Seagulls legend Alan Mullery admits his former club is seen as no more than a stepping stone to bigger things by present day managers.

Now he has urged Dick Knight and his directors to seek a new boss with a love of the club and avoid a quick fix off football's lengthening dole queue.

Mullery, who led the Seagulls to the top flight in the Seventies and returned for six turbulent months in 1986, expects the club to be swamped by applications for the post vacated by title winner Peter Taylor on Monday.

He believes Albion fans deserve better than a short term appointment of someone simply looking for any avenue back into the game.

The club have had eight managers in the last nine years and Mullery insisted: "Brighton is a special football club.

"I still have a great deal to do with people in Brighton and I know how they feel about managers coming and going.

"The club need someone who is going to think about Brighton and Hove Albion and not just use the job as a stepping stone.

"They need to know if people are applying just to get back into football. That would be the wrong decision.

"They need someone who is in love with Brighton."

Mullery insists that was the case with longer-serving managers such as himself and Barry Lloyd.

He said: "It was the love of our lives.

"I am sure the directors know what they need. It is going to be tough now. Brighton will not have much money to spend and any manager will know they could be coming straight back down.

"There is a roundabout in football. If you are on that roundabout you will get a job.

"But there are not many what I would call really good managers around at the moment.

"Probably they will have two or three quality applicants and the rest of them will just be looking to get back into football.

"It's a very difficult scenario and I wonder if they need a director of football working with a very good coach.

"There is a lot of work to do away from the coaching which a director of football could undertake."

Mullery admits tight financial constraints, which were starting to bite when he was in charge 16 years ago, will do little to dampen the ambitions of fans buoyed by back to back titles.

Back in 1979, the Seagulls' promotion squad included the likes of Peter Ward, Brian Horton, Gerry Ryan and Mark Lawrenson.

Mullery said: "I am sure some people will be looking at what we achieved and saying the current side is just as good.

"But they have lost two managers in one season and there must be some reason for it.

"We saw it towards the end of the season. Peter Taylor wanted assurances they would have money to spend.

"With 7,000 people in the stadium there is not going to be money to spend. It is a very difficult scenario.

"You can't get blood out of a stone and money has been a problem ever since I went back there for my second time. They were two and a half million in debt in 1986 and there have been times when they have not been able to pay the wages.

"Anybody with ambition will look at that. Brighton are more ambitious now than they have been for years.

"The problem you have got is that no one other than Jesus can work miracles.

"You would have to work a miracle at Brighton to get them from the First Division into the Premiership.

"You would be surprised how many supporters will be saying 'Premiership next season'.

"That cannot be done on the set-up you have got there. They have not got the revenue."

Asked if he would be tempted to apply if he was still on the management merry-go- round, Mullery admitted: "I would not know. I would have to look at the whole situation.

"Micky Adams did a fantastic job and Peter Taylor did a very good job as his replacement.

"Micky saw the situation arising and decided to go to the Premiership. I saw Leicester at Fulham last weekend and he has got a lot of hard work on his hands there.

"Peter would have said 'If I am going to stay here, what are your ambitions?'.

"I know their ambition is to have a new stadium but they cost fortunes. You have got to raise that money and I don't think Brighton's directors will come up with £20 million.

"When you look at Fulham, they have spent £62 million in five years and they are talking about £70 million for a stadium."

Lloyd, the last Albion manager to spend more than two years at the club, added: "I am not so sure it was any surprise Peter Taylor going.

"Since the formation of the Premiership more and more managers have tried to seek their route into it.

"I had opportunities to move on but never took them."

Although Albion's recent turnover of bosses appears alarming, it is largely in keeping with what has gone on at other clubs with whom they will be competing next season Old rivals Crystal Palace have had just as many changes of command since 1993, though fewer names appear on their list of bosses given Steve Coppell has been in charge four times and Alan Smith twice.

Harry Redknapp is Portsmouth's seventh boss in seven years, dating back to the premature dismissal of Jim Smith in 1995.

Smith is one of the names being discussed by Albion fans as they come to terms with Taylor's sudden departure.

He would certainly fill the director-of-football role if Mullery's preferred set-up was to be adopted.

Many fans appear keen for Bob Booker to remain in charge while Terry Burton, recently sacked by Wimbledon, is another name on a few tongues.

Danny Wilson and Dave Bassett are committed to Bristol City and Leicester respectively.

Steve Cotterill is currently tied up with the play-offs, as is Steve Claridge, who still hits the net on the pitch but enjoyed precious little joy off it with Portsmouth.

Alan Cork did little to improve his footballing CV at Cardiff but has the three precious qualities of being available, knowing the squad and having an affinity to the club.

And then there are the more wild card suggestions, such as Unibond League winner Nigel Clough at Burton.

The appointment would keep Albion in the spotlight and the prospect of Clough following Peter Taylor would have a ring to it for fans of an older vintage.

But the former Forest striker is keen to keep playing, has a year left on his current deal and said: "I am looking forward to the challenge of the Conference next season."

Read why Taylor quit plus all the reaction at thisisthealbion.co.uk