Roberto De Zerbi - Brighton manager

SilentWitness

ShoelessWitness
Staff
Joined
Jan 14, 2010
Messages
30,840
Supports
Everton
It's not strange, the table doesn't lie.
Yeah it is strange. You realise that better managers can be at worse clubs? So worse managers can finish higher than better ones?

Also, he finished higher than Moyes last season?
 

padr81

Full Member
Joined
Dec 12, 2015
Messages
12,015
Supports
Man City
He's a decent manager and I'd be curious to see him at a top club, similar to Ange really. He'd either steamroller the league or take a big squad to mid table. Would be fun as hell though..
 

Semper Fudge

Adds nothing to the discussion
Joined
May 3, 2021
Messages
3,802
He's a decent manager and I'd be curious to see him at a top club, similar to Ange really. He'd either steamroller the league or take a big squad to mid table. Would be fun as hell though..
This wouldn't happen. You know it, I know it.
 

Ayoba

Poster of Noncense.
Joined
Feb 2, 2021
Messages
8,580
He's a decent manager and I'd be curious to see him at a top club, similar to Ange really. He'd either steamroller the league or take a big squad to mid table. Would be fun as hell though..
No, no he wont. Even with Citys unlimited resources he wont.
 

The Boy

Full Member
Joined
Mar 25, 2014
Messages
4,402
Supports
Brighton and Hove Albion
De Zerbi is suffering after over achieving last season. Since then he's lost Caicedo and Mac Allister, March and Mitoma have been out for most of the season, Estupinan has also been out for a significant chunk. Ferguson has had a typical season of a youngster breaking onto the scene and struggled a bit this year, when not injured.

We're not a United or a Liverpool with a huge bench and losing these players has had a massive impact on us and our form has definitely dipped since Christmas, but for Brighton to be a top ten club is a massive achievement and for him to do it with the players available to him is impressive.

There's a lot of recency bias with De Zerbi and Brighton, in reality it's only the last 3 seasons we've been a half decent premier league team. I'm quite happy to read a lot of posters writing him off, it means he'll stay with us for longer, but he's done a very good job with the squad available to him.
 

Fallon d'Floor

New Member
Newbie
Joined
Jan 30, 2024
Messages
325
De Zerbi is suffering after over achieving last season. Since then he's lost Caicedo and Mac Allister, March and Mitoma have been out for most of the season, Estupinan has also been out for a significant chunk. Ferguson has had a typical season of a youngster breaking onto the scene and struggled a bit this year, when not injured.

We're not a United or a Liverpool with a huge bench and losing these players has had a massive impact on us and our form has definitely dipped since Christmas, but for Brighton to be a top ten club is a massive achievement and for him to do it with the players available to him is impressive.

There's a lot of recency bias with De Zerbi and Brighton, in reality it's only the last 3 seasons we've been a half decent premier league team. I'm quite happy to read a lot of posters writing him off, it means he'll stay with us for longer, but he's done a very good job with the squad available to him.
You got your summer business wrong last season, for me. Igor, Milner and Dahoud are a big drop-off from Colwill, Caicedo and Mac Allister.

Verbruggen and Baleba should be good long term investments. I'm glad that Baleba has had a run in the team recently.

De Zerbri seems to really like Gilmour though. He leaves your midfield vulnerable off the ball when paired with Groß who is fantastic, but not gifted physically. Baleba is.

Too many injuries in attacks has cost you also. De Zerbri teams will always be a little vulnerable defensively. The attacking play used to counter that.

De Zerbri deserves a lot of credit for using U21 players though. No other PL manager uses youngsters as much as him:
  • Ferguson (18/19 years old) - 1,634 PL mins
  • Barco (19 years old) - 180 PL mins
  • Hinshelwood (18/19 years old) - 871 PL mins
  • Buonanotte (18/19 years old) - 1,169 PL mins
  • O'Mahony (19 years old) - 67 PL mins
  • Enciso (20 years old) - 258 PL mins
  • Baleba (19/20 years old) - 1,251 PL mins
  • Fati (21 years old) - 494 PL mins
  • Verbruggen (21 years old ) - 1,620 PL mins
  • Offiah (21 years old) - 118 PL mins
And then some of the other regulars in the team are only 22 years old i.e. Gilmour, Adingra and João Pedro.
 

Alex99

Rehab's Pete Doherty
Joined
May 30, 2009
Messages
16,068
De Zerbi is suffering after over achieving last season. Since then he's lost Caicedo and Mac Allister, March and Mitoma have been out for most of the season, Estupinan has also been out for a significant chunk. Ferguson has had a typical season of a youngster breaking onto the scene and struggled a bit this year, when not injured.

