[Albion] De Zerbi constant player changes

[El Presidente]

Do I think the coach who has delivered the highest place in the club’s history, the most exciting football, European trips, who has the highest grade UEFA coaching qualifications and who sees the players in training every day as well as the reports from the data analysts on their physical welfare and performance doesn’t know what he’s doing?

Calling @Dr. No

 

[sussex_guy2k2]

It’s not working at the moment, it’s that simple.

It’s not even helping to stop the injuries, which again seem to be coming regularly - funny how I got abused a lot at the start of the season for questioning whether there was a deeper issue because of the injuries we were getting at the back end of last season, yet the same thing is happening now.

The main issue though, is that it’s clearly impacting us on the pitch, with results in the league not being great, the defence unable to keep a clean sheet in the league and the attack, unsurprisingly, not looking at fluid.

But, we’re Brighton. We’re in unchartered territory with a lot of new players, and a manager who’s having to learn how to balance the increased timetable on the job.

So the hope is that it pays off down the line. Patience is key.

 

[el punal]

But who gives a shit what I think.

I’ll remind you about that when I next see you!

 

[Kalimantan Gull]

We're largely a development side, full of kids that both (a) would struggle to play every game and (b) need regular minutes to improve.

There might be less rotation if the older players would stop getting injured....

 

[Originunknown]

Absolutely necessary to protect remaining senior players given current injuries, and packed schedule.

 

[worthingweird]

Does he know his first choice team?

(Asking fir a friend, obvs.......)

They are all 1st team players...

 

[Midget]

My thoughts (tl;dr - trust De Zerbi).

Towards the end of last season we struggled with key players being injured or knackered or forced to play out of position, and replacements looking like they weren't ready or didn't quite gel with the regulars. It may have cost us Champions League, it nearly cost us Europe.

I think now we're moving away from a 'first 11' or a 'Brighton play x-x-x' mentality. Building a more agile squad, who are all match-ready, used to playing together in any combination, can rotate in & out easily, play in several positions, and we can flex formation quickly for different opponents, including mid-game against unexpected tactics.

Also players who expect to rotate in & out, not getting upset and 'making themselves unavailable' because they think they've been dropped or are no longer first choice. A 'together' squad, no dickheads etc.

It will take time to come good because right now the whole squad is adjusting. And until it's there we're a bit vulnerable in playing style, and key player injuries will still affect us massively. But we are still 7th in the PL and 1 point off the top of our group in Europe, it's not destroying us!

And when it gets there, we won't be so impacted when two midfielders leave at the same time, or we have three or four on the long term list. We won't be panicking because we only have two who can play position x and they're both crocked. And it'll be easier to bed in new & youth players, because they're not waiting to replace the first choice in one position, they'll be gradually integrated into an already fluid, match-ready 'first 25'.

I think it's also why RDZ keeps playing Ferguson deeper, or Buonanotte wide, trying to round out their game a bit as they develop. It may not be their best position but it's good to develop the option. #BeMorePascal.

So - we might play a bit below our best for a while, but I think we're trying something innovative and exciting for our future. It's on-field succession planning. If it works, in a year or so people will be saying 'how do Brighton keep doing it?', then figure it out and start trying to do it too - but with the added pain of entitled players and impatient fans. And while they're going through all that, our 'first 25' sneak past and win the title. Job done

It will make picking an FPL team a real ballache though.

I may still be on Amsterdam mojo, someone please bounce this mindless optimism when it all goes tits up

 

[Littlemo]

It’s not working at the moment, it’s that simple.

I disagree tbh, I think that against Ajax we saw it starting to click but also, when Dunk and Milner went off injured, Igor and Gilmour were more than ready just to slot in and play and there wasn’t some massive drop-off in performance or rustiness you sometimes see in players who don’t play for a while.

It’s not even helping to stop the injuries, which again seem to be coming regularly - funny how I got abused a lot at the start of the season for questioning whether there was a deeper issue because of the injuries we were getting at the back end of last season, yet the same thing is happening now.

Injuries will always happen, rotation or not. It looked like both Dunk and Milner were injured just through things that happen in play, like Dunk over extending to get the ball, you can’t prevent those. They weren’t injuries from overuse. Pervis is a bit different, he’s probably been rushed back a bit and just wasn’t ready.

 

[dazzer6666]

It’s not working at the moment, it’s that simple.

It’s not even helping to stop the injuries, which again seem to be coming regularly - funny how I got abused a lot at the start of the season for questioning whether there was a deeper issue because of the injuries we were getting at the back end of last season, yet the same thing is happening now.

The main issue though, is that it’s clearly impacting us on the pitch, with results in the league not being great, the defence unable to keep a clean sheet in the league and the attack, unsurprisingly, not looking at fluid.

