Brighton have a new foreign coach this season in Oscar Garcia, but exactly why his predecessor left the club remains shrouded in mystery and rumour.

Overview

Once it became apparent that QPR’s reach for the stars had gone all Challenger Space Shuttle on them last season, and that Mark Hughes’ meticulous preparation involved merely picking toads off Kia Joorabchian’s client log at great expense, a new manager was always going to be required at Loftus Road.

For almost the whole of the campaign, and despite his affinity with QPR’s bitter rivals Chelsea, Gus Poyet would have been the choice of many supporters. He could have come in when Hughes was sacked, or at the end of the season when the short-term quest for survival with ‘Arry ‘Oudini had also become doomed to failure. What QPR needed was some long term strategy, rebuilding from the ground up, with an emphasis on young, hungry players and attractive football. They needed everything Poyet had brought to Brighton — whom he found in the League One relegation zone and playing at the local athletics track and left a Championship play off semi-finalist playing at one of the country’s best new grounds.

He seemed ideal, and it looked for some time like Rangers would again miss the boat and have to watch him go elsewhere. Reading came closest to snaring him before going for Nigel Adkins instead.

What a difference a few months makes in football. Gus Poyet is now out of work, controversially sacked by Brighton after a convoluted disciplinary hearing at the end of the season. The Uruguayan tours the television studios, and after the break we’re promised he’ll tell us the real reason he was left only to be left hanging as he cites ongoing legal appeals. It’s a niggling mystery, and the vacuum has been filled by wild stories.

Did Poyet defecate on the visiting dressing room floor prior to their play off semi final second leg at home to Crystal Palace? Did his assistant Charlie Oatway go outside and re-arrange a set of road cones so the Palace bus was left to circle the stadium with no way of gaining access? Had Poyet fired off an angry e-mail to staff? Had he told the players before the game that he would be leaving regardless of the result? Or was chairman Tony Bloom simply upset that in the wake of defeat by Palace he took to the television to basically say the club had gone as far as it could without further investment in the team? Or was it something else entirely?

Few know, and those who do aren’t telling. Poyet, one of the hottest managerial properties around a few months ago, remains out of work.

In the spirit of Swansea City, Brighton have carefully selected a left-field candidate very similar to the manager they’ve disposed of. Oscar Garcia, a former Barcelona player, likes football played in its purist form, with slightly more attacking intent than his predecessor. His previous experience in the hot seat was in Israel where he led Maccabi Tel Aviv to a first league title in ten years. He also coached the Catalonia ‘national’ team alongside Johan Cruyff.

As ever in such circumstances, LFW turned to our Spanish correspondent Miguel Ortiz for some more info….

“Oscar Garcia was and is a Cruyff protégée. As a player he was never established as a starter at Barcelona, who used him as a super sub. He was an attacking midfielder, very technical, and transferred to Valencia in 1999 but only lasted one year there — spent mainly on the bench. The next four seasons were with Espanyol where he played 51 games and scored four goals - once a year like Christmas. Hung up his boots while at Lleida, a second tier team. He was an apprentice to Cruyff at the Catalan ‘national’ team, then at FC Barcelona youth teams, and then final a manager at Maccabi Tel Aviv.

“To disrupt this game, see Bayern Munich in last year’s Champions League semi-finals against Barcelona. Just push the game to the line where you can do a trap two against one and force them not to do good first controls. Make them run seeking the ball, rather than receiving it in space. It’s known that Barcelona do not work set pieces (which a sin in my opinion, you know me), so attack the back post, again and again.”

Interview

This week we turned to the regulars of busy Brighton message board http://www.northstandchat.com/showthread.php?286970-QPR-fan-in-peace-your-help-n Stand Chat for their opinions on the current situation down on the south coast. Read a selection of the answers we got below, or view the full thread by clicking the link. Thanks to all the Albion fans who helped out.

Can anybody actually shed any light on what happened with Gus Poyet? We need closure damn it...

“I think you will get differing opinions on what happened, but in reality we know only very little. If he takes the club to court, then all should be revealed. Apart from that it all very muddled and as Gus would say ‘eeess complicated.’”

“Poyet, among other issues, refused to deal with the retained list which was his responsibility. He also told the players (allegedly) in training the day after the second leg with Palace that he was probably leaving. Poyet was held in very high regard by 99% of Brighton fans until his comments directly after the palace play-off second leg when rather than praising the players for their efforts throughout the season he decided to choose that moment to say that he had maybe 'hit the ceiling' at Brighton so basically saying to interested clubs 'come and get me'.”

“There are many rumours but no-one seems to really know. The gist is a fairly rapid breakdown in the relationship between Bloom and Poyet, culminating in the play-off loss (and GP's post match comments) which caused it all to come to a head.”

How do you rate the job he did at Brighton? Not many of his players seemed too sad he was leaving. Did things turn sour towards the end?

