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



Brovion

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Jul 6, 2003
19,402
It annoys me every time we are on the box we still have to have the Hereford game and Withdean mentioned by commentators after six seasons of PL football. It feels to me like we will never be taken seriously and will always be just visiting the top flight.
I know what you're saying. I've said on here before we can't go on using Hereford as the point of reference for absolutely everything, and as you've said later we've a whole generation of fans who weren't even born then. However it IS a huge part of our history though, so it's understandable that it is brought up quite often.

Having said that I do think it's fading a bit. That piece for example never mentioned Hereford, Gillingham, Withdean, etc once. Ten minutes and all the talk was about the recent past and the future. It did however contain my new gripe - people wondering how long we can hold onto our stars for. The piece is only a few minutes old and already they're speculating if De Zerbi is the next Man City manager, and if not what other clubs should he move to next in preparation?

Yes yes I know they all do it; we're a small club and it's only natural that people should speculate, it just grinds my gears a bit that it always seems to be mentioned. So if we can have a ten minute piece that doesn't go on about Hereford and Withdean, and doesn't speculate on where De Zerbi, Mitoma, etc will go next I'll be happy!
 






Gabbiano

Well-known member
Dec 18, 2017
1,294
Spank the Manc
European coach of the year to go with Blooms owner of the year.


Not that I want to disparage RdZ, but it's surprising that he would be awarded European coach of the year when we won diddly squat last season. I think he's still a season or two away from being at the very top level - and we're a great club to prove himself at.
 


Joey Jo Jo Jr. Shabadoo

Waxing chumps like candles since ‘75
Oct 4, 2003
11,131
Not that I want to disparage RdZ, but it's surprising that he would be awarded European coach of the year when we won diddly squat last season. I think he's still a season or two away from being at the very top level - and we're a great club to prove himself at.
It’s not always about winning things. It can be about the coach who has achieved the most with the resources available. Getting Brighton into Europe when we are one of the smaller Premier League clubs resources wise is a huge achievement, certainly harder to do than win another Premier League when you are manager of Man City. Even more so when it comes with the added plaudits from other managers, players, the football media for playing our own brand of football which RDZ has introduced since joining.
 






Farehamseagull

Solly March Fan Club
Nov 22, 2007
14,072
Sarisbury Green, Southampton
Not that I want to disparage RdZ, but it's surprising that he would be awarded European coach of the year when we won diddly squat last season. I think he's still a season or two away from being at the very top level - and we're a great club to prove himself at.
It’s an Italian award and they are very proud of their coaches and coaching pedigree. Rightly so.
 




Gabbiano

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Dec 18, 2017
1,294
Spank the Manc
It’s an Italian award and they are very proud of their coaches and coaching pedigree. Rightly so.
Yes the Italian connection struck me too.

It seems he and the club are making waves in any case.

It’s not always about winning things. It can be about the coach who has achieved the most with the resources available. Getting Brighton into Europe when we are one of the smaller Premier League clubs resources wise is a huge achievement, certainly harder to do than win another Premier League when you are manager of Man City. Even more so when it comes with the added plaudits from other managers, players, the football media for playing our own brand of football which RDZ has introduced since joining.

We aren't the first small club to reach Europa League and won't be the last, but you could be right that it's a combination of that, the implementation of a new and effective playing style, and plaudits received.

In any case it's a fantastic accolade for Roberto. Certainly high recognition for a job well done so far with us.
 




chrisg

Well-known member
Apr 9, 2012
646
Talking to club on new contract- as usual, club targets and his own targets need to meet.

Don’t think he will be signing before end of the season.
 




dazzer6666

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Mar 27, 2013
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Burgess Hill
It’s not always about winning things. It can be about the coach who has achieved the most with the resources available. Getting Brighton into Europe when we are one of the smaller Premier League clubs resources wise is a huge achievement, certainly harder to do than win another Premier League when you are manager of Man City. Even more so when it comes with the added plaudits from other managers, players, the football media for playing our own brand of football which RDZ has introduced since joining.
Yep. Finished 6th on 3rd lowest playing budget. Pretty bloody impressive......
 








dazzer6666

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Mar 27, 2013
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Burgess Hill
I don't believe we had the 3rd lowest playing budget last season. Can you support that?
My mistake - 6th lowest not 3rd....other sources may suggest different

 




Zeberdi

Brighton born & bred
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Oct 20, 2022
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Yes the Italian connection struck me too.

It seems he and the club are making waves in any case.

We aren't the first small club to reach Europa League and won't be the last, but you could be right that it's a combination of that, the implementation of a new and effective playing style, and plaudits received.

In any case it's a fantastic accolade for Roberto. Certainly high recognition for a job well done so far with us.
De Zerbi was already making waves in Italy (and Europe) with Sassuolo from 2018 onwards - another relatively small club which he established as a top half team in Serie A, with his particular brand of high scoring, high possession football, using the GK for short build ups at the back - RDZ took the Serie A team within spitting distance of qualifying for the Europa too. He got the job with Champions League side, Shakhtar Donetsk due to his reputation in Italy where he continued his particular DNA - he would probably still be there if the war hadn’t have broken out.

Some people seem to think RDZ came out of no where and suddenly started producing a novel style of football at Brighton - Barber selected RDZ because he was fielding teams using a style of football at Sassuolo and Shakhtar that would be a natural progression for us from what Potter was already doing. It was a massive coup for us and we were lucky he was available imo.

That he wins this award now, I think recognises not just his work at Brighton but the fact that for some time, he has been recognised as one of the most innovative young coaches in Europe at the cutting edge of modern football (one of the reason Fati chose Brighton to see out his loan period) - that he got Brighton to the Europa despite being on a relatively shoestring budget is additional testimony to his qualities as a coach but his reputation preceded him in Europe long before he came to Brighton.

- RDZ 👏
 
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Badger Boy

Mr Badger
Jan 28, 2016
3,656
My mistake - 6th lowest not 3rd....other sources may suggest different

Ultimately - the point very much stands, a huge over-achievement based on the relative playing budget. The whole club can be very proud what they've achieved since promotion to the PL. No question every club is looking squarely at us with envy, even Man City who have no resource constraints will be raising an eyebrow at how well we're operating.
 




dwayne

Well-known member
Jul 5, 2003
15,023
London
On a slightly separate note we are very very well known in the states now. I’ve been stopped before in LA with a Brighton top on. But today in Miami I’ve been stopped 3x and it’s only 1pm !! … all South Americans but the level of respect is real. One guy talking about maccalister looked like he was about to cry.

Argies really rate bounanotte …. Think he will be bigger than maccer
 




Harry Wilson's tackle

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Oct 8, 2003
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Talking to club on new contract- as usual, club targets and his own targets need to meet.

Don’t think he will be signing before end of the season.
I think he'll singe before the end of the year. It was him chatting about it on the radio today and saying 'not quite done'.
On a slightly separate note we are very very well known in the states now. I’ve been stopped before in LA with a Brighton top on. But today in Miami I’ve been stopped 3x and it’s only 1pm !! … all South Americans but the level of respect is real. One guy talking about maccalister looked like he was about to cry.

Argies really rate bounanotte …. Think he will be bigger than maccer
Give my regards to Crockett and Tubbs.
 


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