General Premier League Thread 2023-24 Mod Note in op 27/6/23 And 21/05/24

ForestFire

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122153051#Comment_122153051

The problem with this is that the Refs just let things go, more and more, as he knows the teams can challenge anyway.

And then what does he do when a team has no challenges left, ref the game properly? This is already happening with VAR today, Refs reluctant to make decision, Var won't intervene against ref as its not obvious enough (But then the ref probably would see it anyway)

I think VAR can be improved and it should support the Ref, not be seen as catching his mistakes and afraid to intervene. Obvious error? and error is an error, just ask the ref to review.

The best example of how it should work is Rugby, Ref asks for VAR support or VAR asks Refs to review something and they both look at the incident and discuss and come to a decision together, but the ref has the final say.

citytillidie

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122153051#Comment_122153051

Like i said using the field hockey system, each team in there only has one challenge but they keep it if the challenge is successful but lose it if its not, someone has to ask a question that will be a yes or no answer and the video ref will confirm it none of this suggestive crap. Would also mean the laws of the game would have to be more black and white and no grey areas

Deeper Blue

I assume Brighton will go for McKenna. He'd hardly leave Ipswich having got them this far though.

waywill1966

Ipswich are a bigger club than Brighton

TitianGerm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122153366#Comment_122153366

Barca or Bayern bound?

Fitz*

I'm surprised that Brighton have announced that. With such a massive managerial merry-go-round this summer, they definitely could have brought a >£10m fee in for him as so many clubs are looking towards new managers.

Maybe there was a falling out behind the scenes.

Mr Crispy

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122153436#Comment_122153436

Sounds like it from his own statement.

We have agreed to end my time at Brighton so that the club and I can continue to work in the way that suits each of us best, following our own ideas and visions, as well as our work and human values.

kowloonkev

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122153436#Comment_122153436

Bloom is a genius, but it doesn't take a genius to see that De Zerbi has hit the wall after a fast start. They would have been struggling in the bottom half of the table under him next season for sure.

Very interesting to see who they appoint and if Bloom can continue to get it right.

golfball37

could do worse than go back to Potter.

~Rebel~

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122153522#Comment_122153522

They lost their entire world class midfield, their keeper, and had their best attacker out injured most of the season. Would look at all that before I’d talk about De Zerbi spiralling into inevitable endless decline.

Given the constant links to big clubs it makes a certain amount of sense to part ways now, so the club aren’t caught short.

eagle eye

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122153046#Comment_122153046

Rodri has committed 41 fouls this season, that's 29th in the league.

NIMAN

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122153429#Comment_122153429

Former for me.

machiavellianme

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122154482#Comment_122154482

Rodri committed far more fouls than that, they were just the token few he couldn't get away with

eagle eye

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122155192#Comment_122155192

What are you talking about? Facts are facts, he's 29th in the league for fouls.

pjohnson

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122153936#Comment_122153936

Yeah the absolute refusal some people have regarding Brightons squad being decimated all year is bizarre.

kowloonkev

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122155468#Comment_122155468

Well I don't see much slack being given to the six clubs in the league who have had more injuries than Brighton.

kowloonkev

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122153936#Comment_122153936

Yeah I hear Bayer Leverkusen are going to release Xabi Alonso for the same reason. They saw his name in the paper being linked with a lot of clubs by outstanding journalists so just decided to let him go on a free.

~Rebel~

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122155606#Comment_122155606

I've seen plenty of clubs have their down-spells rightly explained by injuries… it's not unusual… if clubs (especially smaller ones, for obvious reasons) are missing their best players they tend to do worse…

As for the Xabi Alonso comparison in the next post, I mean, I'm not even sure what to say to that. The suggestion is that it looked like De Zerbi was a bit unsettled. Perhaps they had a conversation at the club; "Hey Roberto, what are ya thinking?", and he perhaps expressed his frustration over trying to implement his style while having his whole midfield sold, and that if a good offer came in, he'd probably like to take it. So perhaps the club said "well, if you're not fully committed to the project, how about we call it quits?". And then they did. (literally the opposite of everything that happened with Alonso, where he was getting interest, went to his club and said "i dont care i want to stay", and that was the end of it).

The alternative is that Brighton sacked a manager who did brilliantly for them, built a successful new approach to playing football, and then after losing a bunch of important players still squeaked out a decent enough top half finish (a very similar finish to what earned Potter the Chelsea job). That, to me, sounds worse than what I'm suggesting…

kowloonkev

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122155621#Comment_122155621

I think Bloom is letting him go because he thinks he's a short term manager and doesn't believe he can sustain the performances and results that happened in his first season.

I'd be very surprised if he moves to a European powerhouse as is being suggested, based on his record this far as a manager, and his emotional character, it would be a big risk.

~Rebel~

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122155634#Comment_122155634

I'm a fan of Bloom, but if you're right and this is actually just him sacking De Zerbi after what he's done, it'll make me think a lot less of him. And it'll make other managers think twice too, if someone who did as well as De Zerbi got sacked so easily.

I don't for a second believe that's actually the case though.

The Guru 123

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122153366#Comment_122153366

Sacked? Without question the premier leagues most over rated ever manager. But crazy if they sacked him given the clubs allegedly after him.

doc_17

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122154482#Comment_122154482

I suppose it’s the nature of the fouls. 41 cynical fouls.

NITRO95

I think De Zerbi is off back to Serie A. Thiago Motta is going to get the Juve job and I can see De Zerbi taking his place at Bologna. CL football back home in Italy would be a huge draw for him I'm sure

kowloonkev

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122155645#Comment_122155645

So the alternative is that Bloom thinks De Zerbi is the real deal, but charitably decided to give him up for free with Europe's elite circling overhead?

The success of Brighton is completely down to Bloom. The recruitment has been outstanding and De Zerbi just arrived in time for the peak and got all the credit for riding that wave. Like so many foreign managers before him, his key attribute was being unknown.

CSF

Is it not likely that Brighton just decided that they don’t want to go into the process of planning for the next season with a lad who will be off at the first half decent offer that comes his way?

Easier to pick up his replacement and work effectively with them now.

eh i dunno

Kompany linked with Brighton too. Strange move

NITRO95

I wonder will Will Still be linked with the Brighton job. He's done well in France and I could see him being the type of appointment Bloom would love

eagle eye

Does anybody here know if De Zerbi had a release clause in his contract?

As for his replacement, Bloom probably already has it down to two or three. He's been ahead of the game in everything he's ever been involved in.

kowloonkev

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122155860#Comment_122155860

Is that not completely illogical though? We better hire an inferior manager because if we have a good one he will leave.

CSF

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122156129#Comment_122156129

I don’t think so, if they know he’s been actively trying to get himself a number of jobs this summer and just hasn’t managed to do so yet. Not quite the same as just knowing that anyone would potentially take a job like Barca or Bayern if they came looking for him.

There would come a point in the process where you want to know whether the manager intends to be there next year or if he plans to head off. De Zerbi probably wasn’t ready to commit for next season, and they’ll have wanted someone who can do at least that.