Tokyo Verdy vs. Brighton
Pre-season Analysis, Match 2 🇯🇵
Well then. Pre-season has been fun, hasn’t it?
While the football may not be entirely representative of what we can expect from the first team, certain patterns are starting to emerge. So, join me as we explore this beautifully chaotic world of free-flowing, expressionist football.
The future? It looks bright.
🕊️ Context
Honestly, I struggle to define formations in this Hürzeler-controlled-chaos system we find ourselves in.
But what I don’t struggle to do is make lists. So here’s a list of all the formations Brighton were building up in:
Split-striker 4-2-4
Narrow 2-3-2-3
Wide 2-3-2-3
2-2-1-5
3-4-3
Now, I must caveat this graphic by mentioning that Brighton didn’t play with 3 CBs, as shown above. Regardless, the premise remains the same.
And yes, that 2-2-1-5 shocks me as much as I assume it did you. It feels more like an RAF formation than anything involving football, doesn't it?
But to see just how fluid Brighton were in build-up, let’s take a look at this GIF:
Yalcouye pushes up as an 8, leaving Milner as the single pivot. Barco and Moran then invert to form a 2-3-2-3, as Yalcouye drops into space to form a 2-4-4.
Essentially, we’re not seeing strict positional play, but rather a more fluid, free-flowing style of football. It’s just what you want to see as a fan and a player, because you get freedom, dynamism, chaos, control, and formations that confuse any sane formation app.
But rigidity would soon resume, as the out-of-possession shape largely remained in a 4-4-2.
Ah, the OOP shape. I have some questions. I have some complaints.
But before that, let’s take a look at the first goal. In other words, this is my excuse to continue praising Valentin Barco (sorry, not sorry).
🕊️Will You Be My Valentin(e), Barco?
Valentin Barco, your set-piece delivery… honestly, your deliveries are so efficient, you put Deliveroo to shame.
Forget set pieces for a moment. Even your crosses in open play were… special.
Barco was essentially given complete freedom to do what he wanted when Brighton had the ball. He saw a vacated space and occupied it as a midfielder. The ball had been worked into the box? He was box-crashing. Brighton were building up on the left? He was the left winger.
71.5% of the Earth is covered by water, 2.5% by violent seagulls who don’t let me eat lunch in peace, and 26% by Valentin Barco.
But that’s not to say I don’t have concerns regarding Barco.
His 1v1 defending is often overly cautious, which is somewhat mitigated by his spatial awareness. But that one issue could quite conceivably be exploited in the Premier League, should Brighton line up in a back four.
Plus, he’s not the tallest, meaning he’ll need some help in defending the far post.
But ultimately, this is a small issue. Barco’s still young and developing, and we’ve already seen tangible defensive improvement. Lewis Dunk being the supporting LCB also helps matters, in terms of stability and physicality.
What happens when Estupiñán returns is unknown, but if Barco continues playing the way he does, he’d deserve to be in the XI on merit.
Plus, those set-pieces are invaluable. Solly March’s rehabilitation period likely has a long way to go, and Pascal Groß’s future at Brighton is up in the air.
This means Barco would be Brighton’s primary set-piece taker. Combine this with the fact that he’s the perfect LWB/LB for Hürzeler’s system, and, well, you have a match made in heaven.
Things look good for Barco in terms of xMins, but it’s best to watch how things develop through pre-season as more first-team members return to the side.
🚨The Defence: Panic Stations?
To put it simply, no. We just don’t have the full picture yet.
Verbruggen, Dunk, Igor, Estupiñán, Baleba, Wieffer, Groß, Hinshelwood, March, and João Pedro were not involved in the friendly vs. Tokyo Verdy.
And all of them are key parts of Brighton’s defence, and/or pressing and counter pressing.
But anyway, let’s take a look at how Brighton conceded their first goal:
Firstly, all credit to Tokyo Verdy. I was impressed with them throughout the match, especially in transition.
Secondly, did Hiroto Yamami have to choose that exact moment to play the greatest pass this planet has ever seen?!
Look, the defending isn’t ideal, of course. But this is pre-season, and fitness is just being built up.
That said, I continue to worry about the runny-CB-midfielder tactic Hürzeler has employed in the past. I also maintain the OOP concerns I’ve had previously, but from what I’ve gauged thus far, Hürzeler's 4-4-2 OOP is pretty solid.
Combine this with an already solid 5-2-3/5-4-1 variant Hürzeler has coached in the past, and you have a recipe for success.
But everything I’ve said thus far has a glaring undertone. Brighton’s football will be VERY attacking. CBs jump their own defensive line to counter-press (this happens a LOT), and that’s how Brighton build up. The high defensive line is also exploitable, as we saw Tokyo Verdy do, but that’s just a risk you have to take. Perhaps a mid-block would be a nice compromise.
