Albion Christmas Day Countdown. No.10 - The silver lining from the end of last season

We are celebrating the Seagulls’ year – or year so far. The countdown from ten to one will be ongoing through this most festive of days.

It’s an early start. No.10 is dedicated to all bleary-eyed adults out there having a sneaky peak at your phones or ipads while the kids unwrap their presents. We’re taking you back to the closing weeks of last season.

What a letdown that was. So dull. You probably yawned even more then than you are right now.

Once they were well placed to secure safety, Albion lost their way completely. One goal in the last seven games. Depressing defeats at Wigan and Rotherham.

A trilogy of awayday celebrations in the South Stand at the Amex for long-suffering home regulars to watch from a distance and endure as Norwich, Bournemouth and Watford moved toward the promised land amid a riot of noise, colour and people jumping up and down.

If you felt underwhelmed by that run-in to 2014-15, you were not alone. Chris Hughton felt exactly the same.

But today of all days is a time to count your blessing. And, amid the hours of waiting for Albion to even mount an attack worthy of the name, there were two positives.

The first was that at least it was dull rather than a fraught battle against the relegation which had seemed to be in prospect at one stage.

Chris Hughton looks disappointed as his side go down tamely at Rotherham

The second, as we learned later, was that Hughton was watching, learning and planning all the time. The switch to a 4-4-2 formation, the well-judged summer transfer business, the pairing of Kayal and Stephens allowing the use of two out-and-out widemen – all were born out of the lessons learnt in those weeks and months.

The sense of disappointment and being totally underwhelmed was worth it months later. Just remember that when you open that intriguing shaped gift and find a pair of sensible socks or polka dot speedos. They may well come in useful at some stage.