
OneFootball
Lewis Ambrose·9 October 2020
EXCLUSIVE: Pascal Groß on a PL-winning team-mate and beating Man Utd

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Lewis Ambrose·9 October 2020
Brighton have become a regular fixture in the Premier League over the past four years, with Pascal Groß a key member of the team every step of the way.
Shortly after his 100th appearance for the club, OneFootball had the chance to sit down with the German midfielder to chat about the Premier League, Graham Potter, the Seagulls’ ambitions, and why his goal against Manchester United is his favourite ever.
OneFootball: How big has the challenge to play in empty stadiums been?
Pascal Groß: I think that at the beginning it was really unusual. You train every day in order to play in packed stadiums, in front of the fans and that’s a huge motivation. But at the moment it’s the same for everyone, you have to just get used to it and make the best of the situation.”
OF: Do you think the lack of fans has changed anything about the games?
PG: Yeah. Sometimes the emotion just isn’t quite there, or the home team don’t have the huge advantage that they have with the fans. There’s actually no big difference whether you play home or away, like there usually is.
OF: It’s now a fourth season in the Premier League for you and for Brighton. Do you think the club has what it takes to push on this season and start aiming for more than survival?
PG: You always have to have respect for the rest of the league. We’re better, we’re getting better every year, but first things first we have to get to that 40 point mark. Then we can try to take the next step and pick up more points. But first you just have to get your homework done and get those 40 points, because the league is so strong.
Once we’ve done that, of course we want to improve as much as possible and pick up as many points as we can.
OF: You signed a Premier League winner this summer in Adam Lallana. Obviously that’s a boost on the pitch but has he added something to the dressing room off the pitch as well?
PG: Both. On the pitch he’s obviously a great player. Off the pitch he’s a great person. After all the success he’s had, he’s still so modest, so helpful. He helps the young players, and every other player too. He’s very motivated and I think he really enriches the club off the pitch too.
OF: You played for Ralph Hasenhüttl in Germany, Chris Houghton when you arrived at Brighton, and now Graham Potter. How is he different to your former coaches?
PG: Every coach is a bit different, they all have their own style. I think Graham Potter is very good tactically, very detailed on how you can beat the opposition, how to defend against them. And also how you can play bravely against them. That’s the difference.
OF: We saw recently against Chelsea that the team plays bravely, presses high, wants to have possession. Would you say either factor is more important for Brighton’s style, or is it a mix of the two?
PG: It’s definitely a mix. Of course we want to have the ball as much as possible and force our game on the opposition. But other teams in the league are so, so good, we can’t always do that. So we need a mixture of styles and we have to know how we can put the opposition under pressure when we don’t have the ball, that way we can concede as few shots and goals as possible.
I think, when it works, it’s best to have the ball and dictate the game to the opposition, but we also have to be ready to defend because the other teams are good. You have to find that balance.
OF: As we said, it’s your fourth season with Brighton now. Has the league changed or developed since you arrived?
PG: More and more good players are coming to England. You see clubs developing, there are a lot of good coaches here who develop players further and make them better. Obviously I also think the financial strength is here in the league to help make it stronger. And I think the league, like Brighton, is getting better every year.
OF: So what’s the biggest difference between playing in the Premier League and in the Bundesliga?
PG: It’s fluid! The referees don’t blow for fouls so often, so the tempo of the game is quicker, it isn’t interrupted. I’d say that’s the biggest difference.
OF: Is the game also played differently in the two countries?
PG: I think German football is very very good tactically, it obviously always depends on the coach. And like I said, there are very, very good coaches in England, who are great tactically, but also some who still play a bit differently. In Germany, we simply have very, very good coaches.
OF: You’ve said before that you’d like to return to Germany before ending your career. Is that still the case?
PG: One day, the time will come and I’ll play in Germany again, because I’m very attached to my home. But I’m so grateful here and I’m enjoying every moment. The Premier League is superb, games are so much fun to be a part of, at the very highest level. But yes, at some point I would like to make that move back home, when the time comes.
OF: And lastly, you’ve scored some big goals in your career. On your Karlsruhe debut, Ingolstadt’s first ever home Bundesliga goal, and the goal against Manchester United that secured survival in Brighton’s first ever Premier League season. Do you have a favourite?
PG: The goal to secure Premier League football, against Manchester United, was my greatest moment. The opponent, a big name, a big game, our first season in the Premier League and we secured survival. It was a great moment for us, 1-0, and I managed to score the goal. That was a special day.