I’m not going into the next season expecting a rock-solid defence, but I think it’ll far exceed what we’ve seen in pre-season.
I analysed the defence a little more here and here👇
🕊️ First, I’d Like to Thank Newcastle
Yankuba Minteh, words fail me.
Quite honestly, his data from last season is nothing short of extraordinary. Yes, Feyenoord were far and away the best side in the Eredivisie last season, but an npxG+xAG/90 of 0.87 is no joke.
Neither are 15 G+A in 27 appearances (15 starts) either.
As for the infamous FBref scouting report? Well, it’s so green that it puts recycling to shame. It’s so tall that skyscrapers look menial next to it.
It’s… it’s beautiful.
I’m beyond excited to see what this season holds for Minteh because, if what we’ve seen to date is anything to go by, we’re in for a treat.
As for the above goal, it simply goes to show how important the front two are. While the wingers sit narrow, both CFs must drop deep, hold the ball, and recycle play to the midfielders who can feed the wingers.
And all the while, opposing CBs are in two minds as to whom they should mark. Every instinct in their body tells them to mark the CFs, but what about the two wingers running at them like madmen?
João Pedro, you are in for such a fun season. Evan, I haven’t forgotten about you either.
🕊️ Buon pomeriggio, buonasera e Buonanotte
(If you got the Truman Show reference, we can be friends)
Facundo Buonanotte. First of all, what an assist that is.
Secondly, I quite like Buonanotte. He has a lot of potential and a lot of room to grow.
This is someone who was supposed to be loaned out last season, but instead made 33 appearances. Someone who filled in due to injuries while lacking experience and physicality, and yet often looked bright.
Especially when he played as the 10.
In my eyes, if Hürzeler reverts to his 3-4-3, Buonanotte would make for an excellent RW.
He’d essentially play as a 10, given an overlapping wing-back, and Buonanotte would defend similarly to a CM, which I believe he can do. For Minteh’s incisiveness, you have Buonanotte’s control-heavy approach for games where Brighton don’t expect to counter frequently.
Solly March lite, if you will.
On an entirely different note, I’d love to see Buonanotte as an 8 (LCM) in a 4-3-3. It just feels so right.
Give Buonanotte time, and you’ll see the best of him.
🦒 Giraffes, Notes, and a Swedish Revolution
Soon after, Brighton conceded another.
While I do have some qualms regarding the squad aerially (🦒), given that the second half included an entirely rotated squad, some leniency must be shown.
But that doesn’t take away from my worries. Both posts were often not defended sufficiently, and my mind is being bombarded with visions of Erling Haaland taking advantage of that.
Before I conclude, and ramblings about vertical deficiencies aside, it would be wrong not to credit a few players for their performances:
Yasin Ayari
Malick Yalcouyé
Andrew Moran
Jeremy Sarmiento
As I was scrolling through Twitter (or X if you’re edgy), I found that I have a lot of positive tweets about Yasin Ayari. And this match showed me exactly why.
Ayari was excellent—that’s the simple truth. Oh, and he fits the bill of a Hürzeler midfielder to a tee. I’m disappointed that his loan spell at Coventry didn’t work out, but he has a future at Brighton, and a bright one at that.
Andrew Moran found himself playing at RB, and for this reason alone, his performance went up a step. It’s a role he’s largely unfamiliar with, and he was quite alright defensively. I’d like to see him in the midfield more often, but he has a lot of depth to contend with (my eye’s on you, Jack Hinshelwood).
I’m not sure what to make of Jeremy Sarmiento, to be honest. He had a good season at Ipswich and has looked lively in pre-season. But the attack has depth, and Sarmiento isn’t at the top of the pecking order. A loan may be in his future, but is he willing to bide his time?
Lastly, I took a few notes as I was watching the game. I don't have the relevant clips, but here are the timestamps anyway:
27:55—van Hecke’s through balls will be invaluable in set patterns of play. His composure on the ball grew alongside the game.
32:40—Mitoma seems set to write another thesis on dribbling.
80:25—Brighton were building up in the widest 2-3-2-3 you can imagine.
🕊️ To Be Continued
The universal truth: this is pre-season, and Brighton are missing a fair few players. Some players may leave (Igor, Gilmour, Undav), and some may join (Kadioğlu, Gruda).
So it’s all a bit uncertain, really.
While I have some questions, I’ll hold off for now. But this Japanese tour yielded positive signs—expressionism, defensive patterns, and an actual set-piece goal.
The true test comes in a couple of weeks vs. Villarreal, but until then, QPR will do.
See you next week, and take care.
*(All video and image credits go to their respective owners, including “Official Brighton and Hove Albion” on YouTube)*