Chris Hughton will not mind if Albion bore their way to Premier League safety.

He insists results still matter more than entertainment as he tries to steer the Seagulls to a third straight season in the top flight.

Fans have enjoyed nine points and eight goals at the Amex over the last five games at the end of last season and beginning of the current campaign.

It has been much more difficult away from home, where the Seagulls have collected one point and scored once over the same period as they head to Southampton on Monday night (8pm).

Hughton is not particularly bothered where or how the points are accumulated - as long as Albion stay away from the bottom three.

Asked if entertainment is more important for Premier League managers than it used to be, Hughton said: “No. Personally, it’s still about getting points.

“It’s still about staying in this division and getting the points however you need to be.

“Apart from the top six, I’m quite sure that if you ask most managers would they prefer to be a little boring and be guaranteed 50 points, they’d probably take it.”

Jurgen Locadia will be on the bench again at Southampton after starting Albion’s Carabao Cup defeat by the Saints at the Amex last month.

The injury-hit Dutchman has started three Premier League matches since his £14 million signing from PSV Eindhoven in January and will soon face competition for forward places from Florin Andone as well as Glenn Murray, with the Romanian on his way back from groin trouble.

Hughton said: “If you are a centre forward or a forward player, if you are not starting a game, there are more chances you will be involved in games than any other position.

“That is why we need the ones we’ve got very much on their toes and pushing for places.”