Seagulls come second
©IMAGO
With 22 points from twelve games, Brighton have made the best start to the Premier League in the club’s history. Only the slightest goal difference separates Fabian Hürzeler’s team from the top 3. A look at the Seagulls’ remaining program fuels the hope of many fans and pundits for new records, while the coach puts a damper on the euphoria . What are the factors that explain the current success and what are the dangers that threaten Hürzeler and his troops?
There has been a lot to read about Hürzeler, the youngest permanent manager in the history of the English upper house, in recent days during the international break in that country. From his (Site notre bureau spécialisé) philosophy, which is based on the training of legends like Pep Guardiola or Jürgen Klopp, from his credo “The impossible is nothing” proclaimed with a view to the future, or even from his personal affinity for FC Bayern. It is not unrealistic that the 31-year-old could at some point find himself on the bench of a big club like Munich. After the great success with FC St. Pauli, which he brought back to the Bundesliga for the first time since 2011, the German coach once again has sympathy and statistics on his side.
The Seagulls have probably had the toughest starting schedule yet in a league-wide comparison. Despite facing opponents like Liverpool, Arsenal, Chelsea and Newcastle away and Manchester City, Manchester United and Tottenham at home, there have only been two defeats so far. The team also managed to compensate for interim injuries to key players such as Yankuba Minteh, João Pedro, who recently returned from an ankle injury, and Carlos Baleba (knee), to name a few. Additionally, Hürzeler often left players like James Milner, Pervis Estupiñán and Ferdi Kadioglu on the bench during the season.
While Hürzeler skeptics often cite his attacking, intensive style of play as a possible reason for his players’ frequent absences, his team has impressed with other numbers so far: Hürzeler’s team has run 111.9 kilometers per game, only promoted side Ipswich put in. Compared to the league average, they cover more distance. According to an Opta analysis, only four teams in the league averaged more sprints. Brighton have 152.2 per game. The 21 goals scored – 6th place in the championship standings, despite the opponents mentioned at the beginning – are spread over a total of eleven heads, which makes Hürzeler’s team a little more unpredictable.
Hürzeler with Brighton on the rise: “One of the best teams”
In the eyes of Stefan Bienkowski, Premier League expert at (Site notre blog d’information) and head of UK content, Brighton’s current recovery can also be attributed to the club’s work in recent years and less to that of Hürzeler over the last three months.
“Brighton have shown time and time again in the past that the real reason for their success often lies in their excellent structure and recruitment strategy and is not found in just one head coach. Hürzeler also benefited from the fact that he not only took over an already well-trained and well-positioned team this summer, but also joined a club willing to spend big money. Brighton still have a reputation for being ‘small fry’ in the Premier League. But this summer the club made the second highest net spend in Europe, investing €231 million in new players. As a result, Hürzeler probably has one of the best-equipped squads in the Premier League, which has helped him deal with a number of serious injuries that would likely have derailed other clubs.
Hürzeler recently told English television about his team’s performance so far: “There are no surprises or expectations. There’s just a belief in the process, a belief in the potential of the boys. When you work with them every day, you see their incredible work ethic. You can see how they want to improve, how they support each other, how they stick together. » Bienkowski believes that the good record so far against top opponents is mainly due to the tactical orientation, » which German (Site notre bureau spécialisé) fans would describe as « countering ». -pressing’. As a result, they have been able to successfully compete in matches against larger clubs whose play runs far ahead. It is also a system that Hürzeler more or less inherited from his predecessors at the club, but which nevertheless deserves great praise for maintaining the necessary standards.
Hürzeler and his team have undoubtedly received praise and sympathy during the current season. In Great Britain, the young German coach, initially perceived with skepticism, has acquired the status of “media darling”, attests the TM expert. “He clearly feels comfortable in the league at the moment, as demonstrated in particular by his relaxed demeanor and his demeanor during press conferences. But of course, positive reports only last if the results are consistent and the team is in good shape. It will be interesting to see how Hürzeler reacts if Brighton stumble and he will increasingly be faced with more critical questions.
After participating in the European Cup last year, many are already dreaming of a possible first qualification for the Champions League. Until the end of the year, you will mainly face clubs from the bottom half of the table. Teams whose tactical emphasis is on defense. For many experts, this is precisely where the risk lies that Hürzeler’s team will go through a difficult period, contrary to the wishes of many fans. “They lost points unnecessarily against more defensive teams like Ipswich or Wolverhampton and only narrowly won against Bournemouth last week,” says Bienkowski.
In a three-pointer against bottom team Southampton on Friday night, Brighton temporarily overtook Manchester City to second place in the table. This risks further increasing euphoria in the region. Hürzeler recently warned about the dreams of premier class fans: “It is very important to stay grounded. We have a vision of where we want to go. But it’s important to focus on the next game and the process. » Given the mixed results against weaker opponents, a naturally calm attitude.
