Season preview: Brighton & Hove Albion

With the Championship season kicking off this weekend, Sports Mole weighs up how Brighton & Hove Albion will get on this campaign after a scruffy summer.

In:

Adam Chicksen (From MK Dons, Undisclosed), Matthew Upson (From Stoke, Free)

Out:

Stephen Dobbie (To Crystal Palace, £850,000), Gary Dicker (Released), Marcos Painter (Released), Vicente (Released), Anton Rodgers (To Oldham Athletic, Free), Ryan Harley (To Swindon Town, Free), Torbjorn Agdestein (To Inverness CT, Free)

Last Season: 4th

Manager: Oscar Garcia

Three key players:

© PA Photos

Matthew Upson - Hardly in the peak of his career at 34, Upson, with over 20 appearances at international level for England, is still a quality player in the second tier. He played a massive part in Brighton's strong end to the season when on loan at the Amex last term and it was a solid move offering the centre-back a one-year contract for this season. If he can stay fit and maintain similar levels of performance this term, then Brighton may have a decent chance of retaining the league's best defence.

© PA Photos / Gareth Fuller

David Lopez - Many would say that Liam Bridcutt is Brighton's shining light in midfield but, if reports are to be believed, then the former Chelsea man could be on his way to the top flight with another side. That means that free-kick specialist Lopez should have a lot more responsibility in the middle. It was announced just today that the 30-year-old has decided to remain at the Seagulls despite interest from elsewhere. Lopez should continue to impress under a Spanish manager and possibly help fill the gap if Bridcutt departs.

© PA Photos

Leonardo Ulloa - The 27-year-old Argentine has only been a Brighton player since January but he certainly made an impact in the second half of last season. He became the first player to score a hat-trick at Brighton's new stadium and kept fan-favourite Craig Mackail-Smith out of the starting XI for much of the season. He should retain his starting role this year and provide more hispanic influence that should flourish under Garcia's tutelage.

First game: Leeds (A), Complete fixture list

Sports Mole says: The team with the best attendance numbers in the whole of the Football League were cruelly knocked out by rivals Crystal Palace in the playoff semi-finals last time out. It must have been even harder for Brighton fans to see the Eagles go on to defeat Watford in the final and reach the promised land of the Premier League. The playoff loss was a surprising one for the team that ended the season on the best form and since then Wilfried Zaha-inspired knockout it's been a nasty summer for the Seagulls. Manager Gus Poyet was suspended and he then found out that he has been sacked live on television when working as a pundit for BBC Sport at the Confederations Cup. Poyet appealed the decision but his removal was upheld. This hearing actually took place after new coach Garcia had been put in temporary charge, with the Spaniard penning a three-year contract soon after Poyet's confirmed dismissal. Garcia, 40, has only managed one other club - last season at Maccabi Tel Aviv, but he did lead the Israeli side to their first league title in 10 years. His job is certainly a tough one this season following in the footsteps of Poyet, and if results are not pretty from the start, then Albion supporters could get on his back. There's still plenty of quality in the squad, though, and a top-half finish is likely.

Predicted finish: 11th