[Albion] Fabian Hürzeler **SINGED 15/06/2024**

[Farehamseagull]

To @jackalbion ‘s point yesterday about getting this done. We need a manager in place if there are any pre 30th June bargains we are interested in.

Be mad as a player to join a club not knowing who the manager was or the system to qualify involvement

Happens all the time across Europe and in this country. The head coach/manager is just not that important in new signings anymore. Yes they will have some imput and say in who they want but most of the time, they won’t even speak to the players. The players are not that interested, there are other factors that are more important to them, partly because they know there’s a strong chance the manager/head coach won’t be there that long.

Case in point - Barco. RDZ had absolutely nothing to do with that transfer or him when he came in and lots of our other deals are the same.

 

[Zeberdi]

I haven't read every post in this thread (my life isn't long enough) but has anyone actually looked at squad he had at his disposal at St Pauli and compared it to the rest of Bund2? Is this a manger who got a lot out of a mediocre batch or was he so blessed with quality that promotion was a minimum ask? Where were they expected to finish?

They outperformed their resources - very much so.

St Pauli had lost several key players to the Bundesliga and relied on youth players and ‘older’ players with minimum spending to get back to back promotion. FH turned around a team that were heading for relegation by changing the football they were playing. I posted a load of stats on their comparative spending somewhere back on this really long thread (o maybe on the tactics thread) but this anecdotal account from a fan is a little insight:

”The turnaround started in December 2022, when St Pauli sacked trainer Timo Schultz. Schulz was a popular and likeable figure who’d spent most of his career – both playing and coaching – at the club. He was a great motivator but a less talented tactician. He’d taken over when we were down in the relegation doldrums and guided us out of them impressively. But the first half of the following season saw us plummeting into freefall once again. We were back in the danger zone and something needed to be done. His 28-year old assistant Fabian Hurzeler was appointed as his successor. 28? Eyebrows were raised…We won all of the first ten games under Hurzeler, a record for the division. Eyebrows were lowered again – or at least raised in a different way. The kid was a tactical genius. We shot up through the table, only missing a promotion place by a couple of points.

”Another crucial factor in the current success story is Andreas Bornemann, who was appointed sports director in 2019. Working in close conjunction with Hurzeler, Bornemann and his excellent scouting team set about seeking out players, largely from lower divisions (the financial resources were limited) with the potential to fulfil Hurzeler’s tactical masterplan. Thus a number of youngsters who were languishing in lower-league obscurity have blossomed into players fit for the first division.”

FC St Pauli’s end-of-term report, May 2024 - Penny Post

The latest article from Penny Post's Hamburg correspondent, Owen Jones... I’ve been supporting St Pauli since shortly after I moved to Hamburg in 1987. I started attending home matches regularly in the mid ‘90s, and I’ve been a season ticket holder for the last 20 years. So if you’re looking for...

pennypost.org.uk

 

[chickens]

To @jackalbion ‘s point yesterday about getting this done. We need a manager in place if there are any pre 30th June bargains we are interested in.

Be mad as a player to join a club not knowing who the manager was or the system to qualify involvement

TBF, I think this is another of those things that doesn’t change much from head coach to head coach. There is a Brighton way of playing.

Different head coaches may have differences in the detail, but we (as a club) can’t afford to replace our squad every time we change manager, which is why transfer targets etc are identified at club level, rather than head coach level. A lot of other clubs now seem to work in a similar way. You can tell the ones that don’t, because they end up with frankensquads (Manchester United being a prime example) - a squad that worked for Potter worked for De Zerbi (until we sold Caicedo and Macallister) and will work for Hurzeler.

We select head coaches that can work with our squad, not the other way around.

 

[chickens]

Happens all the time across Europe and in this country. The head coach/manager is just not that important in new signings anymore. Yes they will have some imput and say in who they want but most of the time, they won’t even speak to the players. The players are not that interested, there are other factors that are more important to them, partly because they know there’s a strong chance the manager/head coach won’t be there that long.

Case in point - Barco. RDZ had absolutely nothing to do with that transfer or him when he came in and lots of our other deals are the same.

You beat me to it, I’m surprised at how many of our fans haven’t twigged how we run things yet.

 

[JetsetJimbo]

I don't think these two things are mutually exclusive. Yes, nowadays at most clubs, including Brighton, managers (or head coaches) are less important to transfers than they used to be.

But that doesn't make them completely irrelevant to the decisions made by prospective signings. They'll want to know who will be calling the shots regarding their training, participation, development etc.

Imagine, for example, a club signed a keeper who was great shot-stopper but not so good with his feet. Then they appointed RDZ. That keeper would be feeling pretty bad about their decision then, no?

 

[Couldn't Be Hyypia]

I do slightly worry that he may be a one trick pony. What I have read from German fans is that some opponents were starting to work out how to play against St Pauli.

RdZ MkII perhaps?

 

[Sid and the Sharknados]

I do slightly worry that he may be a one trick pony. What I have read from German fans is that some opponents were starting to work out how to play against St Pauli.

RdZ MkII perhaps?

Bit early to say that isn't it?

Needs a couple of seasons in the same league to see if he can adjust once people do work out how to counter whatever system he's playing with.

Unless we just get thrashed from the off obviously, but that would suggest either he or the team are shit, not that he's a one trick pony.

 

[Audax]

The players are not that interested, there are other factors that are more important to them, partly because they know there’s a strong chance the manager/head coach won’t be there that long.

Didn't we have a player join shortly after we appointed Potter, who explicitly said he'd refused to come to us previously because we had Hughton? Memory says it was Trossard.

 

[Farehamseagull]

I don't think these two things are mutually exclusive. Yes, nowadays at most clubs, including Brighton, managers (or head coaches) are less important to transfers than they used to be.

