Seagull Strikers

It’s been just over a year since Dario Vidosic became Head Coach of Brighton Women—and what an appointment he’s turned out to be. As the fifth manager since Hope Powell stepped down in October 2022, and taking over a club that had spent a season fighting relegation, he faced a tough challenge. Brighton were in dire need of stability, a clearer and more cohesive playing philosophy, and—put simply—better results and performances. Vidosic took us from a relegation battle to a fifth-place finish, with only the WSL titans above us—a historic best for Brighton in the league. I had no idea who Vidosic was when he signed and thought he was a massive gamble. After one season, that gamble appears to be paying off. But it’s worth exploring what he’s done well—and where there’s still room for improvement.

There was a remarkable improvement in our results and league position, and Vidosic deserves enormous credit. Our home form, especially at Broadfield, was outstanding. Against the traditional top four, we only lost to Manchester City at home, while securing draws with Chelsea and Manchester United—and that 4–2 win over Arsenal was hugely impressive. Even the 2–1 loss to City was a game we might have won had it gone on ten minutes longer, and the draw with Chelsea arguably flattered them. These could easily have been victories. We also entertained, scoring three or more goals in four matches, including hammerings of Everton and Aston Villa. This wasn’t an overperformance either—our xG roughly matched our goals scored. Vidosic must be delighted with how secure our home form was; it provided the bedrock for our historic season.

However, our away form under Vidosic was poor. Losses to West Ham, Leicester, and Aston Villa were games we shouldn’t have lost if we were playing at our best. I’m unclear why our form differs so much. At West Ham, our away support wasn’t far off theirs in numbers—and we were certainly louder. I respected that Vidosic came over to the away fans and didn’t shy away. I didn’t make the Villa or Leicester games and followed on YouTube instead, but neither seemed particularly intimidating. In March, Vidosic himself said there were lessons to be learned in how the team prepares for long and tough away trips. Perhaps we need to rethink our setup for away games—or maybe home teams are simply bolder on their own turf. Regardless, I’m sure fixing our away form is high on Vidosic’s list.

Another area for improvement is our defence. We kept four clean sheets—against Tottenham, Crystal Palace, Leicester, and Everton—but conceded in most other games. Our xG against was 42.6, compared to 40 goals conceded, suggesting it’s not a goalkeeping issue. However, we faced 300 shots—far too many if we want to consistently challenge for fifth place. For comparison, Aston Villa had an xG against of 28, conceded 30, and faced 268 shots. Much of this may be down to the squad adjusting to Dario’s playing philosophy, but it’s certainly an area ripe for improvement.

There’s also been a noticeable shift in our playing style as the team adapts to Dario’s vision. Patient build-up and possession-based play have defined our season, but we’re not yet a cohesive orchestra. Injuries disrupted our ability to field a consistent backline, and we frequently switched between a back four and five. Many of the goals we conceded came from individual errors—likely a side effect of playing out from the back. I suspect Vidosic is aware of this, as his transfer activity suggests, and I covered this in my last post. It’s clear there’s a vision for how we want to play, and I hope we stick to it so our squad planning can align accordingly.

Vidosic inherited a squad that lost Robinson, Terland, and Kullberg, but gained internationals like Fran Kirby, Marisa Olislagers, Kiko Seike, and Marit Auée. I doubt he had much influence on those signings—or on Rachel McLauchlan and Bex Rayner, who joined shortly after his appointment—but the squad has undergone significant changes in both personnel and leadership. As with many WSL teams, and given the shorter contracts in women’s football, he’ll need to stay on top of squad development, especially with Nikita Parris potentially on the move to London City Lionesses.

Ultimately, the optics around Vidosic and Brighton have shifted dramatically this season thanks to our fifth-place finish and overall strong campaign. New fans may not realise just how good this season has been. Vidosic has set a high bar for next year, and fans are right to be excited—but we shouldn’t be surprised if we drop a few places. Progress isn’t always linear.