Roberto De Zerbi voted WAB Brighton Manager of the Season 2022-23

June 14, 2023June 14, 2023 WeAreBrighton.com 0 Comments

Brighton getting through two permanent head coaches and one interim in 2022-23 meant that for the first time since 2015, the category of Manager of the Season was back at the WAB Awards – and it was won by a Mister Roberto De Zerbi.

De Zerbi secured an eye watering 90.30 percent of the vote to finish ahead of Andrew Crofts in second and Graham Potter in third.

Yes, you have read that correctly. Despite Crofts not taking charge of a competitive game during his brief spell as caretaker manager, he still earned 10 percent more than Potter.

They say an elephant never forgets and it seems Albion fans do not either, condemning Potter to last place with a grand total of 0.58 percent.

Some might view it disrespectful to a bloke who had Brighton fourth in the table before he slithered off to Chelsea; others might say it is bloody funny. Either way, at least Graham has his glow up and his bank account to comfort him.

Let us start with Glow Up, who won four, drew one and lost one of his six games in charge of the Albion through the opening month of the season.

Included in that run were two history-making moments. The 2-1 win at Manchester United delivered by a Pascal Gross brace was the first time Brighton had ever won at Old Trafford.

And in hammering Leicester City at the start of September, Potter’s Seagulls became the first Albion side to score five times in a top flight game.

Little did anybody realise whilst leaving the Amex that day that we would not see Potter manage Brighton again. Chelsea offered Potter a frankly absurd five year contract worth £60 million and he was off to West London faster than you could say “It is what it is”.

With Billy Reid, Bjorn Hamberg, Bruno and Ben Roberts all following the dollar signs to Stamford Bridge, there was nobody left from Potter’s first team coaching staff to assume temporary control.

The job therefore fell to Under 23s manager Andrew Crofts. A combination of train strikes and the passing of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II meant fixtures with Crystal Palace and Plucky Little Bournemouth were postponed, so Crofts was not required to lead the Albion into battle.

That did not stop 9.10 percent of Brighton fans choosing Crofts as their Manager of the Season. He continues the fine record of caretaker bosses in this category, with Nathan Jones having won the most recent award for his two games in charge during the 2014-15 campaign.

Nine days after Potter walked out and Brighton unveiled their new manager – Roberto De Zerbi. There were plenty of doubters, although none sounded as completely mad as Graeme Souness when claiming De Zerbi was a bad choice because he didn’t know English football.

If only Tony Bloom had appointed a solid, homegrown boss like Big Sam Allardyce, Tony Pulis or Alan Pardew. Who knows how much better the 2022-23 season might have turned out?

When De Zerbi arrived at the Amex, he spoke very little English. He had to pick up a group of players who had just seen five members of staff they liked, respected and had been working with for over three years walk out.

He inherited a squad built for Potter’s back three and wingbacks formation rather than his favoured 4-2-3-1 with inverted wingers.

De Zerbi overcame all that and some. He unlocked goals from Brighton by introducing his unique style of play which is now the envy of the footballing world.

Pep Guardiola and Jurgen Klopp have both hailed De Zerbi as manager changing the face of football. Pundits are gushing in their praise and the Albion have become one of the must-watch teams in the Premier League for their fearless commitment to attacking football.

As for results, they have not been bad either. Two wins over Chelsea. Two wins over Liverpool. Victory over Manchester United. A draw with treble winning Manchester City.

Four goals scored away at Everton. Five at Middlesbrough. Four past West Ham at the Amex and six against Wolves, rewriting the record set by Potter’s five from the Leicester game seven months previously.

Brighton went all the way to the semi finals of the FA Cup, where they deserved to win in 120 minutes rather than losing on penalties to United. A sixth place finish in the Premier League meanwhile brings Europa League football to the Amex next season.

So yeah, De Zerbi probably does deserve to be WAB Brighton Manager of the Season, all things considered.