We're not a United or a Liverpool with a huge bench and losing these players has had a massive impact on us and our form has definitely dipped since Christmas, but for Brighton to be a top ten club is a massive achievement and for him to do it with the players available to him is impressive.

There's a lot of recency bias with De Zerbi and Brighton, in reality it's only the last 3 seasons we've been a half decent premier league team. I'm quite happy to read a lot of posters writing him off, it means he'll stay with us for longer, but he's done a very good job with the squad available to him.
Your form dipped seven games in.

You won 5 from the opening 6, then just 6 of the following 28.

You earned 34% of your points and scored 35% of your goals in the opening 18% of the season.
 

KeanoMagicHat

Full Member
Joined
Mar 31, 2019
Messages
4,095
De Zerbi is suffering after over achieving last season. Since then he's lost Caicedo and Mac Allister, March and Mitoma have been out for most of the season, Estupinan has also been out for a significant chunk. Ferguson has had a typical season of a youngster breaking onto the scene and struggled a bit this year, when not injured.

We're not a United or a Liverpool with a huge bench and losing these players has had a massive impact on us and our form has definitely dipped since Christmas, but for Brighton to be a top ten club is a massive achievement and for him to do it with the players available to him is impressive.

There's a lot of recency bias with De Zerbi and Brighton, in reality it's only the last 3 seasons we've been a half decent premier league team. I'm quite happy to read a lot of posters writing him off, it means he'll stay with us for longer, but he's done a very good job with the squad available to him.
The thing I find though about De Zerbi is that he makes quite eccentric team selections at times, players out of position or stuff that clearly doesn't work. When it does it comes off as a masterstroke, when it doesn't, they lose 3-0 to Bournemouth and everyone moves on. You can get away with that sort of thing at Brighton, but not really at a top club. I think that element of his management would really frustrate some supporters.
 

Fallon d'Floor

New Member
Newbie
Joined
Jan 30, 2024
Messages
325
The thing I find though about De Zerbi is that he makes quite eccentric team selections at times, players out of position or stuff that clearly doesn't work. When it does it comes off as a masterstroke, when it doesn't, they lose 3-0 to Bournemouth and everyone moves on. You can get away with that sort of thing at Brighton, but not really at a top club. I think that element of his management would really frustrate some supporters.
It was risky starting all 3 of Barco, Offiah and O'Mahony vs Bournemouth.

But with the team struggling to score goals, it made sense to give O'Mahony a try. 10 goals from 11 PL2 games.

Barco is a highly rated Argentine LWB they signed in January. From De Zerbri's perspective, they might as well start developing him now for next season.
 

SilentWitness

ShoelessWitness
Staff
Joined
Jan 14, 2010
Messages
30,840
Supports
Everton
I think the injury stuff is a bit overstated too as if other teams around them or below haven't suffered.

Had a look at the sides (us and them) against Burnley away and I think it's tough to say that Dyche had a better hand than De Zerbi despite us winning 2-0 and Brighton needing an OG to draw. We were forced to go to a 5 at the back and play McNeil as a LWB and Garner at LM. No Branthwaite either and our subs bench was full of youth players aside from Beto and Danjuma.

I don't suddenly think he's a bad manager but he's definitely underwhelmed a bit this season in some respects for me.
 

Newstyle

New Member
Newbie
Joined
Dec 24, 2016
Messages
123
Watched this game and Brighton totally dominated Aston Villa. Offensive, progressive, possession based football.

Haven’t seen them much this year but the games I catch, they always preform better than the opposition, despite the bad results.
 
Last edited:

Longlivekeano

Full Member
Joined
Nov 13, 2003
Messages
2,816
Location
Singapore
What about Girona's manager. Managed to get them promoted from 2nd division and this year secured Champions League with a bunch of nobodies.
 

Rojofiam

Full Member
Joined
May 11, 2017
Messages
3,546
Radio silence today after a dominant win.

This thread would have been more active had they drawn 0-0 or lost.
Yeah, that's why I posted this. Doesn't fit the narrative that clueless fraud De Zerbi outclassed Mr. Emery who has been getting endless on here.
 

Zed is not dead

Full Member
Joined
Apr 9, 2023
Messages
1,523
Radio silence today after a dominant win.

This thread would have been more active had they drawn 0-0 or lost.
Dominant win? There were two shots on target during the first half and possession was pretty even.

