Derren Howard is joined by Sussex World reporters and Brighton and Hove Albion experts Sam Morton and Henry Bryant. We discuss Fabian Hurzeler, Albion's opening fixtures and all the latest transfer news - including Crysencio Summerville.
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00:00Welcome to another episode of Goldmouth Action Podcast where we take a look at all things
00:04Brighton and Hove Albion. I'm Darren Howard and this week I'm joined by Brighton experts and
00:09Sussex World reporters Henry Bryan and Sam Morton. Brighton's search for their next manager reached
00:14a conclusion with 31-year-old German Fabian Hazela appointed last Saturday. We've been keeping you up
00:20to speed with all the latest developments and you can read all the stories that we're talking about
00:24with videos and pictures online at sussexworld.co.uk and you can check out other great videos on
00:31Shots TV and Freeview channel 276. You may also be watching on latest TV so thank you very much
00:38for tuning in. But Sam, it's Fabian Hazela, he was confirmed last Saturday. It was always
00:47you know we've been sort of we've known about it for the sort of a week or so building up but
00:52yeah what are your thoughts after the confirmation? Yeah it's great news really to finally get that
00:58over the line because obviously it's really dragging out wasn't it kind of the talks about
01:02who would be replacing Roberto Di Serbi and there's lots of unknown elements to it so when
01:08Hazela's name came into it he obviously was very unknown not to know what he would bring to
01:14the club and to get that confirmed is great now and it's really exciting to see how he
01:20gets on after after all the talk that there's been about him and the achievements that he had
01:25as a Paul in the Bundesliga too and it'd be great to see if he can kind of transition those
01:30skills that he has into the Premier League and it was quite interesting actually in his first
01:35interview with the club and he spoke a little bit about the DNA of playing most of the career
01:39is created by Munich and he likes to be dominant with the ball and control the game
01:44he needs to play with intensity to counter press strongly and be balanced in every phase of the
01:49game Brighton have become a team like that they dominate possession and use the ball well football
01:53is my passion and he's delighted to have this opportunity with Brighton so I think those words
01:57will definitely excite fans I think and he's definitely it seems like a good fit for the
02:02club so yeah I can't wait to see how he gets on in the first games. Yeah so the fixtures came out
02:08Henry the Premier League fixtures came out so Hazela's first match in charge will be away at
02:13Everton on August the 17th and then the first home game will be against Manchester United at
02:20the Amex Stadium so yeah quite a bit for him to prepare for in his first games in charge.
02:28Definitely I think that with Everton Brighton have had a few interesting results against them
02:36and I think Brighton fans will be looking to sort of turn the tide of our form against Everton I
02:41mean we've had some absolute stinkers where we've been pushing for Europe you know a few seasons ago
02:50so I think that that'll be a big one for Hertzler and also the fans and I think if he's able to get
02:55a solid performance and maybe a decent you know win or a draw in a fine sense I think that that
03:02will fuel Albion fans with a lot of encouragement for the season to come really I think that it's
03:09a very interesting appointment with six of the Brighton players actually being older than him but
03:14I think that as Sam was mentioning that sort of possession based emphasis on the game always
03:20looking at sort of his time at Bayern Munich in his way of managing I think it'll be a really
03:25interesting one for Brighton fans in those first two games sort of that the away game and also the
03:31home game will be of great importance not just for him but all managers but I think for the amount of
03:38stick that he's got for being 31 years old I think that's a big starting point for him and also
03:44as you mentioned our first home game that's a massive fixture as well.
03:48Yeah against Manchester United but yeah I remember the first when his name first cropped up Sam it
03:54was like I had to Google I hadn't heard of Hertzler before. I imagine some of the players were
04:00doing the same weren't they because I heard I remember when Jason Steele he did an interview
04:04and he was talking about when de Zerby came in and he was straight on Google looking at the style
04:09of play looking at how the goalkeepers play underneath de Zerby. I imagine some of the
04:14players were probably doing the same you know what are we going to expect from Hertzler?
