Albion boss Chris Hughton says his players have earned the chance to be on the brink of club history.
Hughton’s Championship leaders go to in-form Sheffield Wednesday tonight unbeaten in 14 games.
The league record for the Seagulls is 16 matches, set in 1930-31. That can be equalled at Hillsborough with the inclusion of the 0-0 draw at Middlesbrough at the end of last season.
Hughton, who steered 2009-10 champions Newcastle to a 17-match undefeated sequence and play-off participants Birmingham to 11 games unbeaten two seasons later, told The Argus: “I’m incredibly pleased. I’ve had three teams in the Championship now and three completely different teams and circumstances.
“But I think for this group of lads, considering that we’ve brought nine players in during the summer, to hit the ground running as quickly as we have and to be where we are at this moment – I couldn’t be more delighted.
“They have deserved it. As each game and week goes past it gets tougher, because of the quality of this league, but at this moment nobody can take away where we are and what we have achieved so far. It certainly won’t get any easier, that’s for sure.”
Hughton regards Capital One Cup quarter-finalists Sheffield, who dumped Arsenal out last week at Hillsborough, as genuine promotion candidates after borrowing prolific striker Gary Hooper from Norwich, a player he signed when he was in charge at Carrow Road.
He said: “Joao has done very well for them and they’ve got Forestieri so they’ve got good options up there and to bring Hooper in on top of that shows where they are as a club. He’s a wonderful goalscorer.
“They’ve got a big squad, they make changes, and it seems at the moment what ever changes they make come off for them because they are in very good form.”
Adam Chicksen has returned to Albion following a re-think after the expiry of his month on loan at Leyton Orient. Hughton wants him as extra cover at left-back, with Gaetan Bong (thigh) ruled out until January.
Original article
Hughton’s Championship leaders go to in-form Sheffield Wednesday tonight unbeaten in 14 games.
The league record for the Seagulls is 16 matches, set in 1930-31. That can be equalled at Hillsborough with the inclusion of the 0-0 draw at Middlesbrough at the end of last season.
Hughton, who steered 2009-10 champions Newcastle to a 17-match undefeated sequence and play-off participants Birmingham to 11 games unbeaten two seasons later, told The Argus: “I’m incredibly pleased. I’ve had three teams in the Championship now and three completely different teams and circumstances.
“But I think for this group of lads, considering that we’ve brought nine players in during the summer, to hit the ground running as quickly as we have and to be where we are at this moment – I couldn’t be more delighted.
“They have deserved it. As each game and week goes past it gets tougher, because of the quality of this league, but at this moment nobody can take away where we are and what we have achieved so far. It certainly won’t get any easier, that’s for sure.”
Hughton regards Capital One Cup quarter-finalists Sheffield, who dumped Arsenal out last week at Hillsborough, as genuine promotion candidates after borrowing prolific striker Gary Hooper from Norwich, a player he signed when he was in charge at Carrow Road.
He said: “Joao has done very well for them and they’ve got Forestieri so they’ve got good options up there and to bring Hooper in on top of that shows where they are as a club. He’s a wonderful goalscorer.
“They’ve got a big squad, they make changes, and it seems at the moment what ever changes they make come off for them because they are in very good form.”
Adam Chicksen has returned to Albion following a re-think after the expiry of his month on loan at Leyton Orient. Hughton wants him as extra cover at left-back, with Gaetan Bong (thigh) ruled out until January.
Original article