Manchester United and Brighton both started their Premier League seasons with wins, but now Erik ten Hag’s side is searching for their first away win.
It’s another opportunity to get three points and the board to show we can be a consistent unit this season.
After beating Fulham 1-0, United should be recording back-to-back wins when they take on Brighton on Saturday.
The hosts beat Everton 3-0 in their Premier League curtain-raiser.
Ahead of the match, we spoke to Scott from WeAreBrighton.com.
Dale: You must be happy after starting the season with a 3-0 win over Everton. What is the mood like at Brighton after losing Roberto De Zerbi, with Fabian Hurzeler taking charge over the summer?
Scott: “De Zerbi’s are big boots to fill given he led Brighton to sixth place in the Premier League, an FA Cup semi final and the last 16 of the Europa League all in the space of 18 months. He also did it playing the best football any Albion side have ever played until injuries and Europe finally caught up with the squad in the second half of last season.
“Brighton were always going to go for a left-field appointment but even so, I don’t think many fans would have predicted a 31-year-old with only 18 months senior managerial experience in Bundesliga 2 taking the job.
“It is early days yet but the performance against Everton was very impressive. Under De Zerbi, Brighton would draw the press and break through. Hurzeler wants his team to do the pressing from the front, hence why the Albion seem to have been on a crusade to sign every single available winger in European football.
“Whether such an intense style of play can last the distance in a brutal 38 game Premier League season remains to be seen. I suspect it is going to be a lot of fun finding out.”
Dale: What are your expectations for Brighton this season?
Scott: “Absolutely no idea. Hurzeler could be the next big thing in management, leading Brighton to the top four. Or he could get found out very quickly, leaving Tony Bloom with Sami Hyypia II on his hands. Sink or swim with nothing in between.
“What cannot be in doubt is that the spending spree has ratcheted up expectations and pressure. Any owner who spends £200 million in a single transfer window will rightly expect results.
“Bloom said last season he wants the Albion to become regular challengers for Europe. That gives you some idea of what expectations are at board room level.”
Dale: Talk us through the summer. Brighton signed quite a few wingers. De Zerbi is often praised for his style of football, but does this suggest change is on the horizon under Hurzeler?
Scott: “De Zerbi relied on wingers so when Kaoru Mitoma, Solly March, Simon Adingra and Ansu Fati were all unavailable at the same time, Brighton were up a rather famous brown creek without a paddle.
“Hurzeler though takes this reliance on width to a whole new level. At St Pauli, he played 3-4-3 with two wing backs and two wingers alongside a central striker.
“Nobody seems to have quite worked out his formation at Brighton so far. Ask four different people and you will get four different opinions. 3-4-3. 4-2-3-1. 4-4-2. 2-3-5.
“It is fluid football with players encouraged to take up positions you would not necessarily expect. Wingers though are crucial to it, hence the stockpiling.”
Dale: How are you feeling ahead of Saturday’s game at the Amex?
Scott: “Quietly confident, which five years ago would have seemed mad for a Brighton fan before a game against United.
“The Albion have won four of the last five Premier League meetings; the one you lot were victorious in was a dead rubber on the final day in which given De Zerbi a big farewell became more important than the football.
“Although when I am confident, Brighton usually respond by being terrible.”
Dale: What do you think of Manchester United a) the club; b) the team; c) the manager; d) the fans?
Scott: “80 percent of the kids in my class at school growing up in Sussex during the 90s were glory hunting United fans, which gave me a strong dislike. Ironically, I now see a lot of them at the Amex every home game wearing Albion shirts.
“Now though, I don’t mind United. Probably because Brighton are capable of winning games against you.
“That might switch back to dislike though if Sir Jim Ratcliffe maintains the levels of total nonsense spouted since acquiring his shares. A billionaire based abroad for tax reasons wanting taxpayers to fund the rebuilding of Old Trafford… And who thinks all the voting power in the Premier League should be in the hands of the Big Six, enabling them to shape the rules to their benefit to the exclusion of smaller clubs like Brighton.
“Get in the bin, Jim.”
Dale: Excluding Danny Welbeck, who is your all-time Brighton hero and why?
Scott: “Good question. I’ll go for Mark McGhee. Only Brighton manager to win a playoff final so far. Kept the Albion in the Championship in 2004-05 despite having a League Two budget and playing in front of 7,000 fans at Withdean.
“Threw two players off the team bus in two separate incidents at away games which have entered Albion folklore. And he drinks pints of whiskey. What is not to like?”
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