Stable, shrewd, organised, together.

Not sexy, jump-off-your-seat attributes.

Just essential ingredients when you are building for a long stay in the Premier League.

And Albion have them in abundance.

The Seagulls have improved every season under Chris Hughton (below).

The Argus: There is nothing to suggest a dip in the steady graph of progression from Championship near-missers to promotion and a promising debut campaign back in the top flight.

Not after another summer of sound-looking recruitment in which most of the business was done before or during the World Cup, avoiding a late scramble in the abbreviated window which closed yesterday.

Albion survived last time with a degree of comfort. Mathematical safety was achieved with only two matches to spare, but in reality they were not in genuine peril after seeing off Arsenal at the Amex in March.

They spent just eight days in the bottom three - and that was in August.

The start this time is horribly tough, last season's top four in the first seven games.

They could be playing catch-up, increasing the pressure on the fixtures where you are expected to take points, but they could not have a better leader than Hughton to cope with the inevitable ups and downs.

Calmness and consistency personified, he will ensure they move on quickly from setbacks and do not get carried away by triumphs.

A few eyebrows were raised when Albion plundered top leagues throughout Europe last summer in search of quality, value-for-money additions to the squad.

The Argus: Nobody knew that much about Pascal Gross (above), Mathew Ryan, Jose Izquierdo, Davy Propper. They do now.

It worked well, so why change the strategy?

Albion have gone down the same route for most of their summer signings. The most important ones will be Florin Andone and Alireza Jahanbakhsh.

They wanted Andone last season. Deportivo La Coruna's relegation from La Liga enabled them to finally land the Romanian striker for a fraction of the fee they would have paid for him back then.

Andone, although not particularly prolific, is the different type of front man Albion have needed, combining physical presence with the mobility to run in behind and turn around defences.

Iranian World Cup winger Jahanbakhsh, signed for a club record of around £17 million from AZ Alkmaar, should supply more creativity and ammunition.

Albion need more goals and points away from home this season to ease the burden on fortress Amex.

To manage that they require more of a threat on the counter-attack, for home defences to be more wary.

Andone and Jahanbakhsh should assist that cause, along with Jurgen Locadia if he gets up to speed after the injury niggles which have hampered him since his arrival in January.

Young Mali international Yves Bissouma, from Lille, looks an athletic, forward-thinking addition to Hughton's options in the middle of the park.

In defence, Brazilian Bernardo (below), from RB Leipzig, will offer more in an attacking sense from left-back than the dependable Gaetan Bong and hopefully a similar level of security.

The Argus: Nigerian World Cup central defender Leon Balogun, from Mainz, is even better back-up for Lewis Dunk and Shane Duffy than the departed Connor Goldson and Uwe Huenemeier.

Hughton also has classy Spaniard Martin Montoya and Dan Burn - from January - to increase the defensive scope after their captures yesterday.

Cover and competition for Ryan of the same standard as Tim Krul and Niki Maenpaa was always going to be the toughest recruitment task.

In David Button and Jason Steele, Albion have two English goalkeepers hungry to prove a point after difficulties last season with Fulham and Sunderland.

The hardest aspect of Premier League growth for Albion is adding quality while maintaining that core spirit which has been instrumental to their rise.

Although many of the Championship squad have gone now, Bruno, Duffy, Dunk and Bong, Dale Stephens (below), Beram Kayal, Anthony Knockaert, Solly March and Glenn Murray are still around to underpin the unity.

The Argus: The stepping into the unknown was last season. We pretty much know what to expect from Albion, which is more than can be said for many others, including the likes of Chelsea, Arsenal and tetchy Mourinho's Manchester United.

The aim at the outset has to be the same, survival. As many as 11 or 12 clubs, including the Seagulls, kick-off as potential candidates for the drop if the fine margins go against them.

Cardiff lack the quality to avoid an immediate return to the Championship. Wolves and Fulham should be okay.

Huddersfield will struggle again, Watford's persistent chopping and changing might finally catch up with them.

How many more times can the admirable Eddie Howe keep a club of Bournemouth's size away from the trapdoor? Newcastle will have enough if Rafa does not run out of tight budget patience. They would be doomed to a relegation dogfight without him.

Expect Leicester and Burnley, with the distraction of Europe, to drop from last season, perhaps not sufficiently to be in danger.

West Ham will be the most significant improvers under the wise Manuel Pelligrini. Manchester City will retain the title, with Liverpool pushing them close.

For Albion, 15th or thereabouts again will be just fine. A realistic target with a fair wind, luck on their side, more goals scored and averted from set plays and more possession via the higher and more aggressive press introduced by Hughton this summer is 13th, emulating the highest finish in the club's history.

Predictions (in order) First to sixth: Manchester City, Liverpool, Spurs, Manchester United, Arsenal, Chelsea.

Seventh to 13th: West Ham, Everton, Crystal Palace, Leicester, Burnley, Southampton, Albion.

Fourteenth to 20th: Wolves, Bournemouth, Newcastle, Fulham, Watford, Huddersfield, Cardiff.