Brighton and Hove Albion Fan View: Glenn Murray to be commended for improved performances after new arrivals

Glenn Murray’s response to two new strikers being signed has been hugely impressive.

The talk since the summer transfer window closed has been that Brighton have not had enough in the striker department, which must have been difficult at times for Murray and Tomer Hemed, who were the two fit strikers we had for most of the first half of the season.

Then throughout January the clamour for new signings in the forward department grew and grew, eventually resulting in the arrival of Jurgen Locadia and Leo Ulloa on loan. Those two were hailed as Brighton’s saviours, which again cannot have been easy for Murray.

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Murray has not sulked or responded badly to the arrivals. Instead, his response has been quite the opposite. Despite having an off-the-field issue to deal with, he has scored in each of his last three games and played superbly too, particularly away to Southampton and at home to West Ham last Saturday. Manager Chris Hughton could not have asked for any more from a player whose goal last week took him into double figures for the season in all competitions.

Brighton fans are delighted. The mistake some people make in terms of new signings is thinking that they are purely to replace someone. But we never wanted to replace Murray – or Hemed; we simply wanted more options up front for a highly competitive division, particularly as we were on a poor run of form and struggling to score goals at the time. With his recent run of form Murray has shown that he wants to keep the shirt, even when Ulloa is fully match fit and Locadia is back from injury, which we are told is very soon.

The competition the signings have created is exactly what Brighton needed and I’m sure it applies to Hemed too, because he will not be happy about losing his place in the matchday squad and will be determined to show it when he gets back in.

In my opinion, it is a shame we could not have added another central midfielder and perhaps a centre-back before the transfer window closed as that competition for places would have intensified in those positions too. But, who am I to say something like that after an outstanding team performance and result against West Ham?

That was just what Brighton needed: firstly, three points; secondly, a thoroughly deserved victory; and, thirdly, a win with goals, rather than a streaky 1-0. It finished 3-1 but could conceivably have been four or five.

We must not get carried because I believe Brighton still need at least four more wins from the remaining 12 games to stay up, but now it looks possible which is something I was struggling to say with any real belief this time last week.

Rather like drawing at Southampton and then backing it up with a win against West Ham, Brighton need to do something similar in the next two Premier League games away to Stoke City this weekend and at home to Swansea later in the month. Of course, two wins would be great, but four points would be perfectly acceptable and one win would at least take us to 30 points, which would be seen as a milestone in the fight for survival.

Locadia and Ulloa will have big roles to play in the matches between now and the end of the season, but for now it is Murray who is shouting loudest and for that you have to give him a huge amount of credit.

@GriggoHome