The last manager to steer Albion through to the FA Cup quarter-finals is torn about the tie that has presented them with a golden opportunity to get there again.

Chris Cattlin is delighted with the progress the Seagulls are making - but devastated by the plight of Coventry City.

Cattlin spent the last 11 years of his playing career with the fifth round rivals at the Amex.

The left-back played in Europe for Coventry, then helped Albion to promotion to the top flight for the first time.

Towards the end of his three-year reign as Albion manager in 1986, a period dominated by the need to cut costs, they reached the quarter-finals before losing 2-0 to Southampton at The Goldstone.

Cattlin (below) said: "I had some injuries and probably on reflection I picked the right team at ten-to-three but it was the wrong team at ten-to-five.

The Argus: "We went 2-0 down very early on. I was extremely disappointed, because I expected to win that game and that would have put us in a good position.

"This Brighton team now is a slightly better team than I had. We had to sell a lot of our best players.

"What Brighton are doing is not a shock to me. They've got two extremely competitive central defenders, the goalkeeper has been consistent, the two that sit in front of the central defenders have given protection to the back four.

"They have done extremely well and with the financial backing he's got Chris (Hughton) has introduced one or two more special players. They are looking good."

The season after Albion's FA Cup run under Cattlin, Coventry beat a Spurs side including Hughton in the Wembley final.

Those heady days are long gone. They were in the Championship when SISU Capital, a hedge fund, took over in December 2007.

They arrive at the Amex playing in the fourth tier for the first time since the 1950's, as tenants in their own city at the Ricoh Arena. In 2013-14 they had to groundshare with Northampton.

For Cattlin it is a grim reminder of Albion's suffering in the late 1990's, when The Goldstone was sold by a despised regime and they spent two seasons playing home games at Gillingham.

The passionate Lancastrian, 71, said: "Coventry City now are like Bellotti and Archer (below centre). They've got a hedge fund in charge. It's a Bellotti and Archer situation.

The Argus: "Over the years they've had some wonderful players. (Leon) Clarke who is scoring goals at Sheffield United, Callum Wilson well documented at Bournemouth, James Maddison at Norwich. He is going to be an international footballer, he is absolutely outstanding.

"They chucked Tony Mowbray out and he went 20 games without losing at Blackburn. He is not a bad manager. Eventually young (Mark) Robins will get sacked and they will blame him.

"It's nothing to do with Robins (below). He has made a big impression there but he has no chance. There are so many young players. He is crying out for one or two experienced ones to bolster them to get out of the League (Two).

The Argus: "But there's no money to do that. They haven't got a shilling. I was so proud to play for that club, it was a fantastic club.

"When I was there we got into Europe, it was only when we drew Bayern Munich when they had Sepp Maier and Franz Beckenbauer that we lost.

"Warwickshire is a fantastic county and to see this hedge fund, like Bellotti and Archer, do this to the club and everybody stand back - it's a disgrace. That's the bottom line.

"They'll be hoping at the end of the season to sell another player and that will go on paying wages and court cases. It's going nowhere and I think at the end of the season they lose the Ricoh. So where they are going next I don't know."

Coventry have already knocked out a Premier League club, Stoke City, in round three. Cattlin cannot see Albion going the same way.

"They've almost got a freebie," he said. "If you'd had to pick one out of the hat it would have been Coventry at home.

"You mustn't under-estimate them. The kids will run around but I feel so sorry for Coventry. On the other hand I'm so pleased for Brighton and Hove Albion."