'We don't hide', Newcastle United sent attacking pledge by 31-year-old manager


Newcastle United are on the same level as Brighton & Hove Albion in terms of ambition - according to Fabian Hurzeler.

The 31-year-old head coach is daring to win at St James' Park in what will be his first visit to the stadium and he brings his Brighton team here on the back of an excellent result against Tottenham Hotspur. The 3-2 victory at the Amex Stadium just before the international break helped his team climb above Newcastle and into sixth spot.

After guiding St Pauli to promotion to the Bundesliga in Germany, he is now eyeing ambitious prizes with the Seagulls. Speaking ahead of the trip to Tyneside, Hurzeler said: "We want to achieve great things and I think Newcastle is a big club and they want to achieve great things. We don't try to hide from anyone and we try to go forward.

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"We try to play with courage, we try to act with courage and that's why we also try to go there and win the game. But Newcastle is a big club. It's a big challenge for us, I'm really looking forward for this challenge and I'm looking forward to seeing if we can manage the challenge."

However, Newcastle go into the game on the back of a 12-game unbeaten streak at St James' since January in all competitions. Man City were the last side to triumph on Gallowgate when they earned a 3-2 win on January 13 thanks to Oscar Bobb's last gasp strike in stoppage time.

When asked if he'd visited St James' the former Hoffenheim and 1860 Munich player said: "I haven't been, no, but I'm really looking forward to it. I hear all the time it's one of the best atmospheres in the Premier League. After the Amex though, I think St James’ is the second best. So we are really looking forward to going there. It will be a big challenge for sure. It will be intense.

"It's important to have a cool head there. It will be emotional and I think emotions are important for a football game, but in the most important moments, you have to stay calm and you have to think rationally without emotions.

"That's why it will be a mix between having a cool head and an emotional head. Trusting the player’s own quality, trusting the process, focussing on the things you can control, focus on the small things. Then you will gain your self-confidence. That will be the challenge for the Newcastle game."

Brighton have three players ruled out of the game through injury with Matt O'Riley, Joao Pedro and James Milner all sidelined.