There is every reason to believe history will not repeat itself when Adam El-Abd returns with Albion to Carrow Road tonight.

Not necessarily in terms of the result, because a 3-0 defeat for the Seagulls to match the one they suffered in the Championship on their last visit four seasons ago is not beyond the realms of possibility.

Less likely is El-Abd losing a fellow member of the back four to a dismissal, a fate suffered by Adam Hinshelwood that evening, or El-Abd seeing red again himself now that Gus Poyet is in charge.

Albion's disciplinary record has improved significantly under the Uruguayan. They kept 11 players on the pitch against Leeds, Wycombe and Southampton and collected only three bookings, two of them for Gary Dicker.

Contrast that with seven red cards in the 15 matches prior to Poyet's arrival, one of them for El-Abd against MK Dons, plus 22 yellow cards over the same period.

El-Abd revealed: "Since the gaffer has come in it has been one of the main points we've had to address.

"As he has highlighted in the meetings we've had, it's hard enough when it's eleven versus eleven, let alone going down to ten men.

"That makes it nearly impossible to get the three points you are after. We haven't had anybody sent-off since he has been here, so I think the boys are taking that message on board."

El-Abd is happy to be part of Poyet's team, even if it means continuing to fill in out of position. He makes his 150th league start for Albion tonight and seventh in succession.

The versatile 25-year-old has retained the problem left-back spot in the absence of Jim McNulty, who is running again and edging closer to returning from a recurrence of ankle trouble.

He has operated in the past as a central defender, a holding midfielder and at right-back, a role in which the fit-again Andrew Whing is now under threat from Gavin Hoyte.

The on-loan Arsenal prospect is with Albion for the rest of 2009 and available again following a three-match suspension for his dismissal in the FA Cup at Wycombe.

El-Abd said: "He is a quality addition to the squad. He has got a lot of natural ability and he can only help us.

"Obviously, Jim is still out and I am still in playing at left-back. Everybody knows it is not my main position but I am enjoying playing games. I just love playing, where ever it is."

The challenge for El-Abd and his team-mates is to bounce back from Saturday's 3-0 home defeat by Leeds against the high-flying Canaries, who were simultaneously incapable of emulating at Southampton the Seagulls' opening success under Poyet.

"We were nowhere near the pace on Saturday, from one to eleven," El-Abd admitted. "It was a lesson really. They've (Leeds) set the bar we have got to try to aspire to.

"Norwich have been going well since (Paul) Lambert has taken over, so we know we have got our work cut out, especially at their place.

"They have been flying at home, so we will have to make sure we are on our game. If we are then we are more than capable of getting a result, as we did at Southampton."