“Wabi-Sabi” could help Brighton fans to look at the… bright side

There is a Japanese term which can remind us of the amazing progress Brighton & Hove Albion have made over the past five years – and at the same time help us to realise that we are enjoying some of the greatest times that the Seagulls have ever known.

Whoever shaped the meaning around the Japanese term “wabi-sabi” most certainly had never heard of a football team playing in blue and white stripes on the south coast of England.

Wabi-sabi focuses on finding beauty within the imperfections of life. One could wrap the phrase up in these words: It is beautiful, precisely because it is imperfect.

The Albion’s last month has been far from beautiful. It has definitely been imperfect: five consecutive defeats, 11 goals conceded and just once scored. Excessive possession without many good chances.

Graham Potter’s side has fallen short of expectations, losing against Manchester United, Burnley, Aston Villa, Newcastle and now Liverpool.

It is, of course, not the first time that the group has faced a crisis this season. A winless streak of 11 games brought some serious clouds over the Amex but the Seagulls eventually fought back and remained in the top half of the table.

This time however, the situation seems worse. It feels as if a lot of players are going through their toughest times at the club.

To be fair to Brighton, the fixture list has not helped. As the Albion suffer their bad form, they have had to face sides with much more quality (Liverpool, United) and those who reinforced in January (Burnley, Villa, Newcastle) and are reaping the rewards of enjoying their best phases of the season.

Luck has also deserted the Seagulls. Sometimes, you need some of that to settle as a top 10 Premier League team. Certainly, it cannot happen overnight – especially with one of the smallest budgets in the top division.

All of this is worth remembering. Since the start of the season, the players have without a doubt been working really hard.

They have offered unique moments to the fans, presenting a football team that everyone is feeling proud to support. They have also forged a real “refuse to lose” spirit throughout, finding many equalisers under unfavourable conditions.

The team might have lacked some of that fight in the last few games, but who can forget the excitement of comebacks at Anfield and Stamford Bridge? Or those late, late Neal Maupay strikes?

Frustration from this run of poor results does make sense. It also in itself shows how far Brighton have come and more importantly, how much further they can go in the future.

High expectations have been created by a quality team and high hopes should remain. A bad run should not overshadow the progress the club is making, even if it is turning into steady progress rather than the rapid leap forward that looked possible before these last five matches.

Every year under Graham Potter, the Albion accomplish something bigger and take steps forward. They play better football and end up in a better position than before.

There is an amazing chairman, a special coach, some exciting talent hatching in the academy and a whole organisation running like a finely tuned machine. Still the chance of a record season in terms of points and place in table exists.

Tomorrow continues to look brighter for Brighton and maybe looking at the longer term rather than the last month would help make this progress clearer.

After all, being a fan of a #TeamLikeBrighton is not always easy. We know that. But it does mean every little success means so much more because it has been fought for and earned.

Being a Brighton supporter will never be perfect. But this is what the Japanese would believe makes it so beautiful. Wabi-sabi.

Jason Therios @JasonTherios