Here is a brief analysis of the Brighton squad, their club structure, relationship any potential managers will have with the board, expectations and possible tactics any FM20 manager can use.
Here is a brief analysis of the Brighton squad, their club structure, relationship any potential managers will have with the board, expectations and possible tactics any FM20 manager can use.About the club
Brighton are a lower mid table premier league team that have survived in the top flight for the past 2 seasons. They never achieved promotion to the English Premier league until a couple of years ago.
This also coincided with them moving into their new Falmer stadium.
Brighton barely avoided relegation in the 2018-2019 season by finishing in the 17th spot.
The board's expectations
The Brighton board will have survival as their main focus when hiring the manager.
Their requirements should be,
- Survive relegation from the Premier League
- Make the 5th round of the FA Cup
- Make the 4th round of the EFL Carabao Cup.
There will not be any specific football philosophies for which you will be judged as survival will be main focus of the season. Brighton have already spent heavily this season with them breaking the club record transfer fee thrice. The wages of some of the new players is also significantly higher to reflect their quality.
However, you are left with £15m transfer budget and additional 36k p/w wage budget to spend on the new signings.
Brighton have decent training facilities and a sub standard youth set up which will definitely need development once you’ve achieved stability.
Squad, Formation and Tactical Style
The Brighton squad are blessed with some versatile players so the tactical style and formation can vary from manager to manager.
There are quite a few tactical setups you could deploy with Brighton, however the wing play or fluid counter attacking style suits them the best.
A 3-4-3 formation is how they generally line up in real life and mimicking that would be preferable as we can play most players to their strengths. Alternatively, you can deploy a 4-3-3 or a 4-2-3-1 depending on which players you prefer to have in your starting XI.
A rough example of what your line-up would look like in a 3-4-3 formation is as follows,
- Matt Ryan as a sweeper keeper
- Adam Webster, Lewis Dunk & Shane Duffy as a 3 man central defence.
- Martin Montoya & Solly March as your wing backs. They will be your main outlet of pressure.
- Dale Stephens & Davy Propper in a 2 man midfield. Play them as Mezzala and BWM in support duties.
- Leandro Trossard as your left inside forward & Pascal Gross as your right inside forward
- Neal Maupay leads the line as a Complete Forward or Pressing Forward in attack duty.
Alternatively, when you change to a 4-3-3 or a 4-2-3-1, you can play Duffy as the left back and Alzate slotting in as the 3rd central midfielder. If you want to go for route one football, Glenn Murray can play as the perfect target man.
Key Players
1. Neal Maupay
Record signing Neal Maupay had a phenomenal season in the championship, scoring 25 league goals for Brentford. If he replicates this form it will be an easier ride for you.
2. Lewis Dunk
The ever reliable Lewis Dunk is the heart of the Brighton defense. He is an inspirational captain who marshalls his troops brilliantly. He is also lethal from set pieces.
3. Pascal Gross
Pascal Gross is a tricky winger with an eye for goal. He also takes very good set pieces and adds an extra dimension to the Brighton attack.
4. Leandro Trossard
Leandro Trossard is a young Belgian winger with a lot of potential. He has already contributed a couple of goals for Brighton this season and under the right guidance you can develop him into a real asset.
Weaknesses
- There is an overall lack of creativity in the team and goal opportunities can be hard to come by against good defences
- The overall squad depth is also quite average with the bench and reserve players lacking the quality required of the league
- The coffers are nearly empty with 3 big signings already and there is very little room for manoeuvre in the market.
Youngsters to keep an eye on
There are a few exciting young prospects in the ranks who have the potential to be impactful players in the league. A few examples are,
- Aaron Connolly (ST)
- Steven Alzate (CM)
FM20 Brighton summery
To Summarize, Brighton may have just about survived relegation last time but with some smart buys and some youngsters rising through the ranks, it should not be a very difficult proposition to survive the board demands. Can you solidify Brighton as a regular PL club and take them to greater heights?
