[Football] De Zerbi offers to resign as Marseilles coach

[Han Solo]

You say that but there was no sign of that burnout in the first half of his only full season when we beat Marseille at home, thus topping the group. But we fell away very quickly and quite alarmingly after that match in that season.

While overall you have some wise thoughts, I can't agree with you on this one.

I think there was plenty of signs of a mental burnout way before topping the group (that everyone in the entire world expected us to top btw).

Results wise we had a very strong start to the season but our football was light years from the one in 22/23. A lot of this came down to the sales of Caicedo and Mac Allister, but some of it did not. Most worryingly, the defence looked horseshit and there was little to no signs that anyone really cared. "These results will happen sometimes with a manager like..." was the reasoning and everyone happily accepted this "new way of seeing things" invented after the Everton loss in the spring that year. Unfortunately neither our own players or the opponent teams seemed to shrug about it.

We looked a little bit hung over. Not giving a shit about some of the "lesser" games, underestimating opponents etc. Honestly pretty normal stuff and I agree with @jackalbion that this was inevitable/difficult to deal with. It happens SO often when a smaller club in a big league takes their firsts steps into Europe.

The manager certainly didn't help though. One of the most baffling decisions must have been to remove Dahoud from the team despite the excellent results we had with him.

I opposed the signing of Mahmoud Dahoud before it even happened. But when he came to the club, signed to start games, I thought "ok, lets go with that until something better pops up".

But when Dahoud in his first 15 games only had recorded one loss (against Chelsea in the League Cup) I thought "ok, it works, I admit". Then, seemingly out of nowhere, we say "f*** this guy who helps us get 2.11 points per game in the league" before spending the rest of the season moaning about a lack of midfielders and only winning in the league every second month.

Winning the EL group stage was easy and something all English teams need to do or they've underperformed. The results were nice in the league before we decided to stop winning. But the football itself was stale, unenergetic and riddled with fear from day one against Luton. Perhaps not physically burned out from the start, but seemingly mentally. When the self-playing piano finally found itself in need of a tuning, there was no one around who was capable to do it.

 

[Withdean South Stand]

If Potter had stayed, who knows the heights we'd have reached. We'll never know, but that team which was built for him was stunning. What RDZ did with it was insane - we were SO good. But it didn't last and the manager was a big part of that, he was stale before he was moved on. But he was incredible for us, absolutely incredible.

 

[Tom Hark Preston Park]

If Potter had stayed, who knows the heights we'd have reached. We'll never know, but that team which was built for him was stunning. What RDZ did with it was insane - we were SO good. But it didn't last and the manager was a big part of that, he was stale before he was moved on. But he was incredible for us, absolutely incredible.

The biggest favour that Plodder ever did for the Albion was to f*ck off and make way centre stage for the class act that was RDZ

 

[Han Solo]

This really is embarrassing drivel. Is he your dad? You've never been to a game and probably couldn't point out the city on a map until this decade, so who are you to talk about our fans and club like you're the one who knows it best? What a complete tool you are at times.

To recap, we had watched his teams fail to win for all but 2 games in an entire calendar year, and his response to being called out for it was to talk about history lessons. I don't recall David Moyes having a strop at West Ham fans in his many low patches - he just got on with it and ended up winning them a trophy. I bet Potter doesn't, by the way.

He's not my dad, no. Thanks for asking...

Its true, I haven't been to a game. I've followed everything the club does and I've talked with Brighton fans on a daily basis - often many hours - for six years though, so I feel confident in being able to talk about the fans I interact with 5 hours a day and the club I watch several teams a week and read most news and articles about. And I can comfortably say that my impression is that Brighton has an higher-than-average percentage of upper middle-class "financial services" & academics types who believe themselves to be better and bigger than the plumber or mine worker. And the football team.

We had played one of our best games of the season despite a dire injury list and brought on a young debutant to get his first sniff of the Amex. The game ended 0-0 and people who couldn't handled it booed the team, of course not because it would benefit the team, but because they felt entitled to. And Graham Potter felt they weren't entitled to booing, and expressed it.

