3 reasons why Brighton can gain promotion to the Premier League this season

As regular readers will know, I have been highly sceptical of Brighton’s chances of automatic promotion this season.

And you’ll be even less surprised to discover that, despite the title of this piece, I still don’t think that Brighton will go up as one of the top two sides in the Championship this season.

After rectifying the defensive problem which saw them ship twice against Reading, Newcastle United and Brentford, the Seagulls returned after October’s international break and once again let in two goals in a disappointing draw with Preston North End, having previously conceded just once in five outings.

These defensive frailties, highlighted by a lack of cover in both full-back positions, are heightened by the fact that they have scored just 16 goals this campaign, compared to leaders Norwich City’s 24 and second-placed Newcastle’s 25.

However, with just over a quarter of the season played, the Albion find themselves in fourth place, just four points away from the Canaries, but equidistance with QPR in 14th, exemplifying how close the Championship is once again this term.

Brighton’s current record of six games unbeaten is the most in the league, and with no-one seemingly going to run away from the chasing pack, here are the three reasons why this could possibly end up being Chris Hughton’s side’s year…

Anthony Knockaert

In the utmost regions of Northern France, on the border with Belguim, you will find the city of Roubaix, most famous for it’s annual professional bike race.

It is also the birthplace of Anthony Knockaert, Brighton’s wing-wizard who originally broke through at Guingamp where he won promotion from the Championnat National, the French third division, in 2010/11, while Brighton were winning League One.

The former France youth international continued to impress in Ligue 2 before being signed by Leicester City in the summer of 2012.

That 20-year-old boy has grown into arguably the best winger in the second-tier of English football, having won the Championship with the Foxes and spending time in the Premier League, he then played for Standard Liege in Belgium for six months before joining the Albion in January this year.

His weaving movement, coming in from the right side on his trusted left foot, turns full-backs inside out as they often double up on him in order to try and sneak a toe in and stop the magician in full swing.

Averaging just under a goal in every two games, Brighton’s number 11 heads the long list of players which will surely seek pastures new if Hughton’s men cannot sneak into a position which will see them play against the big boys in the Premier League next season.

Chris Hughton

Known as a ‘Championship specialist’, the former Tottenham defender has guided both Birmingham City and Brighton to the play-offs, won the division with Newcastle United and also kept both the Toon and Norwich in the Premier League, despite being sacked by both clubs while being outside of the division’s relegation places.

Capped 53 times by the Republic of Ireland, Hughton took his international and domestic playing experience onto the training field as he coached Spurs for 14-years until 2007 when he took up a role as a first-team coach at Newcastle.

When he took over the Albion on New Year’s Eve in 2014, Sami Hyppia had left the side in 22nd place before caretaker Nathan Jones steadied the ship and the team sit just outside the drop zone on goal difference compared to Millwall.

A little over 18 months on, and on the back of an encouraging season last year, where the Albion were agonisingly beaten by Sheffield Wednesday in the play-offs after almost going up automatically, Hughton has assembled a good, yet slightly flimsy, squad which has a good mix of youth and experience.

His indisputable game management ability means that he is able to react to situations in order to give his side the best possible chance of winning, while he also reacts well to major tactical problems, such as being outnumbered in midfield for large parts of last season.

Glenn Murray

The 33-year-old’s story is one which can be recited off the back of any respectable Brighton fan’s hand.

After firing the Albion to promotion in 2011, the Cumbrian-born striker swapped blue and white for red and blue up the A23 as he joined arch rivals Crystal Palace on a free transfer, as then boss Gus Poyet refused to match his wage demands.

After a quiet first season, ‘Muzza’ netted 30 times as the Eagles knocked out Brighton in the play-offs before defeating Watford 1-0 at Wembley Stadium to return to the top-flight after their seven-season absence.

After eight goals over two seasons in the Premier League, Murray moved back down to the South Coast and joined AFC Bournemouth for £4m on the deadline day of the 2015 summer transfer window.

Now back at the Albion, Brighton fans are beginning to question whether he could be the first player to be referred to as a legend for both sides, having already scored six goals in 12 games during his loan this campaign.

Formerly a penalty box sniffer, his game has developed endlessly as he’s now able to link up with midfielders and drift out wide as he integrates with the side and improves his all round game despite his ageing years.

On his return, he said that he was looking for another 30-goal season, and while that looks unlikely, if the striker can match that feat he recorded four seasons ago, the Seagulls may well just able to improve on last season and sneak into the automatic promotion places.