But that doesn't make them completely irrelevant to the decisions made by prospective signings. They'll want to know who will be calling the shots regarding their training, participation, development etc.

Imagine, for example, a club signed a keeper who was great shot-stopper but not so good with his feet. Then they appointed RDZ. That keeper would be feeling pretty bad about their decision then, no?

You will get some cases of this but it will be rare. To be honest, most of these kids won't know who the managers are anyway, it's a bit of an irrelevance. Agents will have more influence on where the player goes than managers.

 

[Midget]

I haven't read every post in this thread (my life isn't long enough) but has anyone actually looked at squad he had at his disposal at St Pauli and compared it to the rest of Bund2? Is this a manger who got a lot out of a mediocre batch or was he so blessed with quality that promotion was a minimum ask? Where were they expected to finish?

 

[Flounce]

Happens all the time across Europe and in this country. The head coach/manager is just not that important in new signings anymore. Yes they will have some imput and say in who they want but most of the time, they won’t even speak to the players. The players are not that interested, there are other factors that are more important to them, partly because they know there’s a strong chance the manager/head coach won’t be there that long.

Case in point - Barco. RDZ had absolutely nothing to do with that transfer or him when he came in and lots of our other deals are the same.

If it’s true that RDZ wanted to send Barco out on loan, then that’s puts a big question mark against his ability to actually talent spot imo. Wanting Dahoud and then falling out with him also suggesting it. I won’t hold Fati against him, nobody and I mean nobody expected him to be so disappointing.

 

[Baldseagull]

Please let it be a decent one, my 2013/14 effort is falling apart and needs replacing. Those that have the misfortune to know me (and those that don’t!) frequently rip the piss out of me for the name on the back of the shirt. So, keeping this in line with the thread I thought I might have ‘Danke St.Pauli’ on the back with the number 24 (this year), or F.A.B. or open to suggests from you lot. Shitface and Wanker will be politely declined.

Don't wear a club shirt, but as I sit with 3 mates, had considered getting one each with, Gassed, Battered, Wanked Off, Stabbed on the back, no one wanted to walk about with wanked off on their back though.

 

[pigmanovich]

You will get some cases of this but it will be rare. To be honest, most of these kids won't know who the managers are anyway, it's a bit of an irrelevance. Agents will have more influence on where the player goes than managers.

Again, this is true of kids - such as Barco whom you cited as an example of a signing that had nothing to do with our manager - but less so of experienced players, of whom we have too few, so it's a valid concern.

 

[Weststander]

I’m missing it already.

I watched ‘pitch-side’ vs Arsenal away under RdZ last night (the 3-0 one), made us even more pumped for it….

Couldn’t really care less about the Euro’s, T20 England are embarrassing themselves, thank goodness for Sussex!

(Must get the home game sorted next season).

I love international football tournaments.

 

[dwayne]

If it’s true that RDZ wanted to send Barco out on loan, then that’s puts a big question mark against his ability to actually talent spot imo. Wanting Dahoud and then falling out with him also suggesting it. I won’t hold Fati against him, nobody and I mean nobody expected him to be so disappointing.

RDZ was just being a twat as usual. Sulking because his players hadn't been bought. (And the ones he did help buy were rubbish). As it turned out Barco is looking pretty bloody good and certainly first team ready.

Thank god the miserable Italian has gone.

 

[jackalbion]

You beat me to it, I’m surprised at how many of our fans haven’t twigged how we run things yet.

But this isn't how we run things, we buy cheap academy players regardless, yes, but the head coach gets final say on first team signings, we have stated that multiple times, under potter, under RDZ, under Hughton. The transfers before June 30th will be first team signings not academy players, it is definitely preferable to have a manager in before then.

 

[chickens]

Didn't we have a player join shortly after we appointed Potter, who explicitly said he'd refused to come to us previously because we had Hughton? Memory says it was Trossard.

It was Trossard, yes. However, we’re not going back to Potter days, let alone Hughton, whoever coaches us in the future will play a variation on our current football. I have huge respect for Hughton, he did us proud, but I can understand players feeling that as a manager he was of the older generation. He wasn’t always the quickest to give younger players a chance.

 

[Baldseagull]

I do slightly worry that he may be a one trick pony. What I have read from German fans is that some opponents were starting to work out how to play against St Pauli.

RdZ MkII perhaps?

Yes, it's always tougher when the opposition know what to expect, but Hurzeler is more pragmatic than De Zerbi and will alter things if results are not going his way. A St.Pauli fan has said on here that in some games they looked poor first half, then Hurzeler tweaked a few things and they were transformed in the second half.
He knew that division and his squad well when he took over, and that will have made it easier than it will be coming here, but he has the tools.

 

[heathgate]

Do we know if there are any SP players of the right standard that FH may try to bring with him in the trf window. ( Assuming FH signs on of course)

 

[chickens]

But this isn't how we run things, we buy cheap academy players regardless, yes, but the head coach gets final say on first team signings, we have stated that multiple times, under potter, under RDZ, under Hughton. The transfers before June 30th will be first team signings not academy players, it is definitely preferable to have a manager in before then.

No. Our transfer targets are identified as fitting our playing style. Regardless of whether they’re senior or prospect.

There absolutely have been exceptions, such as Dahoud, and they’ve been dogshit, which is why you’re not going to see that happen frequently in the future.

It is the head coach’s job to play the best team they can with the squad that Brighton provides them with.

The head coach can say that they absolutely don’t want somebody, and the club would I’m sure listen to them, but the club can’t afford to place too much weight on head coaches input when it comes to recruitment, a head coach is usually there for 2-3 seasons, while players sign for 4-5 years and cost more.

The club have to be convinced of the players skills and values, the head coach can give their input, but they really aren’t the deciding factor in transfers, it would be a crazy way to run a football club.