De Zerbi departs – so who next as Brighton manager?

The announcement that Roberto De Zerbi was to leave the Albion came somewhat out of the blue, announced 24 hours before the final home game of the 2023-24 season against Manchester United. With De Zerbi given the send off he deserves by the Amex crowd, attention now turns to who comes next as Brighton manager.

They will have big boots to fill. De Zerbi rewrote the Albion history books. He took the club into Europe. Raised expectations and changed what Brighton fans thought possible.

Brighton are a different beast now because of the football he delivered and the success it brought. Not to mention the connection he enjoyed with supporters and players.

Tony Bloom though will not be short of interested parties to become the next Brighton manager. The Albion chairman will of course already know who he wants thanks to the club’s famed succession planning.

Who then will become the 37th manager of the Albion? We take a look at some of the candidates.

 

Kieran McKenna

Who is he?
The man hyped as the big young thing in English management. At 38-years-old, he has just led Ipswich Town to back-to-back promotions from League One into the Premier League playing a style of football not too dissimilar to DeZerbiBall.

McKenna has received praise for the way Ipswich adapt their approach to overcome opponents, unlike De Zerbi who was often accused of having no Plan B.

Paul Barber will be particularly aware of McKenna’s talents, seeing as they have both worked for Spurs and Vancouver Whitecaps.

Pros
Looks the perfect fit for this group of Brighton players. He improves indiviuals and would understand the Albion model in a better way than De Zerbi, whose wanting of Bloom to spend more money and public criticism of the owner ultimately proved his downfall.

Cons
There is some doubt over whether he would leave Ipswich at this stage. Chelsea and Manchester United are also said to be interested. Brighton would not be able to compete with the Blues’ money or the fact McKenna is a former Old Trafford coach and diehard United fan. If Bloom wants McKenna, he will need to act fast.

 

Russell Martin

Who is he?
Southampton manager who is Brighton-born-and-bred and was on the Albion’s books as a youngster. He has led the Saints to the Championship playoff final in his first season in charge.

Previously at Swansea and MK Dons, his Franchise FC side set a British-record 56 pass move to score against Gillingham in March 2021.

At the end of the 2020–21 season, only Manchester City and Barcelona had a higher average possession percentage in Europe than the Dons.

Martin has long been considered a future Brighton manager by Bloom. There were rumours last month that Bloom had already spoken to him about succeeding De Zerbi.

Pros
Plays the possession obsessed style of football which Bloom wants and is tactically flexible. He is a Green Party member and vegan according to Wikipedia, so will be right at home in Brighton & Hove.

Cons
Has hardly delivered what you would call success at any club so far – even in taking Southampton into the playoff final, which should have been the minimum achievement for the Saints.

 

Francesco Farrioli

Who is he?
A De Zerbi disciple who worked under the fiery Italian as a coach at both Benevento and Sassuolo. He became the youngest manager of a top flight club in Europe when taking over Turkish Super League outfit Fatih Karagumruk in 2021.

Farroli was appointed Nice manager last summer and led the Eaglets to a surprise fifth place finish in Ligue 1. Nice punched well above their weight in terms of budget, so you can see the appeal.

Pros
Looks the most suitable continuity candidate to take over from De Zerbi given they have worked together before. De Zerbi himself has advised Brighton to consider bringing him in.

Cons
Bloom has probably had enough of passionate Italian managers. When Gus Poyet He Who Must Not Be Named was sacked in 2013, Bloom went for a series of duller, safer hands who were easier to manage like Oscar Garcia, Sami Hyypia, Chris Hughton and Graham Potter. It would be no surprise for him to opt for another long period of calm and serenity.

 

Glow Up Graham Potter

Who is he?
Speaking of Glow Up Graham, could we see him and his coaching entourage slither back to the Amex as the new Brighton manager?

Potter enjoyed a mixed first two-and-a-half years of results as Albion head coach between August 2019 and April 2022, after which something clicked and he lost only one game out of 13.

Chelsea then came calling and Potter was off. It was some way to repay the faith shown by Bloom through those long winless runs which would have put him in serious danger of losing his job at any other Premier League club. Hilariously, he then only lasted seven months at Stamford Bridge before getting sacked.

Pros
Knows the club and was happy to work within the Albion’s model until Todd Boehly came along.

