Brighton’s ‘Exciting Young Prospect’: The Quiet Brilliance Of Maisie Symonds – Scout Report

When Brighton and Hove Albion Women secured their WSL safety at the end of last season, there were many who harboured hopes that it would be their last skirmish with relegation and that they would kick on under head coach Melissa Phillips and would start to challenge higher up the table, matching the targets that the board have had for a number of years.

However, much to the dismay of their fanbase, 2023/24 has almost been a carbon copy, with them once again struggling near the foot of the table and in search of a new coach, with Phillips’ tenure being brought to an end in January after just short of ten months with her at the helm.

It has not all been bad news for Brighton, though, and one of the positives to have come out of the campaign has been the emergence of 21-year-old midfielder Maisie Symonds as a critical part of their squad.

She is not a new face around the WSL scene, with her being part of Brighton’s first-team picture for a few years now, but the fact that she has spent long periods of time out of action means that fans have not been able to see what she can really do until now.

This tactical analysis will look at why she has been a shining light in another year of disappointment for the club, detailing the many ways in which she has contributed to their performances and why she will keep playing a key part in their tactics as they continue to build a squad capable of delivering the results that they have long dreamt of.

Maisie Symonds Style Of Play- Controlling the midfield

Whilst there are many reasons for Maisie Symonds being such a good fit for Brighton this season, where they have benefitted from her the most has been in the central third, with her offering a lot when it comes to helping Brighton play around the field and connecting critical areas of the team together.

This is largely because of her sharp mind and quality on the ball whenever it has been at her feet, with her never losing her composure and always demonstrating a calm approach to situations where she is under pressure.

This has allowed her to manage the tempo of Brighton’s passing whenever they have looked to go from one end of the field to the other, with her knowing when to release the ball and where and, therefore, the source of a lot of their positive play.

It