Albion are about to embark on a defining period of the season.

The next dozen games will have a major bearing on the rest of the campaign for Gus Poyet’s side.

By the end of March we will know whether the Seagulls are perched comfortably, still looking over their shoulders or, worst of all, playing catch-up in the relegation zone during the run-in, just like last season.

Albion face the current top seven over the course of the next 12 matches, four of them at home, starting today against Millwall.

They also tackle four of the teams close to them in the congested bottom half of the table, including Exeter and Tranmere at home.

No wonder Poyet regards an improvement at Withdean as key to climbing away from trouble. Only Brentford among Albion’s next 12 rivals are in no man’s land, eight points from the drop zone and nine from the play-offs.

Albion kick-off their defining dozen fixtures at Withdean after five away games in succession.

They have only drawn twice under Poyet and he is hoping the latest, at Stockport on Tuesday, is a launchpad in the same way as the goalless deadlock at home to Leyton Orient on Boxing Day turned out to be.

He said: “The point at Stockport reminded me of Leyton Orient. I was very disappointed after that and maybe thinking about how badly we played and how many chances we created.

“Two days later we won at Wycombe and went on a good run and won at Walsall. From three away games in the league, losing none and winning two of them is nothing to complain about.

“We need to make the Stockport point a good one and that means winning today.”

Poyet was always concerned about Albion’s FA Cup run deflecting from the real task at hand. The Stockport game, 72 hours after the glamour fourth round visit to Aaston Villa, had an after the Lord Mayor’s show feel to it.

Poyet said: “People want to have a good cup run but you have to cope with it. It’s very nice when you go to Villa and enjoy the day out but afterwards the players have to keep playing.

“We need to be very careful with that, because the sooner we get away from the bottom the better. If we stay down there then maybe it is going to take too long and carry on right to the end.”

It all started for Poyet on an encouraging note at Southampton. Will the Seagulls still be looking silly at the wrong end of the table by the time they entertain the Saints on April Fool’s Day?