[Albion] What is De Zerbi’s target and can we meet it?

[Driver8]

RDZ seems to be saying if the club can agree to match targets he will sign a new contract. What should the target be realistically? Champions League qualification?

“In the end, we have to analyse the target.

“If the targets are the same as the club, it is an honour for me working in Brighton.

“I don’t try to reach the higher level, the most important for me is working seriously, work with a good team, good players.

“But, anyway, it is important for me to fix an important target."

 

[ozzygull]

RDZ seems to be saying if the club can agree to match targets he will sign a new contract. What should the target be realistically? Champions League qualification?

“In the end, we have to analyse the target.

“If the targets are the same as the club, it is an honour for me working in Brighton.

“I don’t try to reach the higher level, the most important for me is working seriously, work with a good team, good players.

“But, anyway, it is important for me to fix an important target."

I don't know, but I hope we can meet it with in the realms of what Tony is willing to invest in. (fingers crossed)

 

[Mancgull]

European football on a consistent basis? Surely he can’t be expecting champions League qualification, can he? Albeit, not impossible.
I expect our January transfer activity may be critical in Roberto committing to us longer term.

 

[Mustafa II]

I don't interpret that as league position/competition targets... after all, these are targets that club sets for him.

I reckon it's more to do with our transfer/wage budget - knowing de Zerbi, it's probably related to keeping our best players.

 

[Tiger Barb]

My guess is that the target will be linked to player retention and as a result being able to consistently challenge for a European place/competition. I think he gets where we currently sit in the food chain, but will have been disappointed about losing Mac, Caicedo and not being able to retain Colwill last summer. I would imagine that he would want assurances about not losing 3 players of that calibre again in one window.

 

[schmunk]

(on the hunt for Ulloa's penalty ball)

.

 

[Badger Boy]

My guess is that the target will be linked to player retention and as a result being able to consistently challenge for a European place/competition. I think he gets where we currently sit in the food chain, but will have been disappointed about losing Mac, Caicedo and not being able to retain Colwill last summer. I would imagine that he would want assurances about not losing 3 players of that calibre again in one window.

Colwill was never our player, so there was no question of "retaining" him. We were developing him for another club, for free. What a gift, but to be fair - Chelsea have paid their way in the last few years!

I agree with you overall though, the target will be more about player retention and recruitment. I don't think he's expecting the earth but I imagine he is wanting more tools in his toolbox to cope with injury crises like we're currently experiencing. He will be wanting to be fully backed in the market.

 

[KZNSeagull]

It's great that he believes that the club can move to another level and I hope that his demands, if that is what they are, are realistic as far as TB is concerned. If they are not then that will be that, but I am sure that if a deal can be done then it will be.

Fwiw, he already got the club to believe that European qualification was possible in the short term. CL is the next step clearly and to do that then the club will have to change it's policy somewhat to retain it's best players. But that is really down to the individual player too as the bucks being thrown about by some clubs now are ludicrous.

 

[Nobby Cybergoat]

I don't interpret that as league position/competition targets... after all, these are targets that club sets for him.

I reckon it's more to do with our transfer/wage budget - knowing de Zerbi, it's probably related to keeping our best players.

But De Zerbi can't control whether other clubs offer for our players or Bloom accepts that offer.

He can control the league position and I believe that's what is being referred to.

At the end of last season, the talk was of being able to compete in 4 competitions. (well we're out of one) but I think it's this. The target is to get back into Europe and to get the latter stages of a cup

 

[Thunder Bolt]

To get a decent medical team in?

 

[Tiger Barb]

Colwill was never our player, so there was no question of "retaining" him. We were developing him for another club, for free. What a gift, but to be fair - Chelsea have paid their way in the last few years!

I agree with you overall though, the target will be more about player retention and recruitment. I don't think he's expecting the earth but I imagine he is wanting more tools in his toolbox to cope with injury crises like we're currently experiencing. He will be wanting to be fully backed in the market.

Totally accept your point about him not being our player, but I still think he hoped to 'retain' him. Hence the offers that we made and even his recent comments about losing three big players in the summer.

