The Pochettino Story | Season 2

(I will be changing the font going forward. That is very hard to read!)

Very logical to bring in players with a connection to Pochettino one way or another (old clubs, compatriots). Though Hancko, who is secured of yet another Champions League season, I don't think he'll swap for Feyen00rd for anything less than a regular Champions League-contender.

Fixture to watch

• Match Day 1: Leicester City (home opener)  
• Match Day 14: at Chelsea (Poch returns to the Bridge)
• Match Day 18: at Crystal Palace (A23 derby)
• Match Day 19: Spurs (Boxing Day)
• Match Day 22: Crystal Palace (A23 derby)
• Match Day 38: Man Utd (Last home game ceremony)

In December there are two home games against relatively modest opponents (Brentford and Southampton), I think after, that's the moment where we'll take stock, see where you stand and pass first judgement on how Poch is doing at his new club.

Ambitious signings. Brighton have made a lot of money in recent years, so I wouldn't second guess them being able to afford Hancko, Gallagher etc. But both are probably at the very peak of what Brighton will be able to attract. I like the previous player links with Pochettino, seems there is given a lot of thought to these transfers.

I'm also curious how Ferguson will do for you. I find him to be a top talent, and bigger/better clubs could be on the move for him soon.

And finally, kudos for your visual presentation. The font is small at times, as you've noticed yourself. But apart from that, with the fixture list and all, it's beautifully set up.

@Danimal5981 Those are the fixtures I was looking at as well. We have a good start to the season, a few early wins would be big and then those two games plus the Crystal Palace derby match in December will be huge to win. 

@JustinCase0110 Ferguson is going to get his chance as my starting striker. He missed good chances in preseason but I feel like he's in position to score often so far. He's not as athletic as strikers I have used in the past but he's young and can develop. 

Thank you. I will be tweaking the graphics until they are visually readable. The old site was easy but this one I am still trying to figure out. 

You've let all veterans go. As @JustinCase0110  mentioned in my story: in the game that's not a thing, but in real life we often think too lightly about the benefit of having older people in the squad - if not on the pitch then at least as part of the group.

However, the highlighted deal of Marcus Edwards is a very, very clever one! That guy indeed has a history with Poch, while 4 (or 5) years abroad seems about the right time for him.

It's something that happens more and more nowadays: English players being bread to adulthood, away from the Premier League, then being bought back by an English side at peak age. The danger of course is that they could draw attention outside England's borders more easily, while not being raised in the physical game that England's clubs still apply.

Losing to Man Utd and a draw against Newcastle is nothing to be ashamed about as Brighton, but giving it away twice against Bournemouth <ouch> is a little painful

Unfortunate injury to the new signing. It's another that makes great sense though, and generally, the new players aged 22-25 make great grounds for the team to have a golden period soon. Yes, some veterans have left, some of them for bigger clubs in North London. But you've also kept some of the elderly with Hancko and Gallagher in particular having the potential to become leaders at this club.

@Danimal5981The Bournemouth match was a real blow. Giving up the lead twice is bad but two goals from corners makes it even worse. Terrible defending by me on both.

@JustinCase0110 playing RW is a curse it seems. I have had three injuries to that position. Luckily the other two were healthy by the next match after being subbed off early but Edwards missing three months is a big concern. 

Bad choice of words by Poch and something that might bite him later on, especially if the season goes south and this joke of a competition was the only realistic chance at success for a team such as Brighton: which is the reason the League Cup exists in the first place - many teams prioritize the league and FA Cup, leaving the spoils for smaller teams. So what Poch says here isn't necessarilly wrong or incorrect, it might even reflect correctly what people in England actually think, unless it's their team that is doing well in that cup tournament.

I'm a bit torn over this approach to the Mickey Mouse Cup.

On one part it's actually refreshing for a manager to speak up with honesty like this. And there IS a double standard in the demands of resting players, if one can't choose to do so in a lesser impotant competition like this one.

However, setting the team up to defeat is never a pretty thing to do, and it certainly undermines the accomplishment, if Brighton was to go and win it sometime later on. Good choice with the free access though, then the fans didn't pay for more than what was promised to them. Season ticket holders aside.

As the saying goes: No individual is bigger than the club.

Who is Poch to decide whether a team like Brighton ought to be happy with a good run in the League Cup or not?

I mean, I agree with the man: we're all talking about keeping the players fresh and avoid saturation. Instead, tournaments keep getting bigger and number of games keeps increasing.

But it's not my point. Poch is wrong to sit on the chair of the Football Deity and say which of those tournaments need to be axed.

I am a purist in that sense: Champions League ought to be 32 champions only and then a second European tournament for top 3 to 5 performers and/or cup winners (including a League Cup). Continental national team tournaments shouldn't exceed 16 teams, while a world cup with 32 teams is plenty. This way you decrease number of games, but you add value to the tournament for the League Cup.