Two weeks ago, a thoroughly unflattering statistic was doing the rounds. Both Roy Hodgson’s anaemic dirge of a Crystal Palace side and Roberto De Zerbi’s supposedly brilliant Brighton had won four of their past 17 Premier League games. One lost his job shortly after, while the other has been linked with the vacant Liverpool and Barcelona jobs.
This fed into a wider emerging narrative: Brighton were regressing. De Zerbi had been worked out. It turns out you can’t sell Moises Caicedo, Alexis Mac Allister and Robert Sanchez and lose a manager, his entire backroom staff and your head of recruitment in the space of a year and get away with it. Phew. The new kids on the block were getting their comeuppance.
Except, of course, they weren’t. While that statistic may have been true at the time, serious context is required. Lies, damn lies, etc.
Kaoru Mitoma, Solly March, Julio Enciso, Ansu Fati, Joao Pedro, Pervis Estupinan, James Milner, Tariq Lamptey, Simon Adingra and Joel Veltman have all suffered injuries at some point in the past three months.
Brighton have been also competing in Europe for the first time in their history and have reached the fifth round of the FA Cup.
They’ve managed this while bedding in 18-year-old academy product Jack Hinshelwood and new 22-year-old striker Joao Pedro, as well as attempting to fill the void left behind by £140m pair Caicedo and Mac Allister.
All in all, the Seagulls have won 10, drawn six and lost just four of their past 20 matches. And not only do they play some of the most attractive and entertaining football you’ll see anywhere, Uefa’s recent financial report confirmed what has long been suspected – they’re the best-run club in Europe.
Brighton’s 2022-23 pre-tax profit of £130m is second among all European clubs, only behind Barcelona. Only Monaco and Tottenham, both in 2018, have made more money in a single financial year than the Seagulls since Uefa started keeping records.
Largely, this has come from having the largest net transfer income in Europe – their £75m is ahead of other renowned selling clubs like Lille, Ajax and Sporting CP. But it is also supported by a 27 per cent year-on-year increase in revenue to £225m, giving the club the 20th-highest revenue in Europe, alongside the 10th-highest operating profit, just £3.5m behind Real Madrid.
Of course, these numbers will likely all reduce next season with fewer player sales expected this summer, but that is no bad thing.
Evan Ferguson, linked with a £100m exit earlier this season, has not scored since November despite playing over 700 league minutes since then, at least temporarily quelling interest.
Adingra and Facundo Buonanotte both probably need another season before earning their big move.
Mitoma is already 26 and Brighton are in a strong negotiating position to hold out for the right price for him, but he will probably attract the greatest interest. Estupinan is another name who could be in high demand, but his long injury lay-off could help the Seagulls hold onto him.
The most likely departure may well be De Zerbi.
Adam MacDonald, editor of Seagulls Central, tells i: “Teams have worked out De Zerbi’s system a little bit – you saw it with that Luton game at the end of January. Brighton are a team that can really be got at.
“We’ve lost players like Caicedo and Mac Allister, which has made our midfield weaker, and without that out and out ball winner that we lost with Caicedo, we don’t look as solid in midfield. That has made a big difference.
“A couple of years ago, Brighton were hard to beat but didn’t score many goals. Now we score a lot of goals, but we concede a lot too. That’s the trade-off you get for playing in De Zerbi’s systems.”
And Scott McCarthy of fan site We Are Brighton adds: “The one area you can criticise the manager is for his continued goalkeeper rotation. Whereas Mikel Arteta binned the idea after a couple of weeks of getting pelted by the media, De Zerbi has stuck to switching Bart Verbruggen and Jason Steele every couple of games.
“Neither goalkeeper has covered themselves in glory and it is no coincidence the Albion set a club record run of 25 league games without a clean sheet.”
Yet despite these issues, Brighton are still in decent form and getting better with every player who returns from injury. Adingra and Mitoma are recent returnees, with Enciso expected back on the bench this weekend. Pedro and Milner should be available within the next month. Holes are being filled.
And having now overcome the injury crisis, Brighton are still seventh in the Premier League. They visit Wolves in midweek in their FA Cup fifth round tie, before a Europa League last 16 tie with Roma follows shortly after.
The Roma trip follows on from group stage victories over Marseille and Ajax, more European memories made for this currently fortune-kissed fanbase.
“There’s so much optimism we can still do something pretty special here this season,” MacDonald says. “In the league, we’re still bang in it. It’s like another mini season starting now. We’ve got through the difficult winter and we’re ready to go again with a rejuvenated side.”
And beyond this season, Brighton are set to partially invest their newfound wealth into the squad, with an ambitious summer of signings expected from owner Tony Bloom. This can often be where clubs in Brighton’s position go wrong; eventually one too many busts come through the door and form collapses. See Southampton, Leicester, Burnley.
But as football finance expert and Brighton fan Kieran Maguire tells i, this is less likely to happen at the Amex. “The precarious nature of talent identification means nothing is guaranteed. But where Brighton have a competitive advantage is they have owners who not only use data, but they understand it better than many other clubs.
“I always say, if you give me a piano, it doesn’t make me a pianist. If you give me a spreadsheet full of data, it doesn’t mean I’m going to interpret it appropriately to recruit the right players.
“Brighton’s biggest asset is Tony Bloom. He’s not going anywhere, he’s a lifelong fan. They’ve got smart people in the right positions at the club.”
Recruitment is a necessary part of growing, of developing, of becoming a bigger club with a bigger name and a bigger reputation. By virtue of their own previous success, Brighton are already on that path, whether they like it or not. As Maguire puts it, they are a club in a big position.
Everything indicates Brighton are stronger than ever, despite somewhat slipping under the radar. This lack of attention may now provide the space they need to take their next stride of progress.
First it was the Premier League, then the top half, then Europe. A first major trophy does not feel too far away. It may even happen sooner than anyone expects.
from Football - inews.co.uk https://ift.tt/r1i4FBN
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