[Albion] De Zerbi

[Silverhatch]

This. The squad did far more for Potter than Potter did for the squad. He'll be living off that 'look what I did for Brighton' line for years to come, long after the Chelsea process chews him up and spits him and all his little elves out earlydoors. Oh well. Can always bank the obscene pay-off and book an Open University course to retrain as a touchy-feely counsellor or something

Potter could ‘transform’ Chelsea, but Boehly’s not Bloom and the Chelsea fanbase operate a very different patience clock to ours. It was a stupid move by him, even more so because we might have unearthed a real gem in RDZ and that’ll give everyone a yardstick comparison.

 

[Baldseagull]

This. The squad did far more for Potter than Potter did for the squad. He'll be living off that 'look what I did for Brighton' line for years to come, long after the Chelsea process chews him up and spits him and all his little elves out earlydoors. Oh well. Can always bank the obscene pay-off and book an Open University course to retrain as a touchy-feely counsellor or something

It was classless, and he has slipped a bit further in my estimation with citing league position when he arrived v when he left, as until the last 8 games when he played Caicedo, who he could have introduced earlier in the season, and later admitted he probably should have, we were looking likely to be finishing around the same mark yet again.

 

[DIFFBROOK]

Plus Bielsa is an outlier/oddity anyway, ignoring age issues and challenges.

Didn't they paint a line for him to follow into the training ground so that he didn't have to waste mental energy working out where he was going, so he could think more about football?

I live opposite Leeds training ground and can categorically say no line existed.

Bielsa was a lovely chap, always willing to talk to local people, sitting in costa coffee with his notes on the opposition.

I nearly ran him down when he walked infront of my car. I would have had to go into hiding

His oddity was managing Leeds

 

[Thompson720]

 

[Greg Bobkin]

Trossard only playing at 80%

He doesn't seem a fan of the upcoming break in proceedings. I get the impression that those players not going to the World Cup are going to get completely DEZERBIFIED in November and December! The levels that he could potentially take these players to is frightening...

 

[Jim in the West]

I live opposite Leeds training ground and can categorically say no line existed.

Bielsa was a lovely chap, always willing to talk to local people, sitting in costa coffee with his notes on the opposition.

I nearly ran him down when he walked infront of my car. I would have had to go into hiding

His oddity was managing Leeds

I hope there aren’t too many similarities between Bielsa and De Zerbi. We seem to already be well on the way to granting RDZ a sort of God-like status!!

 

[DataPoint]

I was wondering what the club was thinking of after his first press conference. Thought it admirable that he tried, really ballsy, but it felt like a car crash.

It's a measure of the man that he set such demanding targets re communicating in English for press conferences and is achieving that so well & so soon (vulvas aside...).

Seems that we've got an upgrade in all aspects, plus over £20m into the bargain. An absolute masterstroke it is looking like.

Didn't think I would enjoy watching brighton as much after Potter left, thought we'd find out quite how good he'd been for us after he'd gone (so did he clearly), how wrong we both were.

Seems like we weren't a one man club club after all! The talent is everywhere.

 

[Weststander]

This. The squad did far more for Potter than Potter did for the squad. He'll be living off that 'look what I did for Brighton' line for years to come, long after the Chelsea process chews him up and spits him and all his little elves out earlydoors. Oh well. Can always bank the obscene pay-off and book an Open University course to retrain as a touchy-feely counsellor or something

I’m increasingly realising that the whole thing, our transfer success and eventual playing success since the Emirates on the 9th April, really was a team effort at all levels. It took Potter’s departure and the recruitment of an exciting new coach to highlight that. TB, PB, Winstanley, Ashworth, analysts, the scouting network are integral to anything Potter or RDZ achieved on the pitch. Until then, I lazily thought it was on Potter.

 

[dazzer6666]

Trossard only playing at 80%

He doesn't seem a fan of the upcoming break in proceedings. I get the impression that those players not going to the World Cup are going to get completely DEZERBIFIED in November and December! The levels that he could potentially take these players to is frightening...

He seems genuinely impressed and excited by the talent we’ve got, but thinks they can all improve significantly……exciting times. Love the way he positively talks about the squad but at the same time leaves room for more. Can already see they love working for him. He’s an absolute bundle of infectious enthusiasm.

 

[Stat Brother]

I’m increasingly realising that the whole thing, our transfer success and eventual playing success since the Emirates on the 9th April, really was a team effort at all levels. It took Potter’s departure and the recruitment of an exciting new coach to highlight that. TB, PB, Winstanley, Ashworth, analysts, the scouting network integral to anything Potter or RDZ achieved on the pitch. Until then, I lazily thought it was on Potter.

Hmmmmm.
A lot of it was on Potter, the problem, as always (and will be the same with RDZ) will be how the praise and blame are divvied out.

