Hurzeler wants more Brighton chances to cut down Forest
When Fabian Hurzeler was asked in his press conference before Brighton against Nottingham Forest whether the Albion missed Joao Pedro in their 0-0 draw with Ipswich Town, his answer was fascinating.
No, said Hurzeler. The absence of Pedro was not the reason why Brighton drew a blank against the Tractor Boys. The youngest permanent manager in Premier League history believed his team needed to create more chances.
If you asked anyone at the Amex last weekend if the Albion had enough opportunities to beat Ipswich, I suspect 99 percent of people would have said yes.
The statistics read 21 shots. Six on target. Most of those 15 off-target efforts came in the second half through poor finishing. Kaoru Mitoma missed what was effectively an open goal. And Arijanet Muric had the best game of his life.
Chance creation did not seem the issue. Crap finishing and an inspired goalkeeper did. Which is why Pedro could have made a difference.
Half of his 20 goals last season might have come from the penalty spot, but those that didn’t were a result of clinical finishing. The sort of finishing Brighton missed against Ipswich.
Which brings us nicely onto one of the two big questions ahead of Brighton welcoming Nottingham Forest to the Amex. Will Pedro be fit?
Hurzeler said on Friday that Pedro was due to be back in training that day and the Albion would not take any risks with his fitness.
The Brighton boss had also said the same thing ahead of the 3-2 midweek win over Wolves. So, when exactly did Pedro return to training? Tuesday before Wolves or Friday before Forest? Is he even back in training yet? It is all something of a mystery.
The second big question is whether Hurzeler can find away to overcome defensive opposition. Glow Up Graham Potter never did as Brighton boss. Roberto De Zerbi struggled with it too.
Teams know if they park the bus against the Albion then they are likely to go home with at least a point to show for their efforts.
Forest have done that to good effect since their promotion to the Premier League. They drew 0-0 at the Amex in the 2022-23 season in a game so boring I have just looked up what happened and still have no recollection of it.
The Tricky Trees then visited the Amex again in March. Thousands of Seagulls supporters stayed away on account of the game being played at lunchtime on Mother’s Day.
Brighton won but those who opted for a nice roast lamb with their mum over traipsing to the Amex probably got the better deal. The game was shit and the only goal came via a Forest player putting through their own net.
Said own goal didn’t even give us a good laugh as it was in no way comical. Unlike Adam Webster’s attempt against Wolves or Adam Hinshelwood bending past John Sullivan from 30 yards at Withdean against Colchester United on Boxing Day 2008.
What makes facing Forest particularly challenging is that the Tricky Trees have made a flying start to the season. They have the exact same record as Brighton of played four, won two, drawn two.
The Tricky Trees’ unbeaten start is largely down to Nuno Espirito Santo developing a clever gameplan. Clever enough to outfox Arne Slot last week and inflict a first defeat on the Dutchman as Liverpool boss when Forest won 1-0 at Anfield.
It was their first win visiting the red half of Merseyside since The Beatles were a support act in the Cavern Club. Not even Brian Clough managed Forest to victory away against Liverpool.
The Tricky Trees did not have a single shot in the first half as they set out to contain. We all know such defensive tactics are potentially bad news for the Albion.
But then Forest changed approach at half time and went on the attack. Their backline remained rock solid having settled into a rhythm over the opening 45 minutes and the more positive approach caught out a Liverpool defence which had little to do up to that point.
Substitutes Anthony Elanga and Callum Hudson-Odoi subsequently combined for the winning goal, the former setting up the latter to leave Angfield stunned.
The BBC match report ran with the headline Nuno bravery pays off. And it is bravery and a tactical approach which Forest will be confident of bringing success eight days later at the Amex.
Hurzeler and Brighton will therefore be posed with two challenges. The first will be breaking Forest down during the opening 45 minutes.
If Hurzeler believes the Albion need to create more than the 21 chances they had against Ipswich, it could mean all-out attack from the Albion. Which will either be bloody fun to watch or incredibly frustrating if the finishing is on par with last Saturday’s.
The second challenge will be withstanding a sudden switch in mentality from Forest. Brighton might have conceded just two Premier League goals this season to Manchester United and Arsenal, but there have been enough questionable moments to suggest that defending is a concern.
Forest are a good enough side to punish that, particularly if the Albion are lulled into a false sense of security during the first half.
Mistakes from Brighton almost saw Ipswich score twice, most notably when Liam Delap ran 70 yards with the ball and hit the post.
The Tricky Trees will score those opportunities. Which is why they will be tricky opponents for Brighton. An interesting afternoon of football awaits.
