Ian Hart’s take on Brighton's vital win at Brentford
So at least my mystic powers didn’t let me down at the optimum moment…
This was the end of last week’s column: “But this is the Albion, expect the unexpected. Fab could start ‘strong’ in West London, and the Albion could not only score, end the barren run and return down the M23 with all three points! Stranger things have happened.”
…And happen they did. Three hard earned points at Brentford, a decent performance and James Milner breaks the all time EPL appearance record, formerly held by his former Man City teammate, and one time Albion youth protégée, Gareth Barry.
But does the much needed win in the capital merely paper over the Albion’s cracks?
An old mate, and long time Albion fan, John, summed the last few weeks up quite succinctly over a drink on Monday night, “It’s been like the Hokey Cokey, in, out, in, out, but thankfully no shaking it about.”
I freely admit, and the majority of the content of this column in 2026 is testament to this, that I’ve had my doubts regarding the Albion manager... predominately in the wake of the truly inept showing against our fiercest rivals Crystal Palace earlier in the month.
That in itself was tempered last Thursday when I was invited to a club function starting the 125th anniversary celebrations of the Albion in Hove.
Hurzeler cares about the club
I got to not only listen to Glenn Murray interview him and former boss Mark McGhee talk about him in glowing terms.
A huge call when Mark stated: “Talking to him (Hurzeler) about the game I realise he’s forgotten more about the game than I know.”
I then got to talk to him as the evening progressed. He does care about the club and it’s fans.
His ideas, backed up by what Mark McGhee said, are probably the like we never seen at the club before. Perhaps with the exception of, at times, of the previous manager, Roberto De Zerbi.
But if his team don’t consistently perform it effectively, it counts for nothing.
It clearly is a pressure cooker situation. Fans pay their hard earned money and have huge expectations, and as I’m one of them, I share those expectations.
There’s no way of dressing it up, given the level of investment, this season hasn’t panned out as we expected.
True, there are very fine margins, dropped points, but almost every other team in the EPL can probably say the same.
Clearly any chance of Europe has gone, but on the flip side, without wanting to use the well trodden cliché “Too good to go down”, any talk of Albion actually being in a legitimate relegation fight is seriously misplaced.
Unfortunately for all my West Ham supporting friends, the club is allegedly just about to fall off the cliff.
That will effectively be the ultimate lifeline for the trio of Tottenham, Leeds and Forest.
I believe the Albion will finish above those tree in the final EPL table in May.
In fact, even without European qualification, a top 10 finish is not of the question and that I believe is still attainable.
Bloom will reassess this summer
At the very least, finishing above Palace would be a crumb of comfort, and then whilst the rest of the football world enjoy this summer’s World Cup, Albion, specifically Tony Bloom, will regroup and reassess.
As the saying goes, ‘One Swallow does not a Summer make’, one win at Brentford, however impressive still won’t win a lot of disgruntled Albion fans over.
Even in the darkest time, you can guarantee the wit of football fans will shine through.
On Saturday, a poster dubbed Hurzeler a tactical genius on social media, to which another fan replied, “He’s hidden it well for nearly two years” Miaow!
In the short term, another three points against Forest on Sunday will go a long way to building a few bridges.
But clearly not all, with the Albion support. Ultimately it will be Tony’s decision, as it always was.
You never see a bookie on a bike, and prior to kick off on Saturday, Hurzeler was 13/8 on favourite to be the next EPL manager sacked.
Those odds will have changed now. More Hokey Cokey?... only Tony knows who his manager will be come August.
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