[Albion] We are currently experiencing the greatest Albion team of all time

[Hugo Rune]

No shit

Really?

Potter’s 21/22 4-0 Man Utd destroyers would come very, very close. A very similar team yes, but different formation and tactics. It also contains Bissouma who in my opinion, is the best Brighton player of all time. He is paired in midfield with the player who will soon take that accolade. How would this starting lineup do against a current RDZ outfit?

———————-Sanchez————————
—-Veltman———Dunk———Cucurella——
March—-Bissouma——Caicedo—-Trossard
———Groß—————Mac Allister————
———————-Welbeck————————-

Manager: Graham Potter

 

[SeagullinExile]

I live in Portland, Maine, a medium sized town in the North-East corner of the U.S. For the Arsenal game I wasn't able to watch in my usual bar, so went to an Irish pub downtown. Inside were five young men in their 20s who had decided that Brighton were their Premier League team, and had fully bought into the experience. They knew all the players, phrases like 'Little Old Brighton', talked about 'us', and were just as passionately watching the game as I was. They were incredibly knowledgeable about the club. Having lived here for nearly 30 years it feels a little strange to no longer be the only Brighton fan in town, to be honest, but it shows how far we've come and how much our style of football is appreciated and enjoyed everywhere.

I went into a downtown Phnom Penh sports bar to watch the Palace away game a few years back when we won 2-1. There was about a dozen people scattered around the bar watching, when Albion scored ALL of them jumped up! Anyway, after chatting it transpired that we were all born within a 50 mile radius in Sussex!

A small world indeed!

 

[Zeberdi]

Yes, except the FA cup final replay was not a great club memory (I expect 5 people have already mentioned this, so apologies in advance)

another typo but you were absolutely right to point it out, I meant the first final, not the ‘replay’ (that was indeed a shite day) - (my Birthday is 21st May)

Although it wasn’t all good memories that day and as time has shown, it’s been hard to let go of some bad WeAreBrighton habits!

 

[Eric the meek]

On the subject of Potter vs RDZ, I was listening to Warren in the post match analysis yesterday.

He said that we move the ball into attack more quickly than under Potter. We now attack with more pace.
This means the opposition don't always have the time to set. During the game, he also mentioned our width - we were using the full width of the pitch, while he specifically said Boro were 'narrow'.

IMO (and this is not necessarily a difference between the managers), we are benefiting from a marauding Mitoma and a confident Solly who occupy the opposition full backs and stretch the back line. This leaves space for midfielders (Lallana, Gross, Mac) to make runs into the box and potentially score more often than in the past.

We also benefit from Mac in a more advanced role, leaving the ball-winner Caicedo deep to tidy up. RDZ seems to be able to identify how to get the best out of his players, and play them exactly where they will be most effective.

 

[The Fits]

Just to temper this a little (and it is great). Villa. Charlton. First half against Arsenal. We can definitely get better. Scarily.

 

[Questions]

The only question - and it’s only for a bit of fun - would be if ANY of the 79/83 team would get into this side ?

 

[Guinness Boy]

The only question - and it’s only for a bit of fun - would be if ANY of the 79/83 team would get into this side ?

Lawrenson would start and Case would get on the bench. IMHO

 

[bardo]

Whatever we think of Potter now we still owe him a great deal for helping to get a TEAM together over 3 seasons that fights with real spirit and oneness. He has done what RDZ hasn't had to do. Just seeing the way that the team got around Undav after he scored yesterday shows their togetherness; the way that McAllister was eager to get back home after Qatar, acknowledging that his team mates helped him get that World Cup medal. I think that's what Potter has done, and what has made a big difference. RDZ is now just taking us to another level.

 

[Guinness Boy]

On the subject of Potter vs RDZ, I was listening to Warren in the post match analysis yesterday.

He said that we move the ball into attack more quickly than under Potter. We now attack with more pace.
This means the opposition don't always have the time to set. During the game, he also mentioned our width - we were using the full width of the pitch, while he specifically said Boro were 'narrow'.