04:18100% I think so I think probably going to Pascal Gross maybe for some inside information if he
04:24knows anything obviously being from Germany so he might have had some knowledge about him but
04:32yeah I think I'm sure they were probably in a very similar situation to us really as
04:36outsiders looking in wondering who this new guy is and what he may be bringing into
04:41into Brighton's philosophy really because I think yeah I think we've spoken before it's
04:46it's kind of the perfect place for a manager to make his name and to show what he's
04:51all about really. We've seen that with de Zerby and even players as well that you can
04:58sign from Reddits of the Unknown and seeing with Moises Caicedo, Alexander McAllister and they just
05:02become huge stars and it's the same with the managers really. Brighton's needs to be the perfect
05:06place to do that and really make yourself known in the world of football. So yeah hopefully
05:12Hazard can do the same thing and really get off to a flying start in obviously as we've
05:16mentioned a really tough start to the season with those games that they've been drawn with so
05:21yeah they're really exciting really exciting but there is still that element of unknown and there's
05:26it's going to obviously be a lot of adjusting to do for him and for the players as well so
05:30hopefully you can have a positive pre-season with them and they can all quickly adjust to what
05:35he wants from them. Yeah the players have proved in the past haven't they Henry that when
05:40Graham Potter was there like a completely different personality to de Zerby. Potter was very
05:47sort of I don't know sort of straight as an arrow very diplomatic always you know and then all of a
05:52sudden de Zerby came in and must it must have just been like fireworks going off all of a sudden
05:58the players they did adapt to that world didn't they that transition and you think they're going
06:02to have to do the same again aren't they? I think so I think if you look at the managers that you
06:08know Brighton have had going into the Premier League starting off with Chris Hewton you'd have
06:13to say the same thing about him you know like you described Graham Potter straight as an arrow
06:17very diplomatic and very sort of reserved in the way that he'd celebrate then going from
06:23Graham Potter that was a little bit more of a step up still straight as an arrow and then going
06:28from him to de Zerby that was just a big... You couldn't have more contrasting personalities could
06:33you than Potter? Oh no absolutely I think it must have maybe scared a few Brighton players I think
06:40what's going on here but the way that de Zerby's been able to
06:45add a bit of aggression to the side just shows how much of an impact he's made and also the
06:53appearance in Europe fantastic one of the biggest moments for the club if not the biggest moment for
06:59the club I'd say at the moment in terms of success and you look at Hertzler that's coming in and I
07:06think that it won't be as big of a change to be honest with you because it seems like he's very
07:10aggressive in the way that he's on the pitch and also the way that he talks to players but in a
07:16passionate sense like Roberto de Zerby so I think this will be less of a bump in the road I'm just
07:22hoping that we can continue with that sort of passion and with that you know that determination
07:29that we've had in games where it doesn't matter who we're playing we've always given ourselves a
07:34chance and don't get me wrong I think at the end of the season for example with the game against
07:38Manchester City where we got a bit thumped it wasn't our greatest performance but
07:43time and time again under de Zerby the sort of you know the way that we're able to just face
07:52teams and not worry about who they are what they are how much money they have and the quality of
07:56players and actually got a result is something that people not only from Brighton or Brighton
08:02fans but people you know in the Premier League and the footballing world love about this club
08:06so I hope that continues yeah yeah no it's a very confident uh confident move and uh hopefully it
08:12will you know like you say continue that upward trajectory um but with Graham Potter Sam he was
08:17linked to the Leicester job wasn't he he's um I thought he was he was looking a favourite for
08:22that but now Steve Cooper seems to be um seems to be the shoe-in for that one now so it's
08:28Potter and Cooper were the favourites for Brighton and now they're both the favourites at Leicester
08:32do you think that would be a good role for someone like Potter or would he hope to um
08:41sort of maybe look a bit higher up the table it's interesting what his next career move will be