Cons
His appointment would divide fans and prove potentially toxic. Would have to deliver results almost right away to try and win those supporters against his return around. His managerial history in contrast is one of slow starts at clubs. Might walk out again for a better offer. And there is the chance he would lecture us all about a history lesson after a 0-0 draw with The Leeds United makes it 10 games without a win.

 

Liz Truss

Who is she?
Former prime minister who lasted just 45 days in office. In that time, Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II died and Truss managed to destroy the economy with a mini budget which sent the pound crashing and mortgage rates sky high.

Pros
Available on a free transfer after her removal as PM. Her expertise as a rabid right winger could help get the best out of Simon Adingra and Tariq Lamptey down that side of the pitch. Appointing Truss as next Brighton manager would also create history by the Albion becoming the first ever Premier League club with a female head coach.

Cons
Financially illiterate so would probably want to bid £275 million for Leon Best or something. Hates Europe which is bad news for any ambitions Brighton have about finishing in the top six again.

 

Vincent Kompany

Who is he?
The most successful captain in Manchester City history, who lifted numerous trophies for the club through the period covered by 115 allegations of PSR breaches.

Has gone onto manage Anderlecht and Burnley since retiring. Led the Clarets to the Championship title in 2022-23 but was unable to prevent an immediate return to the second tier, although Burnley did finish the campaign strongly.

Pros
His work in transforming the way Burnley played under Sean Dyche to a more possession, attack minded style so quickly as to dominate the Championship was impressive.

Cons
One season of management in the Premier League and one relegation.

 

Liam Rosenior

Who is he?
Hugely popular former Albion defender who appeared destined for management during his playing days at the Amex. Started his coaching career with Brighton before going onto manage Derby County and Hull City.

Him telling the away end to keep chins up after the 2-0 Championship playoff semi final defeat against Sheffield Wednesday when the Albion lost four players to injury remains one of the defining images of the Amex Era.

Pros
Knows the club and would probably be a popular appointment as next Brighton manager with supporters given his time as an Albion player.

Cons
Was reasonably well backed by Hull and yet failed to qualify for the playoffs, resulting in his recent sacking. Is he ready for a Premier League job yet?

 

Dua Lipa

Who is she?
Singer and songwriter who has released some incredibly catching disco tunes since her first album came out in 2017, including One Kiss, Dance the Night and Houdini.

She has seven Brit Awards, three Grammy Awards and Time magazine included her on its list of the top 100 most influential people in the world for 2024.

Pros
Lipa is famed for her work ethic and knowing how to put on a show. She could help the club come up with something miles better than the current crap that is ‘Fan Zone’ before every game.

Cons
She is a self-confessed Liverpool fan. If next Redmen manager Arne Slot flops at Anfield whilst Lipa is a success with Brighton, the Albion may find it hard to keep her at the Amex should Liverpool come calling.

 

Ruben Amorim

Who is he?
Portuguese manager who is one of the hottest properties in Europe. He started out at Casa Pisa and went onto lift a League Cup with Braga, convincing Sporting to pay £8.65 million to take him to Lisbon.

The third most expensive managerial purchase in football history at the time has more than lived up to the fee. Sporting won their first league title in 19 years during his first season to go with another League Cup and he has just led them to the championship again in 2023-24.

Amorim was subsequently heavily linked with the Liverpool job before Slot’s appointment. Chelsea are also said to be considering him along with McKenna to replace Mauricio Pochettino.

Pros
His track record speaks for itself having won trophies with unfashionable Braga and then ended Sporting’s long wait to lift the title, turning what had been a two-horse race between Benfica and Porto for the past two decades into a three-horse race.

Cons
Amorim is wedded to a back three formation, which would not appear to suit the current Brighton squad whose most threatening players are all out-and-out wingers. He would not come cheap either.

 

Kjetil Knutsen

Who is he?
One of the favourites to replace Glow Up last time around before De Zerbi took the job. Knutsen has been in management for almost 30 years but first came to the attention of the world when leading Bodø/Glimt to their first ever Eliteserien championship in 2020, losing just one match.

The Yellow Horde successfully defended the title in 2021, qualified for European football and beat Roma 6-1 to inflict on Jose Mourinho the heaviest defeat of his managerial career. Knutsen has since added a third Norwegian title to his CV in 2024.

