Expectations for Brighton at an all-time high with Boy King Fabian Hurzeler - opinion


And this summer is no different, and it all started before we’d even finished last season. 24 hours before the final Premier League fixture against Manchester United, and we get hit by the bombshell that Roberto De Zerbi was leaving by ‘mutual consent’. Two words that cover a multitude of things.
I’ve no doubt in my mind that RDZ was sacked, but with Tony Bloom covering all the bases, the old ‘mc’ line made sure that the Albion got money for the outgoing manager when he took up his next assignment, with former Europa League opponents Olympic Marseille.
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Hide AdAnd then the hunt for the new boss started. Talk of succession plans abated, allegedly various overtures were made to a number of candidates, including a farcical situation where it appeared the club were prepared to alienate a large section of the clubs support by reappointing former manager Graham Potter.
Thankfully that came to nothing. Clearly other preferred choices came and went before Tony appointed Fabian Hurzeler, at 31, the youngest manager in the club’s history and arguably the biggest gamble in his tenure as Albion owner and chairman, given his limited experience even by Bundesliga standards.
On the eve of the final Albion pre-season friendly, against Villarreal on Saturday at The Amex, the expectation mounts. It’s always of a certain level, but this year seems to be intensified given almost the uniqueness of the Albion’s latest managerial appointment, and an apparent intriguing level of activity in the transfer window.
They call it an FAQ, a frequently asked question. And in the last few weeks almost everyone who seems to have a passing interest in the Albion have asked me how I think the Seagulls will do?
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Hide AdOnce the youngest ever person in the Albion dugout arrived I’ve been of the opinion, there’s no grey area, it’s either black or white.
I will stand by these words. No apparent mid-table mediocrity, The Boy King Hurzeler either hits the ground running, his attacking brand of football wrong foots a large number of the top flight and the Albion win a significant trophy by June 2026.
Or, on the flip side, it all unravels fairly quickly. Regardless of an early managerial sacking, the Albion get dragged into a relegation fight which they ultimately lose, and by Christmas 2025 they will be playing Portsmouth in a Boxing Day fixture in the Championship. Naturally I’d prefer option one!
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