I'm a neutral who enjoys watching every Brighton game, what are you, the fans, opinion on De Zerbi constantly chopping and changing his starting 11? any of you getting annoyed by it? I understand you got a lot of games to play, and a lot of good players to use, but nearly every top team players largely the same 11 every game with 1-3 changes max. Seems De Zerbi does 5-7 changes game to game. Mental.
Got something to say or just want fewer pesky ads? Join us... 😊
[Albion] De Zerbi constant player changes
- Thread starter BrianSwan
- Start date
TWOCHOICEStom
Well-known member
When it stops working I'll start caring.
Thunder Bolt
Silly old bat
It keeps the opposition guessing.
It may actually be a master-stroke. Teams like Newcastle and Spurs who have tended not to make many changes, and have loads of injuries, are now going to have to play guys with little match experience.
It may have been slightly disruptive, but potentially the right strategy in the longer term.
It may have been slightly disruptive, but potentially the right strategy in the longer term.
Weststander
Well-known member
As a non neutral, I’m fine with it, as long as Veltman plays 
.
Perhaps the “top teams” will pay a price with injuries to their favoured XI as the season progresses.
.Perhaps the “top teams” will pay a price with injuries to their favoured XI as the season progresses.
- Jun 20, 2021
- 3,877
I suspect if the injuries weren't mounting up quite so fast, he wouldn't be making quite so many changes each week.
Also we have this odd combination of either very young, or old players, who he feels can't cope with 2 games a week.
If the aim is to prevent burn out over a potentially 50+ game season all well and good.
Maybe there will be slightly fewer changes each week as things settle down through the season.
Also we have this odd combination of either very young, or old players, who he feels can't cope with 2 games a week.
If the aim is to prevent burn out over a potentially 50+ game season all well and good.
Maybe there will be slightly fewer changes each week as things settle down through the season.
ElectricNaz
Well-known member
I personally don't agree with it right now and it's not working considering everyone's getting injured anyway and league form is suffering. Maybe it'll pay dividends later in the season. More concerned because I don't know which of our forwards to put in my FPL team
But we're f***ing class, I could play LB and we'd still win (if we dominate possession and I'm not up against a quick winger)
But we're f***ing class, I could play LB and we'd still win (if we dominate possession and I'm not up against a quick winger)
- Nov 11, 2009
- 12,276
In RDZ I trust.
macbeth
Dismembered
won’t lie, it has annoyed me. it feels as though we haven’t been able to get a settled first 11 and that has impacted the confidence within our play at times. i'm sure it’s the correct thing to do but i can’t help that’s how i feel.
THAT BEING SAID: A) it’s a totally different ball game from Potter, who i felt genuinely didn’t know his best 11! and B) (most importantly) i'm keeping the faith for now as i suspect it may majorly benefit us later on in the season. if we could have a strong run-in while other teams like villa falter from major injury issues then it could prove massive, and prove de zerbi very much vindicated
THAT BEING SAID: A) it’s a totally different ball game from Potter, who i felt genuinely didn’t know his best 11! and B) (most importantly) i'm keeping the faith for now as i suspect it may majorly benefit us later on in the season. if we could have a strong run-in while other teams like villa falter from major injury issues then it could prove massive, and prove de zerbi very much vindicated
Does he know his first choice team?
(Asking fir a friend, obvs.......)
(Asking fir a friend, obvs.......)
Will pay off later in the season when the whole squad has had plenty of minutes and fully understands the system, and other clubs are burned out.
I go back and forth on it. I don't know how much is being stuck in tradition, but it's always been argued as a good thing - players form partnerships and get on the same wave lenght, constantly changing impacts on this. It's also harder to develop and improve players when they get dropped every other game.
We are doing well in the europa league, but since He started to really go to town with the swapping of players, we've had a dip in form. We have 18pts. We won 12 of them in the 5 games before we started playing in europe and De Zerbi started swapping out half the team every game. We've won 6 points in the 6 games since and albeit slowly, are slipping down the table. We win this weekend, the most we gain is one place because the top 5 are starting to pull away. I'm also starting to wonder if skipping games might be playing into some of these injuries, as players bodies go from being prepared to play every week to having bigger gaps between appearances.
