Fabian Hurzeler is facing mounting pressure at Brighton after a crushing 7-0 loss to Nottingham Forest on February 1st.

Mick Brown, a former chief scout for Manchester United and Blackburn with strong connections in football, told Football Insider that losing the fans’ support could be the decisive factor in Hurzeler’s tenure.

Brighton has only secured two victories in their last 12 Premier League matches, including disappointing draws against relegation-threatened Southampton and Leicester, and a 3-1 home defeat to rivals Crystal Palace. This poor run has led to significant fan discontent at the Amex Stadium.

While Brown suggests Hurzeler isn’t likely to be sacked immediately, a continued downward trend might push the board to act. Hurzeler, who joined Brighton last summer with a contract until 2027, has been supported with over £250 million in transfers.

With his experience alongside top coaches like Sir Alex Ferguson, Ron Atkinson, and David Moyes, Brown stressed that the defeat to Forest would raise serious questions about Hurzeler’s management.

“From what I hear, the pressure on his position is growing,” he told Football Insider.

“There’s not many times in a season when there isn’t pressure on a manger, because if you’re in the top half they want to qualify for Europe, and if you’re below that they feel they should be higher.

“There are very few situations where the manager isn’t under some sort of pressure.

“But after a 7-0 defeat, there’s always going to be added scrutiny.

“The fans start to turn on you after results like that, and when you start to lose the fans that could be the difference – we saw it with Moyes at West Ham, for example.

“I wouldn’t expect him to be sacked imminently, but serious questions are being asked.

“It’s important not to take a result in isolation, but if they start to spiral from here and drop down the table, then it’s going to be a problem.“

Wonderkid Picks Brighton Over Liverpool in Deadline Day Transfer Twist

Liverpool’s interest in signing Stefanos Tzimas was well-known, but their campaign to bring the young Greek striker to Anfield has ended without success. Instead, Tzimas has chosen to join Brighton, much to the disappointment of Liverpool supporters.

Liverpool made a strong effort to secure Tzimas, an 18-year-old who’s on loan at Nurnberg from PAOK, impressing in the 2. Bundesliga. Despite his performances in Germany’s second tier, Liverpool was ready to pay a hefty sum, reportedly offering £25 million, an unusual amount for a player from outside the top European leagues, which speaks volumes of their belief in his potential.

However, Tzimas was concerned about playing opportunities at Liverpool, given their wealth of attacking options. This led him to consider other clubs, ultimately deciding on Brighton.

Brighton finalized the transfer on deadline day but won’t see Tzimas in their ranks until the summer, as he will complete his loan at Nurnberg first. The deal reportedly cost Brighton around £20 million, viewed as a strategic long-term investment, especially considering their history of nurturing and profitably selling young players.

Although Liverpool missed out this time, they might not give up on Tzimas. Should he excel at Brighton, Liverpool might well come knocking again, albeit at a higher cost given his likely increased market value.

For now, Brighton has snatched up a promising young talent, and Liverpool will keep a keen eye on his progress. Tzimas’s career is just starting to unfold, and his journey could still intersect with Liverpool in the future.

Manchester City can only add three new players to their Champions League squad for the knockout stage. They qualified for the round of 16 with a dramatic win against Club Brugge, setting up a challenging match against Real Madrid. Despite being underdogs, Pep Guardiola is optimistic with the prospect of having additional players.

City has until February 6 to make these squad changes before the knockout rounds begin. During the January transfer window, they spent £175 million on new talent, giving Guardiola five new players to choose from: Nico Gonzalez, Abdukodir Khusanov, Vitor Reis, Omar Marmoush, and Claudio Echeverri, who will join after his commitments with Argentina’s U-20 team.

However, UEFA rules allow only three out of these five to be registered unless more players from the group stage squad have left the club, which isn’t the case here. Echeverri might miss out due to his current unavailability, while Vitor Reis could be overlooked since he and Khusanov share a position.

