PLDC - Alireza Jahanbakhsh was powerless to stop Brighton & Hove Albion slumping to a 2-1 defeat away at struggling Cardiff in the EPL on Saturday. The 24-year-old became the most expensive Iranian player of all time when he joined the Seagulls for a club record fee of £17 million in the summer. Big things are expected of him after he played a starring role for Team Melli in the World Cup, following an impressive stint in the Netherlands. But he has thus far struggled to adapt to the sheer pace of the Premier League and Brighton fans are yet to see the best of him.
The Premiership is the richest and most watched league in the world, so everyone in the Persian Gulf Pro League is keeping a close eye on Jahanbakhsh’s performances. If he dazzles with attacking brilliance, it could inspire the country’s biggest clubs to raid the Persian league for its finest stars. It would be great to see Iran’s leading lights thriving on the biggest stage of all, but nobody wants to see the league ravaged of its top talent.
Yet Jahanbakhsh has not shown his full potential so far for Brighton. A BetDSI analysis shows that and a look at the odds shows you that the Seagulls are not expected to be relegated this season, but nor are they expected to challenge for the Premiership title. It is only their second season in the top flight, and a comfortable mid-table finish would suit them perfectly as they bid to establish themselves as a top-flight club. Unfortunately for Jahanbakhsh, Brighton are by no means a team that plays exciting, attacking, free-flowing football.
The team’s success so far in the Premiership has been based on remaining resolute at the back and poaching the odd goal. Australia’s Mat Ryan is a crucial presence in the Brighton goal, while Shane Duffy and Lewis Dunk defend as though their lives depend on it. Manager Chris Hughton demands extreme defensive commitment and discipline from all his players. That means Jahanbakhsh has spent a lot of time tracking back and helping ageing right-back Bruno deal with speedy wingers, while opportunities to get forward and show his attacking talents have been somewhat limited.
A week ago he was amazed by the pace of the game as his team slumped to a 3-1 defeat at the hands of Everton. “This was one of the most fast games,” he said. “I knew before it was going to be difficult to start off with. There is more pace here, and I just have to get used to it. That’s all that matters. Obviously, I expect more from myself. Hopefully, in the games that come, I can give a better performance.”
He tweaked his hamstring in that defeat to Everton and he had to watch on from the sidelines as Brighton lost for a second consecutive game on Saturday. They went 1-0 up against relegation-threatened Cardiff, but then had a man sent off in the first half and went on to lose 2-1. The Seagulls have scored just 13 goals in 12 games so far this season, and they rarely have more than 50% of the possession. Instead they sit back, soak up pressure, and hope evergreen striker Glenn Murray pops up with a winner. Jahanbakhsh will therefore have to be extremely efficient on the ball if he wants to prove his worth and earn a move to a bigger club. He has the pace, the flair and the talent to pull it off, but he needs to quickly adapt to the pace of the league and show what he is capable of.