Brighton and Hove Albion - 19/20 Season

The Boy

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I am astonished no one has started this yet, but I am excited to see what Brighton can do this season.

Chris Hughton was sacked at the end of last season after doing a fine job of getting us promoted and keeping us in the Premier League for two seasons (just!) But unlike Newcastle, we're quite creative with our managerial appointments under Tony Bloom and Graham Potter seems like a good gamble.

Pre Season

Only one game so far against the mighty FC Lievering, but you can only play what's in front of you and we won 5-2 with new signing Leandro Trossard (of Belgic fame) scored. Like Utd we played two separate elevens either side of half time and unlike last season showed some real attacking intent. It will be interesting to see how we do in upcoming friendlies against Fulham, Birmingham and Valencia (we also have our annual friendly against Crawley Town)

Transfers

What happens with United's chase of Harry Maguire is crucial here, with Lewis Dunk allegedly lined up to go to Leicester to replace him for forty million quid! Dunk will be a big loss but that price for an academy lad would be great for us. Potter has brought in Matt Clarke from Portsmouth, who will likely be Dunk's replacement.

Trossard from Genk is another good signing the left winger scored 15 goals in Belgium last season would be nice if he could do the same in the EPL!

Finally Glen Murray is 189 years old now and though we've been saying he needs replacing for quite a few seasons now .... he needs replacing. He scored in the friendly but we can't keep relying on him and so far Locadia and Andone have failed to step up. My hope is on a young upcoming striker like Danny Loader at Reading, we had also hoped for young starlet Daniel James to follow Potter from Swansea, but some other feckers jumped in there and nabbed him!

Expectations

Hughton's sacking and Potter's appointment are a clear move by Tony Bloom to build on our current position, for me staying in the league would again be a success, but with a more attractive style and he needs to get more out of Hughton's signings from the last three windows who have all spectacularly failed to break through. The board and many other Brighton fans might expect more thoug and will be hoping to break the top ten ... which would be nice.

Exciting times ahead....?
 

Hughes35

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I obviously don't know the details as well as a Brighton fan but it does look like an interesting season ahead.

I think like most of football fans, it was a surprise when Hughton was sacked, but Potter looks like a good replacement (On paper). Trossard should be a really good signing for you, I've not seen a lot of him but he looks to score a good amount of goals and even if he scores 5 or 6 league goals that would be a good return for a winger in a team like Brighton (No disrespect).

It's always very risky when teams decide they want to play a better style of football and we have seen it backfire many times, Stoke is a prime example. Very good prem team under Pulis but once they started to play "Nice football" the soft under belly was exposed.

Ultimately, staying in the division should be seen as huge achievement and that should be the goal once again with sensible investment and coaching each year. With the goal of becoming a stable PL team that can then maybe push on and challenge for a League cup or FA cup.
 

SambaBoy

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Their recruitment thus far has been pretty poor in the Prem. Locadia and the winger from the Dutch league were brought in for big fee's and have underperformed. Be interesting to see how Potter sets Brighton up next season, he doesn't seem a defensive manager but he will need to get points some how as Brighton don't have the best team and will struggle to go toe for toe against most teams in the league.
 

The Boy

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Ultimately, staying in the division should be seen as huge achievement and that should be the goal once again with sensible investment and coaching each year. With the goal of becoming a stable PL team that can then maybe push on and challenge for a League cup or FA cup.
Absolutely agree with this, though I think most fans and the board are setting their expectations higher.

Their recruitment thus far has been pretty poor in the Prem. Locadia and the winger from the Dutch league were brought in for big fee's and have underperformed. Be interesting to see how Potter sets Brighton up next season, he doesn't seem a defensive manager but he will need to get points some how as Brighton don't have the best team and will struggle to go toe for toe against most teams in the league.
This is what people said about Swansea last season and Potter did an excellent job there with massive financial constraints, so looking forward to seeing what he can achieve here.

By the way those big fees were 14 and 15 million I think :lol:
 

Nickosaur

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Big season ahead for Brighton. Said all along, it was the right decision to get rid of Hughton, and I'm glad the club made an adventurous appointment in Potter.

It's very difficult to predict how they'll do. But I'm cautiously optimistic. After a season interrupted by injury, I hope Pascal Groß can return to his best form.
 

Perseus

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Big season ahead for Brighton. Said all along, it was the right decision to get rid of Hughton, and I'm glad the club made an adventurous appointment in Potter.

It's very difficult to predict how they'll do. But I'm cautiously optimistic. After a season interrupted by injury, I hope Pascal Groß can return to his best form.
BHA have a crisis at right back now Bruno has retired. Can't score from open play last season w/o the injured Pascal Groß (recovered) and Izquierdo (still injured). In the absence of Bruno, Dunk will have to be the lynchpin in defence. Newcastle , Sheff United and one other team to go down?

