We should have known something was up during the pre-match press conference Roberto De Zerbi held before Brighton played host to Manchester United in the final game of the season.
Usually, several journalists ask questions and it lasts around 15 minutes. This time, it was only Johnny Cantor and just over seven minutes long.
The announcement that De Zerbi was to leave the Albion was just around the corner, which must be the reason. What a sad moment.
And so the 2023-24 season ends with us losing against Manchester United, losing the best manager we have ever had and losing Adam Lallana. No wonder the mood amongst supporters seems so low.
However, as Mr Paul Barber OBE said to Johnny Cantor on BBC Radio Sussex, we still finished 11th in the Premier League – a position which would have been seen as a miracle a few years ago.
Perspective is needed that we are still living through the greatest days in Brighton history. The Albion have shown incredible resilience to perform admirably despite all the challenges brought by injuries and European football.
We must all remember that we are doing this on a budget which is a fraction of those around us in the table.
Brighton will undoubtedly miss De Zerbi, deemed the God of Football, and his excellent coaching team. They have that special quality to help encourage and enthuse the players.
But at the same time, we most also understand the Albion’s business model works and needs to be adhered to if we are to keep competing in the Premier League rather than trying to run before we can walk.
De Zerbi understands that his ambition is to get there faster than the club and that is why both parties have agreed to amicably end their relationship on a good note.
As Mr Barber quite rightly pointed out, not many parting of the ways in football end on good terms. This one has, which is a credit to De Zerbi and Brighton.
The season itself has been fantastic and the players who have been fit and available have worked their socks off. It has also been good to see so many younger prospects shine, like Jack Hinshelwood. Even with De Zerbi departing, there is much to look forward to.
Yet I am sad that I cannot bring myself to wrote Seagulls Best Ever Season Volume 3, even though the title rings true from a financial perspective at least.
For all those Albion supporters feeling down about finishing 11th, the visit of Manchester United gave us a reminder of what failure really looks like.
All that money, clout and worldwide fanbase and they have only managed to finish eighth in the table. United will not play in Europe next season unless they manage to beat Manchester City in the FA Cup final. Good luck with that!
Brighton played the Red Devils off the park for 73 minutes, only to be undone by two goals on the break from United. It seemed to go wrong for the Albion the moment Adam Webster – who did so well again – took a Alejandro Garnacho shot to the face.
There were plenty of good chances for Brighton but unfortunately none materialised into a goal. Still, at least De Zerbi and Lallana received the send offs they deserved from the Amex crowd, taking us into the summer with plenty of questions.
Where does De Zerbi go now? Who replaces him as next Brighton manager? Will Lallana come back to the Albion as a coach in time? Is Graham Potter waiting for the England job or is a return to the Amex on the cards? Was that Jason Steele’s last game for first XI? Is Pascal Gross going back to Germany?
All those questions will be answered over the next 12 weeks as the countdown already begins to the 2024-25 season.
Tony Bloom rarely gets big decisions wrong and I am sure we will have some uplifting news in a few weeks time over who takes over from De Zerbi. In Bloom and Barber We Trust. A nice slogan for a t-shirt…
Tony Noble @Noble1844Tony
Seagulls Best Ever Season Volume 2 charts Brighton’s record breaking 2022-23 campaign through the eyes of Tony Noble, an East Stand Upper season ticket holder at the American Express Stadium. It is available from Waterstones, WHSmith, Amazon Bookstore and all good bookshops as well as the Albion Superstore at the Amex and via this link.