 

[trueblue]

If his target is to become an eatablished Champions League club then, sadly, that’s pie in the sky given the resources of others. Top half consistently, yes - should definitely aim for that I think and with a strong enough squad to make a cup a possibility.

 

[um bongo molongo]

Totally accept your point about him not being our player, but I still think he hoped to 'retain' him. Hence the offers that we made and even his recent comments about losing three big players in the summer.

I agree, and it’s clear from interviews with Barber and Bloom that we wanted to retain Caicedo too. So I think the ‘plan’ was to sell only Ali Mac and try and buy Colwill. In practice I don’t think there’s anything we could have done to make that happen, but if you’re RDZ you have had to compete this season with downgrades on all those 3 (as good/potentially as good as Gilmour, Baleba and Igor are). I’d imagine he’s looking for a few players who upgrade the squad in the next two windows.

 

[studio150]

Probably happy with the current club ambition of being a consistent top 10 side, but wants to go deep in all cups, and ideally would want top 10 changed to top 7, as this would mean playing in Europe on a consistent basis.
To achieve that, probably wants assurances that 3 important players are not sold in one window. He will understand the club's policy, that players will be sold if an offer that can't be refused is received, but that the turnover isn't that high.

Also would RDZ want more input into players coming to the club, not the U21s who are for the future, but those that would be first team ready from day 1?

 

[Joey Jo Jo Jr. Shabadoo]

I don't think he's expecting the earth but I imagine he is wanting more tools in his toolbox to cope with injury crises like we're currently experiencing. He will be wanting to be fully backed in the market.

I don't think any club can setup to cope with what is pretty much an entire first XI out injured. Even your Man Citys would struggle to some degree (relative to their normal levels if they had our injury record). You'd simply have too many players not getting game time and would stiffle the progress of the youngsters coming into the squad if you recruited to that level.

Where the recruitment has let him down is no real alternative full backs being signed, especially at left back and the fact it's clear that we cannot rely on the fitness of Lamptey unfortunately. We arguably have two players for every position and when you take into account the versatility of quite a few players we are quite lucky, but the lack of a good back up full backs, compounded by Solly March getting injured has hurt us, even more so when you throw in what is an unprecedented injury crisis the club have probably never suffered before. But it's almost impossible to legislate for this level of injuries without upsetting squad balance and stopping progress of our talented youngsters.

 

[Loadicus Trux]

European football on a consistent basis? Surely he can’t be expecting champions League qualification, can he? Albeit, not impossible.
I expect our January transfer activity may be critical in Roberto committing to us longer term.

I think that is exactly what he's aiming for

 

[Reddleman]

If his target is to become an eatablished Champions League club then, sadly, that’s pie in the sky given the resources of others. Top half consistently, yes - should definitely aim for that I think and with a strong enough squad to make a cup a possibility.

It’s not pie in the sky though is it. This season fifth place gets champions league, we are five points off that despite crippling injuries and Europe to contend with. Last season we finished 5 points off fifth and only 9 off fourth despite it being RDZ first season. He clearly feels that with more commitment to retain players and some additional investment he/we can close that relatively small gap.

 

[WATFORD zero]

I haven't come across any serious player, manager or fan who has had greater ambitions for the Albion than a certain local Poker player

 

[Bozza]

It's either retention of bottle tops or the much-rumoured Amex -> Brighton Station monorail.

 

[Hugo Rune]

I haven't come across any serious player, manager or fan who has had greater ambitions for the Albion than a certain local Poker player

From what PBOBE says about De Zerbi, he has clearly really challenged the club.

Just strikes me as incredibly healthy that the manager has such high expectations. He knows we won’t throw tons of cash at salaries and recruitment but if the right player comes along and there is good value (see JP for £30m), we’ll splash the cash.

It’ll be no surprise to me if we fork out another £30m for someone like Bardghji this January in a position where we are very weak at present (right wing) to keep our wonderful and beloved Italian big balled hero happy.