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[Albion] What are the main differences between Potterball and De Zerbi ball?



Bold Seagull

strong and stable with me, or...
Mar 18, 2010
30,464
Hove
I am definitely pro-Swanny on this forum so please don't take this as a dig but a genuine question: How long would you wait before deciding which manager out of DeZ and Pots is better? Obviously at the moment with this hot streak RDZ is doing well so maybe a whole season in place would be fair?
At the moment, GP last 12 games, RDZ first 12 games:
GP P12 GF24
RDZ P12 GF24

That is the Albion scoring 2 goals per game in the top flight over a 24 game period. Incredible.
 






B-right-on

Living the dream
Apr 23, 2015
6,726
Shoreham Beaaaach
Brighton did as well, at pretty much every goal you can see 5+ players in the box... but yeah I'm pretty done with trying to sort this history revisionism out.
I'm just going to accept what has been very noticeble: people actually don't remember how Brighton played with GP in charge.
Oh good. TFFT.

As bad as your refusal to acknowledge anything negative about Potter or good about RDZ.
 


Kalimantan Gull

Well-known member
Aug 13, 2003
13,439
Central Borneo / the Lizard
Potter aimed to dominate possession to control the game and reduce risk.

De Zerbi aims to dominate possession and move the ball to create scoring chances. With general domination or self harm/loss of domination being occassional side effects.

That's the main difference in my opinion.

A lot more similarities than difference I would say. Compared to other teams.
From what I've seen so far it's same as Potter but a lot quicker and braver. Plenty of goals so far but also not many clean sheets. At present we're simply taking teams apart in our 'power play'. Also, Roberto wants better and won't settle for anything less than 100% (as publicly said in recent week)

Deeper defense and more of the build-up happening on the own half to create spaces on the opposition (rather than occupying it and relying on combinations to lock up their defense).

Potter is more adaptive while RDZ is more interested in optimising one strategy.
Yeah, I'll go with all of these - it feels similar, yet different at the same time, and not easy to put your finger on why. Trying to attack from deeper to exploit bigger spaces up front seems the biggest change, and a lot flows from that, the quicker, braver passing is needed to move the ball those greater distances from defence to attack.

It's right that GP took fewer risks, and our excellent defensive record under him is testament to that approach. We used to concede loads on the break under GP, he tightened that up but now we're starting to do it again under RDZ and that can be a killer against low block teams, of whom we've faced very few since the change of manager.

We are so good at winning the ball back in midfield under both managers that more risks could be taken, although as we were scoring for fun under GPs last dozen or so games it may not have been necessary. What we are doing now when taking risks 'and' playing well is mesmerising.

The final point that Potter is more adaptive while RDZ is more interested in optimising one strategy is one I'm inclined to believe, albeit based on very limited evidence of RDZ - who, correctly, is trying to get his plan A completely well drilled before going to plan B. Nevertheless GPs adaptability was clear and served us very well at times.

The key will come when teams stop pushing up and giving us that space behind, and we're going to have to stop conceding first which we did so often in similar matchups under GP.
 






BadFish

Huge Member
Oct 19, 2003
18,201
De Zerbi's current run is 19 goals in 5 games.

Show me a 5 game run where Potter's team got close to this.

From what I can see the team are more successful at attacking and scoring goals. The ball moves quicker and doesn't give the opposition time to settle into their defensive positions. Both teams pressure high up the pitch but De Zerbi seems to be more effective at turning these into goals.

Only time will tell on this and we will never know if De Zerbi would have looked this good without the work of Potter but what a f***ing side we currently have.

Thanks to all involved in its evolution.
 


Justice

Dangerous Idiot
Jun 21, 2012
20,677
Born In Shoreham
4-2-3-1 is one of the most popular formations in football and Potter has used it for years, one example being against Leeds this season.
You know we mostly went with a three under Potter it’s not that hard to research tbh. So yes occasionally he used a four but obviously preferred a three. Since Chelsea RDZ hasn’t changed formation the team is rapidly improving each game the more they play the same system which would be an observation on the differences between the two coaches.
 








Bold Seagull

strong and stable with me, or...
Mar 18, 2010
30,464
Hove
De Zerbi's current run is 19 goals in 5 games.

Show me a 5 game run where Potter's team got close to this.

From what I can see the team are more successful at attacking and scoring goals. The ball moves quicker and doesn't give the opposition time to settle into their defensive positions. Both teams pressure high up the pitch but De Zerbi seems to be more effective at turning these into goals.