IMO (and this is not necessarily a difference between the managers), we are benefiting from a marauding Mitoma and a confident Solly who occupy the opposition full backs and stretch the back line. This leaves space for midfielders (Lallana, Gross, Mac) to make runs into the box and potentially score more often than in the past.

We also benefit from Mac in a more advanced role, leaving the ball-winner Caicedo deep to tidy up. RDZ seems to be able to identify how to get the best out of his players, and play them exactly where they will be most effective.

Looked that way from the small river that we lost after 40 mins and from the highlights.

I’ve not seen Boro this season otherwise, but I presume they changed their game plan. They refused to press high (at one point Colwill was standing still and I thought we’d hit a free kick) and defended narrowly. It’s also what Charlton did. Charlton were good at it though, and we had an off night.

 

[kevo]

The only question - and it’s only for a bit of fun - would be if ANY of the 79/83 team would get into this side ?

I did watch the Liverpool FA Cup win at Anfield in 83 recently and we really were absolutely superb - in spells outplaying what was undoubtedly the best team in Europe at that time. But then I remembered we got relegated.

I know he'd left by then, but I guess of all the players of that era, Lawro would be one.

 

[Triggaaar]

Lol - and you took the bait didnt you - the original poster made his post all about a typo in my post, no mention of any other great points made on this thread

I'm not getting involved with your argument with guinness, he doesn't get on with me either. But the comment on your typo was just a bit of fun and not at your expense, and there was no need to comment on your other points which I'm sure we all agree with. I think you took the correction of your typo personally, but there was no need. We all make mistakes like that and some of us sad people find it funny that's all

 

[Eric the meek]

Looked that way from the small river that we lost after 40 mins and from the highlights.

I’ve not seen Boro this season otherwise, but I presume they changed their game plan. They refused to press high (at one point Colwill was standing still and I thought we’d hit a free kick) and defended narrowly. It’s also what Charlton did. Charlton were good at it though, and we had an off night.

There's a key takeaway in your reply.

I agree they refused to press high. I also remember Colwill standing still, as if to say 'Come on then!'. So to an extent they knew our game plan, but they were still unable to prevent us playing through them. We had 19 shots, 10 on target, and scored from 5 of them. Without checking the historical stats, that feels like an upgrade on the Potter era.

We are doing something different of late. To my untrained eye, it looks like we are more mobile, constantly on the move, with lots of first time passing to gain more time on the ball. Someone in the Telegraph noted that against Everton, the game resembled a training exercise with us passing around cones.

Watching our goals against Boro again, compared to our movement, the Boro defence appeared horribly static. But was that down to them, or us? Lallana chested in his goal unchallenged on the line. Gross had the time and space to slot home after Solly's attempt bounced off the keeper. For Mac's other goal, it was a Solly-Gross-Mac passing sequence that ended with Mac passing into the goal, all in their box.

We are developing the ability to pass through the opposition.

 

[Zeberdi]

I'm not getting involved with your argument with guinness, he doesn't get on with me either. But the comment on your typo was just a bit of fun and not at your expense, and there was no need to comment on your other points which I'm sure we all agree with. I think you took the correction of your typo personally, but there was no need. We all make mistakes like that and some of sad people find it funny that's all

No worries - not an issue - agree I over reacted but it was the use of ‘likes’ to that post by a particular person that triggered me and which I unfairly took out on the poster - I swallowed the bait - will ignore ’it’ in future

 

[Stat Brother]

There's a key takeaway in your reply.

I agree they refused to press high. I also remember Colwill standing still, as if to say 'Come on then!'. So to an extent they knew our game plan, but they were still unable to prevent us playing through them. We had 19 shots, 10 on target, and scored from 5 of them. Without checking the historical stats, that feels like an upgrade on the Potter era.

We are doing something different of late. To my untrained eye, it looks like we are more mobile, constantly on the move, with lots of first time passing to gain more time on the ball. Someone in the Telegraph noted that against Everton, the game resembled a training exercise with us passing around cones.

Watching our goals against Boro again, compared to our movement, the Boro defence appeared horribly static. But was that down to them, or us? Lallana chested in his goal unchallenged on the line. Gross had the time and space to slot home after Solly's attempt bounced off the keeper. For Mac's other goal, it was a Solly-Gross-Mac passing sequence that ended with Mac passing into the goal, all in their box.

