Inigo Calderon expects top-two Brighton & Hove Albion push next season

Brighton & Hove Albion full-back Inigo Calderon has said that he expects the Seagulls to be one of the Championship's automatic promotion contenders next season.

Brighton suffered defeat at the playoff semi-final stage for the second year in a row yesterday by going down 6-2 on aggregate to Derby County.

Twelve months ago it was arch rivals Crystal Palace who got the better of them, and now Calderon has admitted that he doesn't like the playoffs.

"I want to do [promotion] straight," he told the club website. "I don't like the playoffs and next year the aim is to hit the top two.

"It is the same feeling as last year, maybe last year it was against Palace at home and everyone expected us to win but the feeling is the same.

"When you have a chance to go to Wembley and the chance to go to the Premier League you are always going to be disappointed to lose."

Brighton manager Oscar Garcia reportedly offered his resignation after yesterday's defeat at the iPro Stadium.