Burnley reaping the rewards of faith and patience in Sean Dyche

Tomorrow's Amex visitors Burnley are a point above Arsenal and 17 clear of the relegation zone, another season in the top flight already as good as guaranteed.

It is a remarkable achievement, containing an important lesson for impatient fans - and some club owners - up and down the country.

Especially the vocal section of Albion supporters spewing out negative verdicts on Chris Hughton across social media outlets.

The Seagulls are going through a tough spell. They have not won for six games, have lost the last three and four of the last five.

Periods like this were always going to happen to a promoted club experiencing the Premier League for the first time in its history, particularly after missing out on a striker in the summer transfer window.

The aim for Hughton, from that moment, will have been to keep Albion in touch until January, to give themselves a fighting chance of finishing 17th.

He has done that so far and more. In spite of the bad run - which for context has included games against Manchester United, Liverpool and Spurs - Albion are still three points clear of the relegation zone.

Dyche, for all the praise being showered on him now, has been through worse during a tenure at Turf Moor stretching beyond five years, a timescale most managers are denied. Especially when it has included an initial struggle and a relegation.

There are aspects of the Dyche success story that are overlooked. Like the Championship labouring when the former Chesterfield defender and Watford chief first took over from Eddie Howe, who was missing Bournemouth.

Burnley flirted with relegation to the third tier before Dyche took them up in his first full season.

The most pertinent part, in relation to Albion and some unrealistic expectations, followed. In Burnley's first season back in the Premier League - unlike the Seagulls they had been there before - Dyche took them straight back down.

Chris Boden, long-serving sports editor of the Burnley Express, said: "He had a sniff at Troy Deeney, who stayed down at Watford. They were quoted £7 million and ended up signing Lukas Jutkiewicz for a million.

"He took a punt on Marvin Sordell for half a million, who he worked with at Watford. They spent about £10 million. They couldn't get in who they wanted.

"They spent what they could. They couldn't spend £10 million on a player, not taking wages into account.

"They didn't win in their first ten games. They played allright but didn't have that cutting edge. They were staying in games but drawing or losing.

"Lukas, as hard as he tried, just wasn't a Premier League striker. Barnesy (Ashley Barnes, above) came in and they had a mini-run over Christmas but they weren't quite good enough.

"Danny Ings' head got turned in January with the Liverpool stuff and he wasn't quite the same again. They were relegated with three games to go."

The striker situation should ring bells with Hughton's predicament. Is he fireproof if Albion were to be relegated? Dyche was.

Boden said: "They were joint chairmen then, Mike Garlick and John Banaszkiewicz (who subsequently stood down). He was their first appointment, their man. They liked what he was doing, on and off the pitch. There was never any knee-jerk."

The faith was rewarded. Dyche took Burnley straight back up as champions. "That wasn't straightforward either," said Boden. "They lost Trippier, Ings and Shackell that summer. In the first four games there was a bit of a hangover."

And so to the progression and establishing themselves in the Premier League. Dyche steered Burnley to 16th last season, six points clear of relegation, purely on a formidable home record.

This season they have won at Chelsea, drawn at Spurs and Liverpool, won six matches 1-0.

"They have got that knowledge now, that know-how," Boden said. "Their game management is fantastic. You genuinely feel if they get their noses in front it is going to take something for a team to get a point, never mind come back and win it.

"They've sort of grown. The Brighton players will have been finding out, it's not just that you are up against Pogba one week and Hazard the next. The whole media circus is hard to get your head around, playing in 60,000 stadiums every other week.

"It's just getting used to it as much as anything. The money helps and you can add a bit of quality here and there.

"They have adapted. Last year they were typical Dyche (below), good organisation and nicking games. They were pretty direct most of the time. They won ten games at home and just the one away.

"This year they've got Steven Defour and Jack Cork as the two central midfielders. They are not raining balls over the top, he wants them to get on the ball and play.

"They can take the sting out of games, be direct when they want, but also dictate. That mix is what he wants, so they can hurt teams in different ways.

"From day one it was about getting that culture and discipline, little things. I saw a picture of Mark Noble training at West Ham and you could only see his eyes. He had this snood thing on.

"As soon as Dyche came he told the players they were not training in hats and gloves, you train as you play, full tilt. You can't wear a hat on a Saturday.

"There is a real respect there. The players know where the line is. They have a laugh and a joke.

"Until four games ago the same back four had started every game. Against Stoke on Tuesday, including the goalkeeper, four of the first choice back five were missing by the end of the game.

"It almost doesn't matter who comes in, everyone know their role. There are no stars. It's mightily impressive."

Indeed it is, but it has taken time and there have been some severe bumps along the way. The keyboard warriors should bear that in mind the next time they have a pop at Hughton.