Title chance in the FA Cup
© Imago
After his 31.5 million euro transfer from Mainz 05 at Brighton & Hove Albion, Brajan Gruda has not yet reached 100 percent-in 16 competitive games of the U21 international this season was only 535 minutes on the field (2 assists). A development that coach Fabian Hürzeler is by no means worried. “Every new player needs their adjustment phase. Just because we have invested a lot of money does not mean that everyone would take it immediately,” said the ex-St.-Pauli coach on Gruda at “Sky”.
The Premier League, in which the foreign striker has been used 13 times so far, now has a different intensity than the Bundesliga. There, Gruda caused a sensation last year and contributed four goals and three templates to the FSV relegation. During this time, it increased its market value from 500,000 to 20 million euros – until Brighton hit. “I am convinced that Brajan is on the right track and we will support him as best as possible,” says Hürzeler.
Title dream in the FA Cup? For Hürzeler not “a long way”
Gruda could possibly play an important role in the remaining title chance of Brighton. In the FA Cup quarter-finals, the Seagulls receive surprise team Nottingham Forest on March 29. With the exception of Manchester City and with cutting out Aston Villa, the common favorites were eliminated in the oldest national cup competition in the football world. “I feel that the greed and hunger for titles are very, very large. And it is also clearly formulated and the club’s expectation to be successful in the near future. That is simply the great dream of the club,” said Hürzeler.
But now it’s not just about dreaming or talking about this title, until then it was “a long way”, said the 32-year-old, who has so far led his team in the Premier League to seventh place. 47 points after 29 games are available, two behind Champions League rank four, although fifth place will be enough in England this year. Hürzeler continues: “First of all, we have to take the next hurdle. That was our approach, our approach from day one. Of course we will not change that anymore, regardless of whether we are now in the final phase of the season. For us, we are about gaining game for game, showing the best of us every day and then of course trying to always win the next game and not talk too much about the future.”