Matt Maher: Brighton vision leaves others living in past

Despite having a bottom-six budget and lowest net transfer spend since the Premier League was invented, the Seagulls have spent more time in the division’s top four than they have the bottom three since winning promotion in 2017.

That statistic, provided by football finance expert Kieran Maguire, a proud Brighton fan, is yet another mark of success for a club who can no longer be considered a surprise package. Shropshire Star columnist Dave Edwards was convinced they were genuine contenders to finish in the top four this season even before last weekend’s 4-1 win at Wolves. He is far from alone. There’s plenty to admire about Brighton but maybe the most pleasing aspect, for a neutral observer, is how they have been a rare slow-burn success in a sport where everyone seems to want everything yesterday.

Their rise is a testament to planning, patience and a clear structure centred not around a single head coach or sporting director (though they’ve hired some pretty handy ones) but a player database which utilises a secret algorithm of owner Tony Bloom’s high-stakes betting firm, Starlizard. It is that information which forms the basis of a scouting system which has seen the Seagulls procure a growing number of gems, from Moises Caicedo and Alexis Mac Allister to the new kids on the block like Julio Enciso and Kaoru Mitoma, scorer of that wonderful goal at Molineux.

Theirs is a model others will attempt to copy but fail because they are not Brighton. Clubs like Manchester United appear archaic by comparison because they are locked in a constant search for instant success. Brighton have benefited from an identity, a clear sense of self and setting reasonable goals over the past six years.

Lower expectations admittedly help too. Perhaps things will get trickier should their climb continue and the demands of their supporters change in kind.

For now, they are a shining example of what is possible when a club has a good plan and the faith to see it through.