Following six years of constant improvement, a run which included promotion from League One and two Championship playoff finishes, reality hit home for Brighton & Hove Albion last time out.
Instead of prolonging their campaign by an extra couple of weeks in the end-of-season lottery, the Seagulls were instead looking over their shoulder throughout as relegation loomed.
Here, Sports Mole assesses whether Chris Hughton can now lead his side towards another promotion push, or if a mid-table finish is the more likely outcome.
In
Tomer Hemed (Almeria), Liam Rosenior (Hull City), Gaetan Bong (Wigan Athletic), Niki Maenpaa (VVV-Venlo), Vahid Hambo (Inter Turku), Jack Harper (Real Madrid), Bobby Zamora (Queens Park Rangers)
Out
Shamir Fenelon (Crawley Town), Paddy McCourt (Luton Town), Daniel Pappoe (released), Christian Walton (Bury, season-long loan), Jeffrey Monakana (Bristol Rovers, short-term loan), Craig Mackail-Smith (Luton Town)
Last season - 20th
Manager - Chris Hughton
© Getty Images
After taking over from Sami Hyypia at the end of December, it was always just a case of getting the job done as far as Hughton was concerned last season. Relegation was a real possibility, and the well-respected boss simply needed to ensure that Brighton still had Championship football to look forward to this season.
Having achieved that target, with a whole summer at the club also under his belt, Hughton can now attempt to put his own spin on things as the Seagulls look towards a more positive style of play. The 56-year-old largely impressed at Newcastle United and Birmingham City, while his departure from Norwich City left many upset, but it could now be a case of the Brighton boss having to prove himself once more at a team seeking stability of sorts.
Key Player - Tomer Hemed
Brighton boast plenty of options in the middle of the park and, despite numerous attempts to take them away in the past, still have key defenders Lewis Dunk and Gordon Greer to lead from the back. Yet a disappointing season in front of goal has not truly been rectified as of yet, with another striker possibly needed before the window shuts.
Hemed, a full Israel international, will take a lot of the responsibility after joining from La Liga outfit Almeria in June. During his time in Andalusia, Hemed scored eight goals in 35 outings, which is certainly not the worst tally for a side that finished second from bottom. Albion's new capture also knows how to find the net at international level, too, meaning that there will be pressure on him to hit the ground running right from the off should he get the nod up top.
© Getty Images
Possible starting lineup
Stockdale; Bruno, Greer, Dunk, Bong; March, Stephens, Kayal, LuaLua; Hemed, Baldock
First game: Nottingham Forest (H), Full fixture list
Sports Mole says
Brighton have been dealt a decent-looking hand in terms of their opening fixtures, allowing them to ease their way into the campaign before their first big test against one of last season's top six when they visit Ipswich Town at the end of August. Hughton has looked to rectify the issues of last season during the summer, but whether it is enough to mount a charge for the playoffs remains to be seen.
A top-half finish is the most realistic target at this stage, which would not be all that bad considering the Sussex club's troubles last time around. With other sides also looking to push on, though, Brighton may find it tricky to find any real momentum in what looks likely to be another year of consolidating in the lower reaches.
