Is Hurzeler the end of 'typical Brighton'?published at 12:52 10 September
12:52 10 September
Scott McCarthy Fan writer
Image source, Getty Images
“You’re unbeaten against Everton, Manchester United and Arsenal. With back-to-back home games against Ipswich and Nottingham Forest, you could be top of the league by the end of September.”
This was the opinion of my non-Brighton supporting friend in the pub at the weekend. You can tell he is non-Brighton supporting, because Albion fans of a certain generation will be looking at those Amex fixtures with as much trepidation as anticipation.
The Seagulls have a long and proud history of veering from the sublime to the ridiculous. 'Typical Brighton', we call it.
Classics of the genre include losing a League One game 1-0 to nine-man Walsall on the Saturday before knocking Manchester City out of the League Cup on Wednesday.
'Typical Brighton' is not some relic from the Albion’s days in the lower divisions either. Roberto de Zerbi’s Seagulls lost 5-1 at home to Everton in May 2023, then won 3-0 at the Emirates Stadium to all-but end Arsenal’s hopes of winning the Premier League title.
If 'typical Brighton' rears its head again, expect the Tractor Boys and Forest to be heading home from Sussex with something to show for their efforts.
But say for a moment it doesn’t.
What if Fabian Hurzeler, despite being the youngest permanent manager in Premier League history, manages to end 'typical Brighton' as a phenomenon?
If the Albion can eliminate their penchant for throwing in total rickets in games they are expected to win, while continuing to pick up impressive results like the three we have seen already, then a return to European football will be within their grasp.
Maybe then I will start to get as excited about what this season could have in store for the Albion, as my non-Brighton supporting friend in the pub.
How did Brighton's summer spending compare to others?published at 09:49 9 September
09:49 9 September
The Premier League's summer transfer window saw clubs spend almost £2bn in all.
Data from Footballtransfers.com, external shows the biggest net spend by a club - that’s all the money spent minus all that came in from sales - was Brighton.
The Seagulls had a net spend of £153.5m.
On the flip side, the club who generated the biggest net summer profit on transfers was Manchester City, who made £115.8m, thanks in large part to the sale of Julian Alvarez.
