Opinion: Have Brighton and Fabian Hurzeler reached the point of no return?
Ian Hart gives his take on Fabian Hurzeler’s unsteady situation at Brighton
Surreal times at the Amex, that’s for sure. And not for the first, or even last time.
For some time honoured mis quoting, I’ve lost count since the defeat of Fulham the amount of times I’ve seen the Albert Einstein quote, “The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results” - appertaining to Fabian Hurzeler’s tenure as Albion boss, except Einstein never said it!
That aside I do think as a club we are reaching a point, be it a watershed or a fork in the road, from which there is no coming back.
Albion manager wise, this is not my first rodeo, from Pat Saward right up to Fab, I’ve seen them come and go.
I’ve seen some succeed, unfortunately others have failed, but a common tipping point is when the specific current incumbent of the dug out has lost the support of the majority of the fanbase.
In last week’s column I referenced an internet poll, which in broader terms of the fanbase barely scratched the surface percentage wise.
But that may not necessarily mean it doesn’t reflect the wider views of the collective Albion support.
Over the years I’ve made no secret of the fact I deem this column a privilege, an opportunity to express my opinion.
So first and foremost I have to say I’m still ‘Fab In’. Tthere’s a caveat to that, he clearly has made mistakes but given his CV, he was always going to be learning on the job from the day Tony Bloom plucked him from the second tier of German football.
I still maintain, and with the greatest respect to Andrew Crofts, Hurzeler would be a better manager with someone of the ilk of Micky Adams, Mark McGhee, Steve Coppell or even Neil Warnock sat beside him.
That said, and even more focused in the wake of yet another injury time failure, this time at home to Everton at the Amex, I’m beginning to think I’m in the minority.
And the big question, if Hurzeler has ‘lost’ the crowd can he ever get it back, or will there be forever this nagging doubt at the back of the minds of a lot of Brighton fans?
And whilst it all rests with the opinion of one man, Tony Bloom, he’s experienced enough to know how important the thoughts of ‘Average Joe’ sat in the stand is.
Can you sack Hurzeler before Palace?
A slight variation on an age old footballing quandary, not would you sack a manager at Xmas, but would you sack your boss in the week leading up to perhaps the most significant ‘M23 Derby’ in recent years?
I still say a firm ‘No’, but the next few days will either prove me right or wrong.
But if, as I sincerely hope, Fab is in the dugout come Sunday, I’m wise enough to realise he is, in Albion terms, very much sitting in the last chance saloon.
Failure at home against our bitterest rivals, themselves, in somewhat of a tailspin, would see the clamour for change from the stands too loud for Tony to ignore.
That said, on the positive front I can’t see it. Failure against Palace that is, and then hopefully the Albion 1 win in 11, can turn that age old corner and fences can be mended.
But given some of the levels of toxicity from the “Fab Out” ranks, to reiterate there’s that little voice at the back of my head that says, are we actually passed that point already?Time will tell.