Hyypia - happy, unhappy or fence?

[Seagull over Canaryland]

Definitely feeling a bit happier than if Sherwood or Hughton had got the job. Sherwood might have been an interesting experience but suspect there would be a downside too. Hughton is a better manager than some think but I'm not sure he would have got my juices going. I don't think Hyypia will do any worse - and hopefully better.

I like the fact that Tony Bloom has opted for another appointment from slightly left field and given him a 3 year contract. Hyypia certainly has an impressive CV as a player and very decent experience as a coach. I really hope he will be more dynamic than Oscar, however I feel that Hyypia will do well to match the last two seasons and get us into the play offs. Maybe he will have the 'x' factor and sail into the top 2 (eek). It all hinges on the calibre of managerial assistant and players he can bring in (budget permitting) and then get them all to gel. We have a superb infrastructure at the Club and Hyypia has a strong enough reputation to make players want to come to us. Hopefully he will get a bit more luck with injuries too.

It will be an interesting summer and I'm already getting a feeling of anticipation for next season.

 

[Footsoldier]

Fence. As long as Jones is strapped to his seat and not on the touchline screaming.

 

[TSB]

Heartbroken we picked some Fin over a Forest Green Rovers legend

Sure he would have rejected us anyway as he's wanted by the Champions of Europe.

 

[strand]

So happy about this! Sami is our (Finland's) most promising manager at the moment. There aren't many who have managed abroad. Mixu Paatelainen of course being one, but after Mixu and Hyypiä it gets a bit silent. Well Mika Lönnström was chosen as best manager of the week in Thailand last week...

This means that FInland's eyes will be on Brighton next season. Now is a good time to charm the Finns, perhaps some of those will become lifetime supporters of Brighton.

In Leverkusen Hyypiä only had time to bring in one FInnish player, Joel Pohjanpalo, and he was sent on loan immediately to a lower league. I think we'll see that at Brighton too, he'll be bringing some Finnish/German/English players with his great connections. Very likely first candidate is Tero Mäntylä, center-back from Ludogorets in Bulgaria and a fresh Finnish international. But I wouldn't be surprised if he brings in more players. There's quite a few Finnish internationals, that could theoreticalyl fit Brighton's profile, thinking of a move this summer.

What would you say are the positions where Brighton need most improvement? Obviously the centerback position, but what else? I don't know much about Brighton's team But I'd love to find out more.

 

[DavidinSouthampton]

Happy.

Obviously it could all go horribly wrong - I thought Manure made a good appointment with Moyes, but it was not to be, happily!!!

But I was always impressed with him in every respect as a player. He has an enormous amount of respect from a large number of decent people, and Lawro thinks he is a top bloke. What's not to like.

 

[Napper]

So happy about this! Sami is our (Finland's) most promising manager at the moment. There aren't many who have managed abroad. Mixu Paatelainen of course being one, but after Mixu and Hyypiä it gets a bit silent. Well Mika Lönnström was chosen as best manager of the week in Thailand last week...

This means that FInland's eyes will be on Brighton next season. Now is a good time to charm the Finns, perhaps some of those will become lifetime supporters of Brighton.

In Leverkusen Hyypiä only had time to bring in one FInnish player, Joel Pohjanpalo, and he was sent on loan immediately to a lower league. I think we'll see that at Brighton too, he'll be bringing some Finnish/German/English players with his great connections. Very likely first candidate is Tero Mäntylä, center-back from Ludogorets in Bulgaria and a fresh Finnish international. But I wouldn't be surprised if he brings in more players. There's quite a few Finnish internationals, that could theoreticalyl fit Brighton's profile, thinking of a move this summer.

What would you say are the positions where Brighton need most improvement? Obviously the centerback position, but what else? I don't know much about Brighton's team But I'd love to find out more.

Perhaps you can enlighten us on his style of play when in charge and also why it went so wrong after his joint coach left ? Reason to be concerned ?

Player wise centre back , left back and strikers are the priority

 

[sparkie]

Very happy. Every confidence it's a great appointment.

 

[LamieRobertson]

Definitely feeling a bit happier than if Sherwood or Hughton had got the job. Sherwood might have been an interesting experience but suspect there would be a downside too. Hughton is a better manager than some think but I'm not sure he would have got my juices going. I don't think Hyypia will do any worse - and hopefully better.

I like the fact that Tony Bloom has opted for another appointment from slightly left field and given him a 3 year contract. Hyypia certainly has an impressive CV as a player and very decent experience as a coach. I really hope he will be more dynamic than Oscar, however I feel that Hyypia will do well to match the last two seasons and get us into the play offs. Maybe he will have the 'x' factor and sail into the top 2 (eek). It all hinges on the calibre of managerial assistant and players he can bring in (budget permitting) and then get them all to gel. We have a superb infrastructure at the Club and Hyypia has a strong enough reputation to make players want to come to us. Hopefully he will get a bit more luck with injuries too.

It will be an interesting summer and I'm already getting a feeling of anticipation for next season.

Excuse me using your particular post...but it does mirror many others.....he has had less than one season in sole charge of one club (correct me if i am wrong)...seems to me he has very limited experience as a manager/coach.....i guess you could say Poyet didn't have that much ....still at least Ol Hippie knows the English game...personally i thought that we would have gone for someone with a little more managerial experience this time....maybe they don't want someone with too strong a personality

 

[RexCathedra]

Fence. As long as Jones is strapped to his seat and not on the touchline screaming.

Here i was thinking passion was the important thing.

 

[strand]

Perhaps you can enlighten us on his style of play when in charge and also why it went so wrong after his joint coach left ? Reason to be concerned ?