Potter brings the possibility of the easier on the eye possession based game pre-Houghton. 4-2-3-1 is defensive though.
 

LuisNaniencia

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BHA have a crisis at right back now Bruno has retired. Can't score from open play last season w/o the injured Pascal Groß (recovered) and Izquierdo (still injured). In the absence of Bruno, Dunk will have to be the lynchpin in defence. Newcastle , Sheff United and one other team to go down?

Potter brings the possibility of the easier on the eye possession based game pre-Houghton. 4-2-3-1 is defensive though.
Bruno barely played last season, Montoya was first choice.
 

Andersonson

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Think Brighton will go down. Potter is a huge gamble, but I hope it will work.

I've always liked Murray but he will decline soon, so it depends on who the replacement is.

It will be interesting for sure - playing attacking football for a relegaton-battling side is very very difficult
 

Alabaster Codify7

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I think you're relegation candidates unfortunately mate. I like Potter a lot but I think you're still going to struggle. You might well stay up but it wont be a comfortable season.
 

Perseus

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Bruno barely played last season, Montoya was first choice.
That was the problem with the defence. Bruno saved the day in the final games for the second season in succession.

The key to the defence lies in the senior professional in Dunk marshalling the troops (like Maguire does for Leicester).

Forward play could be improved with the same players ??
 

FootballHQ

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Think Brighton will go down. Potter is a huge gamble, but I hope it will work.

I've always liked Murray but he will decline soon, so it depends on who the replacement is.

It will be interesting for sure - playing attacking football for a relegaton-battling side is very very difficult
I tend to agree with this although certainly not hoping for it.

Been great to see Brighton rise from the ashes last 10 years, good fanbase and stadium and I respect how they've gone for Potter instead of a boring appointment like Pardew or Mark Hughes.

Can't get out of my head how you ended last season though. Sometimes that continues into the next season even with clean slate and change of manager. It will be a bottom six season, Brighton need to learn how to be tough to beat at Amax again as that completely deserted them from February and they were mostly losing to bottom half teams.

BTW what's happened to Joze Iziquierdo? I thought he had a decent first season but hardly figured last season, injured and then out of form.
 

golden_blunder

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If Dunk goes then Duffy will need to play out of his skin every week because there’s not even close to enough goals in the current squad. They will struggle massively imho
 

Perseus

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If Dunk goes then Duffy will need to play out of his skin every week because there’s not even close to enough goals in the current squad. They will struggle massively imho
What gave you an idea that Dunk is going anywhere?
 

CHKBC

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Brighton has some decent players although for some reason played poorly and appeared disjointed under Chris Hughton (perhaps due to his cautious tactics?). Potter seems more positive with his tactics and it will be interesting how his team will gel in the new season.
 

The Boy

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As an Iranian, I have a soft spot for BHA. Any idea if Jahanbakhsh will be starting most games?
As shit as he has last year, he always excels in his scond season at a club. Atleast it was like that for NEC and AZ.
No one knows if he'll be a regular starter yet, but as you say given his performances last season, he may well not be. But Hughton played him quite defensively, with lots of tracking back and on both wings, where as he prefers attacking the right So with Trossard on the left and Jahanbaksh on the right with a more offensive tactic he could do well, I hope so he's our record signing and didn't get a goal or an assist last season.

I did say IF

Leicester want him as Maguires replacement. Brighton have bought Clarke as Dunks replacement
As laid out in the OP :)
 

Perseus

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I did say IF

Leicester want him as Maguires replacement. Brighton have bought Clarke as Dunks replacement
TABLOID FANTASY. Dunk is the poster boy for the new shirts for the new season. Clarke to replace Balogun?

GP has yet to assess the squad he has inherited. Some of the new signings have been more than disappointing (e.g. Montoya, Jahanbakhsh) and hardly an improvement over the Championship team. More than just a failure to adapt to the Premier League.
 

Nickosaur

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TABLOID FANTASY. Dunk is the poster boy for the new shirts for the new season. Clarke to replace Balogun?

GP has yet to assess the squad he has inherited. Some of the new signings have been more than disappointing (e.g. Montoya, Jahanbakhsh) and hardly an improvement over the Championship team. More than just a failure to adapt to the Premier League.
Montoya was okay. AJ was a huge problem, he looked awful. Hoping he has a better season as he can't really do much worse.

Brighton playing Crawley tonight, interested to see how they line up.
 

