Brighton Manager Hurzeler Views Team’s Recent Struggles as a ‘New Experience’ for Learning

Brighton’s head coach, Fabian Hurzeler, has stated that he anticipates gaining significant knowledge from his squad’s recent decline in performance, acknowledging that a series of unfavorable results constitutes a “new experience” in his career as a manager. The Seagulls were on the verge of entering the Premier League’s top four positions after defeating Bournemouth on 23 November. However, since that match, they have failed to secure a victory in any of their subsequent four league games and currently occupy ninth place ahead of their Saturday fixture against West Ham. The 31-year-old, who previously guided his former club St Pauli to Germany’s top division before joining Brighton in the summer, remarked: “I can deal with this situation, I can handle this because I love to have the responsibility and I also know it’s part of it to have this pressure and to be judged by the results.” He further commented: “It’s a new experience, for sure. I have had a lot of great success so far in my career but I knew that this phase would come and now it’s here I can learn a lot.” Hurzeler added: “I’m in the right club to experience this phase because it’s a club that’s well structured. We have great characters in the team. The team know what to do. The team work hard. They’re not pointing the fingers at each other.” He concluded by stating: “They try to see the mistakes on their own and then they try to improve. In the end, the values of the club – this community, this togetherness – will help bring us out of this period.” Separately, AFC Wimbledon has announced that Brighton has paid a “substantial six-figure fee” to acquire their under-15 goalkeeper, Charlie Wilson-Papps.