08:45won't it? It is isn't it because he really did make a big step up you would think in terms of
08:51going straight from Brighton to to Chelsea in terms of the calibre of the club and the financial um
08:56boost he would have had in going to to Chelsea so maybe things that go into Leicester now would be
09:01a step backwards and then it could be that he's waiting for the England job and that's the kind
09:06of sense I maybe get is that if Gareth Southgate obviously doesn't win the Euros he said himself
09:10we probably have to step down we won't stay there so he's probably thinking that the England job
09:14could be available and they could look at Graham Potter as as a great replacement for Gareth
09:19Southgate but I was yeah I was a little bit surprised it seems like they've gone for Steve
09:23Cooper because I thought Graham Potter would be really good fit yeah I think he would do a really
09:29great job we've seen how well he did at Brighton uh what he did at Swansea and you feel like come
09:33Leicester coming back into the Premier League um with Graham Potter they could have done really
09:37well with him but not to knock Steve Cooper at all I'm sure he'll do a great job for them as well and
09:42um I think he'll he's got a better squad than he would have had at Nottingham Forest I think and
09:47you can probably get um more out of this Leicester team than maybe you could have done with Forest I
09:51think so yeah it's a tricky one but I definitely think Potter is probably looking for a step up
09:58rather than a step down you're thinking and if that England job does come up soon that could be
10:02what he's holding out for yeah yeah no it's because he does seem to be holding out doesn't
10:08he he's been linked with the IX role previously um and then there was obviously the Brighton
10:14situation um he'd been linked with Manchester United as well um where do you see him going
10:20Henry after after all this do you think he's he is waiting for that England job I think he is I
10:26think I'd have to agree with Sam in the fact that he knows that given it you know a couple of weeks
10:33time there could be you know that vacancy available and I think that would be maybe his next step
10:40maybe the wiser step for him to take I mean the the you know the fall from grace from coming to
10:47Chelsea you know it's but it must have been a really tough one for him I think the Leicester
10:52job would have been a really interesting concept as well in terms of his managerial career as well
10:57because of that massive rise um Brighton to Chelsea getting you know getting the sack only a few months
11:04later and then coming up with a um a side like Leicester I think it would have been a big test
11:10for him but like Sam says I think he would be an interesting replacement uh for um Gareth Southgate
11:17in the England manager role I think that maybe that would be the best thing he could do really
11:23I think he has just been waiting very very patiently just for something to arise because
11:28yeah it'd be it'd be difficult to see if um it'd be difficult I think you know for him to get
11:33another top job after what he did with Chelsea and I know that other managers have struggled
11:38and I know that Pochettino was you know sacked um as manager of Chelsea only recently and now
11:44they've got their replacement um but you know it it does just seem like Potter is waiting out for
11:50this England job I'd say yeah yeah no it's uh there are very few candidates for you know if
11:55Southgate did leave so he could he could be a leading contender for that but um it's interesting
12:00what you say about Chelsea because all the comments that they've been making now about
12:03the new manager they just got from Leicester they're exactly the same sort of quotes that
12:07were coming out before Potter weren't they it was like yeah we're looking at this guy he's going to
12:12be the long-term future yeah you know you get a few bad results and as Potter saw it's uh it's
12:18it's a bit of a madhouse there so it certainly is yeah and you think Pochettino was just starting to
12:22get the best out of that Chelsea team as well as the season was coming to an end and um yeah I
12:28I don't really know what thinking is really at the club but we'll see we'll see how it goes
12:32see how it goes see how it goes but um but no join us after the break and we'll be uh we'll
12:37be talking about all the latest moves that Brighton could potentially make in the transfer
12:41market in terms of who's coming in and who's uh who's who's staying as as well
12:49okay welcome back to uh to the Goalmouth action so Sam we're looking at the transfer news for uh
