BRIGHTON & HOVE ALBION

THE FEELING AROUND THE AMEX IS THAT THE SEAGULLS ARE READY TO REALLY TAKE FLIGHT

2022-07-20 -

THE PLAN

For a team that managed to lose six Premier League matches on the spin, having also played 11 without a win during a previous spell, things turned out all right for Brighton last season. In fact, the Seagulls’ ninth- place finish was the highest in the club’s history. The plan now is to build on it and even push for Europe – an aim that would have seemed purest fantasy just a few years ago. Key will be turning some of those 15 draws into wins, by turning all of their possession and territorial dominance into chances, and turning chances into goals. Only four Premier League teams last season, and five in 2020- 21, had more touches in the opposition area, yet only four teams scored fewer goals. Finding the killer blow remains a work in progress for this hugely promising Seagulls side.

THE COACH

Endlessly linked with higher- profile jobs, including Manchester United, Tottenham and lately England, Graham Potter won’t stick around forever and Albion supporters know it. An improvement on last season’s performance could tempt one of the top six into giving the bearded wonder a shot at the big time.

THE OWNER

Brighton are lucky to have Tony Bloom: savvy, Sussex- born and absolutely minted. He may not have bottomless pockets as some others do, but, in a league full of less- than- savoury characters in ownership positions, fans of most clubs would cut your hand off to have someone like Uncle Tony.

LESSON FROM LAST YEAR

Despite Brighton’s well- documented problems in front of goal, they still finished in the top half, even though only Leeds and relegated Norwich boasted worse xg- to- goals ratios. Do they actually need a striker? Well, Deniz Undav scored 26 goals and laid on 12 more for Belgium’s Union Saint- Gilloise last season, and while nobody’s expecting quite the same return here, the combative 26- year- old looks made for the Premier League. The Seagulls need to keep sharing the goals around, however, because individual drops in form are easier to ride out when you aren’t relying on one person to find the net. In 2021- 22, Neal Maupay ( above, left) and Leandro Trossard bagged eight goals apiece and Danny Welbeck six, with 11 other players chipping in. Every little helps.

THE MOOD

Optimistic, but with the awareness that a club with limited Premier League experience can’t afford to become complacent. The south- coast outfit concluded the 2021- 22 campaign by losing just one of their nine fixtures in April and May, winning away at Spurs, Arsenal and Wolves, dismantling Manchester United – it finished 4- 0 but could have been more – and beating West Ham on the final day. The feeling around the Amex is that the Seagulls are on the verge of really taking flight.

ONE TO WATCH

Moises Caicedo waited over a year for his Premier League debut, but from the moment he grabbed an assist against Arsenal that April afternoon, he made such an impact with his energy, drive and tenacity that he could have been given the man- of- the- match award before kick- off in each of his eight appearances. Now that Yves Bissouma has left for Tottenham, the 20- yearold with 23 Ecuador caps will be a vital cog in Brighton’s midfield.