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What Brighton Players Caught The Eye Against Strasbourg?
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- What Brighton Players Caught The Eye Against Strasbourg?
(TALKSEAGULLS)
Brighton and Hove Albion played their final Austrian pre-season game against Strasbourg this morning, winning the overall 120 minutes 4-3.
Of course, there isn't much that you can take from these types of games. A fixture where the intensity isn't anywhere near that of a Premier League game can never be taken too seriously, but there are always signs to look out for in warm-up games.
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What can we take from the win?
Firstly, wow, Olivier Boscagli can strike a ball!
Boscagli took his goal magnificently well. An oncoming ball delicately whipped into the top left-hand corner – a smartly worked free kick. Boscagli hasn't necessarily been known for his goal contributions, but he is significantly better at progressing forward than defending. His ball-striking ability is fairly unquestioned. We'd seen it in glimpses last season, especially with his crosses into the box. Potentially something to look into ahead of the new season.
Elsewhere, Eiran Cashin contributed with a goal! Perhaps not one of the most glamorous of strikes, his header was scrambled into the back of the Strasbourg net from close range.
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He may not have much of a future at the club, but Cashin had a fair game at left-back. We have seen stranger careers revitalised at Brighton ; remember the likes of Ezequiel Schelotto and Dan Burn during their times under Graham Potter?
Ibrahim Osman is another player to watch this season. Always one who loves to turn up in pre-season for Brighton and is on the back of a successful loan spell at Birmingham City. His contributions in the West Midlands were good enough for the chance of a second deal this summer, with both another loan and a permanent transfer discussed in the media.
However, from Albion's perspective, missing Kaoru Mitoma due to injury is a big reason for the need for a backup left-winger who is capable of being effective on the pitch.
Notably, Osman took a penalty to make it 4-2 today and slotted it home confidently. Considering Pascal Groß will not be able to take every penalty, that is certainly something to look out for this season!
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Finally, what really matters is the win. While there are positives, there are also some concerns. Both tactically and with squad depth.
The departures list is heavy on the Seagulls' squad again, and Fabian Hürzeler has an uphill task on his hands to compete with the style of play he has in mind, especially considering the level of experience lost so far.
