Brighton & Hove Albion head coach Fabian Hürzeler has admitted he is “very impressed” with the resilience of Ferdi Kadıoğlu, even as the Turkish international develops a somewhat nerve-wracking habit of clearing the ball off his own goal line.
The versatile 26-year-old has produced identical “rescue acts” in back-to-back Premier League fixtures. After denying Burnley’s Loum Tchaouna at the far post a week ago, Kadıoğlu repeated the feat at the Etihad Stadium on Sunday, instinctively heading an Erling Haaland goal-bound effort clear at the near post.
“Not Something We Practice”
While the Albion faithful have been quick to celebrate Kadıoğlu’s heroic positioning, Hürzeler joked that he would prefer his side not to rely on such last-ditch interventions. Speaking to The Argus following the 1-1 draw with Manchester City, the Brighton boss laughed when asked if these clearances were a practiced routine on the training ground.
“No, we’re not working on that! And we don’t want to work on that because it means something bad has happened before it,” Hürzeler explained. “But in that phase, we made too many individual errors playing out from the back. The intention was right, but the execution wasn’t, and that’s something we definitely have to improve.”
Strength Through Adversity
What made Kadıoğlu’s clearance against City even more remarkable was the physical battle he was winning simultaneously; the Turkish star managed to track the ball and time his jump despite being tightly marked and “wrestled” by Bernardo Silva as the corner came in.
Hürzeler noted that Kadıoğlu’s current form is a testament to his mental toughness, especially after a grueling injury layoff that sidelined him for much of the previous season.
“He came back after a long injury, and that’s not easy,” Hürzeler added. “He seems to be very resilient. His performances have been strong, and we are very happy—it’s like having a new signing. We’re pleased that he keeps improving and performing at this level.”
The New “Swiss Army Knife”
Fans and pundits are beginning to draw comparisons between Kadıoğlu and Albion stalwart Solly March, noting his ability to switch seamlessly between left-back and right-wing duties without a drop in quality.
While his offensive flair was well-documented upon his arrival from Fenerbahçe, it is his defensive “party piece” that is currently keeping Brighton in the hunt for European spots. However, for Hürzeler’s blood pressure, the manager would likely prefer the ball to stay far away from the goal line in the matches to come.
