Ryan Targeting Improved Away Form

Brighton & Hove Albion goalkeeper Mathew Ryan has targeted an improvement in away form for the 2018/19 Premier League season, as the Australian expressed his confidence ahead of today’s visit to Vicarage Road.

The Seagulls get their Premier League campaign underway against Watford, and the 26-year-old believes Chris Hughton’s side must look to better the 11 points achieved on the road last season.

He said, “There’s always room for improvement - even Pep Guardiola was saying there’s room for improvement in his squad. That’s always going to be the case throughout life - you’re always learning new things.

“One thing we would like to improve on is our away form. I think we notched two wins away from home last season, but they were vital in our campaign.

“I believe that if we play to the level that I know we can, we’ll be going up to Watford with a really good chance of winning the game.

“We just need to sustain those levels throughout the match to give ourselves the best chance.”

The Australian had a busy summer with the Socceroos at the FIFA World Cup in Russia, and although Ryan had less of a break than some of his team-mates, he insists he’s more than ready for the new season.

“I’ve been back a few weeks now and it’s just about reintroducing your body to the demands of being a footballer again. I only had three weeks off, so I don’t think I lost too much of the physical aspect.

“Mentally, the break enabled me to switch off, take my mind off football and just enjoy time with friends and family.

“After going through the experiences of last season, I can’t wait to see what this season has in store for us.

“It’s an exciting place to be around at the moment. Hopefully the lessons from last season will help us improve this time around.”