When you pass through the team that Brighton & Hove Albion has, you will see a very young and talented team with great offensive potential. It is a team that has sold many players but is still very good — a team that leans towards an offensive approach. Defensive tactics do not suit them, and that is very visible because they are conceding so many goals.
The team situation
On the defensive side, they only have one world-class defender, Jan Paul van Hecke, and the other defenders are not close to his quality. They are quick and offensively oriented, which is why Brighton is losing — because they can’t defend like other Premier League teams that have very experienced defenders who know how to position themselves and how to mark and stop their players.
With only Van Hecke, who is top-class, it’s not a miracle they are conceding goals, and it should be changed very much so by their coach. They have fantastic offensive potential in the team, so they could attack, be deadly, position themselves well in attack with many players, combine, create chances, and score goals.
There will be counterattacks when they lose the ball, but that is something they have to deal with. They need an offensive approach, and changing the game system to 4-3-3 would help them a lot.
With Kaoru Mitoma on the left wing, Yankuba Minteh on the right, Brajan Gruda in the offensive midfield, Simon Adingra, the extremely experienced Danny Welbeck, Kostas Koulierakis, and Vasilis Tzimas, they could do much better in offensive football with possession.
Choosing offensive football instead of defending themselves, by changing the system and formation:
Fabian Hürzeler needs to realize that his team may have a weak defense at the moment, but can outplay anyone in open play with strong wingers who can play good football with ball control and quick combinations. His current 4-2-3-1 formation does not bring the right outcome, and he has to let his talented players play freely.
They will not only face counterattacks but will also make mistakes at the beginning. However, they will improve over time and become much stronger later in the season.
By producing so many good players and selling them, they still have a great team that can become a very important club for the league. For instance, Maxim de Cuyper is much better offensively than defensively and should be given more creative tasks instead of being committed to too many defensive responsibilities.
It is a team full of talent, with great wingers that can produce a clear football rhapsody at the Amex Stadium. They can become one of the most difficult teams to face in the league and especially at home.
Hürzeler needs to realize the offensive potential of his team, individual player preferences, and see that they are built for great attacking football with excellent finishing and combinations. His wing players are fast and dangerous, and need to stop constantly defending when opponents attack.
The team’s DNA is great, attractive football, not constant defending. This way, they would be scoring far more than they concede and would achieve fantastic results. It will just take time to implement because it changes their entire playing style.
Bart Verbruggen is the biggest problem in the club and a reason for the bad form and many losses. He is not good enough to be the starting goalkeeper for Brighton. He is not secure, does not catch the ball well, is unreliable, and costs his team a lot. He is young and talented, but that is just not enough. He has cost them many goals and many points.
S. Šijaković
About the Author