Only time will tell on this and we will never know if De Zerbi would have looked this good without the work of Potter but what a f***ing side we currently have.

Thanks to all involved in its evolution.
It's 17. End of last season was 13 from 5 league games, which is actually equal to RDZ's best 5 league game scoring run.
 


jackanada

Well-known member
Jul 19, 2011
3,507
Brighton
Could we all take a moment to reflect that we spent 2 years under Potter with a large section of the crowd losing their shit and getting angry pretty much any time a pass was made in our own third, even more so for a pass under pressure, and multiply that again if made to a teammate with any markers nearby.

So the idea that RDZ could come in with his invite the press, artificial transitions, foot on the ball or as THPP might see it fannying about at the back turned up to 11 and the atmosphere not turn almost instantly mutinous without the prior Potter years is ludicrous.
 




B-right-on

Living the dream
Apr 23, 2015
6,726
Shoreham Beaaaach
To be fair to him, the anti-Potter brigade here even on this page are just as bad or worse.
Humm, well I guess I'll just have to agree to disagree.

Potter was a good manager and turned us around into a real ball playing team which I fully supported at the time (I always voted in at the tedious polls). At the same time he has the personality and charm of a smoked kipper and the way he left severely tainted his 'legacy' for me.

RDZ would not get a quarter of the results we've had without TB and Potters work beforehand.

BUT the bearded twunt as stabbed us in the back and deserves zero respect imo.

Yes he was good at the time. But like my ex Mrs, just because I Ioved her in the past doesn't mean I still do. Something Swanny and the other Cult of Potter adhereists don't seem to get.
 




B-right-on

Living the dream
Apr 23, 2015
6,726
Shoreham Beaaaach
Could we all take a moment to reflect that we spent 2 years under Potter with a large section of the crowd losing their shit and getting angry pretty much any time a pass was made in our own third, even more so for a pass under pressure, and multiply that again if made to a teammate with any markers nearby.

So the idea that RDZ could come in with his invite the press, artificial transitions, foot on the ball or as THPP might see it fannying about at the back turned up to 11 and the atmosphere not turn almost instantly mutinous without the prior Potter years is ludicrous.

There's a massive difference between Potterball and RDZball. You are comparing apples and cauliflowers.
 






Robinjakarta

Well-known member
Jul 14, 2014
2,163
Jakarta
Humm, well I guess I'll just have to agree to disagree.

Potter was a good manager and turned us around into a real ball playing team which I fully supported at the time (I always voted in at the tedious polls). At the same time he has the personality and charm of a smoked kipper and the way he left severely tainted his 'legacy' for me.

RDZ would not get a quarter of the results we've had without TB and Potters work beforehand.

BUT the bearded twunt as stabbed us in the back and deserves zero respect imo.

Yes he was good at the time. But like my ex Mrs, just because I Ioved her in the past doesn't mean I still do. Something Swanny and the other Cult of Potter adhereists don't seem to get.
Sorry, I might have been clearer. I agree with all of that, and it wasn't you I was thinking of. It's the few who don't seem to understand that Potter was, as you say and with reasons, a good manager. The ones who keep slagging him off for what he did to help get us where we are now. As for what he did after all the support from Tony down, he has zero respect from me.
 


B-right-on

Living the dream
Apr 23, 2015
6,726
Shoreham Beaaaach
Sorry, I might have been clearer. I agree with all of that, and it wasn't you I was thinking of. It's the few who don't seem to understand that Potter was, as you say and with reasons, a good manager. The ones who keep slagging him off for what he did to help get us where we are now. As for what he did after all the support from Tony down, he has zero respect from me.
Agree mate
 


Bold Seagull

strong and stable with me, or...
Mar 18, 2010
30,464
Hove
Could we all take a moment to reflect that we spent 2 years under Potter with a large section of the crowd losing their shit and getting angry pretty much any time a pass was made in our own third, even more so for a pass under pressure, and multiply that again if made to a teammate with any markers nearby.

So the idea that RDZ could come in with his invite the press, artificial transitions, foot on the ball or as THPP might see it fannying about at the back turned up to 11 and the atmosphere not turn almost instantly mutinous without the prior Potter years is ludicrous.
Remembering that Potter only had 1 full season which wasn't impacted by lockdowns. The only full season not effected we spent all but a few weeks in the top half and finished 9th.
 




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