Fabian Huerzeler is unlikely to be worried about such things as the perceived manager of the month “curse” or results from previous seasons.
He made the latter clear when asked about Albion dropping points at home to promoted teams in recent seasons.
The former became relevant now he has won the Premier League manager of the month award for August.
It is decent reward for a strong start to life in the Prem and it is good to see all the circumstances being taken into account by judges rather than just looking at stats.
He may well also have been helped by the fact Liverpool’s 3-0 win at Manchester United on September 1 could not count, although it has given Arne Slot a head start for the next award.
Pep Guardiola and Mikel Arteta were also short-listed for August and, presumably, the latter may well have won it but for Joao Pedro’s goal at the Emirates.
But The Argus understands there is a wider appreciation of how Huerzeler has hit the ground running after making the big step from the German second tier into the Prem.
Huerzeler will happily accept the award on behalf of himself, his coaching team and his players.
But he told The Argus he has been self-critical – albeit not excessively so - when looking back during the international window at the work done so far.
Replying to a question during a press conference, Huerzeler said: “There are always positives and negatives. I think without negative feedback or reflection you won’t develop as a person and as a coach.
“That is why you have to be hard on yourself but I think sometimes not too hard on yourself!
“There has to be a good balance.
“You have to be honest to yourself and try to develop in every part of your job.
“Football coach is not only like being on the pitch.
“It is how you treat your staff members.
“How you are integrated in the whole club and you can always improve.
“That is why I try to reflect myself as honestly as I can and try to improve in every part.”
So what can that improvement bring?
As was helpfully pointed out by the Premier League’s announcement, Huerzeler is the youngest manager or head coach to win their monthly prize.
Well, he was either going to be that or be the second youngest NOT to win it (behind Ryan Mason).
He is the first newcomer to the league to take the prize since Mason’s successor Ange Postecoglu when he arrived at Tottenham this time last year.
Postecoglu went on to take the awards for October and November as well.
Huerzeler is the first Albion boss to win the prize since Chris Hughton in February, 2018, when his side won at home to West Ham and Swansea and drew at Stoke, scoring some great goals along the way.
Their first game in March was arguably their result of the season – the 2-1 win at home to Arsenal which left them on the brink of safety in their first Prem campaign.
But the award had not been announced by then. Hughton’s first game AFTER the presentation was a 2-0 defeat Everton. The curse strikes!
Conversely, when Oscar Garcia won manager of the month in the Championship for November, 2013, the game after the decision was made and he received the trophy saw the Seagulls beat eventual champions Leicester City 3-1 in a terrific match at the Amex. What curse?
(The first game in December was actually the awful 2-1 home defeat by rock bottom Barnsley but the award had not yet been adjudicated at that point).
Hughton won three manager of the months in the Championship, for August 2015 (next game: the emotion-laden 1-0 win at home to Hull in the aftermath of the Shoreham air disaster), April 2016 (next game: the 1-1 draw at Middlesbrough which decided promotion) and December 2016 (next game: a 2-0 win over MK Dons in the FA Cup).
So no real pattern suggesting a “curse”.
What follows this nice accolade will be key for Huerzeler.
He said: “For me it’s always important that my players shine and get what they deserve because I think they do a lot of work on the pitch and beside the pitch.
“They work really hard to improve and, in the end, I and my staff are only the persons who help them.
“We try to give them the best environment where they can shine.
“This nomination is a result of their performance.
“It’s not my performance, it’s the performance of the team and them on the pitch.”
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