Losada: Anything is possible at 'settled' Brighton

While the structures of the women’s game have developed immeasurably over the past decade, the actual football has changed very little for talented midfielder Vicky Losada. Her glorious 18-year career spans four countries – and two continents – winning honours in all but one.

Back in her native Barcelona she perfected the art of passenaccio. Moving to the UK for the first time in 2015 with Arsenal taught her more about the intricacy of passing patterns. And now at Brighton, she’s learning how possession-heavy football can hurt teams under up-and-coming coach Dario Vidosic.

Playing with the ball is where Losada thrives. Her La Masia upbringing created an intelligent playmaker, one that can dictate from deep as well as influence further forwards.

And her consistency has ensured she has been a mainstay under Vidosic this season, Brighton’s fifth coach since former England manager Hope Powell’s departure in October 2022. Finally, the Seagulls, with help from their Catalonian captain, have found a bit of stability.

Their 17 points from the opening 10 WSL games is their highest-ever tally at this stage of a campaign, and only two fewer than their total for the entirety of last season. Brighton have already won as many WSL games (five) as they did last term and are up in almost every metric used to measure performance.

Only the WSL’s current top three rank higher for effectiveness in possession.

Our performances have given us confidence to believe we can win any game,” Losada says, relaxing back into her chair in a meeting room at Brighton’s state-of-the-art training base in Lancing.

“Since I’ve been here I’ve tried to be super open with my team, trying to understand different cultures and languages, and everyone’s problems. My experience is why they brought me here.

“The structure is more settled now, and we’re finding the right people to fit in. You always want more, we’re happy and performing well.”

Brighton have been through a rocky patch, and gotten used to looking over their shoulders. All too often, the club have been embroiled in messy relegation battles, narrowly escaping the drop in 2022-23. Not since 2021 have Brighton finished inside the top six.

“We’ve improved so much from last year, we look more consistent,” the 33-year-old continues.

“I’m so excited this year, when results come I still get the buzz. I’d love to end in the top four with Brighton, but I don’t want to say it too loud, it’s really difficult. You never know, it’s nice to believe, it drives you if you believe.

“Right now, everything is possible. But maybe in three weeks less, and five weeks nothing. So we should focus on these games in a short time and making sure we get points from every game. We’re in a really good moment.”

All three of Brighton’s WSL defeats this season have come away from home, despite the marked improvement. Vidosic’s possession-obsessed style has led to a much higher points-per-game ratio, conceding less and scoring more. But Friday night’s meeting with Liverpool, live on Sky Sports, poses a problem.

How do Brighton translate their impressive form on their travels?

“Difficult moments are always related to losing, sadly, but football is like that. You want to stick to what you’ve been doing, and Dario really believes in his way. After six months, it’s smooth but at first it was a bit like: ‘What’s going on?’

“He’s very demanding. He looks for perfection even knowing that doesn’t exist. You have to get the basics right, if the minimum isn’t there he demands.”

Only WSL league leaders Chelsea have a better shot conversion rate than Brighton’s this season, helped in no small part by a stellar summer of recruitment, where Fran Kirby, Nikita Parris and Kiko Seike all joined to bolster their attack. Sharing the goals (around nine different scorers) has become equally important.

Losada has played her part too, creating 13 chances for team-mates, but it’s the control in the middle third of the pitch that makes the former Barca star indispensable – and is a key facet of Vidosic’s progressive style.

“I’ve discovered a new way of playing, small details that are different, but in the end it’s about possession and pressing, wanting to be brave in the attack – I’ve had that in my whole career.

“The tactics were a bit different and at first I was like: ‘Wow, can this work?’

“After six months we know it can work. That’s the best thing about football, it’s not just one way. What defines Dario, is he can find a way no matter who you play without losing the identity.”

Losada has won so much in her career it’s hard to imagine there being much drive left. But Losada’s ambition is uninhibited. She has more to prove and much more to achieve, learning on the job as well as studying the Premier League’s best midfielders.

“Something I’ll always have [as a dream] is winning the WSL but I want to focus on making the top six with Brighton and then next year go for more. The results are coming, but we’re not there yet. It’s all a process.

“I like control, the moments are so important. I like midfielders who do work that not many people can see – like Declan Rice at Arsenal – but then when you take that player off the pitch, you see how the team suffers.”

Now comes expectation. Brighton are nine points better off than at same stage of last season, favouring a consistency that has created positive connections on the pitch. Only West Ham (10) and Man Utd (12) have made fewer changes to their starting XI than Brighton’s 13.

Standards set. Objective outlines. How high can the Seagulls really soar this season?

Watch Liverpool vs Brighton live on Sky Sports Football on Friday night; kick-off 7pm