Igor Julio and his recent Brighton renaissance

Igor! Igor! Igor! Brazilian Brighton defender Igor Julio has been a firm favourite over here at WAB Towers from the minute he made his debut due to his somewhat erratic approach to defending.

You never quite know what you are going to get. Will the ill-advised attempt at a turn come off? Is trying a mazy dribble from the back line into midfield and beyond a good idea? What if his brain malfunctions (again) at some point and he forgets he is a centre back?

These scenarios are a known risk when signing a central defender from Brazil. They are not specific to only Igor. And they do not make him a bad player.

You only have to look at the difference he has made to the defence when given opportunities under Fabian Hurzeler so far this season.

The back line looked markedly tighter when Igor came on towards the end of the 4-2 defeat at Chelsea. You could argue it had something to do with Cole Palmer and co taking their feet of the pedal but even so, the Albion kept a clean sheet with Igor on the pitch at Stamford Bridge.

Brighton did not ship a goal in the second half against Spurs either before registering an impressive shutout away at Newcastle United.

Igor outscored Lewis Dunk in the WAB Brighton Player Ratings for all three of those matches. It would take a brave/insane person to make the argument that Jan Paul van Hecke and Igor is currently the Albion’s in-form centre back pairing.

But those numbers at least show that Igor provides capable back up for Dunk and Van Hecke. He certainly deserves to be ahead of Adam Webster in the pecking order once Webster returns from his latest injury problem.

All of this represents something of a renaissance for Igor. He was written off by many Brighton fans and pundits towards the end of last season and over the summer.

Yes, he was involved in shipping four goals against Luton Town and Roma. But he had more good games than poor when selected by Roberto De Zerbi.

Igor helped the Albion to Europa League clean sheets in Athens, Amsterdam and home to Marseille. He was involved in solid defensive displays home and away against Brentford.

Brighton recorded a home shutout against Champions League bound Aston Villa with Igor in the team. Restricted Newcastle to a single goal at St James’ Park. And he played in the 4-1 demolition of Crystal Palace at the Amex.

His reputation taking something of a tanking can probably be traced to the moment the club began trying to turn the tide of opinion against De Zerbi.

As winter gave way to Spring, the fiery Italian head coach became increasingly critical in public of the Brighton board and what he believed was a lack of backing in the transfer market.

Big mistake. This is a club who do not take well to criticism, especially from an employee. Even more so when that employee is a history-making head coach.

Lo and behold, Andy Naylor began reporting how De Zerbi wanted greater control of transfers… despite the three signings he pushed for being Mahmoud Dahoud, Ansu Fati and Igor.

Everyone knows the tight control Brighton have over their closest journalists. It is therefore safe to assume the club wanted it to be public knowledge that De Zerbi was responsible for three disappointing signings. And that he should not be trusted to have a bigger say in which players were brought to the Amex.

There could be no arguments over Dahoud being a total disaster. Fati started out promisingly, registering four goals and one assist in his first 13 appearances before injury struck away at Nottingham Forest towards the end of November.

That ruined his confidence and enthusiasm. Fati subsequently did next-to-nothing after returning. Breaking the Albion’s wage structure to bring him in on loan from Barcelona was undoubtedly a waste of money, although who knows how different things might have been had he stayed fit?

Whilst you could justify questioning De Zerbi in the transfer market over Dahoud and Fati, grouping Igor with them seemed harsh. And in doing so, it perpetrated this myth that he was some sort of donkey.

A signing De Zerbi wanted? Must be shit. It was job done from a club spin point of view. But harsh on Igor, who did not deserved to be labelled alongside Dahoud and Fati.

Or have his reputation and standing take a battering in an attempt to prove giving De Zerbi more influence on signings would be a dangerous move.

The good news for Igor is that Hurzeler has made his own judgement. Igor barely featured in pre-season but has since impressed Hurzeler enough that the Youngest Permanent Head Coach in Premier League History is happy to start him in as tough a game as Newcastle away, rather than rush Van Hecke back into the starting XI after injury.

Igor is obviously not going to win a Ballon d’Or anytime soon or captain Brazil to World Cup victory in 2026. Yet he is better than many give him credit for; a decent third choice centre back who can also cover left back if necessary.

He remains a solid signing for £14.5 million, offering much more and costing less than either Jurgen Locadia or Alireza Jahanbakhsh, for example.

Two players who, funnily enough, there was little published criticism from Naylor over signing. Just articles mainly over how it was unfortunate or unlucky neither worked out.

Long live Igor! Brighton’s third choice centre back and a good one at that.