[Albion] Thank you RDZ

[Greg Bobkin]

Not quite the same, but I was listening to 5Live on the dog walk earlier this morning and they played back a bit of Graham Potter's press conference and I was reminded how bloody dull they are. As a result, when he was at the Albion, I never paid any attention to them as he'd just trot out the same old cliches every time.

Now, don't get me wrong - this isn't revisionism. I loved the Graham Potter era and evolution of Albion and I'd rather have a boring but effective coach/manager than an exciting but shit one. After all, Premier League points aren't handed out for having a vibrant press conference delivery.

But life with RDZ just have a bit more pizzazz to it AND he's getting results on the pitch.

Love that guy.

That's done it!

Don't forget the 'one point gained/two points dropped thread' tomorrow...

 

[B-right-on]

My eldest daughter has always been into football and it isn't until this season when my little grandson came along that as she's had to give up her ST.

My youngest daughter (16) had no interest in football. Since RDZ she's got interested in football and came with me to Arse away and Liverpool home in the cup. Really helps that she's into Asian music (KPop) and dramas on Netflix so she's got a bit of a crush on Mitoma.

 

[Stat Brother]

That's done it!

Don't forget the 'one point gained/two points dropped thread' tomorrow...

If we're lucky.

 

[B-right-on]

That's done it!

Don't forget the 'one point gained/two points dropped thread' tomorrow...

Wait until the Olive Branch thread. Then you'll know that we've made it.

 

[Psychobilly freakout]

Potter as others have suggested, stabilised us while at the same time gradually improving us, the squad was pretty much the same, if anything RDZ has the balls to use the younger players more, he has faith and extra brave determination, rather than sometimes a pragmatic, somewhat conservative approach to certain games and in press conferences which Potter had, so much so they were lets be honest dull to listen too and dull to watch, some truly terrible games, when he was just stood there sucking his teeth and scribbling on a shitty notepad.

So for a fan obviously RDZ will always be more popular, the real test will be when, as we no doubt will go on a losing run, much like Potter did, will we be behind him, will the collective support start to wonder about this brave new way of playing.

I very much think the way we are playing, will occasionally be our own undoing (please not tomorrow) but we will win far more than we lost than Potter. When the ride is over only then can we truly compare the two.

RDZ is certainly box office at the moment, and currently watching the Albion, I have never, ever seen better, and I am enjoying every moment, because as we all know, it could end all so very fast.

UTA

 

[Nobby]

Potter baked the baked the cake, but Roberto put the icing and the cherry on top. Fantastic, no?

But Chrissy Hughton switched the oven on to start with.
Potter nearly burnt it a couple of times

 

[aolstudios]

He's given the club, players & fans a slightly crazed Latin energy. Just as Gus did. I bloody love it

 

[Guinness Boy]

Almost since the day RDZ and his team arrived, he has rekindled Mrs Earle's love of the Albion. Last season, she had really lost her Albion mojo and was cross with me for renewing her season ticket without checking with her. She found it a struggle to get motivated to come with me to home matches as we have done for decades. Then RDZ arrived with his sparkling personality and his support team and turned Potter's dour marvels in to a thrilling, attractive to watch, free scoring goal machine. Now Mrs Earle can't wait for every match and devours everything she can find about the Albion online, Twitter, news outlets and everywhere she can find it. Anyone else experiencing this exciting uplift in interest for themselves or their family and friends?

As much as our results often frustrated me, I wouldn't have called Potter's football dull. It was an improvement on Hughton's style and often very frustrating because we'd have a lot of the ball, a lot of shots and not score. In fact, more often than not, frustrating would have been the word I'd used.

Occasionally - Man City at home in the restricted attendance game, Newcastle 3-0 in lockdown, Man U home last season and Leicester at home in his last game - we were outstandingly entertaining.

But anyone going to more home games than away would surely have got macked off with him sooner rather than later. His home record over his whole tenure was awful and it's home games that keep paying bums on seats.

RDZ is, indeed, on another level though. Far more relatable to most football fans, highly entertaining games in which we score and, I get the feeling if we beat Man City 5-0 his initial reaction would be that we should have had 6.

Now watch it be 0-0 tomorrow with Roberto commenting "it is what it is, but we'll take the positives, no?"

 

[Icy Gull]

He's given the club, players & fans a slightly crazed Latin energy. Just as Gus did. I bloody love it

Hopefully it doesn’t end the same way…

 

[Diallo]

Meh. It is what it is


Maybe he/she/they are?

Don’t panic. Swansman will be back. He’s only just gone. It’s still early days. Yea I get we already miss and are still mentioning him, but after a few weeks this will get easier and we can all start sleeping and eating normally again.

