Hughton Looking For Upturn In Away Form

Brighton & Hove Albion manager Chris Hughton admitted that his side’s away form needs to improve, but stressed that it does not matter where the points come from in the side’s quest for Premier League survival.

Albion were beaten 2-0 on the road by West Bromwich Albion on Saturday, and Hughton is looking for the side to recapture the form shown in the away victories over Swansea City and West Ham United.

He said, “My thought process hasn’t really changed, ultimately you’ve got to get enough points wherever they come from.

“I thought we were good at Newcastle, but weren’t able to score and we had the away victories at Swansea and West Ham.

“They were very good victories, but we need to get points, some of them will have to be away from home.”

The Seagulls boss explained that he set his team up to be just as attackingly ambitious on the road, and the playing philosophy remains largely the same.

“We are a team that play with two wingers with Pascal [Gross] as a number 10.”

“A lot of clubs don’t and will play with only one winger and one wide midfielder. It’s not through a lack of trying to be offensive, and generally we don’t change the way we play at home or away from home.

“It’s just about having that quality and the players that can produce in those moments.”

Hughton reiterated his disappointment at conceding two goals from set-pieces, but stressed that not a lot else separated the two sides in Saturday’s defeat to the Baggies.

“We’ve conceded far too many goals from set plays. That’s part of it, the other is we’ve got to be better in the final third.

“Overall I didn’t think there was too much between the two teams. I thought we got the ball into the final third with crosses a good percentage of time, particularly for an away game, but there was no end product.

“We’ve got to be more productive in that final third of the pitch.”