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

[brighton_tom]

Tactics spot on tonight.

 

[smudge]

He's made me look a right chump for doubting him, which I have absolutely no problem with.
Let's hope he can keep proving doubters like me wrong. I'm happy to have egg on my face if we can keep this up.

 

[Lady Whistledown]

Has he found the dressing room again, do we think?

 

[Stato]

So I guess Maresca wouldn't answer the FH question, because his response would have had to be 'He' s young and it's very early to say whether he's a top manager, but I can say he's better than I am. My season's turning into a heap of Tod'.

 

[Gabbiano]

Fair enough, I had my little meltdown after Forest and was doubting Fab. He's done outstandingly since then, and clearly hasn't lost the dressing room.

It's a cliche but we have to remind ourselves that his inexperience means he'll make mistakes, and yes there will be more bad games too. It's like Baleba last season, frustratingly inconsistent but with real signs of promise. Let's hope that Hurzeler's second season will be as good as Baleba's.

 

[One Teddy Maybank]

Maresca is RDZ’s best mate isn’t he, maybe something in that.

But I can also imagine FH getting under the skin of quite a few managers.

Yes, horrible getting humiliated by a sixth former…………twice

 

[Zeberdi]

Fair enough, I had my little meltdown after Forest and was doubting Fab. He's done outstandingly since then, and clearly hasn't lost the dressing room.

It's a cliche but we have to remind ourselves that his inexperience means he'll make mistakes, and yes there will be more bad games too. It's like Baleba last season, frustratingly inconsistent but with real signs of promise. Let's hope that Hurzeler's second season will be as good as Baleba's.

As you say, its learned behaviour and gaining experience but it’s been inconsistent to date and probably will be for the remainder of the season

- FH has a very distinctive style to Potter and De Zerbi - less possession and far fewer completed passes than last season but the intensity of our counterattacks are way faster and more direct - I think that was really obvious last night where FH’s ‘Forestesque’ plan was cohesive and effective. I also think Bart’s assist and Mitoma bringing the ball down, turning and shooting in one fluid moment epitomised that aggressive attitude that we have struggled to find in our recent long run of draws and ...

I mused on page 1 of the thread, that I thought FH could improve on RDZ’s defensive stats and Potter’s attacking stats - imo he is beginning to do just that with greater intensity and man for man combat. I’ve noticed he often has 5 falling deep into a defensive block when the opposition press high and 5 sometimes even 7 up front (when the FBs progress) when we counter, pouring players into the box. I think last night we really saw some of the potential FH’s defensive and counterattacking tactics and game management could take us.

Part of that is FH on a steep learning curve but also getting the players back from injury that he wants. Part of it is players like Minteh, O’Riley and Rutter have seamlessly bedded in; Lamptey, Webster and Velts have upped their game, all playing better under a different system. As a squad we are stronger than we have ever been with Baleba and Mitoma now joined by Rutter and Minteh in the ranks of our top of the table level players.

TTP

 

[Greg Bobkin]

These are a good manager in the making.

 

[trueblue]

This quote from the new, experienced coach Daniel Niedzkowski is one of the most interesting things that’s been said in the past couple of weeks: “The idea from Fabian’s side was to have another assistant coach. I am mainly concerned with the defensive side of the game now.” Plans to oversee coaching development have taken a back seat.

Maybe it’s no coincidence that we are looking less desperately naive in our approach.

 

[Machiavelli]

This quote from the new, experienced coach Daniel Niedzkowski is one of the most interesting things that’s been said in the past couple of weeks: “The idea from Fabian’s side was to have another assistant coach. I am mainly concerned with the defensive side of the game now.” Plans to oversee coaching development have taken a back seat.

Maybe it’s no coincidence that we are looking less desperately naive in our approach.

Maybe it's no coincidence that, when Fab brings in somebody to work alongside him that he 'trusts the coaches'.

 

[Nobby Cybergoat]

Part of that is FH on a steep learning curve but also getting the players back from injury that he wants. Part of it is players like Minteh, O’Riley and Rutter have seamlessly bedded in; Lamptey, Webster and Velts have upped their game, all playing better under a different system. As a squad we are stronger than we have ever been with Baleba and Mitoma now joined by Rutter and Minteh in the ranks of our top of the table level players.

