FourFourTwo UK – September 2019

FFTVERDICT

FourFourTwo Season Preview 2019-20 11

SHANEDUFFY

YouwouldexpecttheIrishmantotoptables

forclearancesandblocks,butlastyearhealso

endedupasBrighton’ssecond-highestscorer.

Canheretainhisstrengthswhileadaptingto

Potter’sapproachofplayingoutfromtheback?

KEY PLAYER

20

TH

New manager, new style,

but familiar failings could

spell a very long season.

VIEW FROM THE STAn DS

ATTILA THE STOCKBROKER @ATILATSTOKBROKA

The big talking point among the

fans is the sacking of Hughton

and appointment of Potter – very

sad and exciting, respectively.

This season will be different

because we have a manager who

is known for possession-based

attacking football and changing

tactics mid-game.

I won’t be happy unless we at

least try to play attacking football,

despite the ludicrous imbalance in

the Premier League, and change

our tactics mid-match if we’re

10-0 down at Manchester City.

Our most underrated player is

Anthony Knockaert. Some call him

volatile and inconsistent, but he’s

the most exciting player we have.

Look out for Aaron Connolly. He’s

scoring loads of goals in the U23s.

The one change I’d make to the

club would be the introduction of

safe standing in the North Stand.

The best away ground is Aston

Villa’s: historic venue, atmosphere,

and the wonderful Bartons Arms.

The best away fans are Norwich’s.

The pantomime villain will be

Wilfried Zaha. If not, Mike Dean.

Save the date for Palace, of

course. I’m looking forward

to another six points!

The fans’ opinion of the gaffer

is that Potter is an intriguing

appointment. We’d like to see

attacking football – that’s why

Hughton was replaced. Potter

certainly has radical ideas and,

like Hughton, he’s obviously an

intelligent and thoughtful man.

We’ll finish either 9th or bottom

by a big margin. My only certain

prediction is that watching our

games will be a lot more fun!

FIVE-POIn T PLAn

1

GIVE YOUTH A CHANCE

At Swansea, Potter had no option
but to blood youth. At Brighton,
Bloom has spent millions on the
academy, appointed Dan Ashworth to
oversee development, and seen the
under-23s launch an unlikely title
assault on the Premier League 2 – yet
the pathway to the first XI is uncertain.
Youngsters barely made the bench
under Hughton and he left Brighton
with the second-oldest Premier League
squad (after Burnley). Potter may need
to look closer to home for new faces.

2

TAKE ANOTHER SIX POINTS

FROM CRYSTAL PALACE

It’s baffling to anyone outside
the A23 corridor, but doing the
double over bitter rivals Palace for
the first time in 35 years was a rare
highlight for Brighton fans in 2018-19,
and ecstatic celebrations in both
matches made it clear how much it
meant to the squad. More required.

3

FIND CONTINUITY ON

AND OFF THE PITCH

The oldest outfield player in the
Premier League last year was
38-year-old captain Bruno, now retired.
Pep Guardiola’s tribute in Manchester
City’s title-clincher illustrated football’s
respect for the Spaniard. The Seagulls,
perhaps risking a leadership gap with
Hughton’s departure, have found the
fan favourite a backroom role. Though
Brighton don’t lack candidates to wear
the armband, El Capitan’s values will
be much harder to replace on the pitch.

4

STOP RELYING ON

GLENN MURRAY

The plan in 2017-18 and 2018-19
was to replace Murray. The reality
is that he ended up as the club’s top
scorer, twice. But 35 goals overall was
a poor return last year and Glenn has so
far kept out pricy replacements brought
in to relieve the pressure. At 36, Murray
couldn’t possibly do it again... could he?

5

SHOP WITH CAUTION

After Albion found several foreign
bargains in 2017-18 (Pascal Gross,
Mat Ryan, Davy Propper), last year
was a disaster. They can’t afford another
Jahanbakhsh, signed as the Eredivisie’s
top scorer only to serve up zero goals
and assists in 19 Premier League games.

SEASOn PREVIEW

Forrealaleand

punk rock, try the

Prince Albert.

For real ale and

a proper pub, it’s the

Evening Star. Away

fans can try the Fan

Zone’s mobile bars.

AiredeachSaturday

at noon, local radio

show and podcast

@albionroar – run

by and for the fans

• is an entertaining
  mixture of news,
  rumour and chat.

InMay1997,the

homeless Seagulls

faced relegation

from the Football

League but stayed

up on goals scored.

Award-winningPigletsPantry

pies. They should be nice and

fresh – they’re made in Worthing,

just along the Sussex coast.

You’reinBrighton,theunofficial

culturalcapitaloftheUK, so

literally all tastes are catered for.

One of the league’s best away days.

MATCHDAY PACK

AWAY PUB

SIGn ATURE DISH WHILE YOU’RE HERE...

DID YOU MUST FOLLOW

K nOW...?

AUGUST

10 Watford (a)

17 West Ham (h)

24 Southampton (h)

31 Man City (a)

SEPTEMBER

14 Burnley (h)

21 Newcastle (a)

28 Chelsea (a)

OCTOBER

5 Tottenham (h)

19 Aston Villa (a)

26 Everton (h)

NOVEMBER

2 Norwich (h)

9 Man United (a)

23 Leicester (h)

30 Liverpool (a)

DECEMBER

3 Arsenal (a)

7 Wolves (h)

14 Crystal Palace (a)

21 Sheffield United (h)

26 Tottenham (a)

28 Bournemouth (h)

JANUARY

1 Chelsea (h)

11 Everton (a)

18 Aston Villa (h)

21 Bournemouth (a)

FEBRUARY

1 West Ham (a)

8 Watford (h)

22 Sheffield United (a)

29 Crystal Palace (h)

MARCH

7 Wolves (a)

14 Arsenal (h)

21 Leicester (a)

APRIL

4 Man United (h)

11 Norwich (a)

18 Liverpool (h)

25 Man City (h)

MAY

2 Southampton (a)

9 Newcastle (h)

17 Burnley (a)

FIXTURES