[Football] Has Graham Bitten Off More Than He Can Chew?

[Jim in the West]

I really don't understand what Scott Boehly's vision is.

On the one hand he has told Graham Potter that he has a long term plan to build for the future and to change the playing philosophy and provide first team players from their development squad, a la Brighton. He will also be given time to do so.

On the other he has publicly informed all other club chairmen that he is willing to outbid any suitors for all of their best players.

Confusing in the extreme.

It's one of the many question marks regarding Potter's decision to go to Chelsea. Presumably Boehly span him the first story, but why did Potter swallow it when Boehly had just spent nearly £300m - the largest sum ever spent by any team in Europe in a summer transfer window. And they're splashing the cash again already.

Potter was moaning the other day that the likes of Guardiola and Klopp had dodgy first seasons, and their fans were patient. True! But Guardiola and Klopp had already won the biggest prizes in football with the likes of Barcelona, Bayern and Dortmund. Plus, Man City and Liverpool had clear journeys that the fans understood. Added to which Chelsea fans are well known for being (mainly) a bunch of entitled pr*cks. If Potter doesn't understand these things then he is an idiot. He almost certainly DOES understand them, but the pressure he's currently under means he's beginning to spout some real rubbish.

 

[willalbion]

Pretty fair and I’m sure we’re conceding more too, which is a (slight) concern.

Indeed, irrespective of my personal opinion of GP as a person, his transformation of our playing style early during his tenure was and remains the catalyst for the exceptional times we’ve experienced during the last six-eight months or so. This is undeniable. Without GP there would be no Roberto and very possibly no PL football.

I remain convinced, when I first saw GP football firsthand at Newcastle - during the first few weeks of his reign, that it was (at that point) the best I’d ever seen us play in my lifetime. Given the level, the personnel on the pitch (even if we drew 0-0) it was ridiculous, when just a few months previously we’d all been tortured by that Cardiff game :/

Make no mistake, GP put us (along with some superb recruitment) on the map... to the extent that someone like Roberto wanted the job.

Revisionist stuff doesn’t help, but I will always assert GP would have been better off anywhere but Chelsea, and furthermore, waiting until the end of this season to jump ship. His decision, his bed and (yes) his millions in the bank... hey ho etc.

Good post, totally agree.

 

[Albion my Albion]

There are of course exceptions to clubs being happy with their new manager/players initially.

Sami Tuomas Hyypiä

 

[Grizz]

Pretty fair and I’m sure we’re conceding more too, which is a (slight) concern.

Indeed, irrespective of my personal opinion of GP as a person, his transformation of our playing style early during his tenure was and remains the catalyst for the exceptional times we’ve experienced during the last six-eight months or so. This is undeniable. Without GP there would be no Roberto and very possibly no PL football.

I remain convinced, when I first saw GP football firsthand at Newcastle - during the first few weeks of his reign, that it was (at that point) the best I’d ever seen us play in my lifetime. Given the level, the personnel on the pitch (even if we drew 0-0) it was ridiculous, when just a few months previously we’d all been tortured by that Cardiff game :/

Make no mistake, GP put us (along with some superb recruitment) on the map... to the extent that someone like Roberto wanted the job.

Revisionist stuff doesn’t help, but I will always assert GP would have been better off anywhere but Chelsea, and furthermore, waiting until the end of this season to jump ship. His decision, his bed and (yes) his millions in the bank... hey ho etc.

Spot on. Sums it up nicely. RDZ is building nicely on the foundations laid by his predecessors and the superb backroom infrastructure of the club. The work GP and his staff did in those three years transformed the way we play, even though it could be incredibly frustrating at times. RDZ is adding his flavour to it and benefitting big time from it. It shows how sound the structure is at the Club, that these transitions happen fairly smoothly and a plan is in place.

You could see the last few months of last season and the beginning of this one that is was all coming together under GP and we were on for an exceptional season. Then he upped and left. I don't blame him for going, the timing was shocking, but he did what he needed to do. Doesn't mean I'm not really enjoying the continuing pantomime of GP at Chelsea and the flak he's getting. Ultimately, like many others, I think if he's given the time he'll help transform Chelsea as well and fair play to him.

 

[Deportivo Seagull]

When you say 32 in 15, you're including the cups, while when you say 44 for the whole season, you're excluding the cup (1-1, 2-1, 3-0, 2-0, 0-1, 0-3).

RDZ has managed Brighton in 11 PL games, scoring 21 goals.
In GPs final 11 PL games, the team scored 22 goals.

Sorry if I'm struggling to see this massive positive change in the number of goals the scoring after switching from Graham Potter to Roberto De Zerbi. But I have an excuse:
The massive change simply don't exist outside your emotional sphere.