12:54for Brighton and Hove Albion and they've been um there's been strong links with um
12:58Chrysane how do I say this Chrysancio Somerville from Leeds United um he's from the face of it he
13:07looks I didn't see much of him play last year but his stats from the championship uh look really
13:13impressive he's obviously a very uh attack-minded player good good goal contributions good assists
13:19as uh as well um like I said I haven't seen much of him play but uh he's rated around 40 million
13:25Brighton have supposedly started talks with Leeds and are trying to nip in ahead of
13:31Liverpool and Chelsea um what do you think of that one Sam? I would be very excited to see him
13:38come in um for Brighton I think it would be an excellent sign exactly what Brighton
13:43um need really to bolster those attacking um positions really you've seen last season the
13:48amount of injuries they've had Karim Matoma obviously missing long periods and just having
13:51someone like Somerville to come in on that on that left-hand side and he's very versatile as well we
13:56can play across the across the front line and he's um so prolific as well as we've seen this
14:01season with 19 goals and 10 assists uh making the championship player of the year um and he was
14:07brilliant and I think whenever I was doing a bet build he's one of the first names on there if I
14:10was doing a championship he was just always amongst the goal wasn't he he really had that
14:16that eye for goal and the confidence I think there was a few occasions when he had arguments over who's
14:20going to take a penalty and um and that kind of thing he really wanted to be the main man and to
14:25step up on those big occasions and I think that that would be great for Brighton really to to
14:30bring bring someone of his caliber in and I think the fact that Leeds didn't get promoted can only
14:35help their chances really because if Leeds did get promoted then maybe he would have liked to
14:38have stayed there and see now he'd get on with them in the Prem um but I do think he is a Premier
14:42League player um and he and he can make that step up to Brighton absolutely and um and we've heard
14:50from transfer expert Fabrizio Romano that Brighton are leading that race at the moment um and have
14:55made contact with Leeds about essentially bringing a player in so yeah fingers crossed that one can
15:00get done because I think it'd be really excellent signing for Brighton. Yeah it seems that Leeds are
15:05in a situation where they need to sell as well Henry so they are sort of resigned to losing
15:10Somerville this uh this transfer window by by all accounts um Brighton they have like Sam was saying
15:16they have Karam Atoma, they've got Simon Odingra, um Soli March coming back, Facundo Boniote,
15:22Julio Encicio, Jal Pedro, Evan Ferguson, Danny Welbeck, do they need do they need him is is that
15:29sort of the area of the pitch that they need to they've got Osman as well who's who's came came
15:33in as well for 16 million. It's it's a big one and I think that getting players from the championship
15:39and expecting them to perform in the same sense in the Premier League is another one of the risks
15:45that we've taken I mean you know we've already taken a big risk in signing a 31 year old manager
15:52and making him the youngest permanent Premier League manager in history so um this feels like
15:57another gamble I would say and also with reports claiming that Leeds are looking for around that 35
16:03to 40 million pound mark it it does seem like um an interesting option I mean we've got the likes
16:10of Mitoma that um has fit nicely on that wing um I know he's had a few injuries this season
16:17or the previous season I should say but um it would be another very strong option for Brighton
16:23I think that including in that deal as well there's a few talks about maybe a transfer swap
16:29plus the fee um according to a few sources um they want to have a little look at Facundo Boniote
16:36in that sort of swap deal Leeds were actually looking to uh include him maybe in a loan deal
16:43a few um I mean a season ago sorry so um that could be an interesting one that could be an
16:48interesting one um and I'm sure that they'd be interested in making that maybe a permanent
16:53option if they were to get a little bit of money as well for some of them and as you were saying
16:57they do need to uh they do need to get him gone I think this season so it'll be an interesting one
17:03but I feel like the the Seagulls do need to act fast um as Liverpool and Chelsea are also tracking
17:09a situation um and Fabrizio Romano was saying if um Brighton don't get a deal done in the next
17:14few weeks it is more likely that one of these bigger clubs will be able to snap him up.
