The worst thing about Brighton collapsing against Wolves – and there was a lot to dislike about it – was that blowing a 2-0 lead with seven minutes remaining against the club bottom of the Premier League overshadowed Evan Ferguson beginning to return to form.
Ferguson had gone 11 long months without a goal before giving the Albion what should have been an unassailable 2-0 advantage. He last hit the back of the net away at Nottingham Forest in November 2023.
When Roberto De Zerbi could do no wrong. Brighton were flying domestically and in Europe. And the idea of the hottest young forward in English football going on a near-year long run of not scoring would have seemed absurd.
Which is why Ferguson breaking his duck with a clinical finish beyond Jose Sa in front of the North Stand was met with such joy. It should have been the headline from a routine Brighton win. But it wasn’t. What a shit show.
With the monkey of that first club goal of 2024 off his monkey, Ferguson has now ended his 13 month wait to score for the Republic of Ireland.
A powerful first half header against Finland at the Aviva Stadium helped the Boys in Green to a 1-0 UEFA Nations League victory.
It is telling of how good a player Evan Ferguson is that not many people have been overly concerned about his form.
Even as the months ticked by and he was still to find the back of the net, it always felt like a case of when rather than if.
Brighton have had plenty of strikers in the past who when on similar runs, you wondered if they would ever score in an Albion shirt.
But hey, DJ Jurgen Locadia made some good music and posted some magnificent content on Instagram, getting his haircut and looking pensively into a fridge. Swings, roundabouts and all that.
Ferguson though was always going to break out of his barren run. If anything, months without a goal might even be good for him.
Every striker goes through scoreless sequences in his career. The argument went that Ferguson would be better for the experience of learning how to get out of such a rut.
Richard Dunne articulated as much in a recent interview with GamblingZone, discussing the form of Evan Ferguson from a Republic of Ireland standpoint – and placing it in the context of a 2023-24 season brought to an early conclusion by ankle surgery.
“He’s still coming back from that injury. I know it’s been a few months now, but he’s still not had that run of games that he needs,” said Dunne.
“Your recovery and your return to sharpness, to the top level, takes that little bit longer, because you’re not getting those games.”
“I don’t think there’s any worries from Irish fans that it’s not happening quickly enough, because it is a long-term thing with Evan. We know that he’s got time to become the player that he wants to become.”
Dunne also spoke about how Brighton is the right place for Ferguson to develop and make the most of his potential.
“He’s obviously playing at a very good club in Brighton, and the competition for places is hard for him. It’s probably a little bit of a disappointment the amount of games he’s playing but he’s still 20.”
“He’s still got a long-term plan to be a top, top footballer and I think Brighton believe in him, which is important.”
“I think the longer he stays fit, whether he’s playing games, or just training or being in that environment of being on the pitch all the time, his sharpness will improve.”
“Over the course of the season, I do think we’ll start to see the best of Evan Ferguson. He’ll score goals. I think he’ll be an important player for Brighton, and we hope that he’s going to be a huge player for Ireland.”
Part of the reason Ferguson has struggled for game time is the form of a certain Danny Welbeck. Six goals in 11 Premier League matches has sparked talk of an England recall and made resting Dat Guy impossible.
Fabian Hurzeler has started Ferguson and Welbeck as a front pairing once – the 1-0 win away at Newcastle. Ferguson did an underrated job closing down from the front as Brighton sought to prevent the Saudi Sportswashers threatening from wide positions.
But it remains very much a one-off in terms of Hurzeler playing two up front. Why otherwise deviate from the tried and tested 4-2-3-1 when your only defeats this season have come at the hands of Liverpool and Chelsea?
Ferguson is likely to get increased game time as the campaign progresses. Something which Dunne thinks is good news for Brighton and the Republic of Ireland.
“I think over the course of the season, Brighton will use Evan enough that he will be happy with the amount of minutes that he’s getting.”
“Danny Welbeck is in fantastic form. He’s been brilliant at the start of the season. But he’s not a player who’s always stayed fit.”
“He’s not a player who’s always been on top form for a full season, which is a long, long time. There will be opportunities for Evan at some stage. It is up to him to take those opportunities when they come around.”
Just not against England at Wembley on Sunday, please Evan.