“He did fantastically really, taking a very poor relegation threatened side to one on the brink of the Premier League and 24th best team in England playing the best football I have ever seen us play. When it was good, it was very good, but when it was bad, well you saw how bad it got in the play off game.”

“Regardless of how it ended, Poyet did a fantastic job. He took us from the relegation zone in League 1 to 90 minutes from the Premier League in three and a half years. That speaks for itself. I wish it had ended differently, as I'd always assumed a Prem team would poach him, and he'd go on good terms, but it wasn't to be.”

Why did the club go for Oscar Garcia, and what did you think of the appointment? How has he done so far?

“He definitely has the same school of thought as Poyet but with more attacking flair to keep the ball and create chances. He has done well in circumstances very difficult after what happened last season, with a steady start and the football improving I'm rather optimistic.”

“I think Bloom was extremely impressed with his record at Barcelona B and youth level and saw his management style as one that would suit the club’s playing style and ethos. I would say that Garcia has made a solid start to his tenure as Brighton manager, bearing in mind he has been without our star player all season (Liam Bridcutt) as well as injuries to other key players such as Andrea Orlandi and Craig Mackail-Smith. I think it's fair to say that with a fully fit squad at his disposal Garcia would expect to finish top eight this season.”

Tell us about your summer transfer activity? Who came and went, were you particularly sorry to see anybody leave or delighted with one of the new arrivals?

“Losing Wayne Bridge was a massive blow, but Stephan Ward has been a more than suitable replacement. Also to see Vicente leave with a parting blow to Poyet was a shame, it's a shame he couldn't play more as it was unbelievable to watch him play. We saw off bids from our best players from a club up the road: Ulloa and Bridcutt that is - who will be missing against you, they seriously impress me every time I watch us play even more. Bridcutt is outstanding and I'm very glad we kept hold of him.”

“Wayne Bridge was superb for us last season and it was a blow losing him to Reading's parachute payments but Stephen Ward looks a solid enough replacement. The key issue was the retention of Bridcutt and Ulloa, whilst Craig Conway looks an exciting acquisition on loan from Cardiff City.”

“Coming in… Kemy Agustien from Swansea & Keith Andrews on loan from Bolton to add some physicality to the midfield, which we maybe lacked last season; Stephen Ward on loan from Wolves who has looked very solid so far at left back, and his understudy is Adam Chicksen, a youngster signed from MK Dons; Matt Upson signed permanently after his loan spell last season and is an absolute rock in our defence; Craig Conway, a winger on loan from Cardiff. Out: Only a couple of players left, Gary Dicker who was part of our League 1 Championship winning side, and Vicente who was a bit of an enigma, a hugely exciting player on his day, but often injured.”

Who are the men to watch in your team and where are the weak links?

“Our best players are Liam Bridcutt and leonardo Ulloa. One is injured, and the other suspended.”

“Currently with Ulloa being sent off we have one half fit striker - Barnes, who is very marmite with our fans. So for the visit to Loftus Road that is our weakest area by far. The man to watch was Ulloa but he's of course now not available. You are playing us a perfect time.”

“On his day Will Buckley is a world beater but unfortunately he is plagued with inconsistency, Ashley Barnes may feel he has a point to prove to the manager as he gets his chance at the expense of the suspended Ulloa. Inigo Calderon is susceptible to pace down the left side so if you have a speedy winger you may get success down that channel.”

“I'd have said Ulloa was our main danger man but after his red card against Reading you won't have to worry about him. Lua Lua and Buckley on the wings are both very rapid but inconsistent, when on fire they can tear apart any team, on a poor day they can be very frustrating. David Lopez is our set piece specialist and his delivery causes problems. Our weakness is on the break, we do tend to commit more players forward under Garcia than under Poyet, and if QPR can soak up our pressure and hit us on the break, that's the most likely way we'll concede, as generally with Upson & Greer we're pretty solid from set pieces.”

Are Brighton capable of launching a promotion push this season? How do you see this campaign going?

“I would be happy with a top 10 finish, we are still getting over with what might have been from last season. This campaign I can see some highs but mostly consolidation.”

“I think a huge amount depends on how far behind we are come January. Our team has changed very little since last season and was good enough to finish fourth, so on paper we should be top half at least. We're struggling at the moment with a lot of injuries so if we can scrape some results until the squad is fully fit and be there or thereabouts by October/November-ish, maybe we'll push for playoffs again. My gut feeling is we'll fall short and finish about eighth or ninth, but for me that will be an acceptable return for Garcia's first season, and will serve as a platform to push again the next season.”

Links >>> Official Website >>> North Stand Chat forum >>> The Argus local newspaper >>> We Are Brighton blog >>> Seagull Love Review fanzine >>> Albion Roar radio/podcast >>> Brighton Mad fan site

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Photo: Action Images

TacticalR added 14:34 - Sep 18 Thanks to Miguel for the info on Oscar Garcia, and thanks to the Brighton fans. Whatever happened after the Palace game, it sounds like Poyet was on the way out. Looking forward to seeing their new ground later this season.
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