 

[SUIYHP]

I’ll be honest, I had my doubts as felt like RDZ was destined to be a rush appointment job to save face in a promising season thrown into crisis. Yes I know he had been the darling of football geeks for his accomplishments at Sassuolo, but after the fairly reserved personalities of Chris H and GPott, I wasnt sure if this passionate, evocative Italian feller would fit into the ‘Brighton ethos’. How wrong I was!

What I really like is how the players seem to be comfortable expressing how much they enjoy training under De Zerbi and how they have improved individually. Jason Steele for instance, seems to bounce with confidence and is flourishing. Dunk openly talking about how he was able to evoke passion through a translator and how that captured many of the players, and of course there is Solly March…nothing more needs to be said.

Even with the Trossard saga that didnt come across to me as a problem with De Zerbi. Trossard didn’t seem to be quite right since the endless transfer rumours plaguing him last year. His head had already been turned and De Zerbi wasn’t afraid to call him out.

Isn’t it a funny old game? I was gutted when Potter left for Chelsea and thought we had been robbed of a successful season, but in some ways this season has felt more like Brighton has truly unleashed a hidden potential. Its only halfway and dont want to lose our heads, but god isn’t this all so exciting!?

Cheers Roberto. Please don’t let the Big 6 go for you too!

 

[raymondo]

My 13 year old son is a Chelsea fan (followed his big bruv ) - Brighton has always been his second team . We've been to the Amex twice and I've told him I'll never take him to Chelsea's ground .
Anyway, this season he's bored with Chelsea, too much passing round the back again and again, too much money being spent, too much Hollywood Boelhy. He's signed up to the Seagulls on Instagram and loves watching Mitoma, March etc.
He's getting there... just as likely to show me a replay of a Brighton goal as a Chelsea one .
If we finish above Chelsea... I think he's a Seagull

 

[boik]

If only Swansman was still here .....

Yes, cos every time anyone praises RDZ some people have to turn it round an use it as a stick to beat GP with. RDZ being good doesn't make GP any worse.

 

[Diallo]

Yes, cos every time anyone praises RDZ some people have to turn it round an use it as a stick to beat GP with. RDZ being good doesn't make GP any worse.

I don’t think it was a dig at Potter as such but more the cognitive behavioural traits of withdrawal.

 

[Neville's Breakfast]

Yes, cos every time anyone praises RDZ some people have to turn it round a use it as a stick to beat GP with. RDZ being good doesn't make GP any worse.

No, but there is an undeniable difference between the two that goes beyond coaching. Yesterday I watched the club Instagram of RDZ throwing the ball away vs Liverpool and had a good chuckle. I can’t imagine Graham doing similar.

 

[Diallo]

No, but there is an undeniable difference between the two that goes beyond coaching. Yesterday I watched the club Instagram of RDZ throwing the ball away vs Liverpool and had a good chuckle. I can’t imagine Graham doing similar.

Potter would’ve head butted that player who pushed the ball out of his hands and then turned to the camera, shrugged and shouted in a London gangster accent “ it is what it is”

 

[Grizz]

No, but there is an undeniable difference between the two that goes beyond coaching. Yesterday I watched the club Instagram of RDZ throwing the ball away vs Liverpool and had a good chuckle. I can’t imagine Graham doing similar.

Usually I don't like nonsense like that, however he only did it because Elliot was a bellend and knocked the ball out of his hands earlier. The look he gave Elliot would've made anyone balls shrink back up into their body I would not want to get on the wrong side of RDZ.

 

[aolstudios]

Usually I don't like nonsense like that, however he only did it because Elliot was a bellend and knocked the ball out of his hands earlier. The look he gave Elliot would've made anyone balls shrink back up into their body I would not want to get on the wrong side of RDZ.

"Harvey Elliott, he sleeps with the fishes"...

 

[5Ways Gull]

No, but there is an undeniable difference between the two that goes beyond coaching. Yesterday I watched the club Instagram of RDZ throwing the ball away vs Liverpool and had a good chuckle. I can’t imagine Graham doing similar.

That was genuinely one of the funniest thing I have seen in 50 odd years of watching football. The "yeah....and!!!" Look he gives Gakpo just cracks me up

 

[Greg Bobkin]

That was genuinely one of the funniest thing I have seen in 50 odd years of watching football. The "yeah....and!!!" Look he gives Gakpo just cracks me up

Same. I actually LOLd (sorry @Bozza) and had to rewind it to show the Bobkin Jnrs because they'd missed it