Fans often expressed how much they loved De Zerbis honesty as he was trashtalking the club, players and Tony. Who gives a shit if anyone appreciates those things anyway? But being honest about not liking the boos in this particular game (GP was clear that 'sometimes we may deserve getting booed) didn't sit well with some fans and their precious, spoilt, bratty bigger-than-the-club egos.

 

[Herr Tubthumper]

Agreed with @Simster - it silly and reductive this idea that people feel they have to be #teampotter or #teamdezerbi

Both were excellent at times, both had clear flaws. It’s been a fun ride overall IMO.

Agree. Both served an excellent purpose and took us to where are today.

 

[One Teddy Maybank]

This is so wearing….

Hughton kept us up in many ways against the odds. Defensive but very necessary.

Potter improved the style, and although we struggled for a couple of seasons, he laid the foundations, and then had that leap in the final 6 months over the end of one season and the beginning of the next.

RdZ took it further again, great football, amazing European adventure, until the final 3 months there wasn’t a lot not to like…..

You cannot have any of the above without the other.

In my 50 years of supporting I never thought we’d be in Europe and I am eternally grateful to all of them, because I loved the trips abroad….

 

[Mellotron]

Its true, I haven't been to a game.

The game ended 0-0 and people who couldn't handled it booed the team,

This kinda proves the issue. If you HAD been at the game, you'd have known the booing was by approximately TWELVE people, but they happened to be close to the dug out, so he heard it when in the vast majority of cases, the manager wouldn't have.

Almost every game at Prem level, you will get a couple of idiots boo if either side loses - it's f***ing stupid, but it IS a reality of modern football. I know this because I GO to Prem games.

It's only because Potter mentioned it (showing quite incredibly thin skin at the time given the situation) that you even know about it at all. It was a complete non-event for those of us in the stadium.

 

[Flounce]

This kinda proves the issue. If you HAD been at the game, you'd have known the booing was by approximately TWELVE people, but they happened to be close to the dug out, so he heard it when in the vast majority of cases, the manager wouldn't have.

Almost every game at Prem level, you will get a couple of idiots boo if either side loses - it's f***ing stupid, but it IS a reality of modern football. I know this because I GO to Prem games.

It's only because Potter mentioned it (showing quite incredibly thin skin at the time given the situation) that you even know about it at all. It was a complete non-event for those of us in the stadium.

EXACTLY as I remember it.

It was a 0-0 against Leeds in a game we totally dominated and should have won. There was plenty of frustration but very little booing

 

[Han Solo]

Both things can be true at once.

He was brilliant and I loved us under him - exactly like with Gus. But there is enough noise from behind the scenes that he was a nightmare to deal with - it's hardly a leap of faith to believe it. Exactly like with Gus.

I see it like a summer romance. It was brilliant and exhilarating but destined to be fleeting. Still glad it happened, but ok with it being over, because it was always going to be over fairly quickly.

This thing again. Repeatedly described as "the one night stand that is above your level", "the quick, sweaty hot shag that leaves you asking for more" etc.

For those of you interested in having a hot one night stand or summer romance or whatever: come over to Sweden, let me show you around and you'll drop the whole "I'd like a sweaty melancholic middle-aged Italian man who mumbles about testicles" for much more enticing fantasies...

 

[Han Solo]

This kinda proves the issue. If you HAD been at the game, you'd have known the booing was by approximately TWELVE people, but they happened to be close to the dug out, so he heard it when in the vast majority of cases, the manager wouldn't have.

Almost every game at Prem level, you will get a couple of idiots boo if either side loses - it's f***ing stupid, but it IS a reality of modern football. I know this because I GO to Prem games.

It's only because Potter mentioned it (showing quite incredibly thin skin at the time given the situation) that you even know about it at all. It was a complete non-event for those of us in the stadium.

