmness of our manager, Chris Hughton.

Schelotto is clearly the future in terms of Brighton’s right-back position, although he still has plenty to improve upon, particularly his productivity in the final third after getting in such good positions. That is certainly an area where he could learn from Bruno whose link play with Anthony Knockaert in attacking areas last season was the cornerstone of our promotion to the Premier League.

Bruno may have to be content with more limited opportunities but he is a great player to have in your squad and a cool head we can rely on should things get more nervy than they need to be in the last few games of the season.

As I say, the more cool heads the better right now. The Leicester result may have been harsh, but it simply taught us what the Premier League is about: you have to take your chances. If Brighton can add that against Huddersfield to the performance we produced against Leicester then we should be all right.

On other matters, my vote has gone in for Pascal Gross as player-of-the-season, by a whisker from Lewis Dunk. Either of them would be worthy winners of the award, with Mathew Ryan not far behind.

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And from a Brighton fan, I have to add to the tributes following the death of Ray Wilkins this week. What a fabulous footballer and a gentleman he was. His brother managed Brighton and Dean Wilkins’ dedication to a passing game was clearly the family way.

I was behind the goal at Wembley in 1983 when Ray Wilkins scored one of the goals he will be remembered for. At the time I was cursing it, but I admit now I will never tire of watching a strike which highlighted what a wonderful player he was.