The fascinating reason behind why Brighton players stand still with their studs on the ball has been revealed.
After Chelsea lured Graham Potter away from the Amex Stadium to Stamford Bridge, many fans felt Brighton were going to struggle.
However, since appointing Roberto De Zerbi, the Seagulls have been flying and are currently playing some of the best football in the Premier League.
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In De Zerbi’s short tenure, they have already beaten Chelsea 4-1 and most recently embarrassed Liverpool 3-0.
Despite the lack of superstar players, Brighton are extremely well-drilled and as a result, have produced some scintillating football.
It has been spotted by Tifo Football writer Jon Mackenzie that some Brighton players have the tendency to stand still with their studs on the ball during matches, and he has produced a fascinating 10-minute-long video to explain why.
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During the video, Mackenzie looked at multiple incidents where Brighton defenders would have their studs on the ball during the build-up play.
He then explained that Brighton’s opponents often sit back and defend deep in order to stop them from creating chances in spaces between the lines.
As a result, De Zerbi and his staff have come up with a clever way to ‘bait’ their opponents to press them, which will in turn create space to attack.
When Brighton defenders have the ball under their studs, it is almost an invitation for the opponents to press them. When they do get pressed, the defenders will play the ball to the likes of Pascal Gross and Moises Caicedo in midfield.
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The midfielders will then have the room to roam forward and pick out the likes of Kaoru Mitoma and Alexis Mac Allister to further build the attack.
You can watch the full video below.
After their superb performance against Liverpool, De Zerbi stated that he cannot control his players from the sideline and it is up to them to think for themselves.
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He said: “I don’t move my players with a joystick.
“I want to give them the solution in the week, in the training session. But in the game, during the game, they have to decide the solution.”
Brighton will be back in Premier League action this weekend as they take on Leicester City at the King Power Stadium.
Topics: Brighton And Hove Albion, Premier League, Football
Marcus Chan