Pros
Would be the sort of quirky appointment which Brighton have become famed for. Offers easy pun potential if things go tits up by accidentally misspelling his surname to read Kuntsen.

Cons
Ole Gunnar Solksjaer used to win things in Norway.

 

Ted Hastings

Who is he?
A superintendent in Central Police where he was the commanding officer of Anti Corruption Unit 12 before his enforced retirement.

Hastings has won the Queen’s Golden Jubilee Medal, the Queens Diamond Jubilee Medal and the Police Long Service and Good Conduct Medal.

Pros
A good man manager who knows how to get the best from his team. Possibly looking for a new challenge after being forced out of the police for his unwavering commitment to routing out corruption.

Cons
He is interested in one thing and one thing only and that is catching bent coppers.

 

Gareth Southgate

Who is he?
One of the most successful England head coaches of all time. Southgate has led the Three Lions to a quarter and semi final at his two World Cups and runners up at Euro 2020.

Given the absolute shambles he inherited when Sam Allardyce was sacked after only one game in charge for drinking a pint of wine in a Chinese restaurant, he has done a fine job in transforming the fortunes of the national side.

Pros
Widley expected to leave the England job at the end of this summer’s European Championship in Germany, meaning he will be available to become next Brighton manager. Seems to have now forgiven Lewis Dunk for running over his cat, which can be the only explanation as to why Dunk spent five years in the international wilderness. Barber is probably rubbing his hands with glee at the prospect of selling waistcoats in the Amex Superstore for £120 each.

Cons
Did not pull up any trees in his only other domestic managerial role at Middlesbrough. There is a suspicion he is the sort of coach perfectly suited to international management but not so much club.

 

Micky Adams

Who is he?
Adams led Brighton to the Division Three title in 2000-01 and his squad went onto win Division Two in 2001-02, although he had already departed for Leicester City by the time Peter Taylor delivered the trophy to Withdean.

Came back for a second spell in 2008 when controversially replacing Dean Wilkins. This was a bit of a disaster and Adams was sacked after nine months with Brighton starting relegation into League Two in the face.

They say never go back, but they don’t say never go back twice. Maybe third time will be a charm?

Pros
His reputation took a bit of a battering during his second spell. A return as the next Brighton manager would give him the opportunity to rehabilitate himself. Would also mean Bob Booker and everyone’s favourite television salesman from Hastings, Dean White, coming back.

Cons
Adams’ last managerial job was at Sligo Rovers in 2015. He was famous for exhausting pre-season training, believing his players would win games simply by being fitter than anyone else. Not sure that would work in the 2024-25 Premier League season.

 

Marie Antoinette

Who is she?
Last Queen of France before the French Revolution. Antoinette was hugely unpopular. She was accused of of being profligate, promiscuous, having illegitimate children, and harbouring sympathies for France’s perceived enemies, including her native Austria.

During the French Revolution, she became known as Madame Déficit because the country’s financial crisis was blamed on her lavish spending.

Both her and husband Louis XVI were put on trial and executed, Antoinette via the guillotine at the Place de la Révolution in October 1793 after being found guilty of high treason.

Pros
Despite the French public having so many issues with her, she managed to ride things out for a surprisingly long amount of time before losing her head (literally). The sort of tough skin and mentality needed to survive in the cut throat of the Premier League.

Cons
Question marks over her approach to diet and fitness if she lets the players eat cake. Isn’t good spending money. And has been dead for nearly 230 years.

 

Steve Cooper

Who is he?
Former Nottingham Forest head coach who was another strong fancy to become the next Brighton manager after Potter walked. He took Swansea into the playoffs in two consecutive seasons before taking over a Forest outfit bottom the the Championship table.

The Tricky Trees rose all the way to the top six under his management, culminating in victory over Huddersfield Town at Wembley and the return of Premier League football to the City Ground for the first time in 23 years.

Cooper then kept Forest up last season before losing his job to Nuno in December. Prior to his move into domestic management, Cooper won the Under 17s World Cup with England in 2017.

Pros
Has done an excellent job wherever he has been. Via Barber and former technical director Dan Ashworth working for the FA, Brighton will have a strong grasp over what Cooper can bring to the party.

Cons
Untested in the upper echelons of the Premier League where Brighton want to finish. He may also be holding out for the England job as he is sure to be a strong candidate should Southgate leave after the Euros.