As for "big six", RDZ did indeed face five of them (win against Chelsea, draw against Liverpool, loss against City, loss against Tottenham, loss against Arsenal).
Last six for Potter facing top six (win x2 vs United, win against Spurs, win against Arsenal, loss against Spurs, loss against Liverpool).

I have no problem with the love for RDZ, I really like him as well, but rewriting history does my head in.

Your issue is that we are playing better football under RDZ and you simply don’t like it. If it does your head in then that’s your problem.

to keep it simple. CH got us playing solid football and promotion, Potter took us up a level or two, RDZ has imho taken us up another level. That does not it besmirch either CH or Potter for the massive contribution to our club, but the football is better.

Under Potter teams were quite rightly wary of Brighton, but now I detect fear ….

I used the table from last season for the 44 goals as it was quick and results for this season included cups as it was easy.

 

[Swansman]

Your issue is that we are playing better football under RDZ and you simply don’t like it. If it does your head in then that’s your problem.

to keep it simple. CH got us playing solid football and promotion, Potter took us up a level or two, RDZ has imho taken us up another level. That does not it besmirch either CH or Potter for the massive contribution to our club, but the football is better.

Under Potter teams were quite rightly wary of Brighton, but now I detect fear ….

I used the table from last season for the 44 goals as it was quick and results for this season included cups as it was easy.

Nah, I simply don't agree with it.

 

[One Teddy Maybank]

Your issue is that we are playing better football under RDZ and you simply don’t like it. If it does your head in then that’s your problem.

to keep it simple. CH got us playing solid football and promotion, Potter took us up a level or two, RDZ has imho taken us up another level. That does not it besmirch either CH or Potter for the massive contribution to our club, but the football is better.

Under Potter teams were quite rightly wary of Brighton, but now I detect fear ….

I used the table from last season for the 44 goals as it was quick and results for this season included cups as it was easy.

Perfectly put Deportivo..

 

[Deportivo Seagull]

Of course not. When you feel that Brighton are scoring a drazillion more goals in the Premier League and I have numbers that show it isn't the case (with similar players that is)... hard to win.

Well you are on your own as the great and good of the footballing world seem to be drooling over us and commenting on the positive change that RDZ has brought.

 

[Swansman]

Well you are on your own as the great and good of the footballing world seem to be drooling over us and commenting on the positive change that RDZ has brought.

They were drooling before as well

 

[Deportivo Seagull]

Nah, I simply don't agree with it.

Fine with me.

 

[Deportivo Seagull]

They were drooling before as well

They were indeed but the comments are now on how RDZ is moving us on.

 

[Baldseagull]

Not disagreeing with the first part.
Being happy with the new manager isn't unusual though. Most have a honeymoon where everything they touch appears to turn to gold.

Fulham fans were happy quite soon after Hughes replaced Hodgson. Roberto Martinez made Everton fans delighted when they lost David Moyes. Wolves fans were very happy clappy about Bruno Lage replacing Nuno.

Potter had a short one at Chelsea. I think De Zerbi will have a 3 year long one here.

 

[Swansman]

Potter had a short one at Chelsea. I think De Zerbi will have a 3 year long one here.

We can hope. It is highly unlikely though... but would be a very remarkable achievement to go three years without a substantial form dip that has junior, GB, TottonSeagull and similar minded people going "Is it time to sack De Zerbi?", "Are we really better than last season?", "De Zerbi out" and so forth. But we'll see - I'll be glad if it is avoided.

 

[PILTDOWN MAN]

It is what it is, 1-0 Citeh

 

[PILTDOWN MAN]

It is what it is Citeh penalty

 

[PILTDOWN MAN]

It is what it is 2-0 Citeh

 

[maresfield seagull]

We can hope. It is highly unlikely though... but would be a very remarkable achievement to go three years without a substantial form dip that has junior, GB, TottonSeagull and similar minded people going "Is it time to sack De Zerbi?", "Are we really better than last season?", "De Zerbi out" and so forth. But we'll see - I'll be glad if it is avoided.

There you may have a point
Certain posters on here are less than glass half full regardless
We maybe slightly more susceptible to conceding goals
But so far this is far outweighed by the increased goal return
RDZ seems a progressive appointment we probably would have rather not needed to make But hey ho Let’s roll with it

 

[PILTDOWN MAN]

Sorry Potter but It is what it is 3-0 Citeh

 

[Austrian Gull]

Getting a right humping from Citeh...

 

[Billy in Bristol]

At 17.09 on the 8th January he is chewing a helluva lot right now...3-0