As was his throw-away post-game comment that people have been banging on about for five years. Its only mentioned because some upper class mind-dwarfs can't handle a negative comment about them/their allies. It was a complete non-event in the grand scheme of things.

 

[Guinness Boy]

As was his throw-away post-game comment that people have been banging on about for five years. Its only mentioned because some upper class mind-dwarfs can't handle a negative comment about them/their allies. It was a complete non-event in the grand scheme of things.

You’ve started on the booze, haven’t you.

 

[Deportivo Seagull]

As was his throw-away post-game comment that people have been banging on about for five years. It’s only mentioned because some upper class mind-dwarfs can't handle a negative comment about them/their allies. It was a complete non-event in the grand scheme of things.

The only person here that can’t handle negative comments is you. That is one embarrassing post.

 

[Simster]

The only person here that can’t handle negative comments is you. That is one embarrassing post.

This. It's pure cringe.

 

[Terry Butcher Tribute Act]

I wish I was upper class.

Mind-dwarf is good though, I accept that!

 

[AmexRuislip]

This is so wearing….

Hughton kept us up in many ways against the odds. Defensive but very necessary.

Potter improved the style, and although we struggled for a couple of seasons, he laid the foundations, and then had that leap in the final 6 months over the end of one season and the beginning of the next.

RdZ took it further again, great football, amazing European adventure, until the final 3 months there wasn’t a lot not to like…..

You cannot have any of the above without the other.

In my 50 years of supporting I never thought we’d be in Europe and I am eternally grateful to all of them, because I loved the trips abroad….

100% this.
The Albion journey in the PL with Chris Hughton and was carried on with Potter, RDZ and now FH.
We're always going to be a club in transition until we actually win a piece of silverware and make ourselves heard in a league of noisy wannabes.

 

[Man of Harveys]

Having enjoyed their Peel Session, I think I saw the Upper Class Mind Dwarves at the Zap in 1988.

 

[Eeyore]

If Potter had stayed, who knows the heights we'd have reached. We'll never know, but that team which was built for him was stunning. What RDZ did with it was insane - we were SO good. But it didn't last and the manager was a big part of that, he was stale before he was moved on. But he was incredible for us, absolutely incredible.

It's important to look at stats though. I know, I know.

The average points per game after Potter left in the 22/23 season would have had Albion finish in 10th when reflected across the season. There was only three points separating 6th-9th.

We did have some exciting wins, including a first at Chelsea. But Potter has also delivered victories at Arsenal and Tottenham the season before, when in the second half Albion showed Champions League form.

But had Albion not qualified for Europe RDZ would have been seen differently. Exciting football at times, indeed, but a very unpredictable manager who was never going to be here for long and, quite frankly, got on my nerves.

So, yes, an Integral part of our success, but, my, I was happy when he left. And quite why some were unhappy about him leaving when in the second half of last season, despite only two European matches, Albion were 17th in the form table, I don't know.

What's happening at Marseille is just rinse and repeat. It was exciting, but Souness was right.

 

[Guinness Boy]

After having enjoyed their Peel Session, I think I saw the Upper Class Mind Dwarves at the Zap in 1988.

No doubt supported by 14 Iced Bears and The Cult of De Zerbi.

 

[Triggaaar]

Indeed.
Hence my comment on Potter being the main reason for the love of De Zerbi. The hurtful breakup meant that the replacement manager could say things like "Mac Allister and Caicedo deserves to play in bigger clubs" without getting the reaction every other manager would have got if they said the same thing.

Arsenal made a good bid for Caicedo, but RDZ supported him and got him playing good football that got us into Europe. The main reason for the love of RDZ was nothing to do with Potter, it was because De Zerbi got us playing great football and into Europe for the first time in the club's history.

 

[Triggaaar]

In Brighton its ok for the manager to belittle the players, the owner and the club. It'll be appreciated by the fans, because the fans are affluent and used to winning more in life than Brighton does on the pitch.