Fabian Hurzeler drops this bombshell on Brighton players after Nottingham Forest inquest.
Fabian Hurzeler sends strong message to players after Forest loss
Brighton boss Fabian Hurzeler insists he will no longer accept anything less than 100 per cent intensity after the 7-0 thrashing at Nottingham Forest.
Brighton were woeful at the City Ground as Champions League chasing Nottingham Forest ripped through Albion’s midfield and defence at will to inflict Brighton’s heaviest ever Premier League loss.
Hurzeler said he and his players have had a very honest exchange this week and are determined to put things right this Saturday against Chelsea in the FA Cup fourth round at the Amex Stadium.
Brighton suffered a painful defeat at Nottingham Forest last Saturday
Brighton suffered a painful defeat at Nottingham Forest last Saturday
“We were honest to each other,” said Hurzeler speaking in his pre-Chelsea press conference.
“That our standards were not high enough and we were not demanding enough from each other, we were not ruthless enough.
“So maybe we accept a little bit the lack of intensity, we accept that the midfielders don’t give 100 per cent in training. And therefore we said to each other we need to commit now, we need to be a team not as difficult to beat, we need to have the standards we had in the last two training sessions for the rest of the season.
“On one side it makes us better as a player, and on the other side we will improve as a team.
“So we have to be more demanding to each other, and we can’t accept if anyone doesn’t commit fully to the club and doesn’t commit fully to our intensity.”
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After the defeat in Nottingham, Hurzeler claimed he didn’t have a midfielder fit enough to play for 90 minutes.
James Milner (hamstring), Ferdi Kadioglu (toe) Mats Wieffer (thigh) remain sidelined, while Jack Hinshelwood, Diego Gomez and Matt O’Riley were only fit enough for 45 minutes of action.
Regular midfield pairing Carlos Baleba and Yasin Ayari both missed the Forest match due to muscular injuries and they – and Pervis Estupinan – will be assessed ahead of Chelsea.
Hurzeler said: “They are all doubtful but there might be a possibility that two out of three have a chance to play.”
On the FA Cup, the German added: ”It’s a chance to win a title. Therefore, we try to go all in. It’s a do or die game, although we know that we will face a very big opponent who are playing a great season.
“Like I said, it’s a do or die game and we proved it this season that we can beat everyone. So we will have a very positive mindset, and we will go into this game full of confidence.”
