Roberto De Zerbi is Brighton's new 'Bobby Z' but fans must be patient

So welcome Roberto De Zerbi (the new Bobby Z?) to the Amex, my 29th full time Albion manager since 1973 – 27 actually, as Messrs Mullery and Adams loved the club so much they did it twice.

He arrives on the south coast with impressive coaching credentials and will certainly ‘hit the ground running’ after the international break, with a packed October, visits to Liverpool, Brentford and Man City, whilst welcoming Spurs, Forest and Chelsea to the Amex.

18 points are up for grabs, and come November 1, what will the doom merchants make of it all if we haven’t got at least a 50 per cent return?

I actually don’t buy into this doom and gloom school of thought at the prospect of the next six games, at the start of the EPL campaign, the Albion must play the other 19 clubs both home and away, is the order really that significant at this level of football?

None of us are truly party to what goes on behind closed doors at The Amex, true we’ve all got various sources or hear rumours, but ultimately only Tony Bloom, assisted by Paul Barber knows exactly what’s what.

Having said that I’m not naïve enough to think that Graham Potter’s ‘migration’ to Stamford Bridge wasn’t active long before Chelsea lost in Zagreb, but that’s no different to how the Albion behaved when the former manager was at Swansea.

It’s football, but it’s also business, and whilst not being afraid to criticise him at times during his tenure at the Amex, I do hope Potter is accorded the respect he deserves when he brings Chelsea back to the Amex in just over five weeks.

Regular readers will know the Albion have only failed to beat only one of the 113 clubs they have played in competitive league fixtures in 121 years – Chelsea! How ironic if GP team were to lose to complete the set!

But now’s the time to look forward and not in the rear-view mirror, as a fan I’m genuinely excited at De Zerbi’s arrival, it’s a blank canvas, albeit untried at this level the signs are good.

Hopefully the interview process left no stone unturned and all the I’s were dotted and the T’s crossed. It was surely in full swing by the time the Albion agreed to play Chelsea in a behind closed doors friendly last Saturday.

If this helped get the De Zerbi appointment over the line, then fair enough. But if it was purely coincidence, then in my opinion – for this is merely an opinion column – I personally felt, as an Albion fan of half a century, a tad insulted given the situation with Chelsea.

Whichever way, we now just all wipe our mouths and move forward.