Albion boss Chris Hughton says there are flaws in the system of retrospective bans.

Burnley central defender James Tarkowski has been suspended for three games for elbowing Seagulls striker Glenn Murray inside the penalty area during last Saturday's 0-0 draw at the Amex.

The offence was missed by the officials but Tarkowski was subsequently charged with violent conduct by the FA.

Among the fixtures he misses is a clash against Huddersfield, one of Albion's rivals in the fight for Premier League survival.

Albion striker Tomer Hemed (below) received the same retrospective punishment as Tarkowski earlier in the season for stamping on Newcastle defender DeAndre Yedlin, although the Israeli international and the club have always protested his innocence.

The Argus: Hughton told The Argus: "It doesn't work fully. This is a system where somebody might receive a three-match ban and for that part of it you would say it's right for the game. We've looked for technology and so on but there are always going to be grey areas.

"One of those grey areas, for instance, is that Tarkowski being suspended is not something that benefits us.

"What would have benefited us was to receive a penalty at the time and I presume it would have been a red card.

"But I don't think they are always going to get it right and also the panel itself of three ex-referees looking at an incident.

"If I look at those incidents we've had already this season, Hemed gets banned. There are ones I've looked at and thought I certainly don't agree with the decision that's been made."

Alternatives put forward include the culprit being banned from the next game against his victims, so that Tarkowski would miss Albion's visit to Turf Moor in April.

Hughton said: "That might be something that might happen in the future. There are numerous things you could throw up and everybody would think of different ways, different penalties and how a club that didn't benefit at the time can benefit.

"I just generally feel we will never keep everybody happy. When there is one incident and somebody in the game can look at it differently to somebody else then there is always going to be that grey area."

Meanwhile, Hughton has played down the simulation controversy surrounding record signing Joe Izquierdo.

The Colombian winger escaped with a dive inside the box in a bid to win a penalty in the closing stages against Burnley.

Hughton said: "What we won't do here is deny Jose has gone down a little bit softly but I think, in the scheme of things you see simulation at different levels and I certainly feel with him it was very much on the lesser side of that.

"But it is a part of the game that, as managers and coaches, we want to see eradicated."

Hughton is weighing up his attacking options for Watford's visit tomorrow, as Albion attempt to end a nine-and-a-half-hour drought without a goal in open play.

The Argus: Izquierdo came off the bench against Burnley but striker Sam Baldock (above) was not in the squad or for the previous game against Spurs at Wembley, having made his first appearance in the matchday 18 since summer calf surgery at Huddersfield.

Hughton said: "At the moment it's almost as difficult to pick the subs as the team.

"That's because we have got a lot of bodies fit and available and that's the way you would want it. So it (Baldock's omission) is purely tactical."