Brighton & Hove Albion's sacking of Chris Hughton the morning after the season ended was brutal. After only two wins in 18 games, it was probably also correct, but the definitive verdict will come this season.
Supposedly progressive reboots of relegation-threatened teams can backfire so Graham Potter will be under the microscope, charged with keeping Albion’s traditional strengths – the solidity of the centre-back partnership of Lewis Dunk and Shane Duffy – while changing the style of play.
Brighton have invested heavily in recent years, so Potter has to get more from expensive additions than Hughton did. If not, the drop may beckon.
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Who finishes where in 2019-20?
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20. Sheffield United. Chris Wilder, pictured, has achieved a great deal in getting the Blades up, but staying in the top flight could be a task too far. PA Photo -
19. Brighton & Hove Albion. Graham Potter, pictured, faces a tough ask after taking over as manager from Chris Hughton. Getty -
18. Newcastle United. A tough set of opening home fixtures could be difficult for Steve Bruce, pictured, and his side to recover from. Getty -
17. Norwich City. They need to tighten up defensively but the goals of Teemu Pukki, pictured, can keep them up. Getty -
16. Aston Villa. Jack Grealish, pictured, will have a key role to play in Villa's survival hopes. Getty -
15. Burnley. Sean Dyche's, pictured, team to have a steadier time of things after last season's early struggles. Reuters -
14. Bournemouth. Eddie Howe's side to maintain their attacking ethos though they will help Lloyd Kelly, pictured, can help shore things up at the other end. Getty -
13. Crystal Palace. Once again will be dependent on the goals of Wilfried Zaha, pictured. Reuters -
12. Watford. Concerns over a leaky defence but the quality of Gerard Deulofeu, pictured, should leave them in mid-table. AP Photo -
11. Southampton. Stability should come the Saints way under manager Ralph Hasenhuttl, pictured. PA Photo -
10. Wolverhampton Wanderers. Balancing Europa League with domestic games may prove tough. Will look to more fine form from captain Conor Coady, pictured. Getty -
9. West Ham United. Should be another solid season with the hope Felipe Anderson, pictured, can kick on. Getty -
8. Everton. Bringing in Moise Kean, pictured, is a coup and should help Marco Silva's side continue to progress. Getty -
7. Leicester City. Signing Youri Tielemans, pictured, permanently will boost Leicester's hopes of a real push at the top six. Reuters -
6. Arsenal. Unai Emery will hope the record signing of Nicolas Pepe and the goals of Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, pictured, can push them closer to the top four. EPA -
5. Chelsea. New manager Frank Lampard needs big things from Christian Pulisic, pictured, if they are to excel. Reuters -
4. Manchester United. Signings such as Aaron Wan-Bissaka, pictured, will tighten things up and should get United back in top four. Getty -
3. Tottenham Hotspur. Third place again for Spurs, though more is needed from Dele Alli, pictured. Getty -
2. Liverpool. Mohamed Salah, pictured, will be pivotal again but Jurgen Klopp's men to finish behind City again. AFP -
1. Manchester City. Hard to see beyond another title success for Pep Guardiola's, pictured, side. Getty
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Key player: Glenn Murray
It can’t be anyone else but it has to be a concern that Murray, 36 in September, was the only player to get more than five goals and the second top scorer was defender Duffy. Sooner or later, age will catch up with the veteran. Brighton need to reduce their reliance on him.
Signing to watch: Leandro Trossard
This is the third consecutive summer Brighton have spent big on a winger. Jose Izquierdo showed glimpses before being injured, but Alireza Jakanbakhsh has offered virtually nothing. Albion could do with the £15 million (Dh68.2m) Trossard repeating the form that brought him 17 goals and eight assists for Genk last year.
Talking point: Can Potter make Brighton more creative?
Albion had the fewest shots on target last season. They got less potent as the campaign progressed, scoring only three goals in their final nine games.
Potter is an imaginative manager who is willing to change formations, a coach who can improve players and a purist whose Swansea City team had the highest pass completion rate in the Championship last season.
Brighton have played more functional, safety-first football but, in Trossard, Jakanbakhsh, Izquierdo, Jurgen Locadia and Pascal Gross, they have players with the potential to offer more incision.