But, we’re Brighton. We’re in unchartered territory with a lot of new players, and a manager who’s having to learn how to balance the increased timetable on the job.

So the hope is that it pays off down the line. Patience is key.

It's 100% not that simple.

 

[EliasTaproot]

It’s not working at the moment, it’s that simple.

It’s not even helping to stop the injuries, which again seem to be coming regularly - funny how I got abused a lot at the start of the season for questioning whether there was a deeper issue because of the injuries we were getting at the back end of last season, yet the same thing is happening now.

The main issue though, is that it’s clearly impacting us on the pitch, with results in the league not being great, the defence unable to keep a clean sheet in the league and the attack, unsurprisingly, not looking at fluid.

But, we’re Brighton. We’re in unchartered territory with a lot of new players, and a manager who’s having to learn how to balance the increased timetable on the job.

So the hope is that it pays off down the line. Patience is key.

Out of interest do you have the same thoughts about every other club with as many or more injuries than us? About there being deeper issues in the way they're coached and managed? It's almost half the PL

 

[Machiavelli]

I'll note that loaded Newcastle and even small-squad City are struggling with injuries at the moment. IIRC, this is our worse run of injuries since we've been in the PL, and a lot of it is down to luck.
I very much take the development squad point, ditto with the (North West) pensioners, and ditto with the five-subs shifted things with regard to shaking up settled line-ups.
To add to this, out wide we seem to have first pick players: Veltman and Pervis; Solly and Mitoma -- with Adingra a decent replacement and, when fit, Enciso can play on the left and, here's hoping, he's fully fit and up-and-running by the time Mitoma goes to the Asia Cup. Down our central spine, things are different: only Dunk and Gross are regulars and Pascal is so versatile he can supplement elsewhere too. Although at different stages and with different qualities, I can see why the goalies are rotated; that's not that much between JPvH, Igor and Webster at CB; Baleba is exciting but raw, Gilmour great on the ball but needs to develop his defensive game, the same applies for Dahoud, so it's not clear who should start in CM and, given their different qualities, who the opponents are is going to play a part in who is picked. Up-front you want to rotate anyway both within and between games. In Ferguson, Welbeck, Joao Pedro, Fati and Enciso, we've got an embarrassment of riches and -- if you take Welbeck out of that -- they have an average age of not much more than 20.
Exciting times.

 

[Harry Wilson's tackle]

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.

Good to see you in the Dam, Jim

 

[Harry Wilson's tackle]

It’s not working at the moment, it’s that simple.

It’s not even helping to stop the injuries, which again seem to be coming regularly - funny how I got abused a lot at the start of the season for questioning whether there was a deeper issue because of the injuries we were getting at the back end of last season, yet the same thing is happening now.

The main issue though, is that it’s clearly impacting us on the pitch, with results in the league not being great, the defence unable to keep a clean sheet in the league and the attack, unsurprisingly, not looking at fluid.

But, we’re Brighton. We’re in unchartered territory with a lot of new players, and a manager who’s having to learn how to balance the increased timetable on the job.

So the hope is that it pays off down the line. Patience is key.

We are better off this season than last season so in what way do you think it isn't working?

 

[Harry Wilson's tackle]

It seems that RDZ is a true football innovator, and has a picture on his mind of 20 players all of whom can be slotted into one or more different positions, drilled in all our plays/angles/rhythms, but bringing different tool sets to be deployed in the way the boss sees fit on the day. That includes goalkeeper.

This is strategic. It isn't simply about keeping the eleven who are fielded fresh and fit on the day, every day, albeit that certainly will help as the season goes on. Tactical changes are made from game to game, but the strategy is clear. And visionary.

And if anyone ask who is out 'first eleven' again I may have to smash their face in. Metaphorically speaking, of course

 

[amexer]

I think both Arsenal and Man Utd played 10 players today that also played on Wednesday in CL

 

[Weststander]

I think both Arsenal and Man Utd played 10 players today that also played on Wednesday in CL

Arteta relentlessly plays the same 11 or thereabouts, little innovation/risk taking with fringe players. Giving rise to the annual spring car crash.

 

[dazzer6666]

I think both Arsenal and Man Utd played 10 players today that also played on Wednesday in CL

Went well for him last season didn’t it

 

[Weststander]

Went well for him last season didn’t it

Despite a vast spend by Kroenke as spotted by @Kinky Gerbil , yet Arteta won’t use his squad.

 

[BluesRockDJ]

Don’t like it, it shows simply in the fact we haven’t kept a clean sheet all season. But who gives a shit what I think. RDZ knows much better than me.

Um two clean sheets against Ajax this season, or do they not count ?

 

[Munkfish]

Um two clean sheets against Ajax this season, or do they not count ?

In the league.