Brighton must stay grounded, warns manager Hughton before Southampton clash
>> LONDON: Promoted Brighton and Hove Albion must not get carried away by their promising start to the Premier League campaign as they prepare for today’s home clash with south-coast rivals Southampton, manager Chris Hughton said on Friday.
Brighton beat West Ham United 3-0 away last Friday to collect their first win on the road this season and move up to 12th after a 1-1 draw at home to Everton the previous weekend.
“There is always that potential of overconfidence, but it is my job to make sure we are level-headed and preparation is right going into every game,” Hughton said.
“What we have learnt so far in this division is, if your performance levels are like they were at West Ham, then you have a great chance of winning those games.
“Southampton are a wonderfully gifted team and that makes it a very difficult game on Sunday. They have the ability to play the game a certain way and I don’t think they will change that.”
Brighton’s Israeli striker Tomer Hemed is available after his three-match suspension but Hughton said midfielder Steve Sidwell “could be out for a while” with a back injury. “It is a huge boost [to have Hemed back],” he added.
“He has been very good since he last played for us. He played twice during the international break which helped him so in regards to his level.”
Striker Sam Baldock and Hemed’s Israel teammate, midfielder Beram Kayal, are playing again after suffering a calf injury and broken leg respectively.
Meanwhile, Newcastle United are flying high in the Premier League but must only be judged on their potential in January after they have played the leading teams, manager Rafa Benitez said ahead of tomorrow’s trip to Burnley.
Promoted Newcastle’s 1-0 home win over basement side Crystal Palace last weekend, thanks to substitute Mikel Merino’s late header, lifted them to seventh in the table with 14 points.
But Benitez’s side face Manchester United, Chelsea, Arsenal and Manchester City before the end of the year and the Spaniard is not willing to celebrate the team’s strong start too soon.
“By January, we will have played all the top sides. We have to wait a bit before we’re too happy,” Benitez said.
“The team are doing well... everybody is doing what we expect – we have ideas, game-plans and they are doing that. We have had another good training session today, and that is the reason why we are in a good position in the table.
“At the same time, it’s too early – we have to wait, see where we are in January, and we will see the real potential of the team,” the Spaniard added.
Benitez said his team has to be more ambitious going forward but was keen to stress that setting lofty targets were not as important as striving to improve with every game.
“It is not that we have to be in the top four, or in Europe, or whatever. It is just to approach every game with the feeling we can improve a little bit.”