But when I'm more positive/hopeful, I wonder if this is short-term pain for longer-term gain, as players need to get used to such schedules, multiple partnerships being developed at the same time over a longer stretch and more games, etc.
We are doing well in the europa league, but since He started to really go to town with the swapping of players, we've had a dip in form. We have 18pts. We won 12 of them in the 5 games before we started playing in europe and De Zerbi started swapping out half the team every game. We've won 6 points in the 6 games since and albeit slowly, are slipping down the table. We win this weekend, the most we gain is one place because the top 5 are starting to pull away. I'm also starting to wonder if skipping games might be playing into some of these injuries, as players bodies go from being prepared to play every week to having bigger gaps between appearances.
But when I'm more positive/hopeful, I wonder if this is short-term pain for longer-term gain, as players need to get used to such schedules, multiple partnerships being developed at the same time over a longer stretch and more games, etc.
Last edited:
Solid at the back
Well-known member
I think some of the changes, especially in defence/GK areas has been unnecessary, almost like he has been doing it to prevent injuries , but now ironically he has to do it because we have so many.
I think you need to keep changes to a minimum, albeit I understand the changes he makes - not the frequent GK changes mind. Largely because I think it hinders momentum and partnerships a starting 11 needs to build.
It may keep the squad fresher later on in the season, hopefully, we'll see.
I think you need to keep changes to a minimum, albeit I understand the changes he makes - not the frequent GK changes mind. Largely because I think it hinders momentum and partnerships a starting 11 needs to build.
It may keep the squad fresher later on in the season, hopefully, we'll see.
Last edited:
- Oct 20, 2022
- 6,947
Yep, agree with your take here and your optimism …
It really didn’t help losing Pervis and March so early on in the season and not having (particularly in Pervis’ LB position), ready back ups.
We don’t have a deep squad, a bit horizontally bloated yes, but not deep on PL readiness and experience. Unfortunately that brings its own set of challenges- how do you get these young (and new) players up to speed with De Zerbi ball without rotating them in? I know we have an excellent scouting and recruitment approach at the Club but however ‘right’ a player might be for us or however raw talent a youngster has, they still need to get up the level where they are good enough to compete for a starting place - or even older, experienced players coming in from other PL clubs, need time to grown into the DNA of RDZ.
I am fervently hoping now, given all these injuries we can finish top of our group and go straight to the 16 team knockout in March and save ourselves from the February knockout play offs with runners up of the Champions League groups if we finish in 2nd place. We are only one point behind Marseille and based on our match with AEK, it could come down to our home match with Marseille.
Dunk shouldn’t be out too long judging by RDZs comments and I think Pervis probably just came back a bit too soon so hopefully won’t be out long either - Moder‘s on the mend, Lamptey hopefully will be back soon - only March and Welbz are definitely nowhere near. We will also lose Mitoma in the Asia Cup as he does international for Japan throughout January - and of course we have the Africa Cup of Nations where we could lose several key players to international duty in January too - but our January PL fixtures are not too bad.
We are looking a bit raggedy but We Are Brighton and we will do enough to make the fans proud this season, I’m sure, provided we show heart and play the best with what we have.
Auckland seagull
Well-known member
- Aug 26, 2016
- 240
It's a tough call. Sometimes I am worried when I see the starting line up, but then I am pleasantly surprised by how they jell together. Does anybody really know what our best starting eleven is? Do we even have one anymore? It seems that only Dunky, Gross and Mitoma are guaranteed starting places, if fit. It seems clear RDZ drills every player so they can step in and the jigsaw remains complete. However, as others have commented, I can't help but feel that continuity grows confidence and awareness. Hopefully it will pay dividends at the sharp end of the season.
JetsetJimbo
Well-known member
- Jun 13, 2011
- 1,166
If we have a late-season run of form during the period when we were flagging last season, I'll look back and think "ah, I knew this was RDZ's master plan".
If we don't, I'll look back and think "ah, I knew all that rotation was a bad idea".
If we don't, I'll look back and think "ah, I knew all that rotation was a bad idea".
He doesn't rotate his key players unless there are injuries. Losing Solly, Perv and now Dunk is a blow to his planning I suspect.