4 Things Graham Potter Must Do for Brighton to Avoid Relegation Battle
With just two wins from 12 and Burnley and Fulham recording impressive weekend results against Arsenal and Liverpool respectively, Brighton & Hove Albion are very much in the Premier League relegation battle.
Graham Potter's worries could worsen markedly this week as his side face two crucial games in the space of five days, firstly when they travel to Craven Cottage to take on Fulham, before hosting Sheffield United on Sunday.
This was not how the 2020/21 season was meant to pan out. Potter had secured Brighton's best points tally as a Premier League club at the end of the previous campaign, and the Seagulls' post-lockdown form looked like it would provide a platform to push on and move into the upper bottom half of the table.
The Brighton boss and his players have won plenty of plaudits for their football this season, but plaudits do not win you points. There are no prizes for being unlucky in football, so here's four things Potter can do to turn things around.
1. Sort Things Out at Set-Pieces
Of the 21 Premier League goals that Brighton have conceded in the opening 12 games of the season, 11 have come from set pieces.
Those goals have cost Brighton five points across the campaign and without such set piece calamities, the 3-2 home defeat to Manchester United becomes a 2-1 victory; the 4-2 loss at Everton ends in a 2-2 draw and the 2-1 reversal against Southampton finishes 1-1.
Suddenly, the Seagulls are seven points clear of the relegation zone rather than the worrying two points they currently are.
If Potter is determined to stick with the zonal marking approach which is causing such woes, then the least he can do is work on it on the training pitch. Given that Brighton are yet to score a goal of their own from a free kick or corner so far, one could be forgiven for concluding that it is an area of the game which the Seagulls boss has shown scant regard towards. He needs to before it costs Brighton any more points.
2. Take Mat Ryan Out of the Firing Line
Even the best goalkeepers in the world go through a dip in form at some point in their career - if it can happen to David De Gea, then it can happen to Mat Ryan.
Brighton's number one has earned far more points than he has cost the Seagulls since arriving from Valencia. but right now he is letting in shots at an alarming rate. There is no obvious replacement waiting in the wings, granted, but Jason Steele and Robert Sanchez - who was handed a shock debut for the 2-1 defeat at Tottenham Hotspur - are there if called upon.
There's also the forgotten Christian Walton, who has enjoyed numerous loan spells away from the club, edging closer to fitness, though Potter would be a brave man to chuck him in at the deep end at such short notice.
In terms of ability, Ryan is undoubtedly the best of the quartet, but his confidence looks shot. But the latter of those other option, Walton - a tall, commanding goalkeeper who is not afraid to come off his line and relieve pressure on his defence - offers something completely different, and may just be worth taking a punt on.
3. Pick a Settled Team & Stop Playing People Out of Position
Whenever the Brighton team is announced an hour before kick off, there is usually complete befuddlement about who is playing where.
Joel Veltman and Dan Burn are centre backs who have landed in wing back roles this season, Leandro Trossard - he of scrawny stature and talents as a creative wide man - played as a lone striker at Spurs, and Pascal Groß - an out and out attacking midfielder and contributor of two goals and two assists of late - was plonked as a holding midfielder at Leicester..
But the most curious selection of all has been the consistent use of commanding centre-back Ben White, linked with every big club imaginable, in a central midfield role. All this chopping and changing suggests that Potter does not know what his best team is; something that is arguably fundamental if Brighton are to start picking up points.
4. Embed a Ruthless, Clinical Culture at the Club
Easier said than done, this one.
The Seagulls create more than enough opportunities to win games but there wastefulness in front of goal means they only have two wins on the board so far.
It was a problem that a number of Brighton fans queried over the summer, yet Potter brushed over supporters' concerns by saying there was no "silver bullet" striker out there who'd be worth signing over Neal Maupay, Aaron Connolly, Alireza Jahanbakhsh and Trossard - players he felt he could develop.
To date, Potter has not been able to do that and while Danny Welbeck offers experience, he too seems too have been infected by something in the Amex water. Still, maybe January business isn't the smartest move - Brighton need only think of Jurgen Locadia to be reminded of where it can all go horribly wrong.
Signing or no signing, things have to change - Brighton need to be more ruthless and efficient in front of goal, and that's a mental side of the game that Potter can influence.