GPott can take much of the credit for the North London springboard to success.
His, and only his, team selection for Arsenal was nuts - and it paid off.
But he also made the previous 10 (?) team selections which were doomed to failure before a ball was kicked.

The entire backroom wanted a younger team.
Another massive success for Potter to be able to implement that, yet he somehow managed that but couldn't shake off his predecessors pragmatism.

As much as everyone needs to be pulling in the same direction ultimately it's the manager/coach that has to put it all together.

Despite being so early in this new 'regeneration' it really does feel like Chelsea paid £26m in order to do us a massive favour.
They won't have the stones to see through the process of what they've bought.

Fingers crossed we will, before Spurs sack Conte!!

 

[Weststander]

Hmmmmm.
A lot of it was on Potter, the problem, as always (and will be the same with RDZ) will be how the praise and blame are divvied out.

GPott can take much of the credit for the North London springboard to success.
His, and only his, team selection for Arsenal was nuts - and it paid off.
But he also made the previous 10 (?) team selections which were doomed to failure before a ball was kicked.

The entire backroom wanted a younger team.
Another massive success for Potter to be able to implement that, yet he somehow managed that but couldn't shake off his predecessors pragmatism.

As much as everyone needs to be pulling in the same direction ultimately it's the manager/coach that has to put it all together.

Despite being so early in this new 'regeneration' it really does feel like Chelsea paid £26m in order to do us a massive favour.
They won't have the stones to see through the process of what they've bought.

Fingers crossed we will, before Spurs sack Conte!!

I’m mightily impressed by TB/PB having RDZ lined up as the successor. I know they’re exemplary at succession planning, but it really was a curve ball if we disregard our hindsight.

Little wonder that TB was as calm as anything when Potter walked out and took half of Lancing HQ with him.

 

[dazzer6666]

I’m mightily impressed by TB/PB having RDZ lined up as the successor. I know they’re exemplary at succession planning, but it really was a curve ball if we disregard our hindsight.

Little wonder that TB was as calm as anything when Potter walked out and took half of Lancing HQ with him.

Likewise, it’s incredible. I reckon he was on Tony’s wish list all along…..but out of our league whilst he was at Shaktar with CL football. Tony’s body language at the initial press conference was quite telling. Very careful planning over the long term but with rapid, opportunist movement when necessary. Textbook.

 

[Zeberdi]

Trossard only playing at 80%

One way to encourage an ambitious striker not to leave - tell him he’s only at 80% but you will get him to 100%

 

[timbha]

Likewise, it’s incredible. I reckon he was on Tony’s wish list all along…..but out of our league whilst he was at Shaktar with CL football. Tony’s body language at the initial press conference was quite telling. Very careful planning over the long term but with rapid, opportunist movement when necessary. Textbook.

Having a plan is one thing, delivering it is another. As you say, textbook TB.

 

[Greg Bobkin]

Admittedly, it's still early days with RDZ, but this is why I couldn't really care less about GPott leaving, taking people with him or what he has said or done since.

Major figures at the club have shown on numerous occasions that they aren't mugs and will always do what they think is the right thing. RDZ could potentially be an upgrade on GP and, so far, the continuity has been pretty seamless.

I'm not saying people were worrying unnecessarily, but some early doom and gloom comments look pretty ridiculous already!

 

[Bodian]

Probably a bit of 'feels like that'. We scored 16 in 8 games at the end of last season., and 11 in 6 prior to the managerial change.

We've now scored 11 in 7 - so really a continuation of the form of the previous 14 games which is a delight, but not necessarily a sudden transformation.

That's interesting isn't it. Maybe the difference is that it feels as though we could score with every attack now, which is quite exciting. Whereas before, I was still a bit caught out and surprised when we did score.

 

[Terry Butcher Tribute Act]

Not sure this one is down to succession planning. Rather, excellent recruitment. We interviewed the best available candidates and gave the best one the job (who also didn't require compensation).

 

[herecomesaregular]

All seems a bit early doors for De Zerbi here and Potter at Chelsea with lots of people here changing the narrative and their opinion a bit too quickly for me.

 

[dazzer6666]

Not sure this one is down to succession planning. Rather, excellent recruitment. We interviewed the best available candidates and gave the best one the job (who also didn't require compensation).

….who we’d been tracking for years, knew his record, exactly what he was capable of, what his playing philosophy was and when it came to the crunch knew exactly what his personal situation was. Manager moneyball with a genius topping.

 

[Greg Bobkin]

All seems a bit early doors for De Zerbi here and Potter at Chelsea with lots of people here changing the narrative and their opinion a bit too quickly for me.

You've seen the matchday threads, right? One goal can change the Albion from title contenders to relegation candidates in the view of some posters