[Albion] Roberto De Zerbi To Leave Albion After Tomorrow's Game

[Lawros Lip]

The timing of this is very neat. Day before end of season. Gives maximum time to find replacement and minimum disruption to pre season. Has this been agreed for a while or a last minute De Zerbi flounce? Apologies if discussed already. Am abroad and woke up to the news.

 

[Kalimantan Gull]

Didn't expect to wake up to this today.

Not really sure how to feel, I was absolutely gutted when Poyet left, and never warmed to Oscar. I was gutted when Potter left, but RDZ helped me get over that quickly. Whereas when CH left it felt sad but understandable, and i think I'm in that same place.

What's most disappointing was that this really felt like a development season, with so many young players at the start of their journey, and next year promised so much. But i feel we are in for quite a change with the new manager, who will need a but if time to get settled, i hope he gets that but it is another season written off as far as reaching our ceiling goes i guess.

 

[Kalimantan Gull]

I'm the same actually. Thought I'd have a strong reaction but was actually a bit Shruggie Otis.

Think all parties have done well to get it all done quickly so we cam move on and get ready for next season. We really have an excellent young team that just needs a few key additions.

Plus sides for De Zerbi. A really galvanising macho aggressive force that brought everyone together when Potter did one. Played some beautiful football at times, albeit with potentially a once in a lifetime combination of players. Still though from the 'stop faffing at the back' days, to winning everyone over with his style of play.

On the flipside, looked increasingly unhappy this season. Wonder if he's a bit of a home merchant. Reckon he'll be back in Italy.

Seemed to start complaining and blaming everyone else the second there was a rough patch. Really could have done without having a pop at the club constantly. I think my bond with him was broken a bit terminally at that point. He's such a dominant personality he seemed to drag the players down with him for a while.

Made plenty of mistakes himself (this is the one small thing that made me slightly surprised he's going this season to he honest as I thought he'd want a go at rectifying it and landing a biflg job next year). Genuinely seemed to become paralysed by the keeper rotation and over rotation at the start of the season. His tactical inflexibility really showing when Injuries meant his usual approach would t work so we just became a slow, predictable, diametric passing machine.

In short - he was here for a good time not a long time and I enjoyed it while it lasted but not overly crushed he's going. He may well go on and win everything, but there's just as much chance he may look back at his time here and realise this was his best of times.

Excellent post.

I think he felt that he was being criticised personally when we had some bad results, and wanted to try and point out the injuries and it wasn't his fault, justifiably, and it just came across as moaning. Managers have to take it on the chin though, he was always a bit fragile.

When potter left I was absolutely gutted. I am mid 40s but I was genuinely sad about it and it lasted a long time. This felt inevitable and although it has been fun under RDZ I am over it already.

Same (although i wish i could still describe myself as 'mid-40s', rather than very, very late 40's)

 

[Albion my Albion]

That's it then. JPVH, Solly, Estupinion, Mitoma, Pedro, Barco, Wee Billy, Gross, Dunk, Adingra and last 1 out Bart! Brighton and Hove Albion will be back in League 1 in 2 years

Very possibly!

 

[Farehamseagull]

Sam Dean is explicitly stating that players will consider their futures because of Roberto’s departure.

Of course they will, that’s obvious. All players will consider their own futures when a manager leaves, it happens with every time. Those who liked him and were regulars are disappointed and wonder if a new man will like and play them as much depending on who the new manager is, so should they just make a fresh start elsewhere. Those who weren’t liked and playing and thinking of leaving may now think they’ve got a chance and want to stay depending on who the new manager is.

It’s entirely normal and natural, especially as this has happened at the start of the summer when a lot of players would be doing that anyway.

 

[rogersix]

“when he left at a time that suited the club to a tee”. Plus this, believing all the actors are honest, is a mutual parting of the ways due to a difference of opinion on funding.

Potter delivered two vast runs for those going to home games of non winning, seldom scoring football. It finally clicked at the Emirates in April, he was off to another club mid season just 13 PL games later. Taking our staff. It could’ve royally screwed us.

