Dunk and Welbeck updates have shifted Potter’s priorities
Having entered the January transfer window, Brighton have the opportunity to strengthen their ranks. Signings not managed in the summer, as well as problems which have occurred this season will all play their part in who Graham Potter will look to bring in.
The most obvious need for Brighton in the transfer window is to sign a striker, a position in they attempted but failed to sign in the summer.
The Seagulls’ infamous xG (expected goals) rating last season, which showed Brighton failing to score the number of goals they were expected to based on the chances they were creating, indicated that the side needed to sign a clinical forward.
With Brighton currently joint 15th for Premier League goals scored this season, the problem has not been fixed, the need to score more remains the same, and so high on Potter’s list again this window, will be a new striker.
However the recent form of Neal Maupay and a return to fitness of Danny Welbeck will mean Brighton will not be pushed into paying over the odds.
The injury to captain Lewis Dunk could also play a part in the transfer window, as Brighton may look to sign a defender as cover until Dunk returns and is match fit again.
However, with the impressive resurgence of Shane Duffy this season, the need to sign a consistent first team defender is not as high as it was following the end of last seasons campaign.
With Duffy impressing on his return from loan at Celtic last season, Brighton’s need to bolster their defence at the end of last season, having lost Ben White to Arsenal in the summer, looks to have been fulfilled by the Ireland international without having to have spent a penny.
As a result, potential plans to buy a central defender will now no longer be a high priority, and the link to Wales international Joe Rodon, who worked under Potter at Swansea, looks unlikely.
With the aforementioned xG stats from last season suggesting that Brighton’s problem was in taking chances and not creating them, Potter can be understood for not looking to sign a creative player for his side in the summer.
However, having created 21 big chances in 19 league games so far this season, which ranks them 12th in this capacity, it’s become apparent that Brighton have had a creativity issue so far this season.
What will make the Seagulls’ lack of big chances per game even more of a cause for concern for Potter, is that his side have had 56.5% possession on average in the league this season, up from 51.1% last campaign.
That extra 5% per game may not seem like a lot, but it opens up an extra 10% possession advantage over their opponents, and Potter will be disappointed to see that his team are not taking advantage of their extra time with the ball by creating more quality chances.
As a result, he may well be looking in the transfer market for a creative midfielder, despite securing the services of young prospect 18-year-old Kacper Koslowski, who has been loaned to Tony Bloom’s Champions League chasing Belgium outfit USG.
One thing is for certain in this window, Brighton should be looking to do business if they want to continue they’re Premier League progress, and positive season so far.
experienced it.”
During May 2020 and May 2021 it gifted 645 bundles of essential items, compared to 279 the year before.
Jo Petty is the founder of Ten Little Toes Baby Bank, based in Cowfold, West Sussex, which she runs from her home.
She said: “From our own point of view the pandemic didn’t stop us at all, we just had to change the way we worked.”
“During the lockdown luckily the weather was good so its volunteers could sort out donations in the fresh air and leave bundles outside for support workers to collect. For a while it also had a free ‘shop’ outside the Ten Little Toes HQ which had formula, wipes, baby food, toiletries etc for people to help themselves when needed.”
Many of the babybanks went above and beyond during the pandemic Pelican Parcel put together ‘home schooling packs’ for children which included a couple of reading books, pens, pencils and crayons with notepads and an arts/craft activity. It also
ran for the first time in 2021 a “back to school” campaign to help with the high costs of getting children ready with new uniforms, shoes and the related kit.
Ten Little Toes was also present when Milton Mount in Crawley had a huge gas leak and residents were moved to hotels. The team filled the car and met people at the hotel so they could take what they needed.
The families that use the babybanks are referred by one of its partners such as social workers, health visitors, midwifery teams and more.
Jo said: “2021 has been another challenging year and for some, more difficult than 2020. There are more families than ever worrying about being able to give their children a happy Christmas.”
Little Bundles Baby Bank is one of the services of the West Sussex Coastal branch of the National Childbirth Trust. It covers the Arun and Chichester district but extends its baby bank service more widely to support professional partners who work across a larger geographical boundaries that the baby bank does.
Alice Duckworth is branch coordinator, she said: “We know it can be very hard for families to seek help, and also very overwhelming to receive everything a family needs for a new baby from a charity. But we do want to encourage anyone struggling to provide the essentials for their children to seek our help through a referral.
“Since lockdown eased, we have remained busier and we have certainly seen requests for school age children increase alongside the usual level of support we provide to those with new or expectant babies.”
Babybanks are still in need of donations of items and volunteers.
Hannah said: “We are always in need of volunteers and would love to hear from anyone who is interested, either in a personal capacity or through corporate
It is sad that in our society babybanks and foodbanks are so prevalent.
SHELLEY BENNETT Co-founder and trustee Pelican Parcels
volunteering. We understand that people have other commitments and we offer flexible opportunities which can change to suit the availability or interests of our volunteers.”
Research, conducted by Pampers in May 2020, found that more than a quarter of mums and dads feel like they’ve failed as parents.
Jo said: “Babybanks shouldn’t be important. In 2021 families, through no fault of their own, shouldn’t need to rely on charitable organisations to make ends meet - to ensure they have nappies for their babies, warm clothing for their toddlers and toiletries and pyjamas for their growing older children. Marcus Rashford did a wonderful job of highlighting the food poverty crisis in Britain at the end of 2020. The same crisis applies to families, with increased inflation and the cost of soaring food and energy bills, that are struggling to provide what should be the basics for their children.”
For more information on how to donate items, visit:
Baby2Baby: www. baby2baby.co.uk
Ten Little Toes: www. tenlittletoesbabybank.org/
Pelican Parcels: www. pelicanparcels.org.uk
Via Facebook ‘Little Bundles Baby Bank Chichester and Arun’ or by email branch. westsussexcoastal@nct.org. uk