It might be worth adding, we also still have seven out injured, who would be serious contenders for the first team squad and in several cases would be starting. Kadioglu, Igor, Milner, Steele, Dunk, Estupinan, March.

There's more strength to come ...... ahem .... provided we don't get more injuries

 

[Machiavelli]

It might be worth adding, we also still have seven out injured, who would be serious contenders for the first team squad and in several cases would be starting. Kadioglu, Igor, Milner, Steele, Dunk, Estupinan, March.

There's more strength to come ...... ahem .... provided we don't get more injuries

Strength and experience

 

[Pavilionaire]

Against Forest, Hurzeler got his team and tactics spectacularly wrong, but these two Chelsea matches have shown he can get it right.

He has clearly worked hard in the last 2 weeks, and the last 2 performances have shown a coherency we haven't seen before.

 

[Zeberdi]

Against Forest, Hurzeler got his team and tactics spectacularly wrong, but these two Chelsea matches have shown he can get it right.

He has clearly worked hard in the last 2 weeks, and the last 2 performances have shown a coherency we haven't seen before.

Yes - that was one of the reasons to me it felt like 2022/23 - moments of beautiful one touch, flowing football except a lot more sprinting!

Last week and last night didn’t happen in a vacuum though. FH knows what he is doing and is very player focussed - much more like a Nagelsmann than a Pep or Klopp, building an organically grown system of play that maximises the natural talents of individual players rather than starting with a system and trying to fit the players into it. What I think he does is work with each player helping them to be the best version of themselves on and off the pitch.

I find it rather astonishing tbh that some folk are looking at these two matches as if FH has suddenly thrown a eureka switch with half the people telling ‘bedwetters’ to fcuk off because they’ve had an epiphany and apparently think the ‘superfans were right all along’ and the other half who voted FH ‘OUT’ are saying they were right because until we beat Chelsea twice, we were shitehouse!

Both POVs are at opposite sides of a false dichotomy- ignoring the incremental progress FH has been making with both individual players and the football we have been developing. Understandably because the inconsistency of our performances, transitioning from De Zerbi ball to Hűrzeler ball has disguised the underlying progress we have been making.

 

[Munchkin]

Still fence for me.

Chelsea have been terrible in both games since Forest, although 2 good wins, I’ll base my judgement on the Southampton and Bournemouth games, if we can get 6 points from those 2 games then I’ll be the first to admit I may have called it wrong. The real acid test is beating teams we should be and comfortably, starting on Saturday, then maintaining the same standards we’ve shown the past week when Bournemouth come to the Amex. Consistency is key and minimal changes to the starting XI the past 2 games is hopefully a sign of what’s to come rather than the constant changes we’ve seen week in, week out all season. Brave decision to drop Pedro and for that I think he should be commended, Rutter has been superb of late.

Can’t say this with any conviction but I feel the group we have play for each other and the spirit and solidarity comes from within, I’m not convinced they are 100% playing for the manager.

This is only MY OPINION (before I’m shot down in flames)

Happy to stand corrected and I really hope he proves me wrong, but this is the most talented group of players we’ve ever had at the club since we’ve been in the PL IMO, we must have someone that can get the very best out of them.

The Forest result was a huge ‘Red Flag’ for me, I’m not sure 2 wins against a very poor Chelsea side changes my opinion just yet.

Guess that makes me a ‘bedwetter’

 

[The Optimist]

Still fence for me.

Chelsea have been terrible in both games since Forest, although 2 good wins, I’ll base my judgement on the Southampton and Bournemouth games, if we can get 6 points from those 2 games then I’ll be the first to admit I may have called it wrong. The real acid test is beating teams we should be and comfortably, starting on Saturday, then maintaining the same standards we’ve shown the past week when Bournemouth come to the Amex. Consistency is key and minimal changes to the starting XI the past 2 games is hopefully a sign of what’s to come rather than the constant changes we’ve seen week in, week out all season. Brave decision to drop Pedro and for that I think he should be commended, Rutter has been superb of late.

Can’t say this with any conviction but I feel the group we have play for each other and the spirit and solidarity comes from within, I’m not convinced they are 100% playing for the manager.

