I have a real soft spot for Brighton, although that extends far more to the city than it does to the football club. That’s not to say I have any active dislike for the club, it’s just that any optimism or good feeling I have towards the football team seems to stem more from a sense of positivity around the city as a whole rather than any confidence in their actual ability.

Last season really peaked at the second game of the season when a Man U team stumbling their way through the start of the campaign were thoroughly outplayed at the Amex.
From there on, Brighton got by beating their relegation dogfight competitors more often than they lost – which was reflected by their position scraping clear as the fourth worst team in the league.

The reason this preview has dwelt on a review of last year thus far is that I see the next season going a very similar way. It’s entirely possible Brighton will have another famous day or two at Fortress Amex. It’s also entirely possible that there will be 3 other days just enough worse than them that they survive to fight another day in the Premier League. They have stealthily spent quite a significant amount on a few players – the majority of which have proven themselves to be top quality championship players. That could be expensive nest building for a bounceback campaign in 2019/20, but it could be just enough to keep their heads above water this year.

Ceiling – 16th

Floor – 19th