2011/12 Season Preview: Brighton & H.A

New-boys Brighton are the next side to come under the VitalWatford examination...

Gaffer: Gus Poyet, who having delivered promotion at the first-time of asking last season has increased his standing in the game to an all-time high.

A fan of the same brand of football as Watford, Poyet has proven himself to be a shrew operator in the transfer market to boot.

Position 10/11: Champions of League One and by some distance too.

In: Will Buckley (Watford, £1m), Roland Bergkamp (SBV Excelsior, undsic.), Romain Vincelot (Dagenham & Redbridge, undisc.) and Craig Mackail-Smith (Peterborough United, £3m).

Out: Elliott Bennett (Norwich City, £3m), James Tunnicliffe (Wycombe Wanderers, free transfer) and Jimmy McNulty (Barnsley, undisc.).

Star Man: New-boy Craig Mackail-Smith was electrifying for Peterborough last season with 27 league goals to take his total for the Posh up to 80 in just 185 league appearances.

Pacey, determined and hard-working the signing of Mackail-Smith ahead of several bigger sides shows that the Seagulls are a side on the up.

Best Business: Selling the impressive Elliott Bennett to Norwich for several million might well turn out a shrewd piece of business as the winger has never played outside of the bottom two divisions.

The money from the deal has paid for Craig Mackail-Smith a man who's proven himself on a much more consistent basis.

Prediction: It would never surprise me if Poyet's men 'do a Norwich' and win back-to-back promotions.

The squad and the setup is strong at the AmEx Community Stadium and I fancy Brighton for a top-seven finish.