We need to talk about Joel Veltman. Or to be more specific, we need to talk about why Brighton manager Fabian Hurzeler is often content to leave Joel Veltman out of his starting XI.
For almost a year now, Hurzeler has come up with different and some would say unnecessary solutions so that he does not have to play Veltman.
The Mats Wieffer at right back experiment has given mixed results. Sometimes Wieffer looks alright there. Other times he looks like a rabbit caught in the headlights defensively. Hardly a surprise for a player signed for £25 million as a midfielder.
Against Fulham on Saturday, we had another addition to the Anyone But Veltman Tactics Book. Ferdi Kadioglu shifted from left back to right back. Central defender Olivier Boscagli came into the side out-of-position at left back.
Brighton with Veltman versus Brighton without Veltman
Prior to the trip to Craven Cottage, Veltman had started four out of the previous five matches since Wieffer was ruled out with injury at the end of December.
Brighton went unbeaten though all four games Veltman played. They beat Burnley and Manchester United and drew against West Ham United at the London Taxpayers Stadium and Bournemouth at the Amex.
Without Veltman at Fulham, the Albion saw their five match streak without defeat ended. No Veltman, no party, no points. A mantra which also applies to what happened before Veltman replaced Wieffer.
A disastrous December in which Veltman sat watching on from the bench featured losses against Aston Villa, Liverpool and Arsenal.
There were also disappointing home draws against the relegation-threatened Hammers and a Sunderland side missing six players to AFCON.
The statistics show Brighton are a better side with Veltman playing. So does what we see with the naked eye. Playing an actual right back at right backs make the defence appear much more balanced. Funny that.
Albion recruitment has a right back blind spot
Veltman being dropped so frequently by Hurzeler would make more sense if Brighton had another natural right back. But he is now the only one in the squad because the Albion did not replace Tariq Lamptey after selling him to Fiorentina in the summer.
It all leads back to several transfer windows of unbalanced recruitment. Brighton have an abundance of number 10s and central midfielders. During the £193 million summer splurge of 2024, every other signing seemed to be a winger.
Had Adam Webster not injured his ACL, the Albion would have gone into this season with five senior centre backs vying for two slots. And that is before you take into account Igor Julio and Eiran Cashin, who were loaned out.
Cashin, Olivier Boscagli and Diego Coppola have all arrived in the past 12 months. Surely the money spent on one of those central defenders could have been diverted to a new right back?
Especially if Hurzeler does not rate Veltman. Was there any communication between manager and recruitment department to say: “I am reluctant to play Veltman, please sign me a new right back.”
It seems unlikely the issue will be addressed in the little time remaining before the January transfer window SLAMS shut.
Right back therefore has to be the overriding priority come the summer. When Veltman is out of contract and will be halfway to 35.
At that age, Veltman is clearly not the future for Brighton at right back. But the total lack of other options means he should be the present. Not just by default but also because he is still a fine player.
“I don’t want Hurzeler is thinking with Veltman”
It is not just Brighton fans struggling to understand what is going on with Hurzeler and Veltman either. Sky Sports pundit Alan Smith spoke about Veltman in an interview with BestBettingSites.co.uk, saying: “It is difficult to answer why he is being rotated so much.”
“I don’t know what Hurzeler is thinking with it. Whether he is managing him with his fitness, whether there’s an underlying little niggle, I don’t know.”
“Veltman still comes on, doesn’t he? And sometimes when he starts, he comes off for the manager to change formation. Veltman seems to be the one he feels comfortable dropping.”
“Kadioglu played at right back last game against Fulham. So he has got one or two choices there, Hurzeler. But I don’t think he should be discarding Veltman because of the experience he has got.”
Veltman and his Brighton future under Hurzeler
Entering the twilight years of his career, Veltman will want to be playing as much first team football as possible before retirement.
Based on the evidence of this season so far, he might not get that at Brighton under Hurzeler. Which could make negotiations over a contract keeping Veltman at the Amex beyond this summer tricky.
Following the draw against Bournemouth, Veltman told The Athletic: “I am quite open. I have changed agents and the club know that. So, I think the club wanted me to sort that out first, and then we will have a conversation.”
“It happened last week, so maybe between now and a month’s time, we will have more talks. If not, then I will keep my options open.”
One of those options could be a return to Ajax. Veltman has been linked with a going back to his former club on multiple occasions over the past few seasons. He apparently came close to finalising a move before signing his current Albion contract last March.
And you can understand the appeal. More game time in an easier league. European football. The chance to finish his career where it started, potentially adding to the three Eredivisie and one Dutch Cup medal in his collection.
Whatever the future holds, Brighton are a better team in the here-and-now with Veltman starting. The sooner Hurzeler realises, the better.