WE’RE RUNNIN NG ON
Seagulls boss De Zerbi admits Roma thrashing was a rude awakening and threadbare squad are struggling to cope with hectic schedule
BRIGHTON v N FOREST
BY NEIL MCLEMAN
ROBERTO DE ZERBI has branded Brighton’s Europa League thrashing in Roma a “rude awakening” but insists they can still qualify for Europe next season.
Albion play host to Nottingham Forest tomorrow after winning only two Premier League games this year and slipping down to ninth place.
The Italian had declared his love for the Seagulls on his return to his homeland but then insisted the 4-0 defeat must be a lesson for the club, including owner Tony Bloom, after they took their domestic form onto the continent. It was not quite full Antonio Conte at this time last year at Tottenham but it was the clearest expression of another Italian’s frustration at the lack of investment in the transfer market after finishing sixth last season before selling Moises Caicedo and Alexis Mac Allister (circle).
And it was a stark reminder in the Eternal City that nothing lasts forever before Brighton’s enjoyable first European season comes to an inevitable end in the second leg on Thursday.
“The real problem is that we struggle to play three games a week with only 14, 15 players available,” said De Zerbi. “That also explains why we have so many injured players.
“We are a small club that has achieved something historic and is now clinging on to
Europe with its fingernails despite many injuries. Finding the energy to play 90 minutes in the Premier League, then another 90 in the Europa League, is hard.
“I had already understood during the warm-up that we were not ready, so much so that I spoke to the team in the dressing room before going out again. If you don’t have the ability to rotate the squad, you are running on empty. It is a rude awakening.”
The only upside to the club’s indifferent form and long injury list – top sc been bad Evan Fe Mitoma sold this
Captai badly at f
orer Joao Pedro has dly missed – is that erguson and Kaoru are less likely to be summer. in Lewis Dunk was fault for Roma striker
Romelu on Thursday night (Ansu Fati looking demoralised, below) but De Zerbi defended his stalwart. “Dunk has always been an example for this team,” he said. “Both from a leadership and a character standpoint. I have zero doubts about him.”
But after being given a lesson in their first knockout tie by a Roma team which has reached European finals in the last two seasons, he added: “Our players have never played at this level, in these stadiums, at this competition stage.
Dunk is not used to playing at this level. I have seen him play at Premier League level and seen him close down strikers like Alexander Isak and Erling Haaland. But he committed that error with Lukaku because he has never played at this level.”
But the Italian believes this will not be the end of Brighton’s European adventure. “Brighton players are used to bouncing back after defeats,” he said. “I believe we can still fight to qualify for European football.”
The Seagulls are ninth in the Premier League table with 11 matches to go. But they still have to play Liverpool, Manchester City, Arsenal, Aston Villa, and Manchester United.