What should the cruising altitude be for Hughton’s Seagulls?

As far as seaside holiday destinations go in the summer, Brighton is right up there with the very best coastal towns in England as holidaymakers flock to East Sussex in a bid to soak up the sunshine and take a walk down the famous pier.

It is, however, becoming a bit of a graveyard for travellers from Manchester, as every time they venture down to the coast they leave hoping to never come back.

Chris Hughton’s Brighton side have now beaten Manchester United in back-to-back home games after their 3-2 win at the Amex and no matter how much disarray the Old Trafford side is in, that is an achievement that deserves massive credit.

Points & Goals – Off the mark for 18/19 #BHAFC 🔵⚪️ pic.twitter.com/6fYjKOIUat

— Glenn Murray (@GM_83) August 19, 2018

Looking back on it, any Brighton fan at Old Trafford for the FA Cup quarter-final in March would have left disappointed that the Seagulls didn’t win despite the 2-0 reverse. Matic popped up at the end to put the result beyond doubt in the 83rd minute but for large parts of that game, Hughton’s outfit ran the Red Devils off the park. Brighton don’t always get what they deserve despite playing well and it may help to take a leaf out of Brentford’s book when that happens.

The Championship club have developed something called the ‘table of justice’, which is a league table they refer to when results go against them due to poor refereeing, a smash and grab or basically anytime they can look back at a result honestly and say they deserved more out of the game. The Bees finished in ninth place last season just six points outside of the Championship playoffs but in their so-called table of justice, they would have finished in the top six.

Brentford have always been a club that thinks out of the box and it’s an interesting way of looking at things and one that Brighton could benefit from especially when a lack of confidence may be affecting the Seagulls after a few indifferent results. It’s evident that Brighton cam mix it with the best in the league and they are certainly flying high after beating Manchester United but is there any reason for them to come back down to earth? Why shouldn’t Hughton instruct his Seagulls to keep soaring towards the top six?

At 4/1 to be relegated, it’s obvious that most think the Seagulls will have a harder time staying in the league than finishing in the top half but the new additions to the team look to have given the club a bit more of an edge going forward and more security at the back.

Burnley are a good example of how teams that survive their first season in the Premier League after being promoted can actually kick on as they proved last term with a seventh-placed finish. Brighton like Burnley are at 33/1 to gatecrash the top six and you get the feeling that the Premier League table will see a big shakeup this season.

Before September is out the Seagulls would have played Liverpool, Spurs, and City which has the potential to see Brighton drop a few points. Any realistic fan wouldn’t expect much from a clash with City as this is the team that is inspiring most punters to take up all the free Champions League betting offers on them to win the event at 11/2. Manchester City aside, should the mentality at Brighton and Hove Albion change heading into Premier League games?

Chris Hughton at @OfficialBHAFC

2015: Avoids relegation to League One
2016: Finishes 3rd in the Championship
2017: Wins automatic promotion to the Premier League
2018: Keeps the Albion in the Premier League

What a man 👏🏻🙌🏼 #BHAFC pic.twitter.com/II2jdVDyrM

— Brighton Fanbase (@BrightonFanbase) May 5, 2018

The Amex faithful have been provided with irrefutable evidence that this team is good enough to compete with anyone in the league. Is staying in the Premier League enough or should there be an added emphasis on moving up the table? In fairness, these things do take time and the owners, as well as Chris Hughton, have put solid foundations in place which is hugely admirable.

As a town, Brighton has faced many challenges that have had the potential to cripple the seaside resort. There are a growing number of English coastal towns that are caving in with the advent of low-cost holidays abroad but Brighton remains as popular as ever. Is it time for the football club to show the same resilience and instead of just hanging on, rather go from strength to strength?