Brighton have already made the play-offs twice in the past three seasons, but how does their current promotion chasing side’s philosophy compare?

Many Brighton fans will look back to the days of Gus Poyet; a mixture of flair and controversy.

Under the leadership of Poyet, Brighton adopted a controlled possession based style of play, despite being quite a defensive approach, it did the job, and Brighton passed the ball around teams all over the pitch.

They made the play-offs in the club's second year after promotion, losing to M23 rivals Crystal Palace in the semi-finals.

After the dramatic sacking of Poyet, which the Uruguayan claimed was on live television, Brighton appointed a manager with a similar style.

Likewise to Poyet, Oscar Garcia enjoyed watching his side pass their way up the pitch, making small inroads into their opposition’s structure.

It was the philosophy he knew best, spending his playing career at the home of the passed ball, Barcelona.

It was more apparent however that the Albion were willing to play the ball in their own half for much of the game with Garcia at the reigns, often meaning they won games by the slightest of margins after a dull game of football. It was a risky tactic, and it left Brighton on the edge of the playoffs.

Luckily for the Seagulls, star striker Leonardo Ulloa was on hand to score an injury time header at Nottingham Forest on the final day of the season, to get his side over the line.

In the play-offs, Brighton started strong, taking the lead in the first leg with a goal from on loan Manchester United midfielder Jesse Lingard.

What happened next would want to have been forgotten by the Brighton fans. Their side were dismantled in the second leg, with the semi final finishing 6-2 to the Rams over the two legs.

After a disappointing season from Brighton, where they found themselves flirting with relegation, Chris Hughton steadied the ship, giving the Albion a strong structure and a bit of resilience.

Heading into the current season, Brighton fans were unsure as to whether they would like what they were going to see, but with the south coast club investing over the summer,  more positive results were expected.

So far, they haven’t been disappointed. Not only have they watched their side compete at the top of the table, they’ve witnessed Premier League quality football being played.

Albeit not every game will be plain sailing in the most competitive league in the world, but top quality players have graced the Amex turf.

Notably, the likes of Beram Kayal and Dale Stephens have arguably been the best CM partnership in the league. Moreover, club legend Bobby Zamora has been finding the back of the net rather impressively considering his level of fitness.

Brighton know how to defend, attack, and most importantly grind out a result. Whereas a former manager may have looked to dominate possession, Brighton’s new primary objective is to pick up as many points as they can.

This isn’t to say they aren’t capable of knocking together a 30 pass goal, but the management staff do not see it as the most effective, efficient way to win a football match.

The transition from defence to attack has been a valuable asset for the stripes, with many of their goals coming from a counter attack.

In defence, Brighton play with a rigid structure, making them extremely hard to break down. When you combine this with their ability to spring on you in an instant, you have the foundations of firstly not losing a game, and also snatching a win.

The one criticism you could have of Brighton’s method is that sometimes they look to play their way out of difficult situations, and are also capable of conceding a weak goal from an individual mistake.

In fairness, this evens itself out when you consider that this is vital to playing a counter attacking style of football, as you don’t want to gift the ball back to the opposition.

So called “attractive football” may look good, but it just isn’t an effective way to get out of the Championship. You have to fight and grind, work and sweat, which exactly defines Chris Hughton’s Brighton and Hove Albion.

The possession stats may not look so one sided anymore,  and the style of football may not replicate that found at the Camp Nou, but Brighton supporters should have full confidence in their sides playing style.

Its tried and tested, and looks to be doing a fine job again.

Brighton fans..... Can you gain promotion this season? Let us know your thoughts and opinions in the comments below!