"When Paul Barber referenced growing fan impatience across large parts of the football landscape in his programme notes before Sunday's game against their arch rivals Crystal Palace, the Brighton chief executive must have feared what was to come. The clamour for change on the south coast that began as a murmur last spring after Fabian Hurzeler's side had collected one point from four Premier League matches and been knocked out of the FA Cup in the sixth round has been steadily building ever since."
"Brighton were booed by a small section of away supporters after the last-minute defeat to Fulham on 24 January when they had led until the 72nd minute. The following week, some even pointed the finger at Hurzeler for bringing James Milner off the bench for his 652nd Premier League appearance as the reason Everton were able to score an equaliser in the seventh minute of stoppage time after six additional minutes had been announced."
Fan impatience on the south coast intensified after a poor run that began last spring, with supporters increasingly clamouring for change. Hurzeler's side took one point from four early Premier League matches and exited the FA Cup in the sixth round, then endured a second successive December without a win. Early 2026 brought further disappointments, including a last-minute defeat to Fulham that drew boos and a stoppage-time Everton equaliser blamed on a substitution; a 1-0 loss to Crystal Palace provoked chants demanding the coach's dismissal. The backlash surprised club leadership, exposed concerns about Carlos Baleba and Georginio Rutter's form, and increased pressure on the 32-year-old head coach.
Read at www.theguardian.com
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