Perseus

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Brighton has some decent players although for some reason played poorly and appeared disjointed under Chris Hughton (perhaps due to his cautious tactics?). Potter seems more positive with his tactics and it will be interesting how his team will gel in the new season.
Collapse was United style. After the first season, all I thought for safety was to improve the dreadful set piece record at both ends and all would be well. Set piece problem was resolved but then the goals from open play suddenly dried up. The absence of Pascal Groß through injury could statistically explain it, but I have a suspicion the problem goes deeper.

BHA did not play well all season. Just got away with it before Christmas. Only Watford and the relegated clubs played worse.
 
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The Boy

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Fulham sign Knockaert from Brighton.
Bit of a shock, he’s always struggled in the Prem, but I’m still surprised to see him go
 

MsNuno

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Interested to see how Graham Potter will do this season, nice to see Brighton not going for the usual suspects in the management merry go round. I hope they give him time, if he doesn't get results straight away.
 

Perseus

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Very pleased with this, hopefully will take a bit of pressure from Murray.
The club said it would be a quiet summer. Bissouma and Izquierdo are long term injuries but the signings but the squad numbers up to 28.
Less two injuries = 26 so there will be a departure or two: Tomer Hemed (ST) looks surplus and maybe Leon Balogun (CB).
 

The Boy

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Full story is here https://theathletic.co.uk/1124951/2019/08/08/brightonamexdealnayloraug8/ - but here's the gist

Brighton made the biggest signing in their history in the final few hours of the transfer window.

Not a player but a 12-year sponsorship deal with long-time partners American Express which catapults them up the Premier League table in commercial terms.

Neither the club nor Amex have commented on its value, but an industry insider believes it to be in excess of £100 million ($125 million), making it one of the largest sponsorships in the league outside of the top six clubs.

It also represents a staggering 20-fold increase on the existing 10-year arrangement with the financial services firm and secures one of the longest-running sponsorship partnerships in UK football.
If this estimate is true, this is a game changer for Brighton and given our history of cash, grounds and cnuts running the club the best news of this season. Well done Tony Bloom!
 

Al-T

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I think Brighton can be pleased with their work in the summer. Having taken the decision to dismiss Chris Hughton, they acted swiftly to get Potter in. Pre season suggests a wholly different style of play and results have been encouraging with a thumping win away at Birmingham and a defeat of Valencia at the Amex.

They have recruited a striker to take some of the weight off Glen Murray and a Centre Midfielder which they needed. They have also held on to key personnel - Dunk staying is a bonus and I believe if he can get fit again, Bissouma is a handful.

Bloom's approach always seems calculated, considered and measured - unsurprising given his background. I hope Brighton do well this season - but not against us. The parasites that almost destroyed the club in the 90's were replaced by people that actually have the Club's best interest at heart and have built a Premier League side and an excellent ground, albeit with slightly frustrating transport links.
 

Ace of Spades

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Brighton under Graham Potter will be interesting to watch. I will try to catch as many matches as possible.
 
Watford 0 Brighton 3

The Boy

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Couldn’t be happier with yesterday’s result, given it’s exactly the same opening game as last year when we lost 2-0.

Three at the back looked a bit dodgy for the first few minutes, but Burn and Dunk were immense, with possibly the assist of the day from Dunk for the third goal.

It goes to show for those depressed by the Utd squad what a change of style to a more attacking mentality can do with pretty much the same players that were almost relegated last season.

What manager takes of two strikers when you’re just 1-0 up and replaces them with two new strikers! Genius from Potter, with quite a slice of luck!
 

The Boy

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Some of the new signings have been more than disappointing (e.g. Montoya, Jahanbakhsh) and hardly an improvement over the Championship team. More than just a failure to adapt to the Premier League.
I thought Montoya was a candidate for man of the match, one of the best games I’ve seen him play
 

Stobzilla

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Potter is a bit of an interesting character, did fantastic at Ostersund, Masters Degree in Emotional Development or something similar, maybe that is why Ostersund had someone like Ravel Morrison on their radar ? Could be someone that Potter identified as being able to work with.

I will be watching them closely, I think they will finish Top 10
 

Dancfc

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I hope they have a great season just to teach the narrow minded who wished doom on them for sacking Hughton a lesson.

Although i say teach they probably won't learn their lesson and make the same mistake next time a similar change is made.
 

Nickosaur

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So happy with that result, perfect start for Potter.

And there's still the likes of Webster and Trossard to fit in.

Long, long season but a very promising start.
 

Alabaster Codify7

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Brighton have never existed in my head really, but this season I have a mild interest in them as I want to see how Potter gets on. Maupay Is a good signing too.
 

Champ

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Potter will tear it up at Brighton, cracking manager with a great football brain. Good to see him at a club like Brighton,