[Albion] Roberto De Zerbi - JOINS AS NEW HEAD COACH (4 year contract)

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Stat Brother

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Jul 11, 2003
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How did you guys and gals honestly feel when you signed rdz? I bet hardly any Brighton fan thought it would have been quite as good as it is. Obviously you're laughing now but at the time you must have been gutted losing Potter?
For me there was one problem with Potter - The Cult of Potter, backed up by 'Are you Barber in Disguise'.

Were it not for these dozen or so posters we could have had a (slighty more) balanced debate on the fella.
But with them in tow, we were unable to write 'i like him, but..'.
There was no room for nuisance, questions or criticism, you were in or you were enemy of the state.
When we lost to nil, it was the other team while on the occasions we handsomely won it was 'see, see he's the Messiah, ha I bet you're feeling stupid now'.

Beyond those posters I think many were annoyed that he went, angry about how he went, but the bottom line is we wrote off a VW so to make us feel better daddy instantly went out and bought us a Ferrari.

The 'but...' that was constantly shouted down as impossible and not with these players was 'but... can't we just do 'it' quicker'.

It turns out we can, while buzzing with character.


I can't imagine what it must be like to have a poorly maintained Renault taken away only to get back a punishment replacement Hillman Imp (look it up kidz)
 
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GT49er

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Feb 1, 2009
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For me there was one problem with Potter - The Cult of Potter, backed up by 'Are you Barber in Disguise'.

Were it not for these dozen or so posters we could have had a (slighty more) balanced debate on the fella.
But with them in tow, we were unable to write 'i like him, but..'.
There was no room for nuisance, questions or criticism, you were in or you were enemy of the state.
When we lost to nil, it was the other team while on the occasions we handsomely won it was 'see, see he's the Messiah, ha I bet you're feeling stupid now'.
Is it not now somewhat similar with De Zerbi? Best not question anything, eh?
 


Nobby

Well-known member
Sep 29, 2007
2,892
Is it not now somewhat similar with De Zerbi? Best not question anything, eh?
Not sure there’s much to question. 🤷🏻‍♂️
Under Potter it was, on average, dominate teams and lose, while under De Zerbi it’s dominate teams and win.
Under Potter, you just knew we would mess it up and the opposition would score in the end.
Under De Zerbi, we almost never screw up.
 


GT49er

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Feb 1, 2009
49,183
Gloucester
Not sure there’s much to question. 🤷🏻‍♂️
Under Potter it was, on average, dominate teams and lose, while under De Zerbi it’s dominate teams and win.
Under Potter, you just knew we would mess it up and the opposition would score in the end.
Under De Zerbi, we almost never screw up.
You have just proved my point!
 






Greg Bobkin

Silver Seagull
May 22, 2012
16,036
I keep revisiting this thread and saying similar things but I won't stop. He's a genius. I honestly don't think we will ever have a manager like him again. If we can get three years out of him I'd be absolutely delighted and we are going to be in fantastic shape when he eventually moves on. Really wouldn't be surprised to see him replace Pep..he's that good and Pep is obviously a massive fan.
Could you imagine what he'd do with the current Man City team? It would literally be the most thrilling football the world has ever seen.
Totally agree. As I've said on numerous occasions, if things go well for both Pep and RDZ, I think the latter will replace the former at the end of next season.
 


MJsGhost

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Jun 26, 2009
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Totally agree. As I've said on numerous occasions, if things go well for both Pep and RDZ, I think the latter will replace the former at the end of next season.
Job swap?

Pep would have the chance to disprove the theory that he can only win with the dominant club in a league...

I too agree that RdZ will end up there (sadly).
 


Stat Brother

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Job swap?

Pep would have the chance to disprove the theory that he can only win with the dominant club in a league...

I too agree that RdZ will end up there (sadly).
I wouldn't be so sure.

Assuming he's still here RDZ is in for a difficult season.
Plan A has been phenomenal (not a word I use lightly) but next season teams will have an answer for it.

So he'll need a Plan B while also blooding in new players in key areas, with (one chicken, two chickens) more games and less time training.

If he can do that - we'll never see him again!
 




Greg Bobkin

Silver Seagull
May 22, 2012
16,036
Job swap?

Pep would have the chance to disprove the theory that he can only win with the dominant club in a league...

I too agree that RdZ will end up there (sadly).
I wouldn't say no! Pretty sure he'd prefer to go to a 'top TOP club' in a different league rather than a #TeamLikeBrighton, sadly.
 




JBizzle

Well-known member
Apr 18, 2010
6,228
Seaford
Not sure there’s much to question. 🤷🏻‍♂️
Under Potter it was, on average, dominate teams and lose, while under De Zerbi it’s dominate teams and win.
Under Potter, you just knew we would mess it up and the opposition would score in the end.
Under De Zerbi, we almost never screw up.
Except against Everton (1-5), Forest (1-3 and 0-0), Leeds (2-2), Leicester (2-2), Tottenham (0-1 and 1-2), Fulham (0-1), Villa (1-2), and Brentford (0-2 and 3-3)...

Look, I love De Zerbi (genuinely), but let's not pretend that when we play teams that stifle, frustrate, timewaste and hold a strong, firm defensive line that we don't have remarkably similar issues getting results.

To say we almost never screw up when in the last two weeks be got battered by Everton and Forest is stretching it
 




Stat Brother

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Jul 11, 2003
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West west west Sussex
Except against Everton (1-5), Forest (1-3 and 0-0), Leeds (2-2), Leicester (2-2), Tottenham (0-1 and 1-2), Fulham (0-1), Villa (1-2), and Brentford (0-2 and 3-3)...

Look, I love De Zerbi (genuinely), but let's not pretend that when we play teams that stifle, frustrate, timewaste and hold a strong, firm defensive line that we don't have remarkably similar issues getting results.

To say we almost never screw up when in the last two weeks be got battered by Everton and Forest is stretching it
Yep we are what we are.

We also ought not lose sight of GPotts statement victories either.

For me the difference is all the games in between, that's where Roberto absolutely wipes the floor with GPott.

The squad will never again go X games without wins, scoring etc.

As we were promised 'dull' games are now a thing of the past, as opposed to the norm.
 








The Fits

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Jun 29, 2020
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dazzer6666

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Mar 27, 2013
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Burgess Hill
Except against Everton (1-5), Forest (1-3 and 0-0), Leeds (2-2), Leicester (2-2), Tottenham (0-1 and 1-2), Fulham (0-1), Villa (1-2), and Brentford (0-2 and 3-3)...

Look, I love De Zerbi (genuinely), but let's not pretend that when we play teams that stifle, frustrate, timewaste and hold a strong, firm defensive line that we don't have remarkably similar issues getting results.

To say we almost never screw up when in the last two weeks be got battered by Everton and Forest is stretching it
A difference we do see though is De Z comes out and explains what went wrong (usually blaming himself)…….none of this ‘the lads gave everything’ and ’we had a bad moment’ bollox.
 








JBizzle

Well-known member
Apr 18, 2010
6,228
Seaford
We were promised more goals at either send.

Since the semi-final:
1-3
6-0
1-0
1-5
3-0
1-4

It's not boring is it! 13-12 in 6 games.
I agree, it's great fun. That said (on paper) I struggle to see another manager getting such plaudits when we're shipping goals almost as fast as relegated Southampton (13) and almost-relegated Leicester (13).

It's knockout stuff though: Get battered; Batter someone; Get battered; Batter someone; Get battered; Batter someone...
 


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