We are developing the ability to pass through the opposition.

19 shots.
10 on target...





...really should have at least got the draw.

 

[Coldeanseagull]

The only question - and it’s only for a bit of fun - would be if ANY of the 79/83 team would get into this side ?

I think they are too old now

 

[zeemeeuw]

Great, isn't it?
Whilst on the subject, I've read a lot that Brighton are scoring goals for fun at the moment.

What did we used to score goals for then?

"Hope we bang a couple in second half, need to bring our mood down a bit"

 

[jakarta]

The only player from previous generations who would improve this team would be Lawrenson.

Possibly Zamora as well? Probably as an impact player off the bench?

 

[giveusfalmerplease]

This may be true but I am not seeing it, literally. I gave up my season ticket due to illness and last season and this have therefore been to around a dozen games only. Despite picking some games that I knew we would win, eg Norwich, Forest and the like, in those dozen games I have not seen us win once at home though did break my duck away at Wolves. I did not see us win even once the whole of last season.

But I hear things are generally going pretty well!!

Ah, therein lies your problem. Recently we have a habit of not winning all the games we "should" win. We still need to address the issue where teams come to defend and catch us on the break and we are far more likely to win against teams who play expansive football. So make your next match the home game against Manure in March and look forward to another thrashing!

 

[Joey Jo Jo Jr. Shabadoo]

Just to temper this a little (and it is great). Villa. Charlton. First half against Arsenal. We can definitely get better. Scarily.

If as De Zerbi claims we are only at 40-50% of what he thinks we can be then we are going to be scarily good if he gets us anywhere near his vision of 100%.

What I like most is this desire to do better, we smash Everton, our first half could have been better. We smash Middlesbrough, great but we lost to Charlton a few weeks ago. And he never criticises performances he just wants us to do better and improve and he’s got an infectious desire to do so and it’s rubbing off on the players. No wonder they seem to be loving football under him.

 

[Guinness Boy]

There's a key takeaway in your reply.

I agree they refused to press high. I also remember Colwill standing still, as if to say 'Come on then!'. So to an extent they knew our game plan, but they were still unable to prevent us playing through them. We had 19 shots, 10 on target, and scored from 5 of them. Without checking the historical stats, that feels like an upgrade on the Potter era.

We are doing something different of late. To my untrained eye, it looks like we are more mobile, constantly on the move, with lots of first time passing to gain more time on the ball. Someone in the Telegraph noted that against Everton, the game resembled a training exercise with us passing around cones.

Watching our goals against Boro again, compared to our movement, the Boro defence appeared horribly static. But was that down to them, or us? Lallana chested in his goal unchallenged on the line. Gross had the time and space to slot home after Solly's attempt bounced off the keeper. For Mac's other goal, it was a Solly-Gross-Mac passing sequence that ended with Mac passing into the goal, all in their box.

We are developing the ability to pass through the opposition.

I think there's a bit of both. I've no doubt that our passing is better, and so much of it is one touch, that we look really good going forwards, particularly against slower or poorly organised teams, but not exclusively. At times we passed round Arsenal too. So there's that.

But now watch the goals back. For the first goal don't watch us. Watch their left back (Giles, number three). He can clearly see Solly is unmarked right through the middle but sticks to his area of the pitch and virtually jogs back, before waving a foot pointlessly at the follow up shot. It's appalling defending. Surely every instinct in his body should be telling him to tuck in and pick up March. But (good things here from RDZ) we've created it by dragging both the centre backs over to pick up on the overloaded left hand side. For goal number two watch their centre backs. Neither follows in. They stop and look for an offside that just isn't there. The ball isn't going quickly, Lallana's not been picked up but they've given up and hoped for the best.

On the other hand, for the sublime number three, the whole thing's created by Lamptey's ball and Ferguson's run. Even though we're breaking at speed the back four is for once in shape and the pass that comes is the only thing that can unlock them. Even then they block Ferguson but by then the troops have arrived and the pass and finish are out of this world good. That's a pure De Zerbi goal right there. Players with bags of confidence because they do it every day in training.