17:19Yeah yeah no that that is the worry isn't it it's um yeah historically Brighton haven't often
17:25included swap deals in their in their transfer dealings in the past they like to sort of keep
17:30keep all their deals separately I don't know whether that's a way of sort of maximizing value
17:34for the players that they're that they're selling but yeah it'd be an interesting one to see how
17:38that develops and we'll certainly keep a keep an eye on that one um Sam Brighton's player of the
17:44year Pascal Gross uh we've touched on it before but the rumors just don't stop do they he's um
17:49Borussia Dortmund now are supposedly uh in talks with a three-year deal for him uh seven million
17:57euros is a figure that's being quoted so it seems to be Borussia Dortmund and Eintracht Frankfurt
18:02um are keen um yeah yeah that's that's the latest on that so that's
18:09yeah I think you've said before he'd be a big miss wouldn't he yeah absolutely yeah I think
18:14it's um it's vital that that Brighton keep hold of Pascal Gross if they possibly can
18:18um really is is the most um one of the most experienced players in that team really he's
18:23been so crucial um ever since they got promoted to the Premier League obviously scored that that
18:27first goal for when they got promoted and yeah he just seems to have got better and better with age
18:32really um and he as we've mentioned so many times how versatile he is and how um how much of a leader
18:37he is as well and so he can just create goals out of nothing with a brilliant cross or a pass and
18:42um we saw even in um before the Euros he scored a superb goal uh for Germany in a pre-tournament
18:47friendly yeah and he still got it basically he still got it there's no reason at all why
18:52he can't keep playing in the Premier League um and just to have that experience and obviously
18:57that connection with um uh with the manager as well obviously it can help him adapt obviously
19:03being from the same country in Germany and help him adapt to to the new new country and and he
19:08can be a really good kind of link between the players and the manager really and obviously
19:12especially if Inder comes back as well um but I think yeah just players like him you've got to
19:17try and keep hold of to help these new players and younger players to to develop and to learn
19:22what you need to do to to be successful in the Premier League really but as we have heard there
19:28there is talk of him going back to Germany for British Dortmund or or Frankfurt and if that's
19:32what he wanted to do for his career he's definitely earned that really I think Brighton fans wouldn't
19:37begrudge it and they'd give him the best send-off that I think they would have given any player
19:41really if he was to make that decision to to go back home to Germany so yeah you kind of feel
19:47like he deserves to make that decision for his career but if Brighton can convince him to stay
19:52they should really do everything they can I think or from whatever he wants to to stay at
19:56Brighton because he's so crucial and I really hope he stays. Yeah he's just looking at his stats last
20:02season they were incredible weren't they for Brighton he looks that type of character as well
20:06similar to like a James Milner who does everything right off the pitch as well doesn't he you can
20:11imagine him sort of like being you know focused on his fitness and he's he's still probably like
20:16you say he's got a good few years left left in him as yet but another player Henry Denis Sundev
20:25there seems to be more noise now looking as though he's going to stay at Brighton for
20:30another season apparently there's there's some clause in his loan deal where Stuttgart had an
20:37option to buy Denis Sundev as part of a loan but then Brighton had a an option to buy him back
20:45for a small amount more than that it's a weird clause that that included so basically if
20:52Stuttgart bought him for 18 million Brighton could say I'm going to buy him back now for
20:5619 or 18.5 or whatever and he would he would come back so so there would be a little bit of a fee
21:03that Stuttgart would make a bit of profit on it so it seems so it's a clause which is blocking
21:09his move to Stuttgart and he may end up staying at Brighton it's it's a bit of an odd one isn't it
21:15that does sound like an odd one I didn't know that it seems like a very Tony Bloom thing to
21:21do to maybe have that little bit of a cushion where even if there is a loss taken you know
21:27he's able to actually you know retrieve the player back and I mean yeah he's done so well for VfB
21:33Stuttgart last season and I mean he's joined Brighton for around 7 million pounds from
21:39Union SG in 2022 so you know he's only been on the scene a little bit for the Albion you know
21:44and in you know the Albion sort of mouths and all of that so it'd be very interested to see
21:50what happens especially because he's openly said in an interview that he would like to stay
21:55at VfB Stuttgart and so it would be quite an interesting one to see how that goes I feel like
22:03the scouting with Brighton and just the way that they go about things they always want players with
