Brighton are reportedly leading the race to sign former Nottingham Forest manager Steve Cooper.
Seagulls fans have not taken this news well. Unlike their last two managers, Cooper plays a pragmatic style of football that many fans don’t want to see at the Amex next season.
Cooper linked to Brighton
According to The Daily Mail, the Seagulls are one of three clubs in the race to secure Steve Cooper’s signature. For Brighton fans’ sake, let’s hope this report is incorrect.
Nottingham Forest sacked Cooper before Boxing Day last season when the Reds were in 17th place.
A lot of Nottingham Forest fans will say that his sacking was harsh and undeserved. That can be debated. What can’t be though, is that Cooper is not a good fit for Brighton right now.
Cooper’s Forest were one of the worst chance-creating teams in the Premier League during his 1.5-year stretch in charge. De Zerbi’s Brighton meanwhile were one of the best.
Beyond just clear chances, Brighton fans have grown accustomed to their sides keeping the ball and dictating tempo. This was a hallmark of both Graham Potter and De Zerbi’s tenure at Brighton.
Under Cooper, Nottingham Forest finished dead last in average possession in the 2022/23 Premier League season.
Signing Steve Cooper would be a huge mistake for Brighton. They should wait for better candidates instead of chasing a manager who doesn’t fit their identity.
Brighton running out of options
Since Tony Bloom bought Brighton back in 2009, the club have moved fast to replace outgoing managers.
On average, Brighton have taken less than 11 days to replace an outgoing manager. We’re heading into week three of Brighton’s current search. We bring up all this to say that it’s clear the club doesn’t have a plan right now.
The Seagulls have struck out on Ipswich Town’s Kieran McKenna. Ajax snatched up De Zerbi’s hand-picked replacement Francesco Farioli.
With those options gone, the club is scrambling. The Steve Cooper to Brighton link is proof of that.
Other unpopular name leads the race
Even with the news about Steve Cooper, Graham Potter is reportedly the main candidate to take over for Roberto De Zerbi at Brighton.
Potter famously left Brighton just weeks into the 2022/23 Premier League season to join Chelsea after the Blues sacked Thomas Tuchel. The way Potter left along with nearly all of Brighton’s backroom staff earned him a lot of hate from Seagulls fans.
Going backwards, especially with such an unpopular figure, is not what Brighton need right now. Like with Cooper, the Seagulls should look elsewhere.
