Hurzeler: Brighton upset the establishment – now we must win something

· Sky-PL

When Fabian Hurzeler became Brighton's head coach, he set out a goal to "challenge the establishment". Two years on, has he?

That understanding will be important as Brighton integrate another batch of talented young signings, centre-back Luka Vuskovic already proving a smart buy at £50m from Tottenham. Hurzeler trusts the club's recruitment model to deliver again - and his staff to get the best out of them.

He has overseen a victory, a draw and a defeat in their first three Premier League games of this season, having had more big chances (15) and a higher xG (7.4) than any other side while only Arsenal (24) and Man City (26) have faced fewer shots (33).

> "It's now our responsibility to really integrate these new players. They are here for a reason, and we proved in the past that we have one of the best recruitment systems in the world, so they have potential and they will show this potential."

Hurzeler was a surprise appointment when he replaced Roberto De Zerbi, but two seasons in he is no longer the unknown quantity he was when he arrived.

The demands of the Premier League have helped shape him, too, from facing the best managers in the world to dealing with the pressure of a long season. But when things go wrong, Hurzeler looks closer to home.

> "I can say that I'm a better manager now than I was before, but not only because I reflect on my mistakes; I reflect on my decisions, I reflect on my progress and my development," he said. "I have great staff around me, I have great experts, great support from all of my staff members and I have great support from my team and great personalities."

That approach was tested midway through last season, when Brighton won just once in 13 league games. Hurzeler did not look for someone else to blame.

> "I'm not going home and blaming others. If we lose, it's my responsibility, and I reflect on my decisions, I reflect on the training week, so I really try to get better after every game, and that's how I do it."

He says Brighton eventually turned the run around by focusing on what they could control rather than results, maintaining their belief and demanding greater reliability from the players on the pitch.

The lesson was simple, but important for a team trying to challenge the Premier League's established order.

> "In the Premier League you need to have reliability, in the Premier League you need to be really good in the small matches," Hurzeler said.

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