Brighton & Hove Albion head coach Fabian Hürzeler has confirmed that forward João Pedro will continue to be absent for the Seagulls’ season-ending trip to Tottenham Hotspur.
Brazil international Pedro was left out of Brighton’s matchday squad against **Liverpool**earlier this week after a training ground incident involving defender Jan Paul van Hecke, and with rumours swirling over Pedro’s future, he will miss the season’s final game.
It leaves Brighton in an awkward position with the 23-year-old’s future, as the likes of Liverpool and **Chelsea**have reportedly shown interest but Pedro continues to be a prized club asset, having been signed for £30 million in 2022.
Elsewhere, Hürzeler confirmed that his squad remains the same as for the Liverpool match, and with only a point needed at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium to confirm 8th place in the Premier League, he appeared in a focused mood.
Pedro palaver
With Pedro having served a three-match ban following his red card at Brentford in April, the Brazilian was expected to return to action against Liverpool.
His absence from the matchday squad was revealed to stem from a training ground bust-up with van Hecke, with Hürzeler laying down the law and ostracizing his forward from first-team action.
The timing was potentially fortunate with only two matches of the season remaining, but equally, the impending transfer window has sparked rumours of a move.
While Hürzeler did not discuss transfer rumours, he confirmed that Pedro would be unavailable for the final match.
“João won't be in the squad,” said the German.
“With João, we had a small issue in training, a type which is common from time to time in all football clubs, and we dealt with it internally, and the matter is closed.
“João is an incredible football player. He's a match-winner for us. He's a great player. That's why we invested in him.
“But there are principles. There are values from myself. There are non-negotiables which count for everyone. Everyone has to stick to them, and we don't make any compromises.
“João is still a young player, and still has a lot of potential where he will grow, and I'm sure that he will learn from this and come back stronger next season.
“I'm really looking forward to see him renewed and reinvigorated at his highest peak, into our team.”
As the 3-2 win over Liverpool proved, Brighton are capable of pulling together even when a key player is missing.
That mindset will be needed again this weekend as the Seagulls seek a point to hold off the pursuit of Brentford on 8th place.
“We are fully focused,” said Hürzeler.
“We always emphasise that we can only be successful as a group when we feel this togetherness, when we have this togetherness on and beside the pitch. That's what really try to emphasize every day.”
“I’m not satisfied”
After a first season in English football, public mood surrounding Hürzeler continues to be mixed.
While the German has emerged with credit considering his age and lack of top-level experience, a large factor deciding how he is assessed will be whether Brighton can achieve European football.
A complicated situation requires the Seagulls to secure 8th place, and then hope Chelsea drop points on Sunday and finish 6th or 7th in the Premier League before winning the UEFA Conference League Final, if they want a European place.
Having narrowly missed out on an FA Cup Semi-Final and with continental qualification on a knife-edge, the overall assessment could be one of fine margins.
“I wouldn't say that we played an unsuccessful season,” said Hürzeler.
“If you only define success to win a title, then of course, we weren't successful this season. But in my opinion, we achieved a lot of things, and we’ve played a successful season.
“Therefore, it's always a definition of success. But we are trying to go for a title. We have ambitions. We want to reach something.
Ambition is always the question at Brighton, and after owner Tony Bloom and CEO Paul Barber previously laid out plans for consistent top-half finishes, those aims have since been increased by some fans and onlookers.
For figures within the club, this now means greater expectation.
Hürzeler said: “Everyone who knows me knows that I'm not satisfied with this season.
“I see that there's a lot more potential in the squad. We all have to analyse, we all have to reflect after the last game this season, then try to improve in every aspect.
“That's how I work since day one and that's what I also demand from every employee and every player in this club.”
Striking similarities
While Brighton and Tottenham have had starkly different Premier League fortunes this season, there are many ideas shared by the sides.
Prior to joining Brighton, Hürzeler shadowed Postecoglou for a training session last summer thanks to a shared connection in St Pauli captain Jackson Irvine, and the Seagulls have since played a similar high-intensity style to Spurs.
As a result, their statistical output, in terms of goals, expected goals, progressive carries, shot on target percentages, tackles, fouls and other key metrics have come out broadly similar after 37 games.
These stylistic similarities could lead to an excellent season-ending affair in North London.
“I think there are similarities because of the formation and because of the style of play,” said Hürzeler.
“I won't say that everything is the same. I think no one can copy anyone, and no one should copy anyone. But overall, there are some similarities.”
Having accepted these comparisons, Hürzeler was pressed on why the two sides have had vastly different fortunes in the Premier League.
“What is the biggest difference now that we are eighth and the other team is a bit lower in the league? I can't say it, because I'm not there,” said the 32-year-old.
“I only can say the things we try to emphasise here we try to focus on, and therefore, I don't want to make any comments about how other teams work.”
‘We are not arrogant’
A challenging domestic season for Tottenham has ultimately ended with a UEFA Europa League title and the end of a 17-year trophy drought, which makes for an interesting contest on Sunday.
The hosts may be riding high off their Wednesday-night result and use a party atmosphere to help them finish the season in style, or they may not be motivated for an essentially meaningless league fixture.
Hürzeler was asked several questions about how Spurs’ win could influence the match on Sunday, with one regarding his counterpart Postecoglou’s tactical changes in Bilbao.
Having been criticised for refusing to break from his high-intensity style all season, Postecoglou’s sudden counter-attacking approach was then praised for securing the club’s first title in 17 years.
Asked about his stance on tactical flexibility, Hürzeler – a manager who himself has been questioned this season and has adapted – was somewhere in between dogma and pragmatism.
“The most important part for me as a manager is that you have a clear style of play, that you have a clear style how you want to lead your squad, and for which principles you stand for, for which values you stand for on and beside the pitch,” said Hürzeler.
“Then, of course, you have to make small adjustments, small adaptations, especially in the Premier League. Therefore, I'm not stubborn.
“I know we need to have this mindset of challengers. And if we have this mind of challengers, you should focus, of course, on yourself, but you need to make small adjustments to have the capability of reacting on the ideas from others.
“Therefore, I think if we would only focus on ourselves and say we played the same style of play every game, it would be a little bit arrogant, and that's what we are not.
“We're not standing for this, and we want to be the challengers and challengers have to react in some ways on the others.
“But overall, I really want to stick to our principle and our ideas.”