Brighton's Hurzeler on Man Utd challenge, new signings and positive start (Full Presser)

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Brighton and Hove Albion boss Fabian Hurzeler on the challenge of facing Manchester United and their positive start to the season Amex Training Centre, Lancing, UK

Transcript

00:00Fabian, a week after your first pre-Premier League press conference, your team sits top

00:06of the Premier League, a nice 3-0 away win. This Premier League managerial stuff is pretty

00:10easy isn't it?

00:12So of course we're grateful for the start. We know that it's hard work every game and

00:20it's just momentum, we try to keep the momentum. It's important to get in the flow and that's

00:25what we try. So of course you can be happy after a win, but I'm a coach, I'm very fast

00:33back in my business and very fast back on focusing on the next game.

00:37In the next game, your first home game in charge against Manchester United, how much

00:44are you looking forward to, first of all the prospect of taking a team against a side as

00:49big as Manchester United, but also walking out at the stadium for the first time?

00:54I'm looking forward to meeting our fans, because in the end it's about making them proud, wearing

01:01the Seagulls colours. It's our responsibility, from my staff, from my players, to bring an

01:08intensity and energy on the pitch that transports to the supporters. We try to do this and we

01:16try to make them a present with a win. But of course we know that we have a tough opponent

01:24and Manchester is one of the best, the individual best club in the Premier League. They have

01:33great players, they have a great coach and it will be a big, big challenge for us, but

01:38we are looking forward to face it.

01:40Is there any injury doubts going into this game?

01:52They were all in training. We have to wait now, today and tomorrow, how the rehab and

02:00the training continues, how they adapt the intensity and then we will see if they will

02:07be an option for the squad, but I'm very happy that these three players are back.

02:12How excited are you that Jorginho Router is part of Brighton now and what can fans expect

02:23from him and is he available as well for the weekend?

02:27Also for him we have to wait, how he adapts. He had some games already in the pre-season

02:33for Leeds. He's a little bit German, he's a little bit from the UK and a little bit

02:40French, so there's a mix of everything inside his character. He's laughing a lot and I think

02:46he will be integrated fast in the group and that's the most important.

02:51And then on the other side, of course I'm convinced that he will help us on the pitch

02:55by his attitude working against the ball, by his quality in possession. He has something

03:02special and I know him or I knew him since he played for Hoffenheim. I followed his way,

03:09so he will be a big, big player for Brighton and I'm really looking forward to him.

03:14I'm happy that he's here in the squad.

03:16One week left in the transfer window, so you've only got maybe another week to answer questions

03:20about certain players. Look, there is still talk of potentially more incomings. I know

03:26names like Matt O'Reilly, Ferdi Kariokalou have also been mentioned. I know you won't

03:32speak about specific players. But look, last week you said you're happy with the squad,

03:36but are you now in a position to go, OK, maybe one or two, that would be perfect right now?

03:42Still happy with the squad. And in the end, I only can work with the players who are here

03:51and that's my focus. The other things I can't influence. So I'm really focusing on the work

03:57of the players here. I'm really enjoying it, working with them. I think they try to improve

04:02every day. They have a great attitude. They come here to the training ground with positive energy,

04:06with a good vibe and that's the most important. The other things I can't influence and we'll see

04:11what happens.

04:12Finally, outgoings. Are you expecting many more to leave the club? I know Abdullah Seema is

04:19now off to Stabres for the season. Any other potential loan moves? Valentin Barco

04:25rumoured to potentially go to Sevilla. Is there anything you could add on that at all?

04:31The most important for me is that the players we work with here, that they know how we plan

04:38with them. So we communicate very transparent with them and very open because in the end I

04:45will never play with hope for the players. I want the players happy. I want the players

04:51to develop. We have to create an environment where they can develop. If a player doesn't

04:57have the feeling that he can do it here, of course he has to look for another way.

05:04I can't comment on any rules because I don't know it. The only thing I can say is the players,

05:11they know how we plan with them and then it's up to them.

05:15What do you need to do better against Manchester United?

05:36In all phases of the game we have to improve. We have to be honest to ourselves. Of course 3-0

05:46was a great result but we had the momentum in the game on our side. We started with not enough

05:55controlling dominating the game. I think Everton had a better start in the game. They had not the

06:01biggest chances but they were dominating the game by their intensity, by their power they had.

06:07And then we made the right moment, we made the right decisions and we scored.

06:13When you re-analyse it, you shouldn't judge the performance on the team. I judge more the process,

06:21the performance, how they work together, how they work in possession, out of possession.

06:25I see a lot of improvements. For example, controlling the game better, working more

06:32consistently to get behind the ball, trying to stand even more compact for transition moments.

06:40I said it to the team, it was a good start. I also think it was a deserved win but in the end

06:45we had the momentum on our side and we have to work for this momentum. That's the most important.

06:50Don't be too happy about the result. Be happy that we had a good start but now continue

06:56working and improving in every phase of the game because we can improve in every phase of the game.

07:01Did you let them enjoy the win last time?

07:04Of course. Enjoying a win in the Premier League is always so important.

07:10They had two days off afterwards so they could enjoy it. But for me it's very important that

07:16we get the focus fast back on our process and fast back on the improvements we should do.

07:26Therefore we need a lot of analysis and a lot of work on the pitch.

