A tough start for De Zerbi is the sort of challenge Brighton relish
As the Premier League returns from a three-week break after international games and the period of mourning for The Queen, The Athletic has previewed what it brands as a “mad dash” to the next extended break in fixtures beginning on November 13th when players leave for the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.
None of their team of correspondents predict that the Albion will reach that point still in the top six, and with good reason.
October’s matches include Liverpool and Manchester City away – arguably the two toughest fixtures in the calendar – as well as Spurs and Chelsea at home.
Not many will expect Brighton to take points at Anfield or the Etihad Stadium. Spurs were undefeated in all competitions in September.
As for Chelsea, the Albion will have to overcome quality opponents as well as a manager with thorough knowledge of every aspect of our game having coached us for the past three years.
Roberto De Zerbi has the toughest of starts any new manager could face in terms of opponents. He does however inherit a squad that has picked up wins against most of the “Big Six” since the start of April. He has said he intends on making few changes to the team and their setup.
Often underestimated, the players will want to impress both the new boss and potential buyers. Most of their success has been credited to Graham Potter by the outside football world.
A determination to prove that Brighton are about much more than Potter’s tactics should also provide motivation for the Albion between now and the World Cup.
De Zerbi of course will want to make an early impact. The Athletic writers quite rightly say he shouldn’t be written off if there are a string of defeats throughout October.
That warning is surely aimed at the outside world rather than Brighton fans. Potter was not written off despite long winless runs.
Albion supporters were wise enough to see the bigger picture. De Zerbi will surely be extended the same patience by the Amex crowd
He is unlikely to be overawed by games against the bigger clubs either. He faced some of the most famous sides in Europe during his time in charge of Shakhtar Donetsk. His Sassuolo side regularly took down the big names in Serie A.
Brighton might even benefit from having a comparatively small number of players who have been on international duty compared to some of their upcoming opponents. 11 Albion players were away last week; City had 16 and Spurs 15.
Then there is fixture congestion from European ties for those involved in the Champions League, Europa League and Europa Conference.
Arsenal have 13 games in six weeks between now and the World Cup; Brighton just nine. Injuries will undoubtedly mount through such a workload and squad strengths will be tested.
It was always said that Potter’s strengths lay in both tactics and an ability to get the best from players through his training. He was able to understand, support and develop them mentally.
A lot may depend on how much De Zerbi can maintain that confidence and positive approach in the squad. He cited it in his pre-Liverpool game press conference as something he had picked up on since working with the players on the training ground.
Those writers from The Athletic are probably right about Brighton falling away from the top six between now and November.
But it the Albion can defy the odds and the predictions of a difficult start under their new coach and are still in the top eight by the time the World Cup break comes around, then European qualification is surely on.
Warren Morgan @WarrenBHAFC
