The narrative of Fabian Hurzeler being the youngest Premier League manager in history is getting boring. Instead the question should be: Why is he the youngest top-flight coach in history?

The 31-year-old's start to life in English football with Brighton has been impressive. Six games, zero defeats, undefeated against Arsenal and Manchester United and clean sheets in half their matches so far.

"Maybe we're at seven, maybe six?," he says. "The top of the middle, I would say.

"I wouldn't say that we are already a top team. Of course it should be our ambition and our goal, but we have to work hard for this.

"Of course, there are still lots of improvements we can do and we will try to work on it. But, on the other side, we should be positive and say 'things already work'."

So what is working for Hurzeler? What is currently on show that justifies Brighton going for a young second division manager from Germany.

This journalist ran through the tactical elements of Hurzeler's Brighton with the manager himself - and the insight is fascinating.

'I don't like formations' - so are midfielders playing up front?

Hurzeler arrived at Brighton with next to no reputation at the highest level of the game - but those who watched the German at St Pauli referred to him and his tactics as 'quirky'.

The young coach's set-up was so bizarre that many believed he was playing a 3-0-7 formation - completely emptying the midfield and his midfielders up front.

"You occupy opponents more if you have more players in the last line," says Hurzeler about this tactic. "Then you create more dynamism with deep runs and how many players can create deep runs.

"What I always try to do is increasing the percentage of scoring and you do that by attacking the box, by creating dynamics with deep runs."

At Brighton this season, the Seagulls' build-up play resembles a lot of what St Pauli did under Hurzeler last season.

James Milner and Joao Pedro - on paper playing in attacking midfield roles - have been seen appearing in the forward line in those abnormal positions. Georginio Rutter and Yasin Ayari have also played those roles.

Some believe these attacking midfielders are 'false 10s'. Hurzeler does not really care what they are called.

"You can call them No 8s, false 10s, it's up to everyone to call them what they want. For me, a false 10 is fine," he says.

"It's not about the names of the position, it's about the players interpreting their positioning, how they show their skills in each space."

Whether it is 4-3-3 or 3-0-7, Hurzeler still cares little. The changing nature of each game, especially in one of the best leagues in the world, means there is no time for formations.

"I'm not biggest fan of formations. Because the game is so fluent that the opponent, how the opponents press is not always the same," he adds.

"I want to have principles, they are moments in the game or situations in the game where my players know what to do. Which principles are key to finding the solution in this moment? You have to find the solution by using the principles."