After a week in which John Major dominated the news agenda, it is perhaps appropriate to state that Albion need to get back to basics.

Let's hope they are more successful than the Tory party however.

Major first coined the phrase during his premiership in the Nineties when various members of his party were exposed in the newspapers for playing away.

The likes of David Mellor and Tim Yeo lost their ministerial jobs and now of course Major has been exposed as an adulterer after Edwina Currie published details of their affair.

For their part Albion are committing so many sins at the back, particularly early in matches, that if the players don't start getting the basics right, Martin Hinshelwood is going to be out of a job.

When Major lived at No. 10 the papers were full of Conservative indiscretions.

These days a quick glimpse inside The Argus on a Monday morning reveals all the sordid details of the previous Saturday afternoon and for anyone involved with Brighton, it makes unpleasant reading.

Brighton, rather like erstwhile Tory ministers, have to start keeping some clean sheets, especially at home.

Hinsh's boys have conceded eight goals in their last three League games and the table shows Albion are bottom after letting in 20 goals.

New signing Guy Butters has already been told to shape up and the rest of his team-mates must do the same.

At the risk of stating the obvious, if you keep a clean sheet, the worst you are going to pick up is a draw.

Even though I played upfront, I am not naive to think the most crucial aspect of any side is anything other than the defence.

With Michel Kuipers back, I am hoping the big Dutchman can start organising the rearguard better and perhaps with a few clean sheets, starting today at Watford, Hinshelwood can safeguard his job.

Recent weeks have gone from bad to worse for Hinshelwood and defeat at home to Grimsby was his nadir.

The only positive I can glean from the match was the goalscoring return of Bobby Zamora.

There is no room for error in football when you are losing and Hinshelwood will know himself he is between a rock and a hard place.

It is down to the players now. They owe him a good performance. If they want him to stay they really have to pull their finger out.

I feel for Hinsh. He had a job for life in charge of the youth set-up but he wanted a crack at managing his own senior side and at this rate it is going to be all too brief.

There are always people in football who are going to want your job. It is governed by results and let's hope Hinsh gets one today.

Saturday October 5