Gus Poyet and Brighton – A messy divorce

Gus Poyet and Brighton and Hove Albion’s messy divorce is a great shame, and reflects well on neither party.

A little over four months ago, I began penning an article on Gus Poyet and Brighton and Hove Albion. It focussed on the results they were putting together, the attractive brand of football being played, the fabulous new stadium which, in its second season, was continuing to act as a form of cathartic healing for the miserable years many fans had spent exposed to the elements in the uncovered Withdean Stadium.

Most of all, however, it argued that Gus Poyet and Brighton were a brilliant match. Both the club, owned by millionaire property investor Tony Bloom, and its manager had energy and were set upon establishing themselves in the Premier League, and wanted to do it in a way which drew plaudits from both inside and outside the football club.

Then, Gus Poyet was offered the Reading job, and I stopped writing. Even after he turned down Anton Zingarevich’s advances, there was a sense that something had changed on the south coast. An incident which, at first glance, appeared little more than a puff of wind, grew to a sea fret by the end of the season, and the suspension of Poyet, his assistant Mauricio Taricco, and first team coach Charlie Oatway just hours after the playoff semi-final defeat to Crystal Palace signified the tsunami which was unleashed at the Amex Stadium.

A disciplinary hearing was scheduled for Poyet last Monday. After the Uruguayan did not show up, it was rearranged for Thursday, in order to ensure that Poyet’s PMA representative Richard Bevan could be present. The result of the hearing was announced last weekend while Poyet was appearing as a pundit for the BBC’s coverage of the Confederations Cup – Poyet had been sacked.

Taricco, meanwhile, left the club on Monday by mutual consent. Throughout all this, Tony Bloom was drawing up a shortlist for Poyet’s replacement, and, on Thursday, appointed former Barcelona B coach Oscar Garcia. Whether he has been titled ‘head coach’ as opposed to manager due to the complexities of employment law and Poyet’s forthcoming appeal against his sacking, or whether Bloom is planning to bring in a director of football is unclear.

What is clear though is that the AMEX is a disaster zone at the moment. Without a manager, or its two other highest-ranked backroom staff members over the past six weeks, Bloom himself has been in charge of dealing with players out of contract. This has left Brighton well behind other clubs in terms of recruitment for the new season, with limited progress made so far in the way of fresh additions to the squad. The most gaping hole in Brighton’s side is in defence, where they finished off last season with former England internationals Matthew Upson and Wayne Bridge on loan. Bridge has since signed for Reading, while Upson is in advanced talks with Leeds United. One cannot help but feel both would have been at the AMEX next season had Poyet still been at the club.

There is something rather troubling about the way Poyet has been treated. Having taken the side from the depths of League One in 2009 to promotion in 2011, and a play-off semi-final this season, Poyet has ensured the club’s improvements off the pitch have been matched by its development on the pitch.

Aside from his focus on an attacking, passing ethos, which has made Brighton one of the most attractive teams to watch in the Championship, Poyet has also been shown to have a dab hand in the transfer market, recruiting former Manchester United reserve-goalkeeper Tomasz Kuszczak, pacy winger Will Buckley, and attacking midfielder Vicente to provide the flair. Meanwhile, former Chelsea trainee Liam Bridcutt was picked up on a free transfer and has blossomed into one of the best defensive playmakers in the Championship.

There is something even stranger about the way Charlie Oatway has been treated. Oatway is the recipient of a testimonial this year, and had pledged to give 50 per cent of his earnings to Brighton’s charitable arm ‘Albion in the Community’. His suspension has caused the testimonial game to be cancelled, however, which in turn appears to be one of the contributing factors behind the resignation of former Chairman Dick Knight from his position of head of Albion in the Community.