Player wise centre back , left back and strikers are the priority

After his joint coach left, it took a long time until it 'went wrong'. Hyypiä coached Leverkusen alone to their all time best autumn season, finishing 2nd in the Bundesliga by Christmas. Things went wrong shortly before and after Christmas. We can only speculate the reasons. I guess there was some kind of a 'lock' which Hyypiä was unable to solve. But also the club management had unrealistic goals. Leverkusen does not have the funds or the material to be a constant top 4 team in Bundesliga, yet the bosses gave the boot to Hyypiä when it seemed LEverkusen might drop below top 4. Honestly it's not a shame if Leverkusen finishes 6th or even 7th with their resources. Firing Hyypiä was awfully short-sighted in my opinion but I guess the good start blinded the club management and they were fixated on the champions league finish. I think Hyypiä did a good job with a very limited material (great starting lineup but very shitty players beyond that).

CB: Tero Mäntylä will come from Ludogorets, I'd give this 70-80% likelihood of happening. Another possiblity would be Juhani Ojala, he's at Terek in Russian league, a starter for FInland's national team along with Niklas mOisander (who is also looking for a new club but will go to a much bigger club than Brighton). Ojala and Mäntylä are both quality players and would be good signings.

LB: Not really good choices from Finland. Jukka Raitala is one possibility, but he's not good enough. Maybe for the bench. His CV is not bad (Bundesliga debut, one season in La Liga with Osasuna, two seasons in Holland with Heerenveen, one good season in 2nd bundesliiga), but I don't think so. Jere Uronen from Swedish Helsingborg is another possibility, but honestly he'll be going to a better team. He's one of the biggest Finnish talents.

ST: Can't think of any Finnish strikers that match the picture.

Oh and style of play: happy attacking 4-3-2-1, fullbacks extremely important. but maybe he'll switch his style now, don't know if this matches Brighton's material?

 

[Phat Baz 68]

Not my choice, but I have always said whoever our manager is or players I will get behind them !
So Good luck Sammi ! Welcome to the Albion son.

 

[Ernest]

Another risky appointment and after the Oscar farce I wish we had gone down the tried and tested route instead of this foreign obsession

 

[Seagull over Canaryland]

Excuse me using your particular post...but it does mirror many others.....he has had less than one season in sole charge of one club (correct me if i am wrong)...seems to me he has very limited experience as a manager/coach.....i guess you could say Poyet didn't have that much ....still at least Ol Hippie knows the English game...personally i thought that we would have gone for someone with a little more managerial experience this time....maybe they don't want someone with too strong a personality

Fair point and I agree - I also suspected that we would opt for a more experienced manager this time around.

Despite the speculation on here and in the media I'm not sure who the other applicants were, which candidates were shortlisted (or withdrew) and who was in Tony's final deliberations - so what choice was actually available to us. Yes Tony has stated that Hyypia was his no.1 choice - but did any other candidates with substantially more managerial experience actually make it to the last stage of the process?

Hence my comment was largely based on what we currently know - and therefore my comparisons are with Poyet / Garcia, who were similarly inexperienced as Hyypia.

 

[B.W.]

Happy. French guy looked better to me on paper, but I trust Tony to make the right choice based on loads more information than is available to me. Welcome Sami.

 

[LamieRobertson]

Fair point and I agree - I also suspected that we would opt for a more experienced manager this time around.

Despite the speculation on here and in the media I'm not sure who the other applicants were, which candidates were shortlisted (or withdrew) and who was in Tony's final deliberations - so what choice was actually available to us. Yes Tony has stated that Hyypia was his no.1 choice - but did any other candidates with substantially more managerial experience actually make it to the last stage of the process?

Hence my comment was largely based on what we currently know - and therefore my comparisons are with Poyet / Garcia, who were similarly inexperienced as Hyypia.

Thanks for taking the post in the spirit it was meant ...and yes you are right we don't know for sure re the other candidates

 

[Frampler]

Fence, albeit a tad concerned that this is a man whose side lost 0-5 at home to David Moyes's Man Utd.

 

[Northern Monkey]

Happy that the managerial vacancy has been filled, not happy that it's Hyppia. As has already been pointed out he wasn't in sole control of team affairs at first while at Leverkusen, he was team manager working alongside a coach. This period was pretty successful, unfortunately when he took sole control it all went to shite pretty quickly.

I hope I'm proved wrong but I can see this appointment turning into a bit of a disaster and Sami being gone by Christmas when we're miles off the pace.

 

[Brighton Mod]

Don't get this, we were much more direct under Oscar, a lot more earlier balls into the channels and plenty of aerial fightball for Ulloa. That wouldn't have been allowed under Gus. If anything I'm hoping for MUCH MORE midfield build-up under Sami

Og started the season with more pace and moved the ball quicker, but as the season went on he became more and more like Poyet with his defensive set up. To go inot a must win playoff with CMS on the bench from the start summed him up. I know nothing of Hyypia as a manger so will again as last year reserve my judgement until I see what he's about.

 

[Frutos]

Happy that the managerial vacancy has been filled, not happy that it's Hyppia. As has already been pointed out he wasn't in sole control of team affairs at first while at Leverkusen, he was team manager working alongside a coach. This period was pretty successful, unfortunately when he took sole control it all went to shite pretty quickly.

I hope I'm proved wrong but I can see this appointment turning into a bit of a disaster and Sami being gone by Christmas when we're miles off the pace.

There's nothing like a bit of pre-season optimism....and that really is nothing like a bit of pre-season optimism.

 

[Cheeky Monkey]

Fence for me.