Hughton’s experience will be vital for Brighton
Brighton & Hove Albion face a challenge to remain in the Premier League next term and will be relying on their experience of manager Chris Hughton to avoid relegation.
The 58-year-old fared well during his time with Newcastle United, guiding the club back into the Premier League at the first attempt following their relegation in 2009. Hughton had the club in 11th place before he was harshly sacked by the Magpies in the aftermath of a 3-1 defeat at the hands of West Brom.
After a spell at Birmingham, he returned to the top flight with Norwich City following the departure of Paul Lambert. Again, he had the Canaries punching well above their weight, finishing in 11th place in his first term in charge. And although his side struggled in his next season at Carrow Road, the club were still outside of the relegation zone late in the campaign, only for Norwich’s hierarchy to dismiss him down the final stretch, which culminated in their relegation.
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58-year-old has revived the fortunes of Brighton, taking them from the depths of the Championship in his first season to the playoffs in his second. They fell short in the 2015-16 season, but were not to be denied second time around, earning promotion by finishing second. The Seagulls are backed at odds of 6/5 in online football betting in UK to be relegated from the top flight, highlighting the challenge faced by Hughton. It could be his biggest task to date, trumping the difficulties he endured at Newcastle and Norwich.
With the transfer market inflated to astronomical figures, Brighton have kept their powder dry thus far, making only three additions to the squad that was promoted from the Championship. Keeper David Stockdale left the club and has been replaced by Australia stopper Mathew Ryan, while only Markus Suttner and Pascal Gross have been signed by the south coast outfit.
Brighton’s quiet activity in the transfer market has been a complete contrast to that of their fellow promoted side Huddersfield Town. The Terriers have spent over £40m on eight players as well as two loan signings to improve their team. That being said, Newcastle United have not been overly active either, so there’s no reason to panic yet for the Seagulls’ fanbase, although time is running out ahead of the start of the term to bolster the squad.
Glenn Murray’s goals were vital in guiding Hughton’s men to promotion, but he has proved in his time with Crystal Palace that he lacks the quality to find the net with regularity in the top flight. Tomer Hemed has been an equally reliable player in the Championship, scoring 30 league goals over the past two seasons. At the age of 30, he could be the man to step up and perform, much like Rickie Lambert did for Southampton in their first term back in the Premier League in the 2012-13 season.
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One man that Hughton will be definitely hopeful that can take his game to the next level is Anthony Knockaert. The 25-year-old was sensational in the last campaign, scoring 14 goals and contributing eight assists in his 42 appearances. He has the quality to thrive in the Premier League and the Seagulls will need him to be at his best throughout the term.
Becoming a solid cohesive unit may be even more important for Brighton, with teams such as Bournemouth and Burnley producing results that are stronger than the sum of their parts. Hughton’s experience will be vital in guiding the Seagulls through the rigours of the top flight, ensuring that the entire club remains united even though results are unlikely to be as favourable as their past two campaigns in the Championship.
