 A very poor first half of the season, in which Brighton had only won three out of their first 23 games and at one point had gone on an 11-game winless run, culminated in manager Hyypia's demise by December, with the Seagulls in the relegation zone at the time of his dismissal.Chris Hughton was swiftly appointed as the new manager, and he was able to steady the ship in the second half of the season, guiding Brighton to 20th position in the league and, as such, safety for the forthcoming campaign.The Seagulls went on another winless run of seven games towards the end of the season, however previous results proved enough to keep them six points above relegated Millwall in 22nd.