They scored their first goal in two months and suddenly De Zerbi is back to being the best manager in the league?

Also the xG takes into account 1 penalty and the follow up header from Joao Pedro, so their xG from open play would probably be closer to 1.5.

Brighton had a good game, recording their first win in 6 games, against a very shite Villa

But the over to the top overrating or underrating of coaches or players is boring
 

giggs-beckham

Clueless
Joined
Sep 9, 2007
Messages
6,984
He's the one I want to take over at Utd. He might not be the one to bring the biggest trophy's but would be a step in thr right direction style of play wise, and would signal our intentions in that way.
 

The Boy

Full Member
Joined
Mar 25, 2014
Messages
4,402
Supports
Brighton and Hove Albion
They scored their first goal in two months and suddenly De Zerbi is back to being the best manager in the league?
I don't think anyone is saying he is the best manager in the league, but he's not a naive fraud either and has done well with the cards he's been dealt this season.
 

LawCharltonBest

Enjoys watching fox porn
Joined
May 17, 2012
Messages
15,529
Location
Salford
He's the one I want to take over at Utd. He might not be the one to bring the biggest trophy's but would be a step in thr right direction style of play wise, and would signal our intentions in that way.
Every time I’ve watched Brighton they’ve been absolutely diabolical to watch

Him playing good football is a myth. Based off one time they played United off the park, which isn’t difficult. And that he’s a Pep fanboy

Oh and because he has a sexy name
 

Fallon d'Floor

New Member
Newbie
Joined
Jan 30, 2024
Messages
325
Dominant win? There were two shots on target during the first half and possession was pretty even.

They scored their first goal in two months and suddenly De Zerbi is back to being the best manager in the league?

Also the xG takes into account 1 penalty and the follow up header from Joao Pedro, so their xG from open play would probably be closer to 1.5.

Brighton had a good game, recording their first win in 6 games, against a very shite Villa

But the over to the top overrating or underrating of coaches or players is boring
They had had 6 big chances. 4 without the penalty and rebound.

Brighton usually have a lot more of the ball, so maybe drawing the opposition on to them more is something they need to look at moving forward. Villa created nothing substantial They never threatened outside of one decent effort from Diaby.

Who said De Zerbri is the best manager in the league? Don't be dramatic.

It's pretty simple. De Zerbri got shit on for weeks and then barely a sound after an impressive win.

Olsen had one of the best games of his career. It could have been a heavy defeat.
 

Lash

Full Member
Joined
May 3, 2012
Messages
12,383
Location
Buckinghamshire
Supports
Millwall, Saint-Etienne
They had had 6 big chances. 4 without the penalty and rebound.

Brighton usually have a lot more of the ball, so maybe drawing the opposition on to them more is something they need to look at moving forward. Villa created nothing substantial They never threatened outside of one decent effort from Diaby.

Who said De Zerbri is the best manager in the league? Don't be dramatic.

It's pretty simple. De Zerbri got shit on for weeks and then barely a sound after an impressive win.

Olsen had one of the best games of his career. It could have been a heavy defeat.
It's quite clearly not an "impressive win". It's a good win considering how poor form they're in, but they showed the same issues they've been having for months.

He's got shit on for weeks because that's his 2nd win in 12 league games.
 

Fallon d'Floor

New Member
Newbie
Joined
Jan 30, 2024
Messages
325
It's quite clearly not an "impressive win". It's a good win considering how poor form they're in, but they showed the same issues they've been having for months.

He's got shit on for weeks because that's his 2nd win in 12 league games.
They clearly didn't. They kept a clean sheet and barely conceded a shot on their goal.

The opposite of what's occured in recent months.

The Cafe is full of people who like to shit on other managers instead of focusing on our own turd.

Completely controlling a game is impressive.
 

Lash

Full Member
Joined
May 3, 2012
Messages
12,383
Location
Buckinghamshire
Supports
Millwall, Saint-Etienne
They clearly didn't. They kept a clean sheet and barely conceded a shot on their goal.

The opposite of what's occured in recent months.

The Cafe is full of people who like to shit on other managers instead of focusing on our own turd.

Completely controlling a game is impressive.
Yet still made hard work of it by needing a pen to put them ahead. They should have been home and dry against a Villa team that were completely off it.

The cafe is actually full of people who love to hype up other managers. He's got 2 wins in 12, he should be quite rightfully criticized. Winning 1-0 at home is hardly raising his stock back to anywhere close to where it once was.