This is only MY OPINION (before I’m shot down in flames)

Happy to stand corrected and I really hope he proves me wrong, but this is the most talented group of players we’ve ever had at the club since we’ve been in the PL IMO, we must have someone that can get the very best out of them.

The Forest result was a huge ‘Red Flag’ for me, I’m not sure 2 wins against a very poor Chelsea side changes my opinion just yet.

Guess that makes me a ‘bedwetter’

Not a bedwetter because you stated that you’re on the fence. I think to be a bedwetter you have to be calling for Hurzeler to be sacked.

It’s fine to think Forest was a red flag and the Chelsea wins were as much about them being crap as us being good. Some will disagree with you and that’s ok too, doesn’t make them lickers.

 

[Pevenseagull]

Who knows.

Just for fun I just double checked on Potter's last dire run with us in 21/22.

Well established at the club. Over 100 league games to put his 'process' in place. Perhaps benefiting from there not being supporters getting on his back during other bad runs ... I went to the 4 home games before lockdown and the performances were not good, not good at all.

anyway the run ended with a 0-0 v Norwich.

7 games, 1 goal (Dunk), 1 point (with an eye watering amount of 'bedded in' talent on the pitch)

Then back to back away wins at Arsenal and Spurs and a dozen games later he was off to Chelsea as some sort of messiah.

As for replacement for RDZ. 6 points in his last 10 games. So far, our worst 10 game run this season yielded 12 points.

Against the @Giraffe tracker this is currently our second best season. Achieved with with an inexperienced manager, a considerable squad shake up and a load of injuries.

I appreciate that this is an incoherent ramble rather than a well reasoned argument.

 

[Muhammad - I’m hard - Bruce Lee]

Still fence for me.

Chelsea have been terrible in both games since Forest, although 2 good wins, I’ll base my judgement on the Southampton and Bournemouth games, if we can get 6 points from those 2 games then I’ll be the first to admit I may have called it wrong. The real acid test is beating teams we should be and comfortably, starting on Saturday, then maintaining the same standards we’ve shown the past week when Bournemouth come to the Amex. Consistency is key and minimal changes to the starting XI the past 2 games is hopefully a sign of what’s to come rather than the constant changes we’ve seen week in, week out all season. Brave decision to drop Pedro and for that I think he should be commended, Rutter has been superb of late.

Can’t say this with any conviction but I feel the group we have play for each other and the spirit and solidarity comes from within, I’m not convinced they are 100% playing for the manager.

This is only MY OPINION (before I’m shot down in flames)

Happy to stand corrected and I really hope he proves me wrong, but this is the most talented group of players we’ve ever had at the club since we’ve been in the PL IMO, we must have someone that can get the very best out of them.

The Forest result was a huge ‘Red Flag’ for me, I’m not sure 2 wins against a very poor Chelsea side changes my opinion just yet.

Guess that makes me a ‘bedwetter’

That’s pretty much where I am at TBH

 

[Albion my Albion]

Fabs has got to go.

Hürzeler: "Ich muss die Toilette benutzen."

 

[penny's harmonica]

Still fence for me.

Chelsea have been terrible in both games since Forest, although 2 good wins, I’ll base my judgement on the Southampton and Bournemouth games, if we can get 6 points from those 2 games then I’ll be the first to admit I may have called it wrong. The real acid test is beating teams we should be and comfortably, starting on Saturday, then maintaining the same standards we’ve shown the past week when Bournemouth come to the Amex. Consistency is key and minimal changes to the starting XI the past 2 games is hopefully a sign of what’s to come rather than the constant changes we’ve seen week in, week out all season. Brave decision to drop Pedro and for that I think he should be commended, Rutter has been superb of late.

Can’t say this with any conviction but I feel the group we have play for each other and the spirit and solidarity comes from within, I’m not convinced they are 100% playing for the manager.

This is only MY OPINION (before I’m shot down in flames)

Happy to stand corrected and I really hope he proves me wrong, but this is the most talented group of players we’ve ever had at the club since we’ve been in the PL IMO, we must have someone that can get the very best out of them.

The Forest result was a huge ‘Red Flag’ for me, I’m not sure 2 wins against a very poor Chelsea side changes my opinion just yet.

Guess that makes me a ‘bedwetter’

So to summarise you’ll support the manager as long as we don’t lose.