Only seven games into the season and the new Brighton head coach has already won a Premier League Manager of the Month Award and taken the Albion into the top six with a side still a work in progress as new signings and injured players work their way into the team.
It is a little known fact that Fabian Hurzeler is, remarkably, the youngest permanent manager in Premier League history. Yes, you read it here first!
Some in the media thought his age would be a problem and could lead to Hurzeler featuring prominently amongst the early season sackings. That though has never been Brighton’s style.
Speculation is rife amongst the rest of the Premier League, however, over who might be the first manager to hit the buffers and be told to clear his desk at the training ground. Even after only seven games.
The Oddschecker betting aggregator website lists Hürzeler at 100/1 to lose his job – the same odds as Pep Guardiola, Mikel Arteta, Unai Emery and Arne Slot. Which basically means it ain’t gonna happen.
Even if the Albion had endured a bad start to the campaign – something many predicted given a tough run of opening fixtures – firing a head coach after two month’s of poor results is not the Tony Bloom way.
Both Roberto De Zerbi and Graham Potter went through long winless runs without any real speculation that their jobs were at risk. Paul Barber has in the past talked of the long term project to establish the Albion as a top 10 side – one that might even involve a brief return to the Championship.
Sami Hyypia was the exception, lasting less than four months of the 2014-15 season. But even Hyypia was given longer to proof himself than many owners would have offered.
His resignation was eventually accepted at the second attempt as it became clear Hyypia’s success at Bayer Leverkusen owed more to the tactical leadership of his co-manager than him.
Had Bloom not acted when he did, Brighton could easily have found themselves relegated into League One.
It was a shock when Hyypia’s successor Chris Hughton was dismissed in 2019 with a year to run on his contract. Hughton had kept the Albion in the Premier League and delivered an FA Cup semi final.
Yet that only told half the story. Brighton survived relegation thanks to their form in the first half of the season. A run of three league wins from the final 23 games repeated over an entire campaign would have resulted in a rock bottom finish.
Hughton was the right coach to lead us to promotion and keep us in the top flight initially. Ultimately, a step to more attacking football was needed if Brighton were to push on and achieve that top 10 ambition.
Fast forward to 2024 and Hurzeler’s attacking and wide options are the envy of not just most of the the Premier League but much of European football too.
With a £200 million injection of new talent, it seems very unlikely the board will be asking the young German to find fresh employment anytime soon. Hurzeler has been well backed and will get all the time in the world to make the most of that backing.
Oddschecker, perhaps unsurprisingly, has Manchester United’s Erik Ten Hag as the favourite to get his P45 first. The new Ineos owners at Old Trafford are unlikely to have much more patience with the Dutch coach.
Going into the international break in 14th place makes it a good bet that Ten Hag won’t be the manager for much longer once domestic football returns.
A second defeat to Brighton this season for Wolves on the 26th October could spell the end of Gary O’Neil at Molineux, currently 3/1 to go as the Old Gold prop up the table with only a solitary point in the bag so far.
Their set piece coach has already left and O’Neil is hanging by a thread. Despite leading Wolves to the top 10 last season, supporters started to turn after last weekend’s 5-3 defeat at Brentford. And when you lose the fans, it is a difficult road back.
Odds are little better for former Albion academy player Russell Martin at second-bottom Southampton, also with only a point from seven games following their return to the top flight.
I am surprised Sean Dyche is only 20/1 for the chop at 16th placed Everton, thumped 3-0 at home on the opening weekend by Hurzeler on the opening day.
The Toffees new owners won’t want Championship football being played at their shiny new Bramley Moor Dock stadium next season, and after three consecutive bottom five finishes they are chancing their luck.
Ipswich Town boss Keiran McKenna was strongly linked with the Albion vacancy in the summer. He instead signed a new four-year, £3 million contract to stay at Portman Road, suggesting he is safe no matter what.
The Tractor Boys have made a start defying many expectations, not least on their visit to the Amex when they returned home with a point for their efforts.
With Palace filling out the relegation places, you can get 20/1 on Oliver Glasner not completing a full year in his managerial portacabin at Selhurst Park.
Appointed in February when Roy Hodgson retired, Glasner turned the Eagles’ fortunes around. Glasner delivered impressive victories at Anfield and Old Trafford, along with six wins in the final seven games – culminating in a 5-0 thrashing of Aston Villa on the final day.
It still stings that he led the Eagles to their second ever top ten finish, just as we slipped out of it. That form saw Palace labelled dark horses for a European push in 2024-25.
A winless start to this season with only three draws is a sharp contrast to that success, however. Now we will see just how much patience Steve Parish has with the Austrian.
Will Glasner still be in the technical area when our rivals pay us a visit the week before Christmas? A 20/1 bet might fund some seasonal cheer should you feel so inclined.
When De Zerbi parted ways with the Albion in May after less than two seasons, he was already nearing the top of the list of current longest-serving Premier League managers.
The average tenure of top tier coaches is now an incredibly short one year and 241 days – one day longer than De Zerbi’s tenure.
It is not a career for those seeking stability and security in their day job. But at around £6 million a year to be in charge at Arsenal for example, it is one that is fairly well remunerated.
Certainly compared to being, say, prime minister in control of our actual nuclear arsenal on just £170,000. Can Sir Keir Starmer do it on a cold, Tuesday night in Stoke?
Speaking of prime ministers, even if Glasner is sacked by Christmas, he will have outlasted Liz Truss seven times over.
After the incredible comeback against Spurs, I’ve no doubt Hurzeler will last a lot, lot longer. Unless he is poached by Chelsea, of course.
Warren Morgan @WarrenBHAFC
