Franck Haise the new favourite to be next Brighton manager

Another new name has entered the frame to succeed Graham Potter. The Guardian have reported that Lens manager Franck Haise is on the shortlist to become the next Brighton manager with the news seeing him pushed into odds-on favourite with the bookmakers.

Next manager or player transfer markets should always be taken with a pinch of salt. It only needs a handful of small bets to push an individual to the top, especially if there is not much more being placed on the book.

There maybe more to Haise’s odds tumbling than just random people sticking a fiver on because of The Guardian article, however.

Within a few hours of Brighton losing 4-1 to Manchester City on the final day of the 2018-19 season, Graham Potter came from nowhere to be the overwhelming favourite in the next Albion manager market.

This was more than 12 hours before Chris Hughton had even been sacked. Yet somebody somewhere knew what was coming and started betting on it accordingly.

If Bloom or Brighton have shown their hand in private as they must have done prior to Hughton being fired and the Albion going after Potter, that could be as much the reason why the previously unheard of Frenchman now leads the way as the bookies’ favourite.

During his playing career, Haise was a defensive midfielder in the lower leagues of French football. He played 317 times for Rouen, Laval, Beauvais and Angers before retiring in 2004 at the age of 33.

Haise moved straight into coaching but it would take him 16 years to become a professional manager in his own right.

He was in charge of amateur side Changé between 2012 and 2013, worked as Lorient’s B team manager and then first team assistant between 2013 and 2017, before moving to Lens to take over their B team in 2017.

It was in February 2020 that Haise was finally given an opportunity when Lens appointed him as successor to Philippe Montanier.

In the subsequent two years, Haise has taken The Blood and Gold from Ligue 2 to the top of Ligue 1. They currently find themselves in an early season French title battle with the likes of Marseille and Paris Saint-Germain.

Roberto De Zerbi, Kjetil Knutsen, Abel Ferreira… every candidate on the shortlist for next Brighton manager has a track record of making clubs punch above their weight compared to the financial might of their rivals.

Haise is the most impressive of the lot in that department, given that his Lens are competing against a PSG who can afford to field a front three of Lionel Messi, Neymar and Kylian Mbappe. It should not be possible for Lens to be championship challengers. And yet here they are.

Lens lost three of their best players in the summer. 12-goal top scorer Aranud Kalimuendo ended a two-year loan spell at Stade Bollaert-Delelis – where England famously beat Wales at Euro 2016 – returning to PSG and then signing for Rennes.

Cheick Doucoure is now a Crystal Palace player. Jonathan Clauss claimed 11 assists from wing back, attracting an offer from Marseille that was too good to down.

Lens have not only survived the departures but are thriving. This has baffled pundits, most of whom saw no way that The Blood and Gold could repeat their seventh placed finish from last season, let alone improve on it.

The comparisons with Brighton under Potter after the sales of Ben White, Yves Bissouma, Marc Cucurella and Neal Maupay over the past year are very obvious.

Haise has overcome the loss of key individuals by clever recruitment, coaching players so that they may be redeployed in new positions and maximising the talents of his squad by creating a certain kind of culture off-the-pitch. All hallmarks of the Potter Era.

Rennes paid PSG €25 million for the services of Kalimuendo, a fee that Lens could never afford to land him on a permanent basis. Instead, they identified and signed Lois Openda from Vitesse Arnhem for €10 million.

Four goals in seven Ligue 1 games for Lens so far suggests they have themselves a bargain. There are shades of replacing Bissouma with Moises Caicedo, or Marc Cucurella departing and Pervis Estupinan arriving whilst £47 million is banked to how Haise and Lens work in the transfer market.

Under Haise’s management, Clauss was transformed from an average attacking midfielder to a right wing back capable of breaking into the seriously-talented French national side. When Clauss was sold to Marseille, Haise redeployed Przemysław Frankowski from left side to right.

Before working with Haise, centre back Jonathan Gradit’s CV contained a lengthy spell in Ligue 2 and a relegation from Ligue 1 with Caen. Now he is one of the most underrated defenders in French football.

Florian Sotoca plays the crucial role in Haise’s 3-4-1-2 formation just behind the front pair. He had been a not-particularly-successful striker in the lower leagues prior to Haise transforming him into a creative number 10 with an eye for goal. Sotoca has five goals from seven games so far in 2022-23.

Central to the way that Lens play under Franck Haise are wing backs, which is another reason why he looks a good fit for a Brighton squad who have thrived playing with a back three since April.

Lens threaten most from wide areas. The prospect of Haise working with Leandro Trossard, Solly March, Tariq Lamptey and Pervis Estupinan is certainly one to be excited about.

So too what Haisse might do with Alexis Mac Allister and Caicedo. Haise has turned Seko Fofana into one the most in-demand midfielders in world football, wanted in the summer by PSG and Arsenal.

Although Lens have largely played 3-4-1-2 under Haise, he has spoken in the past about not being wedded to one formation.

“I don’t have a favourite system. For some time now, we have often played 3-4-1-2 or 3-5-2 with the midfielder moving. This is the one I use because it more closely matches the squad and the players.”

If he picks his formation and setup based on the strength of his players, then he may be more open to continuing with Potter’s unique 3-3-3-1 which has brought so much joy.

That would be a big tick in the box of Franck Haise compared to others on the next Brighton manager shortlist.

Some are less flexible or favour four man defences, which may not suit the profile of a squad built very much with playing a back three in mind.

The final area in which Haise appears to be a natural successor to Potter is in the harmony and atmosphere he creates off the pitch.

No lesser judge than Thierry Henry highlighted this as being one way in which Lens were able to compete with their bigger, richer rivals.

Henry described the atmosphere at Lens as “contagious” with Haise having developed an emotional connection which bonds the players. That stems from Haise himself being a humble guy.

In response to Henry’s praise, Haise looked visibly moved that one of the greatest French footballers of all time had such nice words to say about a bloke who until three years ago was pretty much unknown in his own country.

There is one major question mark hanging over Franck Haise and his suitability to become the next Brighton manager – can he cut it either away from Lens or in the Premier League?

Plenty of managers thrive at one club only to struggle in other environments. That is the lingering doubt hanging over Nathan Jones, who has performed miracles in two spells at Luton Town but struggled away from Kenilworth Road during his time at Stoke City.

Likewise, Eddie Howe. Smug Eddie took Plucky Little Bournemouth from League Two to the Premier League yet flattered to deceive at Burnley.

For many years, there was a belief in some quarters that he could not thrive anywhere but Bournemouth until he began proving the doubters wrong with the Saudi Sportswashers.

Other candidates on the shortlist have a greater body of work than Haise. They have proven themselves in different environments, rather than just at one club.

Appointing Franck Haise as Brighton head coach would be a gamble by Bloom. But his gambles have paid off plenty of times in the past.

Gus Poyet He Who Must Not Be Named was a rookie. Oscar Garcia had never worked in England. Graham Potter had a single season of English football under his belt which resulted in a mid-table Championship finish.

And you could also say that there is an element of risk attached to every other manager Brighton have been linked with.

If the market is to be believed, Haise is the gamble the Albion are most seriously considering right now.