The timings good because he got the bullet

 

[dazzer6666]

DeZ getting slaughtered on TS this morning……foolish comments, got too big for his boots, obvious Bloom would get rid at some point after some of his comments and oversaw a terrible run of form…….no surprise he’s leaving……

 

[AZ Gull]

DeZ getting slaughtered on TS this morning……foolish comments, got too big for his boots, obvious Bloom would get rid at some point after some of his comments and oversaw a terrible run of form…….no surprise he’s leaving……

I've stated on here before, that the entire "media narrative" around De Zerbi over the last few months has been something he himself (with his comments about the club, the recruitment, his failure to declare he'd fulfill his contract) has created pretty much single-handedly. I have no idea if he has genuinely wanted to leave the club the last few months but he has no-one to blame but himself if he didn't!

 

[One Teddy Maybank]

Seems like dozens of people here are desperate for RDZ to fail for the rest of his life. A bit weird from those who became emboldened in recent months to say that he was rubbish, that he’d just ridden on Potter’s coattails. Why would you want someone you consider sh1t to fail elsewhere, particularly when they left at a time that suited the club to a tee?

It is.

Whilst I think he has weaknesses/blind spot, he’s been brilliant for us. I loved the passion for the first season and a half, and wish him nothing but every success in the future.

I respected Potter for what he did, in changing style, but personality wise was never that bothered, and frankly post departure he proved he was a bit of a pillock. Good coach/manager though.

 

[Flounce]

DeZ getting slaughtered on TS this morning……foolish comments, got too big for his boots, obvious Bloom would get rid at some point after some of his comments and oversaw a terrible run of form…….no surprise he’s leaving……

Talksport dream about things like this, manna from heaven

Jordan will be needing the Kleenex

 

[huzzah]

An updated song

We've got Super Rob De Zerbi, (for another 90 mins),
He knows exactly what we need, (another manager),
Fergie in a leg cast,
Dunkie at the treatment room,
we're going to win 10th place!

might need some work.

I really enjoyed singing the original in Athens, Amsterdam and Rome. it has been a hell of a couple of seasons. I'm gonna miss the wee fella. he was excited as I was when we scored, as nervous as penalties were taken. I hope he does great, I hope we do better. (you don't want your ex being happier without you!)

 

[The Grockle]

A sad end to arguably the best period in our history. RDZ was a revelation but as soon as he started publicly calling out the club the writing was on the wall imo.

We'll never know what was said in their meeting but I suspect bloom didn't want to back a manager who he felt was already planning his next move.

The club have someone else lined up and he will be backed in line with our current transfer policy.

 

[Terry Butcher Tribute Act]

I still can't help but think this could all have been avoided if we'd simply got in another fullback, midfield and right winger. Things we will still need to do in the summer.

 

[Clive Walker]

I said in Feb that allowing de zerbi to leave because we hadn’t backed him would be borderline disastrous mismanagement.

Instead we’ve honourably sacked him.

Still a gamble but I’m hoping that bloom is making a calculated decision here.

 

[oldboyroy]

DeZ getting slaughtered on TS this morning……foolish comments, got too big for his boots, obvious Bloom would get rid at some point after some of his comments and oversaw a terrible run of form…….no surprise he’s leaving……

He'll get slaughtered on the Jim and Simon show tomorrow too especially if Souness is on. Souness will be crowing that he was right!

 

[amexer]

What? Like de Zerbi didn't know anything about our players before he came here?

OK...........

If we had same squad as when he arrived there would not be any great concern

 

[Springal]

He'll get slaughtered on the Jim and Simon show tomorrow too especially if Souness is on. Souness will be crowing that he was right!

To be fair - Souness at least looks like he was right to question the fact he’s had so many clubs and relatively short time in each job

 

[veuve]

Why is he in charge today? Surely he should escorted of the premises.

 

[chickens]

I’m treating that “all our players are leaving” article with a Dead Sea quantity of salt. Footballers are sensitive creatures and (like nature) abhor a vacuum.

Two training sessions with the new manager and we’ll be hearing how he’s changed how they view football. Some players will move on, I’m sure, but the second a new manager is appointed the wailing and gnashing of teeth will end.

 

[oldboyroy]

One things for certain. Roberto was ambitious for us and believed we could go for anything, top 4 was his aim if not a title challenge. We've never had that ambition with any previous manager. He bought out the best with many players and by all accounts they loved working for him (Trossard and Sanchez) excluded!