Bringhton & Hove Albion manager Chris Hughton has been named on a six-man shortlist for the Premier League’s manager of the season award.
Hughton guided Brighton to promotion to the Premier League last season and he secured their safety in the top tier of English football on Friday night with a 1-0 win over second placed Manchester United.
Brighton could potentially be set for a top half finish if they can reel in Leicester City and Newcastle United over their last two games which would represent a remarkable achievement for the club.
Hughton won his first Premier League manager of the month award in March after going through the month unbeaten and he’s now been named on a shortlist for manager of the season alongside Manchester City’s Pep Guardiola, Burnley’s Sean Dyche, Newcastle United’s Rafa Benitez, Crystal Palace’s Roy Hodgson and Liverpool’s Jurgen Klopp.
Former Manchester United captain Gary Neville said that Hughton deserves the credit that he’s receiving with Brighton and that you can see his work at training paying dividends on the pitch.
“It is a real achievement for Brighton, it really is,” Neville said on Friday Night Football.
“It’s great for Chris Hughton and I’m delighted for him because he’s coached for a long, long time and he’s starting to get some of the credit and rewards he deserves for a professional career.
WATCH: Chris Hughton says his players' belief and discipline were the reasons they were able to secure @PremierLeague survival following their 1-0 win against @ManUtd. 👏 https://t.co/BH5JGpxVys
— Sky Sports Premier League (@SkySportsPL) May 4, 2018
“When you watch a team, you see the impact of the training work and the training ground and you see every time you watch Brighton that they have discipline and they buy into it.
“It’s hard work, it really is, to keep doing what they do. Tonight it wasn’t just what I would call a 4-4-2, getting into shape and shuffling across – they sprung out of that shape.
“It really was a great performance tonight, and Steve Sidwell has said they were working on it all week.
“You can tell that Chris is a coach, he is somebody who will put the hours in on the training pitch for the team. The rewards then come on match day.
“It really is a great coaching performance and it’s reflected in the fact he is now getting credit for all the work he has been doing for years.”
You can vote for the manager of the season award by clicking here.