22:07like a good morale and I'm not saying that he's a bad apple but if he's maybe a little bit
22:12discontent coming to the Albion you know if he yeah if he's a little bit discontent at the Albion
22:17I wonder if that would rub off on other players but as mentioned I think Hertzler if he was
22:23able to maybe convince Ndav with the whole situation I think that would be you know a
22:28big game changer for the Albion for the 27 year old to come back to Brighton and
22:34actually perform and get the goals that we desperately need to you know maybe push for
22:39Europe again. Yeah I remember speaking to Denis Ndav actually before he went out on loan and
22:43he's given one of the best people to speak to actually one of the best mixtape interviews I've
22:48had yeah I remember how kind of confident he was and how yeah he's fully confident in his own
22:54ability he should be the starting striker and I think we've seen that really with the talk that
22:59in obviously the German media about him saying he wants to stay at Stuttgart because he's had
23:02such a big impact there and at the end of the day he's at home isn't he so I think you can't
23:06begrudge him wanting to just to stay there and I'm sure it works for him on a personal level so
23:12yeah it's a difficult one if he was to come back to Brighton when he's not overly keen on doing so
23:16it could yeah as Henry said it could have an effect on on the team and that kind of morale so
23:21yeah Brighton needs to get that one wrapped up sooner rather than later and if he used to stay
23:25in Germany then to bring a replacement in as well because I think we've seen obviously with him not
23:29being there last season and they really did miss him or miss that kind of player with them with the
23:33injuries they've had to Jal Pedra and then I well bet missing some of the season as well but
23:38I think yeah having an extra striker in there could have been a massive difference last season
23:43so yeah it's important to get that situation solved. Yeah now he's one of those isn't he he's
23:47such a good finisher and I think it's something that Brighton don't have a player of that nature
23:53like Danny Welbeck was the leading man but he's not always you know hasn't been prolific as he
23:57throughout his career whereas Undab is an out-and-out finisher so yeah interesting and
24:02just wanted to get your thoughts on Billy Gilmore Sam as well. Why he was left out of the opening
24:10match against Germany I've no idea but he looked really good for Scotland
24:17last night didn't he? Yeah I thought he was class I was watching that game it wasn't obviously the
24:22tournament so far has been exceptional it's just been so exciting I wouldn't say it's one of the
24:26it hasn't been one of the better games that one but it obviously was a fast start wasn't it
24:31with Scotland taking the lead and he was so instrumental in that with the ball coming to
24:35just on the edge of the box it was a fantastic chess control and first time pass out to the
24:39left and they went forward and McTominay got the goal so it was all from that little bit of skill
24:45from Gilmore and really quick thinking and that's just exactly what he's all about really he's a
24:51bit of an unsung hero and he used to Brighton as well he just goes about his business and quietly
24:55but effectively in the middle of the park really and he's so crucial to what Brighton do so well
25:01and for Scotland as well and I think it's no coincidence that he came into the team
25:07and we saw a much improved performance from Scotland that we saw in the first game
25:11against Germany and obviously they're still in with the chance of getting through to the
25:14knockout round if they can get a win in their last game so yeah I think he'll be one of the
25:18first names on the team sheet. Yeah I can't see him dropping him now can you Henry?
25:25No definitely not I mean the skill that he showed just to sort of take a couple of
25:31those Switzerland players out of the game in moments really did make you think wow
25:35he's definitely a Brighton player. Yeah yeah he's been he's been taught well no but it was
25:44no it's just great to see the sort of impact that he was having sort of in the middle of the park
25:49and being able to move the ball sort of in that defensive midfield to attack and yeah no really
25:55silky skills and that's not the best you know not the most exciting game but he definitely made his
26:01mark. Yeah I actually thought I couldn't believe it when he was left out of the team to face
26:06Germany and when you look at the England midfield as well like he you think he could have you know
26:11if he was English like you think because we've got such a problem in that area where they're
26:16trying this Trent Alexander you know up to Arnold and they've got Manu and Wharton there it's a real
26:21area of the pitch where England you know you think a player like Billy Gilmore would be
26:25perfect for that obviously it never happened but yeah we'll see how that one goes anyway
26:32but no thanks guys thanks for joining us today and keep up to date with all the
26:38latest Brighton stories on on sussexworld.co.uk