Sakho will still be out with suspension. Newcastle have their own problems with ASM, Shelvey and Almiron all potentially out. Could be quite an ugly game with both teams desperately trying to give each other possession

Still we could get something if we play like we did in the last 20mins yesterday. Hopefully Gayle won't come back to haunt us and we have the entire first team squad wrapped in cotton wool until Saturday.

Of course not, every team has an off day.

But with Palace our last four games were 'off days' yet we got 8 points and conceded one - very good as far as it went. We had to rely on our keeper and makeshift defence to keep it that way but 4 goals in 3 games shows why we play so defensively and daren't risk using some of our more talented players who can actually pass the ball.

It's ugly but some of us purists hope forlornly for better ....

Let's face it, Brighton have everything we could wish for. Several young skillful players, a progressive manager more than a quarter century younger than ours and a stadium to die for

Don't get me wrong, Hodgson is a good fit for this squad and in Zaha, Tomkins and Guaita we probably have enough quality to keep us up given the points we already have. But I'd be very surprised to see us ahead of them come the end of the season - or over the next few

Last night when I was out with my wife I had a contretemps with a Brighton braggart much to the chagrin of the dear lady.

The temulent cur was in conversation with chaps who were also in an advanced state of refreshment and was being highly critical of our team,ground,supporters using a word, the alternative to which is "Excreta". The diatribe continued and I intervened only to be accused of listening in to his conversation when he had a voice like a foghorn and I told the oaf that if he didn't wish to be heard by all and sundry he should "Pipe down" and not inflict his thoughts on those who perhaps ventured out for a quiet and civilised night.

Rest assured, I defended our team with vim and vigour and dismissed his piffle with high-decibel fulmination.I am certainly not a reed bending to the storm wind and I suspect he formed this view in a short timescale.The chap was a varmint and no threat to Mensa.

I will have to buy my dear wife a bunch of flowers as she had to endure me rearing up akin to a dray horse and getting involved in a heated spat when we were out enjoying a tipple.