Brighton boss Fabian Hurzeler
Brighton boss Fabian Hurzeler (Image: AFP via Getty Images)
Brighton boss Fabian Hurzeler feels Oliver Glasner is a role model for all aspiring coaches and has no doubts the Austrian will soon turn Crystal Palace's fortunes around.
At the age of 31, Hurzeler became the youngest manager in the history of the Premier League when he took over at the Amex Stadium in the summer, after Roberto De Zerbi had left for Marseille. The former St Pauli manager has made an impressive start to the season, with the Seagulls pushing towards the top six and having beaten champions Manchester City last month.
Rivals Palace, meanwhile, sit just a place above the relegation zone with only two Premier League wins so far and six defeats from 15 games. Hurzeler, though, feels Glasner – who took charge at Selhurst Park in February after Roy Hodgson stepped down – has the calibre to soon have the Eagles pushing up the table again.
“He had great success with his former club Eintracht Frankfurt – winning a trophy, which is a big thing in Germany – and his style of play was outstanding,” Hurzeler said. “His teams are very compact, always very good in transition. He has a good style of play in possession and that is what he also showed at Palace.
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“When he arrived, he immediately had an impact in the club and in the Premier League, so that shows his quality. We have had some calls because we also know each other a little bit (from Germany). He is very helpful, very open-minded. He is a great coach.
“For me, he achieved a lot of things, he already made a big career, so (he) is a role model. I like how he acts, how humble and grounded he is. I think he has a lot of great attitudes to be a great manager.”
Palace may have won just once in the past six league games – 1-0 at struggling Ipswich – but Hurzeler feels the results alone do not tell the whole story.
“I think the place where they are at the moment (in the table) doesn’t represent their real quality and ability, what they are able to do, so we have to be aware of that,” the Brighton boss said. “If you see the games, it was always very, very close. In the end, there are small margins that make the difference.”
Hurzeler’s side are now three league matches without a win after Leicester fought back from 2-0 down to draw, scoring twice in the final five minutes.
“Palace is a compact team with individual quality, very good in defending and in transition, so we have to be aware of not giving the ball away too easily,” he said. “Every game is competitive and a challenge for us, so we try to prepare for that as best as we can.”
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