De Zerbi connects with fans like the Brighton managerial greats
After just one month in the job returning two wins, two draws and three defeats, it seems premature for talk of Brighton fans taking Roberto De Zerbi to their hearts.
Yet there is an undeniable buzz about the new manager, a huge appreciation for the respect he has shown the fans and a delight at the refreshing passion displayed for the team in the few short weeks he has been in post.
No other manager, to the best of my recollection, has had a massive flag with his face on paraded across the North Stand. Not even Jeff Wood.
Could De Zerbi be the one, The Special One, that leads us to the promised land of European football for the first time in Albion history?
He has brought what used to be called “continental style” to the team alongside what used to be called “South American flair” delivered by the likes of Moises Caicedo, Alexis Mac Allister, Pervis Estupinan and others. It is the stuff of dreams and Panini sticker albums from decades gone by.
We will see if things pan out in the medium to long term, but the early signs are promising – and certainly very entertaining.
The role of manager or head coach is not an easy one, as anyone who saw the fascinating chat on BT Sport between Jake Humphrey, Rio Ferdinand, Martin Keown and former Fulham boss Scott Parker will have been reminded.
From the comfort of our Amex seats or armchairs, we all think that we could do the job. But the task and pressure at the highest level is immense.
A fact no doubt attested to by the newly unemployed Ralph Hasenhüttl, who this week became the fifth managerial casualty of a Premier League season just 14 games old.
We saw with Sami Hyppia, the Liz Truss of Albion managers, how bad things can get. On the flip side, we have discovered with others, most recently Chris Hughton and yes, Graham Potter, how transformative a good head coach can be to a club’s fortunes.
Managers hold a different place in club mythology to legendary players, from the dour sheepskin coat-wearing dugout generals of the 1970s to the expressive trainer-wearing tactical geniuses of the technical area today.
With perhaps the exception of Chris Cattlin, Brighton managers are of course remembered for achievements off the pitch rather than their skills on it.
I see Alan Mullery before most games, and am instantly transported back to the heady days of the late 70s, too giddy to shake his hand.
An front page from The Argus posted on Facebook this week reporting the resignation of Jimmy Melia brought back memories of the white shoes on the old Wembley pitch, though astonishingly he was only 45 at the time!
Between Mullery, Melia and Mike Bailey, in the space of five years they took us to the old Division One, the FA Cup Final and then back down to the second tier again.
Mullers, Melia and Hughton – who I was lucky enough to chat to briefly a couple of times – will always be three of the greats for me, but everyone will have their favourites.
There have been just under 40 Albion managers. Only a dozen men held the role in the 70 years before my first game, which came during Brian Clough’s brief tenure.
14 have come and gone in the past 20 years alone, if you count Micky Adams twice. Another reminder of the pressure managers are under to deliver in a modern day game where patience is often thin, although not so much at Brighton with Tony Bloom willing to give his head coach more time than most.
Charlie Webb served an incredible 28 years as Albion manager, from just after World War I to well after World War II. That is a stint never likely to be beaten.
I would profile them all in my podcast Albion: The Gaffer Tapes if I possessed a decent mic and the remotest inclination to start one. All have their own Wikipedia entries listed on the main Albion Wikipedia page if you want to know more.
Let us hope that by the time the first Italian to hold the role departs, he can list cup finals, European tournaments and silverware in his Wikipedia entry, earning his place as an Albion managerial legend.
Thank you Charlie Webb, and Forza De Zerbi.
Warren Morgan @WarrenBHAFC
