Tottenham display proves Fabian Hurzeler and Brighton are work in progress – but Europe must remain the target
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In the weekend that the late Barry Lloyd was honoured, it was quite fitting that the two teams were he made in his name in Non League and Football League management, Worthing and Brighton and Hove Albion respectively, both find themselves with young managers with huge expectations on the back of extensive financial outlay.
The well trotted out stat, that at 31, Fabian Hurzeler is the youngest manager in EPL history, will eventually not get used. I think, to a degree, it’s a Monkey on his back.
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Hide AdInexperienced, naivety, ‘wet behind the ears’, it all appears to be getting thrown at him. Obviously the defensive performance at Chelsea did through up a few question marks, but it is a learning curve and Hurzeler has had to hit the ground running.


Record expenditure in the transfer window is a double edged sword. Every man, woman and child who supports the Seagulls, not only loved last season’s European tour... and with that level of investment, it’s clear Europe is the target again. But that means a Top seven finish, so at least one of the ‘big’ clubs will need to be usurped.
If you needed 90 or so minutes to show a Martian who landed on the Downs what supporting the Albion is all about, then Sunday’s encounter with Spurs was just that.
Cliche alert, very much a game of two halves. And whilst ecstatic at the end, I still couldn’t work out if it was more about how bad Spurs were than how good, at least in the second half, Brighton were!
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Hide AdBut we’ll take it. And at the second international break, sitting in sixth despite home blips against Ipswich and Forest respectively and the footballing lesson at Stamford Bridge, is very much in the so far, so good category.
For me, the only caveat – whilst one man doesn’t make a team – a fit Joao Pedro could be the difference between us getting our passports out of the draw next Autumn or not.
Over at Woodside Road, perhaps on a smaller scale but the ambition and expectations almost mirror the Albion.
Worthing believe like Crawley Town they can successfully make the transition from Non League to the Football League. And with extensive ground improvements, and reportedly the biggest budget in the club’s history, everything is apparently in place for new manager Chris Agutter.
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Hide AdObviously replacing Adam Hinshelwood was always going to be an extremely hard act to follow. I know as I was one of the board who originally gave Hinsh the job 11 years ago – in some ways, in footballing terms, he’s almost unique, a one off.
But that’s history and Agutter has set about making his mark on the club. Like Hurzeler, Agutter has experienced a couple of blips. Due to the new stand, playing away for the first few weeks was an issue.
Saturday’s 2-0 reverse at home to Maidstone, against the back drop of the new stand opening, was disappointing.
Barry Lloyd once said to me over a coffee, he was glad in never managed in the social media age and both Hurzeler at around 5.15pm on Sunday and Agutter, in the wake of the Maidstone defeat, did attract quite barbed criticism on line.
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Hide AdFreddie Mercury’s classic line, “I want it all, and I want it now”, the mantra of almost every football fan on the planet, it is a game of opinions, but if Worthing win at Plymouth Parkway in the FA Cup on Saturday and qualify for the potentially lucrative first Round Proper, the Maidstone performance will be forgotten. The Rebels then have the ultimate opportunity to really kick start their season.
As for Hurzeler, he goes into the break, knowing it’s very much work in progress. It was always going to be a rollercoaster, but ever the optimist, complete with my blue and white tinted specs, what will this team be capable of once they are settled?
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