Real Madrid confirms second huge injury blow for Manchester City Champions League clash

On Tuesday morning in Spain, Real Madrid announced through their official website and X account that another key player from their first team has been injured since the weekend. This injury will significantly impact their preparations for the upcoming Champions League playoff match against Manchester City.

“After the tests carried out on our player David Alaba by the Real Madrid Medical Services, he has been diagnosed with an injury to the adductor of his left leg,” a statement on the matter read.

Real Madrid added their customary “pending evolution” note to the injury announcement. However, as per the popular Spanish soccer radio show El Partidazo de Cope, David Alaba is anticipated to be out for two to three weeks.

This comes shortly after fellow central defender Antonio Rudiger was also sidelined for a similar timeframe after he was substituted during their unexpected 1-0 La Liga loss to Espanyol on Saturday. The next morning, Madrid confirmed that Rudiger had suffered “an injury to the femoral biceps of his right leg.”

Once again, the “pending evolution” disclaimer was used, but with both Rudiger and Alaba out, coach Carlo Ancelotti now faces the Champions League playoff first leg against Manchester City at the Etihad without a senior center back.

Alaba was seen as a “new signing” for this crucial match, but while Rudiger might recover in time for the return leg at the Bernabeu on February 19, Alaba’s participation is in serious doubt.

Eder Militao is also unavailable due to a second ACL rupture within two seasons, which has limited Alaba’s playing time since December 2023.

Without these experienced defenders, Ancelotti might have to rely on rookie Raul Asencio and midfielder Aurelien Tchouameni, who has had mixed results in this role throughout the season.

Some Real Madrid supporters might regret the club’s decision not to bring in defensive reinforcements during the January transfer window, which closed at midnight on February 3.

Newcastle United face a significant injury worry before their Carabao Cup semi-final second leg against Arsenal on Wednesday night.

During Saturday’s 2-1 loss to Fulham at St James’ Park, midfielder Joelinton had to leave the pitch due to a knee problem. This was later confirmed by head coach Eddie Howe.

“Yeah, he was suffering with a knee injury, which was a shame,” Howe said. He was struggling in that second half.”

Disturbing images have surfaced of Joelinton wearing a knee brace just days before Newcastle’s crucial Carabao Cup semi-final against Arsenal. The team leads 2-0 from the first leg, set to play at St James’ Park on Wednesday at 8pm.

The photos show Joelinton at the Newcastle training facility, celebrating his son’s eighth birthday with his family, but the sight of his braced knee has raised concerns among fans. While the use of a brace could be precautionary soon after an injury, it’s not a good sign for the 28-year-old’s participation in the upcoming match.

Although Joelinton’s involvement looks doubtful, there’s some positive news for Newcastle as striker Callum Wilson nears a comeback. Out for over eight weeks with a hamstring injury, the 32-year-old is reportedly close to returning, with Howe noting he’s “there or thereabouts” for the game after resuming training.

“Yeah, Callum will be there or thereabouts,” Howe said. “He’s trained, as I said, on Friday a couple of times. He’s looked good.

“Obviously I’ll speak to everyone connected with Callum and his welfare and make sure we involve him at the right time.”

In addition to the doubts over Joelinton and Wilson, Newcastle will certainly be without winger Harvey Barnes who is still around a couple of weeks away from a return after picking up a thigh injury last month.

Jamaal Lascelles is also a long-term absentee as he enters the final stages of his recovery from an ACL injury.
Newcastle holds a comfortable two-goal lead from the first leg of the Carabao Cup semi-final against Arsenal, thanks to goals from Alexander Isak and Anthony Gordon at the Emirates last month. However, recent form at St James’ Park has been poor, with the team losing their last two home games, while Arsenal comes into the match buoyed by a 5-1 victory over Manchester City on Sunday.

Adding to Newcastle’s woes, there are doubts over Joelinton and Wilson’s availability, and they will definitely be without winger Harvey Barnes, who is still a couple of weeks away from recovering from a thigh injury sustained last month.

Defender Jamaal Lascelles is also out, being in the late stages of recovery from an ACL injury.