Football Season Guide

The Championship

England

The Championship

2016/2017

Brighton and Hove Albion

In

Steve Sidwell (midfielder, Stoke), Glenn Murray (attacker, Bournemouth, loan), Tyler Hornby-Forbes (defender, Fleetwood), Ben Hall (defender, Motherwell)

Out

Gordon Greer (defender, released), Adam Chicksen (defender, released), Christian Walton (goalkeeper, Luton, loan), Andrew Crofts (midfielder, Charlton), Inigo Calderon (defender, Anor Famagusta), Bobby Zamora (attacker, released), Jake Forster-Caskey (midfielder, Rotherham, loan), Chris O'Grady (attacker, Burton, loan).

Brighton were so close to promotion last season which would have been a remarkable achievement in itself. They lost out to Middlesbrough on the final day of the regular season merely on goal difference and then the football gods conspired against them in the final against Sheffield Wednesday. There is a feeling that their chance has been and gone and they now face a battle to keep hold of the side that did so well. Summer signings have not exactly been spectacular although the arrival of Glenn Murray should help them in an offensive sense. Brighton had a remarkable team spirit last term helped by a fine man-management style of Hughton and will want to maintain that this time around.

Target

Promotion is a big ask again but following last season's successes expectations have now been majorly raised.