07:30I'm very happy how they trained this week and how their attitude was. I hope we can

07:38make the next step and it's about making the next step and the next step and not

07:41focusing on the long term but focusing on the short term and trying to be the best version

07:47you can be every day. Danny Welbeck got a goal, he's playing against his old club where he started

07:51his career this weekend. He's still going strong. As a new manager, as a young manager coming out,

07:58important are people like Danny going into these games, perhaps against the likes of Manchester

08:02United and the experience and perhaps even information and knowledge he can impart to you?

08:07Yes, that's one of my styles to lead. I'm listening to experienced players because

08:16I can also learn from them. That's something very open and the players know it. Of course

08:23I try to get in communication, I try to get to learn from their experience because in the end

08:28they experienced more things on the pitch than me. I'm not afraid of saying that because it's

08:35the truth. I can learn from them, I can hear their opinions. I also can use their opinions

08:43in preparing a match against Manchester United because in the end Danny Welbeck played there,

08:48he has maybe some more knowledge about the club and about the behaviour from the individual players.

08:55I would be silly if I wouldn't use it. So of course I will use it and in the end of course

09:00it's my part to make the decisions, to make the clear preparation for the game to

09:07have hopefully the right match plan for a great opponent.

09:11In the past Brighton against Manchester United, I think people would have seen Brighton as

09:16underdogs but I think Brighton have won four of the last six against United and given where you

09:20are in the start of the season you have, is it fair to say that you perhaps go into this one

09:23as a slight favourite against Manchester United?

09:26I think it would be a little bit too much if I say we are the favourites against Manchester

09:32United. What I can say is that we try to continue to build on the foundation

09:39that was built here in the last recent years. Brighton, they won a lot of times against

09:46Manchester. Of course we know that it's a big opponent against who we play on Saturday

09:53but we shouldn't hide. So we should have respect and we should prepare and

10:00try to have the best preparation we can have. But of course we also have ambitions and of course we

10:07also should go into a game like this with self-confidence. So in the end I want that

10:13we bring our style of play on the pitch, that we bring our potential on the pitch, that we

10:19improve in every phase we can improve. So in possession, out of possession, set-pieces.

10:26That's the thing I try to focus on and the results from the past, I think they are the past,

10:33now it's a new game and it's a new situation and we try to win the game.

10:38Just on Manchester United, last week they didn't play with an out-and-out centre-forward,

10:42Bruno Fernandes started for this board. Are you expecting that from United again and if so,

10:48how does that impact on how you prepare your defence? Do you do things differently

10:51if you're playing against a team that's not got that out-and-out striker?

10:55There's a difference when Siski is playing, he's a target player of course. When Mount and

11:03Bruno Fernandes are playing as a striker they play more like a false nine. So of course there are

11:10differences. We have to prepare for both. We have to be clear what is our plan when they come in

11:17this formation or that formation. That's our job, to be the best prepared team we can be and

11:23that's what we try to do in the next two days.

11:29Fabian, could I just ask about Yancuba? Obviously he came off, I know it was precaution,

11:33but was it concussion and does that mean he's available OK for this weekend?

11:39Of course there are clear rules we have to go through. I think it's also important for the

11:45health of the player that we follow these rules from the Premier League, but he will be available.

11:56Jorginho Ruta, where does he fit in? How do you see him playing for the club? He's an attacking

12:03player, he can play in lots of different positions, but where do you see him fitting into the Brighton

12:07team?

12:09I think one of his strengths is that he can play on the outside but also in the centre.

12:15He can help us because he has a very good feeling for positioning, a very good feeling for finding

12:23the gaps in between the lines from the opponent. A very good first touch, a very good continue of

12:29the game forward. He's not really focusing on playing backwards, he's always trying to play

12:34vertical. I especially like his reaction and his behaviour out of position and after losing the

12:42ball. I think he has a very interesting package that will help us.

12:48Manchester United are a club in transition off the pitch, what about their quality on the pitch?

12:56Where do you see their strengths and potential weaknesses?

13:02The strength I think from this team is they have an individual quality on the pitch where you

13:09never can lose your attention on the game because they can decide a game in one situation.

13:16Even if they're not really in the game, they have a quality with Fernandes, Rashford,

13:23Diallo, Garnaccio, Mount. There's one situation they can kill the game and there you have to

13:29pay attention, really 90 minutes you have to be focused all the time on the game,

13:33especially on transition moments. When we are in possession and we have a good positioning,

13:39a good distance to each other, in the case we lose the ball we are immediately there for good

13:44counter-pressing, for stopping their transition moments and I think this will be a key.

13:53Obviously it's your first home game, you've talked a little bit about the fans,

13:57we've seen the pictures of you interacting with the Sao Paolo fans,

14:01just tell us about the role and the message you have for the home supporters this season?

14:06I had a talk with them and for me it's always important the expectations from them,

14:14what they want to see that the team is doing on the pitch. In the end it's about giving everything

14:22you have in your body. They demand that they should have the feeling after every game that

14:28every player is completely there because he gives everything he has in his body.

14:36I always try to build a connection to the supporters because in the end I want that

14:39they are our 12th man and they support us in every situation, especially in games like this

14:46also against Manchester, there will be moments where we have to suffer together, there will be

14:50moments where maybe Manchester United controls the game and then you have to stand together,

14:56then you have to suffer together and there I would love that the fans are still behind us

15:02and support us and not only when there are positive actions in the game. That's our job,

15:08like I said in the beginning, to bring this connection or to build this connection with

15:14the fans. It only works if we give a lot of input and we give a lot of energy

15:19on the pitch and a lot of intensity so that this energy transports to them.

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