Brighton goalkeeper Verbruggen has warned that Albion must eliminate their sluggish opening performances after rescuing a point in a difficult draw against Leeds United.
Albion fell behind to a 15th-minute strike from Jayden Bogle at The American Express Community Stadium, relying on their goalkeeper to deny Anton Stach and keep the deficit manageable. The shot-stopper expressed his frustration despite the eventual recovery.
“We did that very well but we have to find an answer why we didn’t start very well,” Verbruggen said.
Demanding Consistent Opening Halves
Fabian Hürzeler’s squad dropped into a deep hole during their recent clash with Chelsea before mounting a late push. The Dutch international highlighted this worrying trend, noting that chasing games is unsustainable as the fixture list intensifies.
“Of course after you go behind it’s better one point than zero,” the goalkeeper added. “But it’s frustrating because, in the first half, I think we didn’t play our own game and I think we lost two points.”
Preparing For Dense Schedules
Brighton now face three matches in seven days following a brief break. With their Conference League campaign arriving in mid-October, relying on second-half surges will severely test squad endurance.
As the wider club manages significant transitions, highlighted by a recent women’s team departure, the senior squad must swiftly resolve their tactical lapses on the pitch.
“It’s a big challenge to go into Europe, a lot of games,” Verbruggen confirmed.
Hürzeler must now adjust his tactical setup to ensure Brighton control the early tempo before their packed European schedule begins.
